Unexpected Demon

by Layla Stone

  Her thick, dark hair bounced as she walked, barely brushing her smooth facial skin that shaded from pale white to yellow to gold and finally into dark green. He wanted to grab it, feel it. And he knew without even touching it that it would be silky-smooth.

  A deadly combination to his senses.

  She was beautiful. Stunning, even.

  Clalls didn’t even look at the female as she walked in. Which was odd. All Demons loved sweetness. Craved it constantly. Kirca, his home planet, grew sugar grass. It was a sweet-tasting weed that was in almost everything the Demons drank and ate. You could say they were addicts.

  But now, here was a Night Demon, ignoring…wait, Clalls held up a nutrient bar, and she snatched it from him with not so much as a thank you.

  Pax wasn’t sure what to make of that exchange. Was she with the Night Demon? Or had she once been with him and now they were just amicable co-workers. Co-lovers? Why would the officer feed her if they weren’t together? But if they were together, Clalls wouldn’t ignore her. He would have wanted to see her, taste her, and at the very least, touch her. Feeding her as if she were a nameless pet bothered Pax.

  The more Pax thought about it, the more he didn’t like it. She was too sweet to be treated like that. The female was too luscious to be anything but pampered and spoiled. All of a sudden, Pax wanted to be that male.

  The Bolark female unraveled the paper in one movement and smashed the whole bar into her mouth in the next. Cheeks full, lips coated in fine crumbs, the Bolark swallowed three chews later.

  She sat down next to Yon and made sure to lean over his chair toward the captain. Yon, Pax noticed, had leaned back in his seat and removed his elbows from the armrest as if he were trying to get out of her space. Which was funny, because it was the other way around. She was clearly invading his space.

  “Good morning, Captain.”

  Rannn nodded at her and then eyed the rest. “For those of you who don’t know, this is our logistics officer, Vivra.”

  Pax narrowed his eyes at Rannn. The logistics officer? Rannn couldn’t have missed her lusciousness. Her beauty. Unfortunately, Rannn never looked his way.

  “Where is the flight officer?” Yon asked, still leaning heavily on his armrest on the other side of Vivra.

  She leaned in farther, putting her forearm on his chair’s armrest and undoubtedly eating up Yon’s personal space.

  She knows she’s making him uncomfortable. Pax concluded. And the fact that she was taking pleasure in it let Pax know that she was no stranger to being confrontational. That almost made him smirk. She wasn’t sweet and delicate. Not that he should have expected her to be. She was a Bolark, a race he personally disliked on a visceral level. Arrogant and defiant rank-climbers.

  Her sweet smell had beguiled him, though, lulling him and pulling him in like an absentminded fool. Had he not seen her subtly take over Yon’s space, he would have approached her wrong. He would have flirted bashfully and played the good-hearted male looking for a warm and loving female. But now…he would have to prepare for a battle if he wanted her in his bed.

  She would no doubt fight him, and he’d have to find her weakness if he was going to get in. And he needed to. Everything inside him was already hot and tight, his mouth watering for her sweetness.

  “Sasha is canvassing the closest cities for survivors,” Rannn answered.

  Yon had once been the lead in primary flight operations. But now he was the executive officer. From Pax’s viewpoint, it looked like Yon was having trouble letting go of his old responsibility.

  Pax looked forward to seeing how Sasha the hellcat dealt with that.

  “Why are you looking for survivors?” Sands asked.

  Hmm. Apparently, Sands had yet to be filled in about the Eldon debacle. Pax decided to enlighten the male in quick bullet-point sentences. “Previously, this ship’s mission was to assist in a planet-wide airborne contagion on Eldon. It killed billions. The virus also found it’s way back on this ship, and all but thirty-six crew members died.”

  Yellow letters crossed Sands’ eyes. A cyborg thing. Whenever they reviewed information or cataloged something, symbols flashed across their eyes. When the code stopped, Sands said, “And I assume you are playing the odds that if Garna had survivors against an airborne contagion, then there will be survivors on Eldon?”

