by Viki Storm
“Tell them we’re opening a breeding camp off-planet,” Bantokk says. “I’m the owner and she’s the one who manages the females. I pay the bills, but she picks out the slaves.”
“One moment,” he says. He taps away at his vid-comm. “What’s the name of the ship?”
“The Vuuglox,” I say, hating the way the Rulmek language sounds in my mouth, bitter, like ashes. “It’s an AXB-550, should be a day or two out.”
“Let me run the scan… ah, here, yes, oh that’s a big one, alright, you want to be in the comm?”
“No,” I say, a bit too fast. I can’t risk any of the Rulmek seeing my face over a vid comm.
“Very well, then you can stand by the door and listen. Oh, and Lia, you’re forgetting something.”
“What?”
“My coin.”
BANTOKK
We get out of Reztax’s pleasure house as soon as our business is done. He’s set up a meeting for us with the Rulmek. Now we just have to wait. This planet unnerves me. Knowing such seedy dealings are going on basically everywhere gives me an uneasy feeling, as if the vice and degeneracy will infect me.
We walk the streets, trying to get out of the downtown. We foolishly think that when we get to the outskirts of the city that the landscape will return to some semblance of normalcy. But if anything, the city center is where the more mainstream vices are located, and the outskirts are where the fringe pleasures are indulged.
Still, we find a place that rents rooms, and I pay for one room. Lia shoots me a look, but I ignore her. If she thinks I’m leaving her alone in her own room in a place like Irji, then she’s crazier than I thought. We find our room, and instead of the opulence and comfort that was exuded by Reztax’s pleasure house, this is bare-bones minimalist. The floors are utility-grade polymer composite, and the one window is fitted with polycarbonate scratched and opaque from the years and the countless travelers. There are no comm or entertainment devices in the room, and the shower is a bare pipe jutting from the wall.
“Fancy,” Lia says as she takes a look around. “You really know how to treat a lady.”
“The simplicity will remind us of our purpose,” I say. “We are not on a vacation, entitled to luxurious rest and relaxation.”
“I don’t think I could relax if I tried,” she says, and I believe that. “Especially since there’s only one bed.”
It’s a large mattress, but still, we will be sharing it. The thought of being so close to her, of being able to feel her warmth and inhale her scent, is causing me to flush uncomfortably. Could it be? I feel hot all over, pinpricks erupting on my skin. Like I just contracted a fast-acting fever in a far-flung tropical planet. I go into the bathroom and close the door. There is a mirror bolted to the wall, smeared and greasy with fingerprints of various races with various appendages. Still, I can see my reflection well enough.
I’m undergoing the change.
My chest is turning purple—that’s the visible physical sign. But there’s more changes happening on a molecular level. My body is changing, literally, to attach myself to my mate. Unless I can get this under control, I’m going to start rutting. I’m going to claim Lia as my mate right now in this dingy rented room.
Because she is my mate. Mine.
My bonded mate.
I can feel it now. The desire I’ve felt toward her was no paltry lust. It was a sign from the Universe. The fates trying to tell me something. Hey, you, here’s your mate, you lucky bastard. Except I don’t feel so lucky. Lia and I have two completely different ways of life. There’s no way this could work.
But that’s not how I feel inside. How I feel is that she is mine and I should take her and never let her out of my sight. Yes. That is the proper course of action.
A haze has settled over my brain, quarantining all those rational thoughts. The logical notions that insist there is no way Lia could be my true mate, not in this world. The two paths we are on are too different, too far apart. But that logical insistence is getting quieter, seeming less important.
I throw open the bathroom door and watch as she sits on the edge of the bed, removing her boots. She takes out her small knife and sets it on the splintered table next to the bed.
“Female,” I say. My mind is so foggy that I can barely articulate my racing thoughts. She looks up, and shock crosses her face.
“What’s that?” she points at my chest. “Are you allergic to something?”
“No,” I say. “I am bonding to you. My species. We change when we’re in the presence of our bonded mates.”
