by L P Peace
Of course she is. She’s spectacular, and mine. Fierce possessiveness lit fire like lava in his veins. He ignored the urge to go down to the floor and claim her, right there, in front of everyone. Show them what it meant to be a Maruzen’s mate.
‘She was frightened.’ Tolomus smiled. ‘She could barely look me in the eye.’ Tolomus turned to Daris. ‘You will have sex with her?’
‘No,’ Daris said. ‘But I must teach her pleasure comes from compliance.’
‘Indeed.’ Tolomus’s voice was husky.
‘She will need clothing,’ Tolomus said. ‘Grooming and cleansing items. There is nothing like that on the ship. Not for a female.’
‘Not good enough for your mate?’ Daris forced himself to grin. ‘I’m sure if you put in an order now, they’ll be ready when we arrive at Caras.’
Tolomus nodded, confirming their destination.
‘She’ll need a translator, something that won’t harm her.’
‘One of my contacts brought one on board a short time ago,’ Tolomus said. ‘Amaran, designed for that purpose.’
Daris controlled his reaction. He had heard the female’s issue and acted on it immediately. That meant he already considered the female his.
‘When, would you like me to start?’
‘The medic is ready to receive her for implantation, whenever you’re ready. When will she be ready?’
There was a tone of such longing in his voice that, for a moment, Daris felt guilty about his deception.
‘Hmm, if that male hasn’t sold by his third auction, I’ll put him out an airlock.’
All guilt died.
‘Several rotes,’ Daris lied. ‘Maybe twice that many, but when it’s done, she’ll be yours in all ways.’
Tolomus swallowed. ‘Get it done,’ he said.
The room went quiet as soon as the lift doors opened.
Daris walked through the vast room, bypassing the three corridors of cages until he came to the one his Zoe was in.
Makios met his mate in this room. He also watched her get dragged away by a true sadist. He still had nightmares about not finding her, the way he still had nightmares about failing the little human, Alethia, who was his best friend. Makios thought too much.
His world reoriented around her as she came into view. Her grey eyes watched him with surprise. Behind him, the medic, a Goedan, opened the cell.
‘Zoe.’ Daris reached out his hand to her.
There was fear in her eyes as she shrank away from him. Daris swallowed.
‘Tell her I’m not going to hurt her,’ he said, looking around the room at the other women, ‘I’m going to help her.’
‘Yeah, I can tell the kind of help you intend on giving her,’ the callous one said.
Daris looked at the woman. She was older than Zoe. She looked angry, but there was something needy in her eyes, something jealous. Daris felt sorry for her.
‘He says he’s going to help you,’ the redhead said, walking up to his Zoe.
‘How?’ She looked at him, swallowing. ‘Did you buy me?’ Her voice was small, frightened. ‘Are you taking me, giving me to someone? The boss?’
‘You are not mine to give, take, buy or sell,’ he answered honestly. The redhead relayed the information.
‘For fuck’s sake, Winters, just go, so you don’t get us hurt.’
Daris resisted the urge to hiss at the female. He would only scare his own if he did. Instead, he reached out his hand once more. ‘Come.’
She inched towards him. When she gave him her hand, Daris’s hearts leapt in his chest. He smiled at her and saw her flinch. He had fangs; her teeth were blunt. He closed his mouth a little, winked at her, and, gently pulled her from the cell.
‘Am I coming back?’ She looked from him to the occupants of the cell.
‘I’ll take care of you,’ he promised. He looked at the redhead.
‘Is she though?’ The redhead walked to the door.
‘Pyri.’ his mate’s voice was panicked again.
‘He says he’ll take care of you.’
Zoe looked up at him, her face stricken. She shook her head. ‘Please.’
Daris pulled her into his arms. ‘It’s okay, shhhh,’ he whispered.
‘Is she coming back?’ The redhead’s voice was more demanding now, and in his arms, his mate was becoming more distressed.
Throwing the redhead an annoyed look, Daris picked up his little human and walked out of the corridor, towards the lift, the redhead calling after her.
‘Zoe,’
‘Tara?’
