So I was doubly furious when I caught her slinking through the halls after me. I insisted she be naked when we were alone, but she’d fashioned a few garments to wear on the rare occasions she left our quarters, using fabric I brought along from the solport at Mantsk’s suggestion. Loose flowing robes that swathed her from head to toe in bright Arythian colors—blue and yellow and green. Today, she wore a purple one that reminded me of the sea where I’d spent so many happy hours as a child.
But even those fond memories could not assuage my anger. “You want to see the ship? Meet my men? Fine. Come along.”
I grabbed her by the arm and dragged her to the command center. “Here it is. This is First Mate Rahal, and that’s our communications officer. These are my warriors,” I said, waving a hand to include half a dozen wide-eyed crew members. “And now they can meet my human and see how a master deals with a disobedient alien.”
I pulled her to the wide window at the helm, where the vast expanse of space shone with an endless array of twinkling stars. Bent her over facing it. “You wanted to look outside. Now you can. Put your hands on the console and do. Not. Move,” I hissed.
I yanked the hem of her garment up, baring her to the waist.
“No, Master, please! Not here! I’m sorry. I won’t disobey you again.”
“Too late for apologies. You’ve earned this punishment, and you’re going to take it. Silently. Every time you speak, you’ll get ten extra swats.”
I gave her a harsh whack. She stifled a cry. I smacked her again, building up a rhythm. My palm would connect with her backside, she’d gasp and flinch, but she never uttered a sound in protest. Her pretty ass reddened, and I heard a few stifled grunts from the crew behind me, which only fed my fury. I was getting aroused at the sight, and I knew they were, too. Sporting the color red was a sign of passion in females of my race. No virile male could see the scarlet glow growing on her bottom and not have his cockheads writhing. Arousing my crew with no opportunity for gratification was cruel. This was exactly what I’d been trying to avoid by keeping her out of sight.
It’s all her fault, I seethed, refusing to acknowledge that my inability to control my temper had created this situation. I’ve been intent on pleasuring her ever since I found out I’m the first male she’s ever mated with. Depriving myself of release until after she’s been thoroughly satisfied, and this is how she repays me? By ignoring my commands?
My nerves were frayed. I’d snapped, and I knew it. Deep down, I was ashamed of myself, but I couldn’t seem to stop.
“I’ve had enough of your disobedience,” I declared, low enough so she alone could hear. “I’ve been too lenient with you.” I delivered a flurry of stern smacks then yanked her garment back down and whirled her around to face me. “Get on your knees and apologize,” I muttered through clenched teeth.
Chest heaving, she struggled to muffle her sobs as she got to her knees. “I’m sorry, Master.”
I gave her a cold nod in acknowledgement. To my surprise, she went on.
“I apologize for my bad behavior, Master. Th…thank you for correcting me and teaching me how to be a proper Arythian mate.”
After all the times I’d punished her, leave it to Trreena to burst out with the traditional response at a time like this. I looked down at her tear-streaked face and felt like a total yozer. She’d been wrong to sneak out, but I’d overreacted and humiliated her in front of my entire crew. Not only did she take it, she responded with dignity and grace.
“I trust you have learned your lesson,” I said in a louder voice, “and I never have to repeat this.”
“Yes, Master,” she replied.
I swept her into my arms and carried her from the room, her head buried in my shoulder so she didn’t have to face any of my warriors.
She’d been disobedient, but I was the one who had amends to make. And now I’d run out of time. I had to leave on the reconnaissance mission soon or the trajectory for my return to the ship would require a course correction and alter our route, making it impossible to approach Gamma Librae without being detected. My apology would have to wait until I returned.
***
Gritting my teeth, I forced myself to take one step, then another.
I swore my blood had turned to ice, but ice could not have coursed through my veins, sending bone-shattering chills up and down my spine.
