The Vampire King's Mate

by T. S. Ryder

  One thing was for certain, though. Earth had died a long time ago. Vanessa had been taken to see it once. From orbit, it was a ball of brown. She hadn't gone to the surface, but it was clear that it was an uninhabitable world now.

  Humans themselves had become mystical beings of sorts, revered by most, if not all, of the new religions practiced by the various species throughout the galaxy.

  All these species were descended from humans, and though they couldn't interbreed with one another, human genetics accepted all other species, and a human woman could give birth to every other species in the galaxy. Yet another reason why they were practically worshiped by churches, such as the one Vanessa found herself being pampered by at the moment.

  "We are blessed to have you," Miki said, beaming at her with three large, yellow eyes. "We have petitioned for a human to lead us through our dawning rites ever since the Zon Sanctuary was founded, you know."

  "Yes, I know." Vanessa turned from her image. "Zon told me all about your parish before I journeyed here."

  Zon, the fierce warlord that protected humans from, had asked for volunteers for this, having carefully gone over security. Parishes like this one might worship humans, but there were plenty of aliens out there that did the opposite. Dozens of churches had declared the humans rescued from their stasis pods as 'fake' humans and encouraged violence against them. Not to mention the various corporations that were still after humans to dissect their DNA and for all sorts of horrific experiments.

  At least the United Species, the ruling government body over the core worlds of the galaxy, had declared humans legally persons recently. It was in no small part thanks to Zon and his own human wife, Lisa. The announcement meant that humans were safer traveling outside of Zon's controlled worlds, although the safest place was still under his protection.

  As for her part, Vanessa hadn't left the Sanctuary for a decade. At least, that was what she figured it at. The planet the Sanctuary had been built on was Earth-like, with a similar daily and yearly cycle, but 'Earth time' remained substantially different from the standard time that the United Species used. Ten years was a long time, but the loss of Earth still hurt. Even though she had adapted to life out here, nothing felt like home.

  Before she was taken, Vanessa's plan was to be a famous Country singer by the time she turned thirty, a birthday that had to have come and gone by this time. When she learned that the dawning rites for this particular parish were led by a singer, well, she knew she couldn't pass up the chance to get her singing career back on track. Her mother always said that God gave her a voice to be used, and so Vanessa was going to use it.

  Although Vanessa wasn't sure what she believed anymore. Being abducted from her home and waking up thousands of years after Earth was rendered a dead world would do that to a girl.

  "Ready to cut loose and do some dirty dancing?"

  Miki looked horrified. "The dawn rites symbolize the purity of the new day and the new year. That's why you are dressed in white, to indicate the cleansing snows that will soon fall to wash away the sins of our previous year. There is no mud for you to dance in."

  Vanessa sighed. "I was making a joke."

  Miki made a little noise in her throat but didn't say anything else.

  Within a few minutes Vanessa was declared perfect, and she was led out of the small preparation room. Dozens of children, also dressed in white, lined the corridor, and as Vanessa walked towards the golden light of the performance hall where she would be singing the song she'd been practicing for months.

  A bubble of nerves built in Vanessa's stomach. This was always her favorite part of the performance. The excitement mixed with dread. What if she fell flat on her face? What if she lost her voice?

  But every fear was counterbalanced with something more exciting. Imagining hitting the high notes just right. People being moved to tears by the clarity of her voice. The possibility of greatness.

  It had been so long since she had sung to an audience. A real audience, that was, not friends and not in the futuristic karaoke bars that had been built in Zon's Sanctuary.

  Behind her the children fell in line behind her, humming now. Vanessa had to remind herself to walk slow and stately. She represented all the possibilities of things to come, the fresh new start in these rites. Bouncing wasn't going to help anything. The parish had a lot riding on this ceremony, which meant a lot of riding on her.

  She was almost to the end of the corridor when two aliens stepped out of a side corridor, blocking her way. Both were T'shav, Zon's species. Their devil-red skin looked out of place in the cool gray tones of the corridor, as did the great broadswords strapped to their backs. Both were bare-chested, wearing the skirt-like var'ki that was traditional among T'shav males.

