“They have to look real, Quinn. Be real. Cerberus is not stupid. Do not worry. Bahre will not allow anything to happen to you. Neither will I.”
Well, I’d signed on for this shitshow, so I was along for the ride now. I’d volunteered to be bait. The ankle bindings were snug as well, but nothing hurt. I took a deep breath, nodded at Rett, and waited while the others did their thing, whatever it was, to prepare. They were setting a trap in this large cargo area, and I was the cheese right in the middle of it.
The group of aliens who’d just earlier been serious and attentive were now the scariest bunch of aliens I had ever seen. Their demeanors shifted into some kind of battle mode. They were dressed in various uniforms; however, they were all heavily armed. The saying about a guy in uniform being hot was true. These guys were all handsome. Virile. Powerful. And their focus now was single-minded. They moved silently around the room, getting ready to ambush and kill another scary alien on a space station.
In outer space.
It was like I was in a movie. The bait always lived, right? The bait never had a huge Atlan mate with cuffs about his wrists that matched her own.
How the hell had my life turned into this?
Bahre. That’s how. And as much as this was not fun, I wouldn’t change a thing.
Once everyone agreed to the plan, most specifically Bahre, I had deliberately manufactured a nearly identical outfit to the one I’d been wearing when Lukabo kidnapped me. The pink silk blouse was the same, except I’d replaced the half sleeves with full length ones to hide the mating cuffs I had no interest in removing. Helion had mentioned it and Bahre had immediately gone beast. That had been enough for me to refuse the idea. I hadn’t wanted to take them off either. My black skirt wasn’t quite as tight as the pencil skirts I normally wore on the air, just in case I had to run. But my shoes? Oh yes. I’d given myself a bit of extra height and made sure the heels themselves were made of stainless steel. If I had to jab someone this time, I was going to make sure I did some serious damage.
I fought a smile thinking about how I’d gotten Lukabo with the sharp tip. Twice.
The S-Gen machines, or Spontaneous Matter Generators, as Bahre had informed me they were called, were absolutely amazing. I could start a fashion design empire with one of those things. Shoes. Clothes. Jewelry. The only limit was the imagination, and when it came to making beautiful things, I could dream up new designs forever.
Bahre wore some kind of battle armor that made him look terrifying. Black. Snug. Thigh holster for a big space gun. All of which made me feel totally safe. He was magnificent and mine, and he wasn’t going to let anything happen to me. I truly believed that.
He’d killed Lukabo. He’d only said Lukabo wouldn’t bother me ever again, but I knew. I was fine with that. Lukabo had been evil to the core and would have committed some other crime if he hadn’t been stopped.
As for Cerberus? I wasn’t going to let some space alien stalker/sex trafficker ruin an innocent woman’s life, not when I could stop him. If it wasn’t me, it would be someone else. I was doing this for Jeff Randall, and all the Jeff Randalls out there who felt like women were things and not people. I was over it. Over being afraid. Over looking the other way and reorganizing my life because of their obsessions. I’d moved to fucking Florida because of him. I’d slowed my career. I was finally ready to fight back, and I had one hell of an army helping me.
Some of them even had fangs, which reminded me that while Lukabo’d had them and been an asshole, Styx and Blade were not evil. I had much to learn about the various races in space, although my time off Earth hadn’t been all that great. Yes, I’d had a wild night of fucking and being claimed, but we could do that on Earth.
My home. I wanted to get this done and get home. With Bahre. Together.
I stared at Styx, trying to read his tattoos because I was sure they actually said something, when he noticed my interest.
“They are the names of all the people under my protection. The people of my legion.”
My eyes widened at the intricacy, the detail. “How many are there?” I asked, intrigued.
“Thousands.”
That was a lot of ink. Looking at Blade, I couldn’t resist asking. “What about you? Why aren’t you covered like he is?”
Blade shrugged. “I am marked with the names of those under my command and their families. I am not responsible for the entire legion. I do not carry that weight upon my shoulders, and so I do not ink their names on my flesh.”
