by Stone, Piper
“You speak of love and honor, yet you don’t trust me,” Castran spouted. While her words held anger, her eyes highlighted the sadness that had taken her to the depths of despair.
“That isn’t true.”
“Are you certain, Draze? Tell me why you love me. Tell me the reason I should stay.”
I shook my head, tossing away the memories. Nothing would bring her back and there was no way I could forgive myself for the atrocities of what I’d done.
“We will go. Remember that you are not to speak unless you are asked a question. Do you understand?” I asked, grabbing the leash out of my pocket.
“Perfectly,” she purred in a hateful manner, lifting her chin defiantly.
My fingers were shaking as I attached the leather strap, loathing the pomp and circumstances we would be forced to play.
Greson was waiting for us by the door, his face devoid of any expression. The same lilting music the king loved so much followed us all the way to the king’s facilities. No one spoke. In truth, there was nothing to say. We were all lost in our own haunting pain.
As we neared the main community room, even I was surprised at the number of people who’d been invited. King Lorowerd had obviously opened the ranks, allowing a huge majority of our soldiers as well as prominent and influential citizens to join.
“A floor show,” Casey said quietly, laughing under her breath.
I wrapped the leash around my hand, tugging her close. “Remember your place.”
“Let’s get this over with. I’m not much in the mood for a party,” Greson stated, the first to make an entrance. I had to give him credit, he was a much better actor, the smile on his face far too believable.
“Stay by my side,” I whispered as I pushed her forward.
She darted a glance in my direction. “Do I have a choice?”
My natural reflexes took over and I smacked her bottom, much to the delight of several of the more pompous guests.
“Commander Haern. So delighted to have you join us. It would seem you are getting along well with your pet.” The round appearance of the human characteristics suited the traitorous asshole, who’d sell his mother for a shiny coin.
“Captain Zak, very good to be here.” I scanned the room as the captain studied Casey.
“Her reputation is vile indeed. I believe you are the only Malzeon capable of taming her,” he added, reaching out and rolling his finger across her cheek.
The second I heard a slight growl pushing up from her throat, I tightened my hold. “She is a handful indeed, but I assure you, her bottom is a clear match in color for this lovely dress.” I could tell Greson was already moving through the crowd, pretending he gave a shit about the actual celebration.
“Oh, please allow me to see,” the captain squealed like a pig, reaching around and yanking on Casey’s dress. He managed to run his fingers across her bottom before I could react.
I snapped my hand around his wrist, twisting until he cried out in pain. “As you might imagine, Captain Zak, I am ferocious about my property. And so you know, humans can be vile and vindictive as well. I wouldn’t allow her to get too close. She does bite.”
He seemed stunned at first, his eyes flashing anger before issuing a wry smile and a bow of his head. “Very well, Commander, but it would seem you are already required to share. I do hope you can... what is the human expression? Bury the hatchet given your past.”
“I follow orders, Captain. Just like you are required to do. Another human expression is one that has become important to me. Keep your friends close but your enemies closer. I think that applies in all arenas. Don’t you?”
He slanted his eyes toward Casey before lifting his drink and walking away.
“An interesting jerk,” Casey huffed. “I am surprised at your defiance against him. Won’t that create an issue with your king?”
“While the captain has significant influence, he is merely tolerated given his penchant for gossip. Pay attention to the people he’s talking to, sharing the mild confrontation. My words will spark interest if nothing else. Come, little pet. We have work to do.”
We were given a wide berth at first, the onlookers remaining curious about the aggressive female I’d hungered for. I noticed the king was less than enthusiastic about the event, remaining very much on his own.
I moved toward him, grabbing a drink from one of the servers, barely acknowledging anyone else who attempted to engage in conversation. When I finally made my way through the king’s usual security detail, he seemed pleased at our arrival, turning his attention toward Casey.
“Welcome, Draze,” he said as he inched closer.
“King,” I responded.
“No need for formality tonight. This is a celebration after all. This must be Casey Roberts. I am Aramel Lorowerd.”
Casey seemed surprised that he held out his hand. I glanced around the room, noticing that the behavior was being scrutinized by almost everyone within close proximity.
“King,” she said, accepting his gesture. “I have wanted to talk with you.”
“And I, you, child,” he said quietly.
“Were you aware that several of the prisoners you took with you were prominent citizens on Earth, their only crime to express concern regarding the New World Order? The woman in the cage in the center of the room used to be a prominent attorney working for the rights of our lower-class citizens. The one in yellow being spanked is a former teacher, a girl who spent her entire life educating our youth. I worked on their cases for months, trying to figure out what the hell was going on. I thought they were being used by our great president and his cabinet members, but I can see I was wrong. Were you also aware several of those women were murdered instead of being sold off like cattle?” She threw out the words, rushing them as she spoke under her breath.
I yanked on the chain with more force than I’d intended, the collar pinching against her neck. I’d heard her claim before, but her accusation bothered me more this time. “That’s enough, little human, or you will be punished severely.”