  "Is something wrong?" she asked, bewildered. "Did Zon send you?"

  The T'shav on the left, shorter of the two, snickered. "Certainly not."

  A frown creased Vanessa's brow and she turned to the other one for more information. As she got a good look at him, her heart skipped a beat. It had taken her a while to come to grips with aliens in general, but this guy would have been piping hot back on Earth as is. Strong jaw, deep black eyes, straight nose. Lips that were so full that Vanessa had to stop herself from staring. His black hair was slicked back into a wolf's tail at the crown of his head.

  "Kulog, you are an idiot," this T'shav said to his companion as he drew the broadsword from his back. "This could have gone much smoother if you kept your mouth shut."

  "You'd better keep your mouth," Kulog growled. "I didn't save your life to have you talk that way to me."

  Vanessa drew back from the two T'shav. She had only positive interactions with the species, given that they were her protectors, but now she remembered the stories she had heard. T'shav had a reputation as mercenaries and cutthroats throughout the galaxy. And if these two had not been sent by Zon, that must be what they were.

  "What are you after?" she demanded, even as Miki grabbed her arm and attempted to pull her back down the corridor.

  "You, of course," the taller T'shav said. His brow furrowed as he stared at her.

  Her heart was in her throat, but Vanessa shook off Miki and stepped forward. "If you promise not to hurt anybody, I'll go with you."

  The taller T'shav's eyes narrowed. He opened his mouth, but before he could respond, a shout rang down the corridor. Vanessa turned to see one of the priests coming for them, a blaster in his hand. Two muted blasts echoed from behind her. Twin balls of bright red energy shot past her. They impacted the priest's chest, lifting him bodily from the ground.

  Vanessa's mouth opened to scream, but nothing came out. The children were all running away, their cries echoing in the narrow space. Miki wrapped her spindly arms around Vanessa's waist and tried to pull her back, but the human gripped her wrists and pulled them off. She spun to face the T'shav, only to find herself face-to-face with the taller of the two.

  Whatever she had been about to say or do faded away. Her lungs locked, and her heart seemed to stop beating altogether. She stared into the black eyes and a thrill of fear ran down her spine. What were they going to do with her?

  The T'shav reached around her and grabbed Miki's arm. He spun the small alien around, slamming her into the wall. The little alien shrieked and collapsed, hands pressing over her face. Blood poured down her face. The T'shav seized Vanessa around the waist and threw her over his shoulder. She yelped and began beating against his back, but he didn't seem to notice at all.

  "Leave the Trioeil," he ordered.

  Vanessa's head jerked up to see the shorter T'shav bending over Miki. He looked annoyed. "I need somebody for my musth."

  Musth. The hormonal cycle that T'shav males went through. Vanessa could breathe for a moment as horror froze her.

  During their musth, T'shav males became both unpredictably violent and had an insatiable sexual drive. Pheromones they produced at the time made women go crazy with lust for them as well. Vanessa's stomach cramped and
she renewed her efforts, fighting against the T'shav that held her. He grunted in annoyance and dropped her.

  "Leave the Trioeil, you can hire a woman once we're paid for the human and you." He shoved a finger into Vanessa's face. "Stop fighting me or I'll kill your friend. Understood?"

  Vanessa's mouth was dry, but she nodded. The T'shav grunted again and picked her up again. This time she didn't struggle as he and his companion raced down the corridor. She couldn’t hear anything but the blood pumping in her ears. What was she supposed to do now? And how could she have ever found this animal attractive?

  Chapter Two – Taliga

  Taliga sat in the middle of the third cargo bay, breathing deeply through his nose before releasing it from his mouth. There was an ache right below his sternum, the likes of which he hadn't felt for a long time, that hitched his breath. It was ridiculous. Years had passed since he has been run through by a jagged blade, and yet the old wound had been bothering him ever since he had brought the human aboard.