  Rannn answered Sands. “That’s exactly what I thought, which was why I sent Sasha and Sci to validate my theory. If there are survivors, we’ll find them.” Honor and pride dripped from each word.

  Another series of yellow lettering crossed the non-Federation cyborg’s eyes. Then he sat back and crossed his arms. Looking at Clalls and Vivra, he remarked, “The two in engineering… I assume they’re a part of the thirty-six? That leaves thirty-two to run the ship, not including our small group. From my calculations, that’s not enough to maintain a ship this size.”

  Vivra pulled out her Minky pad and started typing. “We are severely understaffed, yes, but the ship is also advanced enough that we can operate until our shipment of transfers comes in. I’ve added you to the onboard system. All you need to do is log in with your FAVII credentials to know where the other survivors work if you need something from another division on the ship.”

  More yellow letters flashed, and then Sands scratched at his cheek before saying, “I already had access, but thanks for the verification codes.”

  Pax caught Yon’s concerned look. Pax’s feelings mirrored those concerns. How did Sands get access to the Federation's onboard system before he was given authorization access? That was something he hoped the captain addressed.

  No cyborg should be able to do that.

  "Since everyone who’s supposed to be here is, let’s start,” announced Rannn.

  Apparently, he wasn’t going to address the security breach at the moment. Fine.

  Pax sat forward in his plush seat, eager to hear the news. Vivra’s dark green eyes slowly moved towards him. The immediate connection as they looked at each other caused his Kirca instincts to rear. The vision showed him kneeling on a dark red velvet bed, his wrists bound in front of his body by thick, woven rope. Vivra stood by the bed, watching him. Lusting for him.

  Well, well, well…

  Demon instincts were unique. The first time anyone made eye contact with a Demon, the Demon got a vivid picture of their desires. Desires came in many forms. This curvy beauty was sexually attracted to him. The fact that he’d seen himself on the bed made it clear that she wanted him in her bed. But she didn’t trust him; that was represented by the bonds. Rope was an indicator of distrust. But it could be unraveled so he could gain her trust. He just had to show her that he was trustworthy, which was generally not a Demon Kirca trait. However, he had cultivated some of it being in the Federation, and even more as he bonded with Rannn. The most honorable person he knew. The captain was an immovable force, a straight-talker, and a brilliant strategist.

  “Now, pay attention.” Rannn tapped the computer, and the earlier planet and star were projected above the table once again. “This is where we are going.”

  The one that had the green circle around it.

  “It’s a small planet inside the Osbati System. It’s called Brica.”

  The image showed one planet named Brica, and a moon called Rueva.

  Sands spoke. “Brica, the mining planet? The one that excavates phosophenite?”

  Rannn answered, and his eyes narrowed subtly on the cyborg. “The Federation oversees the mines and their material. Admiral Orin has asked us to investigate the Cenlura mine specifically.”

  Clalls clicked his untrimmed nails on the table. Another annoying noise. Pax was about to point it out, but the Demon spoke up to address the captain. “So, what exactly is the problem? Their cargo ship broke down, and they need an emergency shipment of rations?” Then he cleared his throat and said seriously, “This does not seem like a worthy mission for our ship. Plus, we still have Eldon survivors to think
about.”

  “Our missions are assigned by our fleet admiral. Or did you forget that?” Rannn said between tight lips. He waited until Clalls mumbled an agreement and then he said, “I didn’t hear you. What was that?”

  “Our missions are priority, handed down from fleet Admiral Orin. I remember.”

  Rannn returned his attention to the table. He swiped the images until a Yunkin face faded in and out of the visual. The video call recording crackled as the male said, “This is Federation Commander Arybar verification…two-two-four-two. We are being attacked. Report…a series of explosions, gunfire, and my security team is not reporting in. Request immediate assistance. I repeat…”

  Rannn tapped the table in two different spots, and the image disappeared. “Federation medical ships are equipped with bio-hazard training to search for survivors on Eldon and clean up the bodies. Brica is under attack and needs our assistance now.”