A minor avalanche had closed off most of the entrance to the cave I’d been exploring. I had to dig my way out and, in the process, dislodged more rocks. One hit me in the head, sending me to my knees. The rock must have damaged my helmet, allowing frigid air to seep in, filling my lungs and causing my body temperature to drop. I was shivering so hard my head kept banging against the inside of the helmet, and I couldn’t feel my fingers, even though I was clad in the strongest protective gear we had available.
Wearily, I plodded back to the rover. Another failure. This world could never support life for my race. In my heart, I’d known it even before setting foot on the planet. But I had to explore every option. Other species thrived on worlds covered with ice. Somehow, they learned to adapt.
I gave a sigh of relief when I spied the transport vehicle through the thick white fog. Stumbling forward, my feet so cold I could no longer feel them, I yanked the door open and threw myself in.
“Admiral. Please report.”
After slamming the door shut, I pulled off my helmet and filled my lungs with warm air. Pain stabbed my chest, and I forced myself to take shallow breaths.
“Admiral. Admiral! Are you there?” Even through the static, I could hear the alarm in my first mate’s voice. A solar storm at the edge of the vector had temporarily knocked out our communication system, forcing us to rely on outdated equipment operated with hand controls. I reached for the switch to respond, then realized I couldn’t operate the com device with the thick gloves I had on. I fumbled to get them off, but my fingers were numb. Finally, I grabbed the tip of one finger in my teeth and managed to yank a hand free.
“Yes, Rahal, I’m here.”
“Was it as bad as our scans reported?”
“No. It was worse,” I replied wearily. Rahal deserved the unvarnished truth. He’d tried to dissuade me from going off to inspect this minor planet, but I’d insisted. I’d hoped to give my men good news. News that would lift their spirits as we headed into combat with the enemy. Dreams of a future with a new home we’d claim as our own when the battle was over.
But it wouldn’t be on this godsforsaken hunk of ice. Though our situation was dire, I couldn’t imagine trying to raise offspring in the maze of underground caverns I’d explored, the only place where we’d be able to survive on a frozen planet. If we lived here, our young would never know the warmth of the suns, the joy of splashing in balmy waves or playing in a flower-strewn field. I would not curse generations to come with such a life. We’d have to keep searching.
I bit off a groan. My hands and feet burned and tingled as warmth flooded into them. Exhausted, I set the course for the transport vehicle, put my head back, and allowed myself to sink into a dreamless sleep.
Rahal was waiting for me in the transport hub when I arrived at the ship.
“Permission to speak, sir?”
I sighed, knowing what I’d hear, but nodded. “Granted.”
“I wish you’d allow us to take over the reconnaissance missions, sir. Frankly, you’re far too valuable to keep risking your life on these strange worlds. Let me send one of the younger warriors next time.”
“Younger warriors?” I shot him a look that would have struck terror into the heart of any other crew member. “The future of our race is at stake, Rahal. It is my responsibility to find us a home. A duty I do not intend to lay at the feet of an inexperienced younger warrior.”
He shook his head. “Dylos, old friend, even at the academy you were a stubborn yozer. What if something happens to you on one of these harsh alien worlds? Who would lead us?”
“I guess it would have to be up to…”
I paused for effect. “Commander Joran.”
“Joran? You can’t be serious. He’s hardly older than some of the cadets!”
His protest spluttered to a halt when he saw the grin on my face.
“Of course it would be you, Rahal. You’ve been by my side since we pledged our loyalty to Arythios. No one has as much experience at leading the troops. Someday, Joran will be ready to assume command. But I hope we’ll be settled on a new world by then, with a brighter future ahead.”
Rahal elbowed me in the ribs. “And you’ll be surrounded by the offspring you’ve sired with your alien breeder. She’s tiny, but that curvy little human ass sure looks good when you redden it.”
A burst of anger shot through me. I opened my mouth to correct him then shut it again. He’d never have spoken about Illora with such disrespect. But I had to remind myself once again. My old friend was right. Trreena was not my mate. She was a breeder. Nothing more.