Daris saw a dark-haired woman in a cage, alone.
‘Where’s Sophia?’
‘She got away,’ his mate called. ‘Pyri won the bet.’
‘I knew it,’ the woman called. ‘Hold on. The Tessans will come. They won’t let this stand.’
Daris grimaced. He was working on it.
The medic led the way across the concourse.
Aliens stopped in their tracks and stared at his little female. Daris snarled and growled at them. Some glared back, obviously jealous. Others moved on, watching him closely.
‘Daris.’ Heflik caught up with him. ‘It worked then. You’ll be training the female?’
Daris stared, not saying anything. The answer was obvious.
‘I will pay you good money to vrok her while she’s with you,’ he whispered.
Daris glared at him. ‘You’re going to vrok this up, Heflik,’ Daris growled. ‘If she doesn’t trust me, she won’t trust him and then we’ll never be compensated.’
Daris entered the elevator behind the medic. When Heflik tried to enter, he pushed him out with a gentle kick.
‘Don’t shut me out, Daris,’ Heflik growled.
‘You helped me on the human ship. I won’t forget it. But this was my idea, my execution. I’ll see you get yours,’ Daris promised, and meant it. ‘But you have no part in what is to come.’
Heflik opened his mouth. The doors slid shut.
When they opened again, Daris, still carrying his female in his arms, led the way to his quarters.
Putting her down long enough to open his door, Daris picked her up again and walked inside.
As soon as Zoe saw the bed, she struggled.
‘Oh god, oh god, oh god.’
‘Shhhh, little one. It’s okay, I’m not going to hurt you.’
Daris had intended on putting her on the bed; instead, he pulled a chair out from the small desk with his tail and placed her on it.
He indicated for the Goedan to set his bag on the table next to her.
Kneeling in front of Zoe, Daris whispered in soothing tones. There was no way to tell her what was about to happen, and it would hurt. When the Goedan moved next to her with the insertion device, her grey eyes widened with panic. Daris took both her hands in one of his and wrapped his hand around her throat gently, turning her head to one side to allow the Goedan better access while he stroked her leg with his tail.
‘Shhhh.’
He could see the panic in her face. She struggled against his hold, her breathing sharp and shallow.
‘Ah, fuck!’ she cried out, a hiss announcing the successful implantation.
Reluctantly Daris let go of her, though he continued stroking her leg with his tail, enjoying the warmth of her skin through the fabric of her uniform.
‘I’ll activate it,’ the Goedan rasped. He pulled out a small device from the bag and tapped at it for a few sicri. Then looked at the human. ‘Do you understand me?’
Grey eyes widened, then a look of annoyance fell over her face before she turned to face Daris. ‘What part of “translators give me infections” did you not understand?’
‘This is Amaran tech, designed specifically to prevent infection,’ Daris said. His tone still overly soothing.
The Goedan pulled out another vial and slipped it into a medspray.
‘What’s that?’ Daris looked at the liquid. It was golden, not the red liquid a nanite tracker would be found in, b
ut Daris knew that sometimes trackers were hidden within other liquids. He would have to get hold of a solvent for nanobonds to be sure.
‘Painkiller, so she is not in pain,’ the Goedan said.
Daris allowed the doctor to apply the medspray, and a moment later, something was pushed under his nose. Daris looked at what the Goedan was holding. Anger flared. He looked up at him, steely-eyed.
‘That had better not be what I think it is,’ he said through gritted teeth. The vrokking Goedan was offering him money.
‘For an hacri of her time,’ he said. He turned to Daris’s mate, a covetous look in his eye.
Zoe shrank back away from both males. ‘No, please.’
‘Leave,’ Daris snarled. He stood and inserted himself between the green-scaled male and his female.
‘It is a generous amount,’ the Goedan said shoved the credit chit towards him again.
‘Get out,’ Daris raised his voice. He felt Zoe flinch behind him but kept his attention on the Goedan. ‘Now,’ he roared.
The Goedan scuttled out, without his bag. Daris grabbed it, following the Goedan out and threw the bag out into the hall, slamming the door behind him.
