“No.” it came out as little more than a whisper. He too went naked and looked down and rubbed his penis. He thought of her and yet it didn’t salute as it had every single time his thoughts lay upon her. “No.” He said louder.
“Oh, yes. If you want me I’ll be in the bathroom taking a nice bubble bath with soap all over my body.” She sauntered off to the bedroom, adding extra sway to her hips on purpose. Her tattoo and ass taunted him.
“Get back here and fix this.”
“You can’t make me.” To prove the point her eyes flashed and an invisible pressure held him completely in place. Her confident laugh followed her till the door shut.
“I’ll pay you back for this. Count on it.” He vowed and changed into a pair of pants and a short sleeve shirt.
“No problem. I’ll work my magic and see if there is any way to deal with this mess.” Jessica said as they stopped by hers and Stephanie’s room. She leaned in to whisper. “Why does Oliver seem so mad?”
“Oh, I just made him go limp where it counts for awhile for scaring me half to death with Papa earlier.”
“Now that is just cruel with you wearing that skimpy dress.”
“Exactly. Next time I tell him to do something he’ll remember just what I can do to make his life a living hell.” Renee grabbed her breasts meaningfully in the rather thin white dress that was both classy for a night on the town as well as provocative.
“Minx. Well don’t come crying to me when you get what’s coming to you for such an underhanded trick. No matter how mad I’ve ever been with Steph I never would stoop so low as to make her ravenous sex drive go cold and I’m sure Oliver’s is rather virile from what you’ve insinuated.”
“He wouldn’t dare if he knows what’s good for him. Bye, Auntie.” Renee turned and met Oliver by the elevator where he stood rather stiffly. “Oh, stop sulking. You’ll be back to normal soon enough. Aren’t you going to talk to me?” he hadn’t spoke to her since she left the bath she spent two hours in and enjoyed.
“I have nothing to say.” He said, entered the elevator and pressed the console for the bridge.
“You haven’t even complimented me in his dress I looked up and copied.” Nothing, not even a glance she expected. “You’re acting like a child.”
“You did just break my toy because you didn’t get your way. What do you expect? Me to be happy I did nothing wrong except shatter your plan for a nice meeting with Jake? I don’t care if you hit me. That pain goes away. What you did was exactly what this conspiracy did to Davan. You took away my freedom to please the woman I love because she is too damn stubborn to see how pissed I am. I’ll go to dinner with Jake, but you won’t find me afterwards.”
Renee grabbed his arm. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Insecurity dumped its cold bucket over her head.
Cold amber eyes were dark and then dropped from her eyes to the hand gripping. “Let go of me, Renee Dorgen.” Saying her name like that made her go cold. Only now was she beginning to see how much this affected him. Her grip loosened. “As I said. You won’t see me later. You’ll be sleeping all alone tonight.”
“No, don’t do that. I’ll fix it right now.” She opened her clutch and pulled out her injector already filled with a libido enhancer. “I planned to do it if supper went well with papa. I…”
“I can’t trust you right now, Renee.” He pulled away. “After all I’ve done for you these past few days and get betrayed like this… how would you feel?”
“Look, I’m sorry, but one way or another you are going to take this shot and come to bed with me after.”
Before she could think, Oliver grabbed the injector and broke it under his heel. Her jaw dropped. “Not tonight. You think you punish me? Think again. And don’t force me. I’m your man, not an object without a will. You crossed another line, the same one back during the Stingrays. So drop the subject now.” He looked down and his multi-tool repaired the injector, but he wiped the solution off the floor.
Renee shivered as she took her shattered gun back and put it away. She could not even look at him anymore as her sense of triumph was destroyed by his rational argument. Now that she saw it from another perspective it was clear as day. Now she felt truly horrible.
“I guess that is enough of an expression to say my plan was a success.”
Renee didn’t understand for a few moments, then looked up to see the anger gone in the ocher irises. “Wait… was that all an act?”
“Little bit.” Oliver held his thumb and index finger close yet not touching. “I’m really pissed to be sure as your punishment is cruel for no good reason and worst is you didn’t even see it till I had to point it out. The only reason you could ever have of making me go limp is if I broke my honor and was with another woman, which I won’t. You need to stop being so hostile to me and try make yourself the dominant one in our relationship. It isn’t needed. We are a pair. The sooner you realize everything I do is to make you happy the sooner you can outgrow this childish superiority complex you have. Now when dinner is over you are going to fix this issue and I’m going to fuck you raw and then more. Consider that your forewarning punishment. If you don’t do it you will be alone in bed for the next whole month or longer until I can trust you again.”
She swallowed as his gaze at last burned their way over her body, lingering on her breasts that had her nipples peaking in eagerness as her pussy clenched with expectant moisture. “I’m really sorry. I didn’t think it through, but if my punishment is to be a full night of balls deep sex… I’m definitely in. You can cuff me as soon as supper is done.” She put her wrists together and smiled.
“Your arousal is cruel to me right now when I can’t respond. I feel like I’m going to explode so think of something else.”
“You know that’s hard. My mind is rather in sexual overdrive recently if you didn’t already know.”