These guys were intense. However, I was nosy and used to being around journalists. So I asked what I wanted to ask. “What’s with the fangs? Do you guys drink blood?”
Styx laughed. “You and my mate, Harper, would be fast friends. She is human like you.”
I arched a brow. “Well?”
He looked down at me. “We are not vampires. Harper has told me about your stories on Earth. About an ancient named Dracula and his need to drink blood to survive.”
I blanched, thinking of Lukabo. “You… you don’t drink blood?”
He grinned. “On the contrary, our bite gives life. Heals illness. Binds us to our mates.”
The idea of these two with someone like me, a human woman, between them, fucking them, biting her with some kind of super bonding juice? Whoa. And I thought Bahre was intense with how he took me up against the wall. “I’d like to meet Harper.”
Styx bowed at the waist. “Of course. You and your warlord are welcome in Styx Legion’s territory at any time.”
“I heard that.” The Prillon in charge, Dr. Helion, walked over and joined us. “I heard that, Styx. I will hold you to it.”
“I said Bahre and his mate were welcome, Helion. No one else. And do not forget, you will owe me a favor after this is done.”
“Yes. I am well aware of your demands.” Helion looked at me. “Are you ready? I have word from my people in the landing bay that Cerberus has arrived. He will be here in a few minutes.”
“Landing bay? He didn’t transport?” I asked.
“Never.” That was all Dr. Helion said in answer.
“Then I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.” I looked at Bahre, who held my gaze just long enough to make me feel truly seen. He knew I needed to do this. He also seemed to be the only one who realized just how scared I was, how making small talk calmed me.
Helion looked to Rett. “Demand double Lukabo’s price.”
“I know the plan.”
Helion nodded; then to Styx and Blade he said, “Protest his arrival, but don’t drive him away. This is a business transaction. Nothing more.”
Styx crossed his arms over his chest, clearly annoyed, but said nothing.
Helion looked me over, inspecting everything from how I was secured to how I was dressed. “Perfect. You, Quinn of Earth, look perfect.”
“Helion.” Bahre’s warning fell on deaf ears as the wrist gadget on Helion’s black uniform pinged. He glanced down. “Five minutes. Everyone move. Now.”
The cargo room had been chosen specifically because of the large number of stacked crates, boxes, containers, and other goods. The aliens around me disappeared like shadows until only Rett and I remained out in the open, speaking to Styx and Blade as they negotiated my price.
My job was to look frightened and weak. Easy. Not one ounce of acting required knowing that Cerberus was coming. For me. I knew my Greek mythology. Knew that Cerberus was the three-headed dog that guarded the gates of the underworld to keep the dead from leaving.
Oh shit, did this alien have three heads? That had me scared out of my wits and holding myself together only because I knew Bahre was watching. Right now. This very second. Watching over me. Protecting me.
Rett, Styx, and Blade were on my side as well. Still… three heads? No.
I glanced up and found Blade watching me. He winked and flashed his fangs.
Despite myself, I had to hide a grin. It helped. These were the good guys. These were the good guys. I had to put the words on repeat in m
y mind as those five minutes felt like five hours.
At last the door slid open just as Styx spoke. “I will kill you before I give you that many credits.”
I was on the news and knew when we were live. Styx had hit his mark perfectly.
Rett, who had appeared very kind, if a bit scary this whole time, was now a full-on monster. He moved so fast I couldn’t keep track, as if he were the vampire. Hunters were obviously fast. Like a blur. He had Styx by the throat, and it made me cry out in surprise. “That is the price if you want the female.”
“Hunter. Hunter.” A huge blue alien walked into the room with four others behind him. Four. Two were female. None had three heads. But blue. B.L.U.E. Was Cerberus blue? Holy shit, I had not been expecting that.
“Put Styx down,” the blue guy said. “He may not be willing to pay your price, but I am.” He looked me over, just as Helion had, and I felt… exposed. Violated. Dirty. He made Jeff Randall seem like a simple bully on the elementary school playground. I didn’t need to act afraid any longer. I was scared of this guy.