Aramel held up his hand, giving his guards a look to tell them to back off. “Nonsense, Draze. She is free to speak her mind, at least at this moment.” He closed the distance so that only Casey and I were able to hear his words. “I am... saddened. The truth is that I was not aware of that until recently and only after investigating your work on Earth. I will make certain these innocent slaves are freed. If you have a list of those women, I would be honored if you would provide them to me. I am angered by the information and no matter what you might believe, I am an honorable man. Were you aware that the various prisoners are required to sign a waiver, accepting the change in their status?”
“I... No, but I wasn’t given that option,” she retorted.
“Yes, that was established within the treaty.”
“That the New World Order has obviously broken, along with several other aspects. You need to pay closer attention, King Lorowerd.” Casey smiled coyly.
I ran my finger down her spine, tapping her bottom. “Be careful.”
Once again, Aramel waved his hand, only this time his gaze was pointed. “I am not a stupid man, Casey. I am well aware of certain violations, which is why I called my entire fleet back to our planet. We have issues that must be dealt with.”
“Or simply preparing for an invasion,” she snarked.
This time, I allowed her to hear my hiss of rage. “While you are helping us, you will not talk to the king in that manner.”
She chewed on her lip, finally looking away.
Aramel sighed, glancing around the room. “I care very much for my people, Casey. More than you could know. I am need of assistance and a place for our people to live, but I refuse to do that with use of violence. What you may be able to provide will help in my determination of the next steps.”
“No violence?” I asked.
He exhaled, giving me a smile before answering. “Not unless necessary. My intent has never been to invade Earth i
n any manner; however, I will not allow this new Earth government to partake in destroying the good relationship we’ve had for over eighteen years. It is my opinion that they aren’t working in the best interest of your planet or our people for that matter. I am prepared to do what is necessary, along with Commander Haern’s help, as long as you are willing to provide everything you know. And I fully intend on keeping my promise regarding the prisoners.”
She seemed to be thinking about his promise, finally nodding. “Very well. I will do everything I can to help you, but you should know that there are good people on Earth wanting nothing more than to live their life in peace.”
“A joyous experience to watch, Casey. I’ve enjoyed being able to help your planet rebuild.” Aramel scanned the room, finally turning his attention to me. “Whatever you’re going to do should happen quickly.”
“You have an opinion on our true enemy, don’t you?” I allowed myself to ask. I knew by instinct the humans were the minor players, being used given the treaty. If the Valtars were involved, they wouldn’t appreciate the fact the New World Order would be stripped of power.
“As I mentioned to you before, I have had certain suspicions for some time. If I’m right, you will know exactly how to handle the situation.” Aramel’s statement was still as cryptic as before, although I could tell he wasn’t lying entirely. “Use whatever methods you need, including the Vipers. Their programming is easily altered. Your second in command is well aware of how to make this happen. He was specifically trained.”
This was news I hadn’t heard before. I turned my gaze in Lieutenant Tragon’s direction. No wonder he’d been rather cagey in his interactions with me.
“I have instructed the lieutenant to provide whatever method of assistance he can. He has quietly gathered together a group of soldiers you can trust with this mission but be wary of anyone else at this point.”
“We will leave in the morning, going back to my usual location on Earth and nothing more,” I stated, watching his reaction.
“Good. I’ll reassign Greson Nevol to your command for now. Any questions will be answered with the fact you are sharing a pet. I’ll handle everything else.” Aramel nodded to an approaching group.
“Understood, Aramel.”
Aramel took a purposeful step away, smiling. When he spoke again, I knew we were being dismissed for a reason. “I do hope you are able to keep your pet in line, Commander. While she is quite... lovely, she is to follow our laws.”
“Yes, sir. I am well aware,” I said, allowing my voice to boom as two of his trusted members within his council approached. He was even uncertain of their loyalty. “Come, little pet. We have a celebration at hand. I don’t mind showing you off in every manner.” I dragged her away and to her credit, she didn’t bother attempting to thwart my command. The fact she remained quiet as we were greeted by others was another surprise.
Greson finally approached thirty minutes later, taking the opportunity to tug on Casey’s collar before fisting her hair, pulling her in for a passionate kiss. When he eased back, he let off a husky growl before pinching her nipple between his thumb and forefinger. “Has our little pet been behaving?”
“To a point. She’ll receive her required discipline later.” I could tell others were listening in. I turned toward him. “We have adjustments to make.”
“Every other commander seems to be in the dark,” Greson said quietly then took a sip of his drink.
“I’m not certain we’re going to find out anything else. I suggest we prepare for an early departure.” I placed my empty drink on a table. “I fear what we’re facing will change the face of our species and I don’t like the odds.”
“Then we’ll change them,” Greson stated defiantly.
I chuckled. “We will try.”
I wasn’t comfortable with the direction we were headed. Without additional information, we could be walking into a trap. That was unsettling. I’d spent far too many years commanding a ship to know when the pieces weren’t fitting well together. I continued to feel like a pawn in a game that could mean the death of far too many. However, the plans were in motion and there was nothing else we could do but follow orders.