“Ugh… Wonder why Jake invited us to a meal like I do. Is it because I’m your match, because he wants to learn about me or is there another motive?”
“Buzzkill.” She snorted feeling mildly better now that she found out his sullen change was merely an act. “We won’t have long to wait.” She glanced to the elevator display of where they were in position of the ship.
In several seconds the door to the bridge parted. Renee tried to see if he wasn’t lying and took his hand which his didn’t deny her access to. Three heads turned of people below on the lower level at their stations. Oliver knew their names as he read the ship’s crew manifest. But they didn’t say anything and returned to their screens as Renee and Oliver made for a direct path to the central and rather large door in the back. The door recognized Renee and opened. Only the captain, Jessica, Stephanie, the first mate and Renee didn’t need to touch the button to ask permission to enter the captain’s quarters. The first room turned out to be a lounge for guests, but was empty. Renee though called out while approaching a door she had to grab the handle of and turn it to push open “Papa, we’re here!”
“In here.” Boomed the near deafening voice.
The room they went into was a private treasure room to put it mildly. Precious gems, gold, paintings, ancient relics, thousands of different weapons from past to present, Beast skulls mounted on the wall along with a few Keptl skulls too added to the extremely valuable décor. A chandelier made of interconnected deer horns woven together offered light. Large pirate chests were situated in the back and had large iron padlocks keeping what lay inside a secret.
Renee didn’t bat an eye, but she let Oliver take a moment to see her father’s wealth firsthand. Then they took the arched tunnel right and she said “Restroom, Papa’s private study, bedroom…” she pointed along the way to heavy doors down the tunnel from the treasure hoard. At the end opened up into the captain’s dining hall. “And the captain’s table… Sparky? Rose? What are you doing here?”
“You’re father invited us.” Rose spoke in her way as she and her mate laid on the one side of the large table. Six chair
s were stacked and put in a corner so they could join. The chairs though were all large and looked very comfortable. One massive one was at the head of the table for Jake’s girth.
Jake didn’t wear the weapons from earlier but he was the same as he looked before. Plaid shirt and kilt. He was placing covered dishes on a large serving tray and carried it over to place on the table already set up with large pewter mugs. He passed four covered dishes around and the largest was sat at his chair. Beside the great seat was a cask. “Take a seat, Lads.”
“What’s for supper, Papa?” Renee asked as she took her usual seat beside her father and Oliver did the same next to her.
Jake sat down and said “Something ye sorely miss, Lass.”
Excitement turned to utter alarm as she removed the silver cover to find a thick slab of warm, raw meat with purple blood and a whole gray brain twice the size of her fist sat there. The smell alone had her mouth water. She swallowed and recovered “Oliver, I think Papa meant this for you.”
“Enough, Renee. I know already.” Jake said calmly as he uncovered his own dish. A heaping pile of potatoes, cabbage, sausage and a thicker slab of steak than Renee’s, but his was beef. “That is yers.”
“Papa… I… I mean…”
“Lass, ye can’t hide a thing from me. Ye’re a Beast-eater and it’s time ye accept yourself for who ye are.”
Oliver uncovered his meal and it was similar to Renee’s, but his choice cut of meat was a bit larger than hers. Sparky and Rose uncovered theirs and inside was a few delectable rabbits tastefully piled together.
“Papa…”
“Eat, Lass. Oliver, would ye like some four hundred year old mead? I hear it is physically impossible for ye to get drunk. I’d like to test that theory.”
“Mead is fermented honey right?”
“Aye.”
“I’d like to try it.” And Jake took Oliver’s mug and opened the barrel to scoop out the drink. He did the same for everyone else. “It’s better than whiskey.” Oliver said as he took a sip of the potently sweet beverage.
Oliver knew about manners at a dinner table and tried using a fork and knife when what he really wanted was to pick everything up and eat barehanded. He commented after the first bite of the softer mass “It’s not as good as fresh, but it isn’t half bad. Thank you. What type of Beast is it?”
“Viper. These two were found near King’s Tusk and were young, but I traded off the Hunter with one of my fine wines for the brains and the choicest cuts.” Jake said as he took a bite of his boiled cabbage. On the other side Sparky and Rose were loudly ripping the rabbits apart and swallowing chunks since their teeth weren’t designed to chew. “Lass, just eat.” He said kindly.
Renee had too many questions, but it was too much to resist anymore. She grabbed the fork and utensils to cut off a chunk of the sweeter desire. The moment she popped it in her mouth she closed her eyes and moaned, savoring the most poisonous part to so many others. It was delectable and everything she remembered. She swallowed to say “I forgot just how good Beast tasted.” It was the last thing said as she tore into the meal without restraint.
Before she knew it all that remained was the blood smears over the ceramic plate. “Here.” Oliver handed over his plate with just under half the meat remaining. She smiled and didn’t pass up any more of the meal she had denied for a decade.
“That is how I taught ye to eat.” Jake chuckled. “Are ye not hungry, Oliver?”
“Not too much. I’m still digesting the Fire Wyrm I condensed. I could probably not need to eat for another three more weeks. Thank you for doing this. Especially for Renee.”