“Bonded mates?” she says, eyes wide with confusion. But I can tell from the tone of her voice that she is not taking me seriously. But she will, oh yes, she will take me seriously before the night is over.
“Yes,” I say. “You are mine. We belong together. The Universe has put us together. There’s nothing either one of us can do.”
“Hold on,” she says, kicking off her second boot. “I think you’ve gone a little nutty. Probably some side effect of some shit in the air downtown. The junkies spray all sorts of drugs into their eyes and on their tongues.”
“No,” I say again. “You don’t feel it yet. But you will.” I take a step towards her. It’s hard, not throwing myself on top of her and ripping off her suit. I need to make her mine. Deposit my seed into her womb so every other male within a hundred kilometers will be able to smell me on her and know she’s been claimed.
“I felt… something,” she admits. Her eyes are cast down at the floor, and her cheeks are flushed red—except that long shiny swath of scar tissue that mars her face.
“I know you did,” I say. I sit on the bed next to her, but I don’t dare touch her. I don’t trust myself to do that. Yet. “When we were in that storage closet,” I say. “My hands all over your breasts, those pretty little pink nipples hard between my fingers—you felt it. When I bent you over in the stealthcraft and worshiped every inch of your body, when I strummed the swollen outline of your clit through your suit—you felt it. Void, when I broke into your captain’s chambers and stood in the doorway, you felt it. I know you did because I felt it, too. I felt drawn to you. Like you were the north pole of a magnet and I was the south. Don’t deny it. I don’t like being lied to.”
“I don’t deny it,” she says. “But it’s a big leap from… that to being bonded mates or whatever you call it.”
“Not really,” I say. I take her hand in mine. “Trust me.” I pull her into my arms and take her face in my hands. With my thumb, I brush her scar, then kiss her. This feels so right, as if every moment up until now has been preordained—and I’m sure it has.
My hands paw at the back of her suit, fumbling with the zipper, trying desperately to get it off but unable to make myself break the kiss. Her lips are soft, and she is returning my kiss with the eagerness I knew she possessed. Her tongue sinks into my mouth, seeking out my own. I want to devour her, consume her.
I get frustrated with the zipper and tear the fabric of her suit. Even though it is reinforced for combat, it tears easily. I am imbued with all the power of the Void and the suns right now. I could split atoms.
She moans and wiggles her shoulders, pulling her arms out of the sleeves. She’s bare to the waist, and I need to feel one of those puckered pink nipples on my tongue. I force myself to break the kiss and take her breasts in my hands, licking one nipple, then the other, gently and slowly, until they are hard knots in my mouth. She is breathing hard, and I can smell the essence dripping from between her legs. My cock feels like it’s going to tear a hole through the leather of my breeches, so I unlace them.
Too much clothing. I can’t stand any barrier between myself and my mate. I rip her suit off of her hips, down her legs, then fling it to the floor. The sight of her nude body is almost more than I can stand. It’s turning me into a beast, feral and uncontrollable.
I slip my own breeches down and get on top of her. I press my erection against the soft thatch of hair between her legs and groan as s
he writhes underneath me. I kiss her again, this time what little restraint I have utterly gone. She is panting and moaning, and my body is responding to hers, eager to complete our bonding and exchange genetic material.
“Your cunt belongs to me,” I growl and thrust my hand between her legs. She’s so fucking wet. I’m not prepared for the way my hand glides over her slippery, slick skin.
She lets out a little high-pitched gasp, and my sensory pads pick up something in her tone. She’s scared.
I have scared her.
The shame I feel is overwhelming. She is a delicate creature, and I have handled her too roughly.
“I’m sorry,” I say. “I forgot.”
“Forgot what?” she says. She’s upset and I don’t blame her.
“I’ve been too rough, too forceful. I was overwhelmed, but that’s no excuse.”
“Fuck off,” she says and pushes me away. She wraps the blanket around her body and turns away from me. “I’m not damaged. I’m not ruined.”