  He breathed in again. Maybe it was the look in her eyes when she offered to go with them without a fight, as long as nobody was hurt. Or maybe it was how her dark eyes contrasted with the pale golden hue of her skin, or her hair, which was thick, dark and shiny. Her curvaceous body certainly didn't hurt. She was gorgeous.

  Pure animal lust. That must be why all these unwanted feelings were welling up in him.

  The door clanged open, and Taliga looked up, irritated, as Kulog stomped in. He was barefoot, revealing the enlarged claws that meant the other T'shav was approaching musth.

  As if he wasn't annoying enough. Whenever Kulog entered his musth, he became unbearable. But the other male had saved his life all those years ago, and they made a profitable tea. Taliga was better with people and so got them well-paying jobs, while Kulog could punch his way out of almost anything. It didn't make Taliga like him any better, though.

  "We got a message from Zon's Sanctuary," the other T'shav said, turning over an empty bucket to sit on. A faint banging came from the corridor, but Taliga ignored it. Kulog grinned and rubbed his hands. "Zon has offered us twice as much as whatever payment we've been offered for the human to return her to him unharmed and unmolested."

  Taliga was quiet. There was, of course, no question of accepting the warlord's offer. For one thing, the people they were selling the human to were vicious, bloodthirsty brutes in their own right. Second, if he and Kulog did give her over to Zon, the warlord would likely arrest or kill them. Third was Kulog's history with the Sanctuary.

  "I told him he could take his offer and—"

  "I think I know what you told him." Taliga unfolded his limbs and stood. "How long until we reach the rendezvous?"

  That was another reason that Taliga stayed with Kulog. There wasn't a better pilot in the galaxy. Taliga's own skills were basic. If he was flying this ship, it would take them twice as long to get to any location he wanted to get to.

  "Depends on the asteroid belt I've plotted us through. I'll have to pilot through it manually, and that could take anywhere from a few hours to a day or more if we have to stop to rest. But even if we're delayed, worst case scenario is that we get there in four days. Plenty of time."

  Taliga nodded, trying to ignore the twist in his gut as he thought of handing the human over to the Wytsian Order.

  The banging from down the corridor increased. His hesitancy combined with the noise made a spike of irritation shoot through him. Did that woman have no sense of when to be quiet?

  The T'shav grabbed his black broadsword from where he had leaned it against the wall when he began his meditation. He had forged the blade himself. The blade color was a flaw, from when he had had to melt and shape the ore a second time after his first attempt shattered, but Taliga thought it suited him perfectly. Broken once, but remade stronger than ever.

  "Has she been doing that this whole time?" He turned to Kulog with a raised brow.

  "Yes. I wanted to see how long she could keep it up, but she's getting damn irritating now." Kulog picked at something between his teeth with the long, sharp dagger he always had strapped to his thigh. "At least she's not screaming anymore. 'Let me go, let me go'. I have half a mind to go in there and rip out her tongue."

  A spike of anger shot up Taliga's spine. "You'll do no such thing."

  Kulog stared at him, muscles tensing. His grip tightened on his blade. Taliga glared back at him. Musth was not the time to antagonize the already unstable male, but neither was he going to let Kulog harm the human–their commission wanted her untouched.

  "We lose money for every mark on her. They might just reject her completely if she's permanently damaged."

  Kulog scowled as he stood, slipping his dagger back into its sheath. He cracked his neck from side to side, clearly waiting for Taliga to blink first. It was a pathetic display, but one that was necessary at this point. Until the other T'shav found a way to deal with his increasing aggression, Taliga would have to watch his back.

  A lesson he had learned the hard way.

  "So," Kulog said, pulling the word out until it was almost three times longer than normal. "If commission goes down with every mark on her, I suppose it means that delaying a day or two and using her for musth is out of the question."

  "Yes." Taliga had to resist the urge to run the other T'shav through on the spot. How dare he even suggest such a disgusting, depraved act? "It is most definitely out of the question."