He turned back to the room and saw her standing in a corner, watching him with wary eyes. Daris sighed.
Despite her apparent fear and the fact that they were deep in enemy territory, for the first time since bringing her to the slave floor, Daris felt relieved to have her with him. Despite where they were, she was safer now.
‘Zoe.’ He smiled at her, making sure to cover the points of his fangs. ‘You and I have a lot to discuss.’
‘What do you want with me?’ she whispered.
So many things, my mate.
‘It’s not what I want with you,’ he said. ‘It’s how you and I can help your people, down there on the slave floor.’
‘What do you mean?’
Daris walked over to the chair that his mate had so recently abandoned and sat. He motioned to the bed. She looked at it and shook her head in an endearingly small but quick motion.
‘I am not a slaver,’ he said to her.
‘Coulda fooled me.’ She grimaced. ‘If you’re not a slaver, why are you here?’
‘I recently found myself cast adrift from my employer,’ Daris said, deliberately choosing not to go into greater detail, ‘and in need of a job.’ Daris’s eyes took in the beauty of her face. Her features were soft. Her cheeks full, not the defined cheekbones of Rhona. Her frame was slight underneath the uniform that, while fitted, seemed to swamp her. He looked back up into her face. Black pupils dominated her eyes; Daris repressed a grin of satisfaction.
‘The male I was speaking to before the elevator closed.’
‘The huge guy, with the legs like a cat and horns.’ There was curiosity in her eyes.
‘Heflik. He’s a Qoni.’
‘Qoni?’ she asked.
Daris watched her carefully and nodded in confirmation.
‘Qoni,’ she repeated.
‘Heflik told me he had a job, no questions asked.’ Daris closed his eyes for a moment before opening them and searching for her. ‘I should have asked questions.’
‘So why am I here?’
For a moment, Daris considered telling her the truth. But the fear in her eyes stopped him. What would she think if he told her she was his mate? He was sure her fear would deepen. He was sure she would withdraw from him.
‘Because I brought you to their attention,’ he lied. ‘I was going to help you hide in that cargo bay. But then the others came in.’
‘I was going to hide at the top of the stacks,’ she said. ‘But when you came in, I let my curiosity get the better of me.’ She grimaced. ‘I’ve never seen an alien in real life.’
‘And now you’ve seen over a hundred.’ He grimaced.
She looked up at him, her grey eyes sending a shock through his body. His cock began to harden. Daris rested one ankle on his knee and arranged himself to hide the evidence from her.
‘I’ve seen Makios and Dairon on the news,’ she said.
Daris grinned. ‘I know both males well.’
Zoe scowled at him. ‘Don’t lie.’
‘Makios Desares,’ he chuckled. ‘And Dairon, Alethia’s little brother. I know that female as well.’
‘How would someone like you know them?’ She glared at him.
‘Oh, female, you wound me.’ Daris clutched a hand over his hearts. ‘Makios and I used to fight at the famous Alidai fighting pit.’
She eyed him.
‘Did you know Makios met Rhona on this very ship?’ He smiled at her. ‘On the slave floor. In one of the cages.’
‘If you know them, and Alethia, you must know Thanesh?’
Daris almost choked. ‘No. I go out of my way to avoid the Protectorate.’
Zoe frowned, then realisation dawned on her face. ‘Because you’re a criminal.’ There was an accusatory tone in her voice.
‘That bothers you?’
‘I believe in following the law,’ Zoe said. ‘In doing what’s right. Society only works because we agree it does.’
An old anger rose in Daris. ‘Does society work?’ He held his hands up, indicating the room.
‘On Earth it does.’ There was a light in her eyes now—a passion.
‘Really?’ Daris smiled. ‘So on Earth, you have no poverty, no crime, no inequality?’
The light dimmed and died. ‘I…’
Daris immediately regretted challenging her.
‘Apologies, my Zoe.’ He sighed. ‘I grew up in less than ideal circumstances.’ He grimaced. ‘I have some anger about that.’