“What are you talking about?” I ask.
“Just because I was a captive doesn’t mean that…” She bursts into tears. I slide underneath the blanket and, thankfully, she lets me hold her.
“That’s not what I meant,” I say, stroking her hair, trying to no avail to smooth down the crazy strands. “My desire—rutting phase is what we call it on Zalaryx—made me go a little crazy. I only meant that I didn’t want to harm you. And not because of your past—because of your future.”
“What are you talking about now?”
“If we do this,” I say hesitantly. Two seconds ago, I was ready to fuck her and impregnate her. Now I’m not so sure. That haze around my brain has receded a little. “If I take you now, you will be mine. We will be bonded, and there is no going back. This is not the time to be distracted. With a mission like this, I need to be focused 100 percent on its success—but I can’t do that with you. With you, I’m going to be focused 100 percent on your safety, and that makes me a less effective warrior.”
“Everyone is always worried about what’s best for me,” she finally says. “It’s annoying. Aren’t I allowed to decide what’s best for me? I saved myself, remember. The Rulmek, they found out I was a virgin and kept me for two years trying to find a buyer. When they finally did, that’s when I made my move. I escaped. Haven’t I earned the right to have some control over my own life?”
“Of course you do,” I say. “But maybe this is best for both of us. I mean, are you going to quit your ship? Am I going to join the Three-Star Rebels?”
“You’d be our very first Zalaryn,” she says, trying to lighten things up. But her body is a little more tense, a little more guarded, and I know that my words have weight. She knows that we are both committed to our paths. I’m not suited to her way of life, and she’s not suited to mine.
“You’re definitely the most committed Three-Star Rebel I’ve ever come across,” I say.
“You keep saying that,” she says, “like you know so much about us.”
“I know enough,” I say.
“What happened?”
“Nothing life-changing,” I say, though in truth the memory still irks me. “A few years ago, we were on a mission to conquer a small planet. When we got there, we found that the Three-Star Rebels had a large stronghold.”
“Was the planet called Lynnis?” she asks.
“Yes, it was,” I say. “When we got there, we struck a deal with the leader, a male named Garnoth. He was to provision the people with food and supplies, as well as provide four ships for their travel.”
“Let me guess,” she interrupts. “He took your coin, took the supplies, then he and his cronies flew away with the ships?”
“Very astute,” I say.
“Garnoth is an asshole. He was always pulling stunts like that. He was stripped of his stars for that, by the way. You didn’t hear?”
“No, I don’t keep up on human rebel news.” But this does make me happy to know that he was punished by his superiors for his impudence.
“We’re not all like that,” she says.
“I know that,” I say. “Because you’re not.” I don’t remind her that one of her crewmen is a traitor.
At some point, we both fall into a deep, exhausted sleep—and the fit of madness passes. I wake the next morning, my mind still a little hazy, but deeply relieved that we did not consummate.
We needed the rest. Because today’s the day we meet the Rulmek face to face.
BANTOKK
We fly Lia’s ship right on up to the Rulmek docking bay, as if we’re invited guests. Because we are. Reztax was able to set up the meeting, stoking the Rulmeks’ greed nicely. I can see two Rulmek immediately, waving us inside. There’s probably going to be more, but I doubt the whole contingent is going to be at the ready while two customers peruse their slave merchandise. At least I hope they’re not. My plan depends on it.
Lia lands her ship and takes a deep breath. I put my hand on hers. It’s trembling a little and I don’t blame her one bit. This tiny little human has more courage that I can even begin to comprehend. “Come on,” I say. “I’ll be right next to you the whole time. I won’t let anything happen to you, I promise.”
“I know you’ll try,” she says. “But don’t take it personal if I don’t trust anyone’s promises to keep me safe when the Rulmek are concerned.”
“No offense taken,” I say. “Let’s go. We came on board before, so we can do it again. And this time we don’t even need to come in through the exhaust vent.”