Rett’s smile looked like pure evil. How? How was he pulling this off? I had to assume it was pure hatred for the legion leader that was driving him. “Cerberus. I am glad to see you received my message.” He dropped Styx as if he were garbage.
“Oh, I received it loud and clear when you left Lukabo’s body where you knew we would find it,” Cerberus said.
“In my private quarters.” One of the females accompanying Ceberus spoke. She was huge, six feet tall at least, older than Cerberus, but she looked mean. Just nasty. I knew how to spot a bitch of the first order, and she qualified. “You need to learn some manners, Hunter.”
Now I knew what had happened to Lukabo.
“I have no idea what you are talking about,” Rett denied. “But I am glad you are here. I was just discussing the future of my guest.”
Cue the acting job. I looked from one blue alien to the next, then to Rett. “I’m not your guest. Take me home. You have to take me home.” I struggled against the bonds as Helion had instructed. He’d told me the motion would distract Cerberus, turn him on.
It had been only talk before, but now it was disgusting because he’d been right. I didn’t have to feign revulsion and he was taking the bait. Cerberus stepped forward and ignored everyone but me, just as Helion had wanted. He took in every inch of me, from my red hair to my shoes in a way that screamed desire and evil intent. “You are magnificent.” He glanced from me to Rett. “I agree to your price and will give you an additional ten thousand for your trouble.”
“Not so fast, Cerberus. I was here first.” Styx stepped in front of me, blocking Cerberus from my body. Thank God. I did not want that alien touching me, and Cerberus had been raising his hand to caress my face. Or worse. I refused to think about the worse, so I doubled down on my determination that this was the right thing. If he managed to buy himself a human female, the poor woman would be doomed.
It was Styx who was to move first. He did. Then Blade shifted as well, moving slightly to my right and behind two of Cerberus’s goons.
Rett moved slowly to my left so he, Blade, and Styx formed a semicircle in front of me with Styx as the center. Styx took a step forward, pushing the entire complement back, farther from me.
Fangs or no fangs, I decided I liked him. And Blade. A lot.
Intel had Cerberus accompanied by two aliens. Not four. I knew for a fact, five bad guys hadn’t been part of the plan.
What if those extra two could get to me? What if they slapped one of those transport dots on me and took me away, just as Lukabo had from the makeup room? My nerves were fried, waiting for the killing to start. Waiting for someone to get to me and take me away.
I was going to throw up all over my new shiny black heels. Damn it.
The tears were coming. I was shaking. My body and my nerves had taken all I was going to be able to take. Why had I volunteered for this? Why had I said I’d be bait? I wasn’t a warrior. I didn’t fight bad guys. I was a meteorologist from Chicago.
“Bahre.” I said his name, whispered it like a prayer. I needed him. Now.
Everything happened at once.
Bahre’s roar shook the room.
Someone—I assumed it was the Elite Hunter Quinn—slit the throat of the alien on Cerberus’s right side, and Rett had taken down the scary alien female on his left.
Woman or not, she was dead. So apparently their super-protective alpha male code of protecting females didn’t apply to the blue ones. She’d looked like she could break me in two and pick the meat off my bones, so I was okay with that.
And Cerberus? Bahre had him by the throat. He was in full beast mode. Huge, angry, fierce. God, it was like he had an Incredible Hulk in him. His beast loomed over the fanged alien’s face.
“Mine!” The word was more than a roar, it was a promise of death.
“Warlord Bahre, I need him alive.” The command came from Helion as he approached.
I struggled against the ropes, a small roar of my own coming from my throat in frustration when I could not break Rett’s bonds. I couldn’t see what was happening to Bahre. The stupid Hunter was in my way.
“Rett, if you don’t move out of my way, I will have Bahre beat you to a pulp,” I said, my voice ragged as I continued to tug and pull at the restraints.
Rett, the jerk, turned around, looked down, way down at me, and laughed. But he did take one step, one very small step to the side so I could see Bahre. And Cerberus, the blue dude with fangs. And the space gun he had pointed in Bahre’s ribs.
Oh God.
Why was Rett smiling and looking at me when Bahre had a gun in his gut? I tugged some more, groaned in frustration. Sweat dotted my brow from my efforts.