The longer I stood here talking, the worse I felt. My knees were shaking, my head pounding. Maybe Rahal was right. Maybe I was getting too old for these missions. I refused to give him the satisfaction of saying “I told you so” and took a step back so I could lean against the wall behind me for support.
“I need to get to my quarters, Rahal. I owe Trreena an apology. She may be a primitive alien, but she’s capable of feeling emotion. I shouldn’t have publicly humiliated her. She’s trying hard to learn our ways.”
“Of course, sir. The debriefing on your mission can wait. I’ll see that you’re not disturbed, so you can give your little human another lesson.”
He gave me a wink, and I tried to muster up a lecherous grin. But no matter how intoxicating she was, apologizing and then fucking my little human would have to wait. Every muscle in my body ached, and all I wanted to do was sleep.
I managed to pull myself together and stride away, waiting till I’d turned the corner to sag against the wall again.
Chapter Thirteen
Trina
He’d wanted me to remain in our quarters, his really, but I had no other home. But Dylos had stopped short of ordering me to do so, and, therefore, I’d trailed behind him to the bay and stood by myself, a distance away, while my master circled the small shuttle-like craft, checking it out like I’d seen pilots do before I accompanied the chancellor and his family on various junkets. Any doubts I had about his ability to pilot would have gone out the window at his professional demeanor, but, in truth, I’d had none. Despite the discussion I’d overheard between him and Rahal regarding his making such a dangerous journey, I had no doubt this man…this alien…would not be risking himself if he had not the ability to accomplish his goals.
In the relatively short time I’d been aboard, I’d observed the great respect in which the admiral was held by all the crew members and those who checked in from other vessels. But as his craft was trundled to the end of the bay, and the clear wall came down separating him from the rest area, then the hatch opened, and he shot out into space, I was struck by the realization that if anything happened to him, I’d be adrift again.
No doubt handed off to the next officer who expressed an interest, to be his breeder. And while Dylos was stern and not hesitant to apply punishment to my backside—although not in front of his men after that one time—he was the alien I knew. The male who was remarkably giving in bed, always made sure I got my pleasure, as long as I wasn’t being punished for something. And I, to my chagrin, was turned on even by a paddling. Hell, all he had to do was look at me. I should have kissed him goodbye.
Rahal came to my side and waved me back the way we’d come. Although I’d often seen him on the bridge, we’d never really spoken, something that didn’t seem likely to change now as I accompanied him back to the duty station where he settled in the command seat. I continued on to the viewport which faced the smallish planet and the flightpath being taken by the admiral.
But soon, he disappeared from view, and I turned toward the banks of monitors and screens in search of more information, another way to keep track of him.
“Trreena.” Rahal said. None of them could quite pronounce my name, but I felt confident my pronunciation of their language was far worse. “He will be out of contact for a short while. Why don’t you return to your quarters?”
But I only shook my head and moved to the seat I’d observed was usually empty. I didn’t know whether it was because something happened to the occupant or if it was a spare, but I had learned if I sat there, I wasn’t in anyone’s way. “I’ll just wait.”
Dylos made brief contact upon landing, but only to let Rahal know he was going underground to explore some caves, and then nothing. For a long time. The others on the bridge went about their duties, but I noted an odd taupe to their color and wondered if it indicated tension. Worry. I’d never seen that tone on Dylos, so either he’d never experienced that emotion in my presence or had some level of control over it. The color or the emotions. After all, how would it look for the admiral, the one in charge of the entire fleet, all that remained of their people, to seem less than confident in their future?
While he’d been in control of my body and my fate, I hadn’t given much thought to what they faced, caught up in my own experience. But with him off the ship, somehow, I was less self-centered. Maybe because, from the moment I was taken hostage on Earth until now, I’d been on one kind of overload or another. Because even while sitting in this same chair at other times I’d been under the spell of the powerful admiral, his pheromones keeping me on edge. Who knew that was even possible?