  Kulog's nostrils flared. Another loud thud echoed down the corridor and he whirled, fists clenched. "I'll get that woman to shut up if it's the last thing I do. Get the regenerator ready."

  "No."

  "A few bruises will be easily healed."

  "No!" Taliga pushed passed the other T'shav. A hard, angry lump was in the middle of his stomach, and the scar tissue in his chest gave another twinge. "I'll deal with her. You're at the start of your musth and I don't trust you with her. She's too valuable a commodity to risk."

  "Are you saying—" Kulog cut himself off and stalked away.

  Taliga took a deep breath, calming himself. After bringing himself back into control, he headed up the corridor to the second cargo bay, which had been retrofitted for the human's containment. He flicked the door open. She was standing on the other side, her hair in a wild mess around her, the white gown clinging to her in all the right places. Taliga was struck once again by how breathtakingly beautiful she was.

  And then he was struck in the stomach by her fist.

  "Ow!" Taliga pulled back, more surprised by her hitting him than anything else.

  She struck out again, this time her fist coming at his face, but Taliga caught her wrist easily. She punched with her other hand, and he caught that one, too. She kicked. He shoved her backward, making her lose her footing. She fell heavily. The tight bodice of the dress made her heaving bosom look even bigger.

  She glared up at him. "When Zon sends his men after me, you'll be sorry for this!"

  He had to admire her fierceness if nothing else. He offered her a hand to help her stand. "My name is Taliga. What's yours?"

  Why was he asking her for her name? It was irrelevant. If anything, it was a dangerous question. Knowing names led to emotional connections, and emotional connections made it more difficult to do what was necessary when it was necessary. He was already having a hard enough time managing his feelings for this woman, he didn't need to know her name.

  "Vanessa," she said, taking his hand.

  He pulled her up–and she instantly struck out again, kicking at his ankle. With a growl, he pushed her again. This time she grabbed at his neck. They fell together. Taliga held out his hands, bracing for impact. But instead of hitting the floor this time, they landed on the mattress he'd thrown into the cargo bay.

  Vanessa's dark hair haloed her as she fell back onto the bed, pinned between the blankets and his body. Her pupils expanded. Her hands were still around his neck, and her grip tightened. Her gaze dropped to his mouth. Taliga almost forgot to breathe. W
as he seeing the same draw in her that he felt for her? Or was it his mind playing tricks on him?

  It wouldn't be the first time. After all, how many times had he seen this same look in Edala's eyes and thought that she felt the same way he did? And in the end, it had all been a lie. She had stared him in the eyes, professed her love for him, and then stabbed him in the back.

  Literally.

  He let a little more of his weight on Vanessa unconsciously, pushing her thighs over his hips. Ever since Edala, he hadn't allowed himself to become close to anybody. He hadn't even slept with a woman, except for when he needed to at the height of his musth. But those times were always blinded by an overwhelming lust, there was always something missing…

  His own gaze moved to her mouth, and he found himself being drawn in. He knew he shouldn’t be this close to her. If Kulog saw them like this, how could he stop the other T'shav from doing what he wanted?

  A whimper from Vanessa made her look back to her eyes. The desire in them was fading to pure terror. Taliga released her with a jolt. He scrambled to his feet, shaking his head. He wanted to reassure her that he would never hurt her like that but stopped himself. It was best if she feared him. If she saw him as a person she could trust, then it would make him feel even guiltier about handing her over to their buyer. And he was not going to risk his life for her.

  "Stay quiet," he told her gruffly. "If I hear another peep out of you before we reach our destination, you'll regret it."

  He turned on his heel and stalked out, not daring to let himself look back.

  Chapter Three – Vanessa

  Her breath caught in her throat when the door opened. Vanessa tried to quell the heat that swirled in her belly at the sight of the tall T'shav as he brought in a plate of food. She didn't know why she couldn’t get enough of the sight of him.

  Ever since he had pinned her to the mattress with his body, she'd been wanting him to do it again. She knew that she shouldn’t, and reminded herself of how frightening the experience actually had been, but nothing seemed to help.