And hope.
If there was any of that left.
As we approached my quarters, Lieutenant Tragon moved out of the shadows.
“Lieutenant,” I said, motioning for Greson to take Casey inside.
The lieutenant waited until the door closed, carefully glancing up and down the corridor. “The ship is prepared for departure.”
“We will leave at 0500 hours.”
“You’re very human, Commander, even using their time in your manner of giving orders.”
“Make no mistake, Tragon, I’m a Malzeon before anything else. I will need full obedience from whatever men you chose to work with us.”
“And you’ll have it.”
“And the Vipers?” I asked, studying his eyes. He seemed to be excited about the mission we were facing.
He held up a small disc. “I have developed the program we need to be successful.”
“What if the humans made changes?”
“It won’t matter. Their programming was predesigned with our full autonomy if necessary. They will be our soldiers when required.” Tragon slipped the disc back into his pocket. “I will have everyone report as required.” He started to turn away then stopped.
“What is it, Lieutenant?”
“What are we going to do about finding a place to live?”
Exhaling, I felt as if I’d aged several years over the course of a few days. “I don’t honestly know. There is still time to find a method of eradicating the gas.” Although given what the king had told me, I had to believe our scientists had done everything possible to find a method of doing so. Did I believe the king entirely that he hadn’t thought about invading Earth? Sadly, no. He had a duty to our people first, no matter what treaty had been signed. Somehow, I doubted Earth would allow our kind to live freely among humans who had no reason to trust us, especially if we destroyed their government.
Then again, perhaps we’d be heralded as heroes.
Only time would tell.
Time that we didn’t have.
Chapter Twelve
Casey
Rage.
Lust.
I’d seen every emotion in the world stumbling its way into Draze’s psyche, but I had a better understanding of why. His king was playing a wretched game of Russian roulette and their species might have no chance of survival. I couldn’t get a handle on why the king was simply acting as if he still wanted to be Earth’s savior, but I’d seen truth in the Malzeon’s eyes.
I wanted desperately to be able to talk with him, but I held an anger of my own deep inside. I’d made a promise to myself and I intended on keeping it. Plus, he was going to let me go. I’d make certain of it.
“We need to get some rest,” Greson said as he walked behind me.
“I bet everything used to be beautiful here,” I whispered.
“Very much so. Maybe one day, it can be again.”
I knew he didn’t honestly believe that any more than the king or Draze. Maybe the importance of settling the treaty violations meant they could move onto another planet. “Do you have any idea what payment is owed to your king?”
“King Lorowerd and his council have never divulged that information. As you might imagine, there has been speculation, but nothing has been confirmed. That is of little importance because I doubt restitution will ever be made,” Draze stated firmly.
I bristled hearing Draze’s deep and very penetrating voice, the smooth velvety tone that always made me weak in the knees. “But you supplied minerals and other resources. I would assume your world can no longer produce such minerals given the volcanic conditions.” I hadn’t thought about that aspect in all of this. I turned around to face them.
“That is very astute of you and I would assume you are correct,” Draze said, walking closer to the wind
ow. “That would mean the scientists were very well aware of the situation with the treaty was made.”
“That’s why the king was willing to give up so much,” Greson said in passing.
“Are the elements vital to your existence?” I asked. A plan had been set in motion from the very beginning, only we had no way of knowing what that was.
Greson seemed more perplexed than Draze, although both men remained silent.
“An excellent question,” Draze admitted.
“I can tell you have clear thoughts about what is really happening.” Greson gave me a half smile.
Draze shifted his gaze in my direction. “What if the Valtar species isn’t extinct? Your sighting of them certainly proves the possibility.”
“Maybe, but I wasn’t allowed to make confirmation, remember?” Greson said.
When Draze only nodded, I inched closer, trying to figure out what they were talking about.
“Okay, I agree it’s a possibility, but only a handful could have survived on whatever ships were left from the war. Even then, the concept is ridiculous at best. Without materials to repair any mechanical defects or damage caused by battle skirmishes, I can’t imagine more than one or two have survived. What do they have to do with any of this?” Greson continued, narrowing his eyes.
“You mean like the very materials King Lorowerd sent to Earth in order for humans to rebuild?” Draze gave a sly smile.
Greson shrank back. “And the Valtars did this somehow without your knowledge?”
Draze walked to the window, placing his hand on the glass. “Were you aware that the Valtar species is very similar to our own?”
“I know very little about them other than what we were taught as children,” Greson answered. “Let me guess, you know much more.”
“When my father was a young soldier, he fought alongside Aramel in what was considered to be a great war. During that time, our people believed themselves to be superior, attempting to rule the galaxy. You see, Aramel’s father, Ratan Lorowerd, was a truly brutal and cruel dictator, destroying any planet who attempted to thwart his control. From the stories my father told, the great king loathed the Valtars’ leader the most, likely because their ruler was a kind and gentle man, refusing to heed to Ratan’s demands.”