“That’s something,” she says and pulls up the hood of the cloak she is wearing, trying to hide the long scar on the side of her face. She flips the latch to slide open the doors of her ship. We step out and immediately the Rulmek are upon us.
One of the bastards pushes me against the side of Lia’s small recon ship, and my hand instinctively goes for my anankah.
“No,” Lia says, “they’re just searching us.” I withdraw my hand from my weapon with a little chuckle. How much has changed in a few short days. Now it’s Lia who’s telling me not to attack the Rulmek.
“Alright,” I say. I let the guard put his scaly hands over me, in my waist-pouch, in my pockets. He lifts my weapon and tosses it into the open door of Lia’s ship. I glance over and see that the other guard has done the same with Lia’s knife, lifting it from the sheath and throwing it into her ship. I’m sure she has another one (or two) stashed somewhere, and that gives me a sense of security—at least one of us will still be armed.
“How many slaves?” one of the guards asks. The Rulmek do not wear clothing, as their sensitive organs are all encased internally, protected by their tough layer of keratinized skin. But he is wearing a vest with all manner of pockets and insignia. I don’t want to know what he’s got in those pockets, or how many human females he had to steal in order to get those patches.
“Ten,” I say. He responds, but I can only make out a few snatches of his words. Even though my brain was scrambled in order to give me mastery over all languages, it apparently has trouble with the Rulmek tongue. “Say again?” I say, pointing to my ear. “Speak slowly.”
“No ten,” he says. “Five only.” That I understand.
“I was told you have a large shipment,” I say.
“They are for customer,” he says. “We only sell five.”
“I’ll pay double,” I say, “if you let me have ten.” His eyes narrow for a moment, then he takes a small comm-microphone from a vest pocket and mumbles into it. As he’s waiting for a response, I look around the docking bay and see that there are three more Rulmek stationed. No visible weapons, but that doesn’t mean they are unarmed. The Rulmek favor stun-guns loaded with neuroparalytic agents. ‘Why kill what you can sell’ is their motto.
“Okay,” he says. “Ten, but three-hundred each.”
“Deal,” I say, inwardly shocked that a human life is so cheap. I was expecting each slave to sell for thousands, as human females on Zalaryx were so rare an
d precious. I suppose if you’re willing to steal and enslave them, that lowers the price considerably. “But you have to let me pick.” He looks puzzled, as if he doesn’t understand my request. “Show me your entire shipment,” I say. “And I get to pick the ten I want. Then I pay three-thousand.”
“No,” he says simply.
“Then I’m leaving now,” I say. Inwardly my heart is racing, hoping that this bluff will work. But this plan won’t work unless I get all the humans into the docking bay.
“You want to choose?” he says. “Four-thousand.” My relief hits me so hard my knees get a little weak, but my face is stern and betrays nothing. He could ask for a million coin and I’d agree—I have absolutely no intention of paying these bastards one penny.
“Three-thousand five-hundred,” I counter. Lia shoots me a look, but I ignore her. Whatever number we settle on, it doesn’t matter, and the Rulmek will expect some haggling. Besides, it will stall for time until the next phase of the plan can go into effect.
“Four,” he says, holding up all four fingers on his hand. I look at his other hand, wondering if all Rulmek only have four fingers or if he’s missing one. He’s got six on his other hand and I wonder how he lost the other two.
“Three-thousand seven-fifty,” I say. “And that’s it.”
“Fine,” he says. “Three-thousand seven-fifty. You pick ten from the whole lot.”
“Agreed,” I say, but I do not offer my hand to shake. He barks an order to the two guards who are waiting in the back of the docking bay. They leave without a word.
I figure we have at least twenty minutes before the two guards come back with the slaves. This is one part of the plan I knew we could count on—the Rulmek bringing the slaves to the docking bay. They wouldn’t want to bring two strangers aboard the warship. That’s standard procedure for all ships and crews: keep any unknown visitors at the docking bay where they can be sealed off if necessary.