Zoe pressed her lips together. As she thought, they moved around; one moment, she was pursing them, the next, grimacing. They moved from side to side as she considered. Daris watched with fascination.
‘I didn’t either.’ She parted them, and Daris was disappointed her musing was over. ‘I didn’t have the greatest childhood,’ she admitted. She grimaced again. ‘I have some anger too.’
‘I know you do,’ Daris said solemnly.
‘How?’ she frowned.
‘I can see you are a very passionate woman, Zoe,’ he said.
She frowned but said nothing. Daris realised no one had ever really seen her before, or rather, they’d seen her, but not understood her.
‘On my world, we have a saying. The quietest waters have the strongest currents.’
Surprise sparked in her eyes, and a small smile appeared on her lips. ‘We have a similar saying. Still waters run deep.’
Daris laughed. ‘Isn’t that odd?’
Her small laugh died when she saw his teeth.
‘They’re only teeth, Zoe,’ he assured her. ‘They can’t hurt you without my intent, and I have no intent to hurt you.’
‘Are you a predator?’
‘The most successful on our planet.’ He smiled with pride. ‘We hunt from the shadows in forests and pounce on our prey.’ Daris’s cock had gone down. He kicked his legs onto the bed and put his arms over his shoulders, leaning his head against them.
‘Don’t you stand out in the forest?’ she was frowning, looking at his skin.
Daris looked at his dark, dusky purple of his skin and smiled. ‘The forests of my homeworld are dark purple and blue,’ he said.
‘Oh.’ She studied him. Daris stilled so that she could take her fill. His cock twitched under her perusal; he willed it to stay down.
‘What are you? What’s your name?’
‘My apologies, Zoe.’ Daris fought the urge to stand and show off. ‘I am Daris, a Maruzen.’
‘Maruzen?’ she asked.
Daris smiled and nodded.
‘Maruzen,’ she said again.
Daris smiled, fascinated with this little human.
‘What do you intend on doing with me?’ she asked. ‘Now that you have me here?
Daris sighed again. ‘Escape,’ he said. ‘But it’s going to take time and you’ll have to help me.’
‘
How?’
‘The captain of this ship, Tolomus.’
‘The metallic purple alien?’ she asked.
‘Yes. I promised him I would train you for him. I need you to pretend that is exactly what we are doing.’
‘Train?’
‘Tolomus requires a submissive female—’
‘I’m not weak.’ The words snapped out of her like they’d been loosed from a catapult. It had decades of tension behind it.
‘I know. I don’t believe you know that, though,’ Daris said thoughtfully.
‘That’s stupid,’ she stuttered. ‘I know.’
Daris stood and approached her carefully, watching her as he drew closer. When he was directly in front of her, standing over her, he reached out and gently caressed her cheek. ‘No,’ he whispered, ‘I don’t believe you do. But I’m going to show you, Zoe, how strong you are.’
‘How are we getting out of here?’ she whispered. Her pupils had almost overtaken her irises. His mate wanted him. Daris shoved the satisfaction he felt down and thought about their immediate issue, getting off The Crucible.
‘You are going to have to be strong, my Zoe.’
‘Why?’ she whispered.
‘Because to escape the ship, I’m going to have to be seen training you. The crew must see us. Get used to the sight of us. When that happens, I can get us off this ship.’
‘What about my crew?’
‘As soon as we’re off, I promise I’ll contact the Tessans and tell them where Tolomus is.’
‘Can’t you do it now?’
‘They would be able to intercept the call.’
‘What do I have to do?’
Her tongue darted out of her mouth and across her lips. Daris’s eyes tracked the movement. A shiver ran through him. Her mouth parted slightly, and he heard her panting. He looked up into her eyes and saw a mixture of fear, desire, and need. His mate needed him.
The instinct to dominate her surged through him.
Whatever she saw on his face, she gasped, and a heady, musky scent filled his senses.
The muscles in his arm tensed, ready to grab her, pull her against him, one hand on her throat, one restraining her hands. He would pleasure her first with his tail.
A knocking on the door brought him to his senses.