  To Vivra, Rannn said, “Double-time the transfers or have the transport ships meet us at a different location.”

  To Sands, he said, “This ship is running understaffed, as you know. I’m assigning you to head up engineering. That means, you approve or decline the transfers for all your divisions. We will need certification checks on each area—ecosystems, hydro and aquaponics, power systems, engines—and report in when the inspections are done, and we are safe to leave.”

  Sands sat back and gave him a slight nod.

  Rannn tilted his head. “I want to leave within the hour, Sands.”

  Sands stood up with a half-smile. He nodded to the captain in acceptance before exiting without a word of complaint.

  Respect. That’s what Pax noticed Sands had for Rannn. With everyone else, he fought their authority.

  It piqued Pax’s curiosity. Was the cyborg playing a part to warm to the captain, or did they have some form of trust?

  Rannn continued. To Clalls, he said, “Until we understand what’s going on on the mining planet, I don’t want another ship within a star year of it. We need to contain this before some idiot pirate finds out the planet is already under attack and tries to go in for a free-for-all raid of their raw materials.”

  “Yes, sir,” Clalls said and pulled out his Minky pad. He started typing away.

  “Pax, you’ll be on the ground. Tell me what you need, and I’ll make sure you get it. Actually, Vivra will make sure you get it.” Rannn gave the female a pointed look. “Can you handle the transfers plus the supply orders for our tactical teams?”

  Vivra sat up straight and, to Pax’s amazement, didn’t scowl like most Bolarks would when questioned. With a polite smile, she said, “I can handle that and more.”

  That could be interpreted a few ways. Pax didn’t think she could handle everything he had, but it would be amusing to see her try.

  Rannn stood. “Good, then I want you to discover everything you can about Brica, as well.”

  “Yes, sir.” She stood with the captain as did everyone else around the table.

  Rannn gave each of them an impatient glare. “You know your jobs. Now, get out of my face.”

  Pax left the room, following Vivra to the elevator, not ready to have her away from him yet. Her scent was calling to him like the tall, green sugar grass fields he’d grown up with.

  Clalls was the last to enter the elevator before the double doors sealed. Once inside, Pax moved into Vivra’s personal space, just to see what she’d do. She didn’t back up, but she did eye him. “Pax.”

  “Vivra,” he said, enjoying her dismissive tone. But he needed to prove to her that he was not beneath her. Needed her to recognize his rank. “When you’re done, Vivra, I’d like to know how many people occupy that planet, and how long it has been since its last ration shipment.”

  Vivra returned to typing on the Minky. He was surprised that she had blatantly ignored his question. He didn’t bother looking at Clalls. The male was watching them with unconcealed interest.

  Without glancing up, she said with a huff, “I’ll send you what I find.”

  He did smile then. Really, she was going to act like she was already too busy. That he was just another officer? He parried with, “I’ll also need that whiskey I requested.”

  Her fingers stopped. Those green-gold eyes found Pax’s, and her skin got a touch darker. “Not going to happen, Commander. It’s not my job to enable your alcohol addictions.”

  “It’s not an addiction. And it’s not against regulations. Order the whiskey.”

  “I can get you some,” Clalls said, moving closer to Vivra. Pax wasn’t sure if Clalls was subtly trying to claim her or protect her. Night Demons didn’t do that, so he assumed that Clalls was trying to finagle a deal out of him, which was never going to happen.

  “No, thanks. I’ll get it the old-fashioned way.”

  “And how’s that?” Vivra asked as the elevator stopped on level eight where his office was. Pax stepped out, brushing by her so his hand touched her arm. He couldn’t take another second of not knowing what her skin felt like. Being a Bolark, she had scaly skin, but when he grazed her, it felt smooth, silky. He’d bet it would feel amazing against his own. Now that he knew she not only smelled intoxicating but also felt that way too, he had to drop his first hint regarding his intentions. “Send me the information, and I might tell you. Or…you can ask nicely when our shift is over, and I’ll show you how I do things the old-fashioned way.”