“Do you think that will stop me?” Bahre still held the massive alien up with just one hand, and he wasn’t even breathing hard. Holy shit. I knew Atlan beasts were supposed to be strong, but this was another level. That blue fanged creep was almost as big as Bahre.
“Warlord, put him down,” Helion ordered. “Do not rip his head off.”
Bahre growled. “That was not part of our deal.”
Helion walked right up to Cerberus, grabbed the gun out of his hand, and threw it to one of Cerberus’s blue sidekicks who were still standing right behind him.
What the hell?
Bahre noticed. “Why are they not dead as well?” He looked from Cerberus to Helion to the other large, fanged female standing behind her leader. She wasn’t old like the one who was now dead on the floor, but she was scary as hell. The Hunter, Quinn, had a pistol pointed at her, but he was not firing. He was not acting at all concerned that Helion had just handed Cerberus’s weapon to her either.
The female stepped forward, and I noticed, shocked, that she was the same size as the Prillon.
No wonder these Rogue 5 people were such a problem. They were all huge.
“I am Jillela,” she told Bahre, although it seemed the others knew her. “I am from Cerberus Legion. This Xeriman piece of shit currently known as Cerberus killed three of my top people before he bothered to challenge me for leadership. Four on one is not an honorable challenge.” She hit Cerberus in the side with the weapon Helion had just given her. “Nor is it part of our code. Cerberus Legion is mine.”
“Everyone, this is Jillela,” Helion offered as introduction. “But after today she’ll be known simply as Cerberus.”
Cerberus growled as best he could in Bahre’s hold.
Bahre looked irritated. I was just confused.
Helion waited to make sure Bahre wasn’t going to do anything else, like maybe rip the blue bad guy’s head off, then looked to the new, soon-to-be leader of Cerberus. “He’s yours, Jillela. Our deal is complete. I will honor my promise to give Cerberus to you to deal with. You owe me, and you’d better make damn sure I never see or hear from him again.”
The female smiled, and the sight was one of the worst things I’d ever seen in my life. That smile was pure death, plain
and simple. Brutality she didn’t even try to hide. These aliens were seriously messed up. Cunning. Ruthless. “No problem, Doctor. I shall take care of that right now.”
His title sounded more like a taunt than a show of respect, but my head was still reeling. What the hell was going on? I stopped fighting the bonds and watched.
Helion turned to Bahre, who still held Cerberus off the ground by his neck. “Put him down, Bahre. Jillela will take it from here.”
“He must die.” Bahre’s deep voice filled the room like thunder.
“Agreed.” Jillela’s single word was like a vow. “Give him to me, Warlord. He’s mine.”
Bahre didn’t move for long seconds and I wondered how hard it was for him to follow Doctor Helion’s order.
I watched the lines of Bahre’s neck tense, his shoulders shake with rage. Cerberus squeaked in pain, as if Bahre had tightened his grip. He was fighting his beast and I had a feeling the beast was winning. “He didn’t touch me, Bahre. You killed Lukabo. It’s okay. Let her have him. I’m safe but I don’t like this. Put him down and get me out of here.”
Helion looked pointedly at the Cerberus female. Okay, so Cerberus was the name of the guy Bahre held, but also the name of the legion. He was in charge so he’d taken on that name. Like Styx had with the Styx Legion. And now this crazy lady with fangs wanted to kill Cerberus so she could be the new Cerberus.
Aliens were devious and insane. That was all I had. I wanted Bahre to crush the guy’s skull, too, on behalf of all women in the universe. But then, it appeared the female Jillela wanted to kill him to. Which was fine with me.
“Let her have him. She hates him, too.” Jillela looked from Cerberus to me. When our gazes locked, I knew I was right. She was big and scary, but she was a woman who had been mistreated and was ready to take back her power. “She really hates him.”
Jillela smiled at me and this time I smiled back. “Yes, I do.”
“And Jillela,” Dr. Helion continued. “You will owe me a favor. Do not forget.”
Beauty and the Beast: Interstellar Brides® Program: The Beasts - 3 Page 12