But as my gaze flicked from one crewmember to the next, noting one seemed quite focused, another less so, I found myself assessing them. I’d taken a few business management courses as part of my degree but hadn’t really used the knowledge. And as a sex slave/breeder on an alien spaceship, I was hardly admin material. Yet, as I tried to keep my mind off the possible dangers Dylos faced, I remembered the principles the instructor had conveyed. Funny, at the time, I hadn’t even thought I was paying that much attention. Merely taking required courses.
Planning, organizing, staffing maybe, and leading.
Clearly, my master had all these things well in hand since the ship seemed to run with hardly a hitch. And the muttered conversations all indicated that his crew was devoted to him. Desperate to take my mind off images of ice monsters and white-out blizzards ending his life, I tried to remember each detail of how to run a business and how it might apply to this new aspect of my life. I was not going to be sitting in an office on Earth, but I also did not want to spend the rest of my life tucked away in our quarters, being of no use to anyone.
I shifted, my legs dangling in the too-high chair. I had yet to see one of these aliens who was anything close to my height, and all their furniture was a little too big, a little too tall, and just a bit uncomfortable.
As time dragged on, my gaze was drawn to the blank screen in front of the chair I occupied. “Rahal,” I asked, truly curious for the first time. “Is this just an extra station?”
He jerked his head toward me as if startled I was still there. Most of them ignored me, just one more possession of the admiral, I supposed. “What? No. It is the seat of the quartermaster. She was on leave planetside when it…when we…when our home was attacked.”
She. Ouch. “I didn’t realize any females were aboard ship.”
“She was a groundbreaker. Traditionally, we protect our females, but Felice had fought for her seat, hoped it might lead to others to join the service in the future.” His voice broke, his skin going pale cream, and I wondered if there were more to the story of Felice and Rahal, or if it was a natural reaction to the loss for all of them.
“And she was on leave…”
“Compassionate,” he continued, voice steadier now. “Her father was dying.”
“One tragedy atop another,” I marveled. “I am so sorry.”
“Why? You caused this not at all.”
Anxious to change the subject, I plunged
on. “So the quartermaster does what? Keeps track of supplies and things?” And a woman was already doing the job…
He narrowed his gaze at me. “Felice was a highly trained professional. Yes, that was part of the job.”
“Who does it now?”
“Me, others, we divide the responsibility. Until such time as the admiral puts someone in that chair.” Translation: Don’t you even consider asking to do a job you are not qualified for and I don’t deal with anyway.
“Rahal.” a grizzled older crewman called him over, and the first mate scurried to his side, probably very glad to end the conversation with me. “I think I see something interesting on the planet’s surface.”
I watched him bend close to the crewman’s screen, speaking with him in low tones. All other conversation stopped. They almost held their collective breath in hopes that, despite initial observations, the little planet might offer them somewhere to at least have some sort of ground base. But after a moment, Rahal shook his head and returned to the command chair. The others returned to work. Whatever they’d seen, it hadn’t been anything good.
I was dozing, curled in the big seat, when Dylos emerged from the cave and contacted the ship. Instantly awake, I listened as he informed his first mate that the planet was a bust, in so many words, but I didn’t like his tone. Something was off, and from the way Rahal questioned him, he was also concerned. He took the conversation off the speakers, and I could no longer hear what they said. Was everything okay?
The blip returned to the screen, the admiral returning to the vessel. When the alert of imminent approach sounded, I shot to my feet, but Rahal waved to one of the crewman.
“Take the admiral’s female to his quarters,” he ordered. “To await his pleasure.”
I perked up a bit at the word, but his expression held nothing that looked positive. “What’s wrong with Dylos? I want to meet his craft. He let me see him off.”
Centauri Captives Books 1-3: A Dark Sci-Fi Romance Page 13