  Vivra looked him up and down as if assessing if he were worthy of a blitz. He already knew she thought so, but her pretense of looking him over made him want to preen, especially when she lingered a little too long at his crotch area.

  Her lips curled up, and he realized she was feinting. Faking.

  The door closed, and he actually laughed. Seth of Stars, she was going to be worth every second of effort. When he got her into his room—he knew it, felt it. Craved it—she was going to ravage him.

  Chapter Four

  Logistics Hell

  Vivra was back in her office, her skin still tingling where Pax had touched her. She was used to repelling males like Clalls had said, but Pax didn’t seem to notice. It was oddly satisfying to feel wanted. But he was a Red Demon, and they were known for having plenty of sexual partners. They blitzed around like bees with pollen in the spring, pretty much consuming anything they touched.

  Pax excited her, but she wasn’t going to have a one-off blitz with him. Even if he looked like he could handle her. She was not shy in bed, and she wondered how well he could manage a controlling female between the sheets.

  Shrugging, she pushed those thoughts aside. She had more than enough work to keep her busy the next five days as they traveled to Brica without having to worry about a Demon in her bed. A Demon she wanted to obey every one of her commands. To please her exactly how she liked.

  Maybe one day…

  Logistics was a large room where twelve logistic and petty officers worked. After the Eldon incident, Vivra was the only one left. So, she had decided to renovate. In between the cleaners and the new captain showing up, she’d made the room into a single office. One room dedicated to her.

  It was a huge space with many Minky screens so she could see all her tasks at once. Each screen was dedicated to her to-do list, but was sectioned out by each station on the ship:

  Aquaponics

  Ecosystems

  Engineering

  Flight Systems

  Galley

  Hydroponics

  Individual requests

  Maintenance

  Supply

  Weapons and tactical response

  She kept inventory of everything the ship had and everything it needed. Since the spacecraft had been cleaned, all the food was destroyed, their hydro and aquaponics rooms were cleaned out, and they didn’t have any more organic food stored or left over. They had nothing but the nutrient bars and hydro bags of gel and juice that had been dropped off after the cleaners left.

  She had more
open orders than she’d ever had, and Garna had suffered some big blows with other missions. But none had gotten this bad.

  Dol from hydro and aquaponics needed new tanks since the cleaners had taken the old ones. He required five ten-thousand-gallon fish tanks, filters, heaters, test strips, extra silicone sealant, gravel, rocks, and synthetic coral, and that was just to get the environments ready for the fish. It would take time before the water was stable and he could introduce the animals, which she couldn’t buy until they landed on an actual port planet.

  Dol liked to see the fish up close and personal before buying. He was particular that way.

  Then, of course, it would take more time to get the fish acclimated to the water and to begin seeding and growing food for the crew.

  Dol was a genius, which was why he was aboard the Garna. Vivra had personally requested his transfer years ago.

  His needs were priority to the ship and its crew members, but they weren’t time-sensitive. Vivra put out a request to the nearby suppliers and let that order sit until she had a few responders.

  The next order was ecosystems. They needed someone to run the entire division, and Vivra still had not found anyone that she thought qualified. No one in ecosystems had survived the Eldon incident.

  She reviewed the scant applications and marked two possible candidates.

  Pax had not put in any weapons or tactical orders, but that might be because he hadn’t started taking inventory of his weapons and supplies yet. She quickly sent him the log of all the equipment for his department and moved to the galley orders.

  Again, even with making another urgent request, the shipment would take two days.

  One of her Minky screens pinged. Scanning the message, she saw that an aquaponics tank and supplies were on Brica.

  How lucky is that? She scheduled the pick-up and set aside the funds for when she arrived. Then she shot off a quick message alerting the captain that while they were on one side of Brica defending the mines, she would be on the other, picking up supplies.

  Using her hand, she swiped the aquaponics order to another screen and focused on the latest individual requests. Thankfully, there were only three. With such a small crew, their individual requests were handled quickly. None were time-sensitive, so she set them aside.