“Aye, she is a stubborn lass though I know not where she gets it from.” Jake laughed a little and took a large drink before refilling his mug.
Renee finished swallowing the last bite and take a drink. “Papa, how long did you know?”
Jake’s humor sobered as supper was nearly done. Sparky and Rose were sitting erect on their haunches, slowly pouring a little bit of mead in their maws to savor the flavor. “It’s why I invited the Drakes to supper. Oliver’s arrival made it prudent certain secrets I’ve been hiding get spoken before it gets ye killed.”
“Papa? What does Oliver…”
Jake held up a hand and she ceased talking “Let me talk, Lass.” He stroked his beard and Renee knew it was her father’s way of gathering his thoughts. His ancient green eyes fell on Oliver. “Ancient One, it is an honor.”
“Huh?” Oliver said and Renee’s, Sparky and Rose’s eyes flew wide open.
“Oliver, I have been searching for ye for the past nine centuries after my blood accidently splattered on the Geo Record cube. I was sixteen and cut my hand on a chisel. When I slung a few droplets I was one of the first lads to bear witness as the block’s odd and random patterns rearranged themselves into the DNA helix we know and made for the ability to do all the splicing we know and do today as well as made way for the discovery of psionics.
“I was born on Earth in Scotland where I showed an aptitude for archeology and problem solving methods few minds could compete with. When the first advanced civilization not our own was discovered I was one of those sent to uncover her secrets in the pyramid. Had I not cut myself, I doubt there would be any way to have learned anything. The Geo Record was like a sealed box, just waiting for the correct key. It was a prevention for some reason I to this day, do not understand. But my blood revealed the secrets it had hidden.
“I was one of the first of four to learn the new chromosome made psionics possible, to fight back against Keptl and Beast which came later. But me raw power is still the greatest even after nine hundred and ninety one years. But from me calculations it is nothing compared to Creelin or yer own people.” Jake said directly and in all seriousness. Renee had gone sheet white and stared at Oliver with an expression he could not understand. Rose and Sparky were both brightly glowing in distress as a natural reaction to great emotion. “But there was one large corner of the wall I’ve spent centuries trying to uncover. The Solarian written language is much more complex than any other on Earth or even Creelin. The language is read in more than one direction and had thousands of meanings. Without a key to refer to I’ve stumbled all this time and when we showed the Creelin the Geo Record they suddenly made sure they would not help us translate. All they said was that to advance ourselves we must go slowly and learn. I felt they knew if they told us, our advancements would not be sustainable and would cause more harm than good.”
The giant man pulled out a large obsidian crystal and turned it on. “Show wall section five hundred, four A.” The screen showed the section of the Geo Record with the complex language that didn’t allow the eyes to rest anywhere.
It seemed randomly written, but Oliver’s eyes unfocused as the ancient language began to unfold and he spoke “We of the first born travelers of the universe are gone. The Creelin promised to look after our peoples seeding throughout the fifteen thousand galaxies we’ve been to, to allow life to prosper in the unforgiving cosmos. We go to face the enemy no other can contend with. To protect those unable to stand against them. Such is our code. The enemy comes for our power, to send all back to the void in which sprang the stars that created all life.
“From this record we leave behind our most basic knowledge so that should the enemy return, there will be a chance. If you can read this, know the first people are gone. This record has been cloaked of its information within so that the enemy does not uncover how to exploit any younger race that has yet begin to blossom and follow in our path. To have read this means your life stems and branches from us. You are our legacy. Our one reason for hope that our sacrifice was not in vain.
“Heed our next words carefully.
“There is one who is lost and by writing this I commit treason highest of my people. One who will need guidance to be your shield if we fail to kill our ruthless foe. For he was our greatest warrior and our last salvation. Our people mate for eternity and is also our weakness and str
ength.
“Beware should the warrior find one strong enough to be his mate for he will chose once. Only once. Should his chosen die he will destroy everything in madness. Should he die, she will follow. He was stripped of everything and I bore witness to his resting place, to awaken again should there be need. Protect the last warrior, but if he finds one who can survive his offspring, protect that female at all costs for he is the system destroyer and protector depending on her. Our females lead us and we defend them from all dangers. This is our instinct.
“Our first law and natural instinct.
“We leave the final clues to where the warrior slumbers for all eternity and hope that he stays there. I hope he is never needed to awaken. My hope is we can win, but I make this secret passage in event we do not. With war upon us, my fear is we fail and their numbers aren’t as devastated as our own. They come from far beyond us and won’t stop unless we do it for all races.
“In event this record is read by the enemy, they will not find the last warrior. Their biology is not of us.
“He sleeps in the womb. Protected by sand and from change. Sealed and warmed by a neutral blue star within this distant galaxy. To not be disturbed by any interior or exterior force till the time is right. Search only in need and awaken if you absolutely must.”
Jake sat in silent astonishment like the rest of the room. “Oliver, ye can read this? How?”
Oliver was quiet, holding a suffocating breath as he came to realize something. “I’m a Solarian aren’t I?”
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