by Lynnea Lee
Unlike Ashe, Zeylum’s mate, both Lettie and Mia seemed less conservative about sex. Especially now that Vore realized it was the falling in love with the wrong person Lettie had been avoiding and not the sex itself. He wondered how far out of her comfort zone he could push her.
His comm buzzed again, demanding his attention.
“Cal,” he grumbled at the face in his comm, “I thought you enjoyed owning both your hands. This better be important.”
“And I thought you enjoyed having a job,” Cal countered, but the look on his face was more amused than angry. “It’s been days, Vore. We are already arriving at Aton Station. You can continue romancing your mate at Jotah’s party.”
Fuck! Vore had lost track of time. He had gone out a few times to bring back food, but they had spent most of their time sleeping, talking, and “fucking like bunnies,” as Lettie had called it. She had explained that bunnies were small, furry creatures that survived by producing in large numbers.
If their two species were biologically as well as sexually compatible, Vore was sure they’d have summoned an army of young ones. The image of little Lettie holding his child in her arms snuck insidiously into his head. He pushed it out of the way. It was impossible, and Vore knew he would be happy with just her.
Beside him, Lettie sat up and stretched.
“Lettie?” Calix inquired over the comm.
She covered her chest with her arm and leaned in to say hi.
“Can you get Vore and yourself down to the ops room? You two have your first mission as a couple. And make it quick!” Cal smirked at the O on Lettie’s face. “Cal, out.”
“Mission?” The surprised look on Lettie’s face was adorable.
“Cal and Tanith said to let them tell you themselves. I think they intended to tell you about it much earlier, but I kept you in here for longer than expected,” Vore explained. “Let’s go see what they want.”
They made their way down to the brains of the ship. Arus and Mia were already there along with Tanith and Cal.
Cal explained the mission as Lettie sat there dumbfounded.
“Wait, stop. I’m not cut out for this. I was a product manager at a department store, the most exciting part of my day was stamping ‘APPROVED’ on new curtains!” Lettie protested. “You want me to help sneak information from a dangerous ex-Dominion merchant who has his own personal army? Am I hallucinating?”
“That was Earth. On Reka 5, you took down a half dozen dragus with a blaster after luring them away from me,” Vore reminded her. “If you can take on dragus, you can do this. And I will be there with you.” He had been opposed to putting her in danger when Cal had first suggested it. But Vore realized that there was no other partner he wanted in on the job.
He looked down at her and saw a change in her features. “You seem to have so much faith in me.”
“I do.” And he did. “And this mission is a perfect introduction for you. If things go well, there should be no fighting involved. Not for us anyway. I have already been invited, so we will be welcomed there. We don’t have to sneak in under false pretense. Once we get the information transmitted, we can stay to enjoy the festivities or leave if you are uncomfortable there.”
“The place will be crawling with criminals, drug dealers, arms dealers, murderers for hire—”
Vore looked to Arus and then to his two superiors. “And we fit right in.”
She paused, thinking. “I guess you do,” she said wryly. “Alright, I’ll do it.”
They caught her up with the details.
They had three days to hook up with the estate’s computers. If Garen was in the dungeon, there should be a record of him when he was processed. Jotah was meticulous with his records; it was part of why he had been so successful. They would both have an info tab that could connect with the estate computers and send the information to Arus and Mia, who were housed close by in an inn. They would filter through the data and stop the transfer the moment they found what they needed.
The most dangerous part of the mission was during the transfer when the merchant’s security system might detect the anomaly. Which was why Arus needed to be close by—sending the information short range was less detectable than if they were to send it to the ship.
“So, once they find the info and shut down the transfer, we will be scot-free?” Lettie asked.
“I don’t know this ‘scot-free,’ but I understand your question. Yes. We will be out of danger, barring any unforeseen complications.”
Tanith held out two small communicators they used during their missions. Vore pocketed the minute devices.
“We have a decent budget for this mission. You will need to fit in with the other guests.”
“It’s not my first time partying with Jotah. I know what I’m doing, Cal. Make some bets on fights, drink from good liquor, partake in a few mind-altering substances. I know how to make it look convincing.”
“I do not doubt that. I was going to recommend getting Lettie something suitable to wear for the occasion. She will need to look the part. The Vore Jotah invited would dress his new slave up and show her off to the world.”
It was true. Jotah would expect the weapons-smuggling, party animal version of Vore to dress his newly acquired human slave up like a doll and parade around his new possession. In all honesty, it was not far from reality.
“I guess it’s time to go shopping. You ready, my little Lettie?”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Lettie wiggled uncomfortably in her extremely revealing siren-red dress. Why wear clothing at all when being naked served the same purpose? The outfit Vore chose for her showed off her shoulders with thin straps that crisscrossed down her back. The neckline plunged so far down that they had to tape her breasts into the side of the dress. The hem was high at the front, barely covering her sex and trailed long at the back. It flared out over her hips and flowed as she walked.
Taking another look in a mirror, she appreciated that the dress had taken all the insecurities she had of her body and demolished it in one fell swoop. No bum and hips? The skirt flared out at just the right places and pinched her in at the waist. Barely taller than a child? The cut of the dress elongated her frame and combined with the matching stripper-esque sandals that had a thick platform, and she looked almost average height.
“How did Earth-style stripper heels make it this far out in space?” she inquired to no one in particular as she put her feet into the shoes.
The insoles had “Pleasers” written in fancy script with a star on the logo. They were surprisingly comfortable considering the height of the heels. A good platform was key to comfort. They had added a small compartment to the inside of the platform, where they hid the info tab. The info tab was discrete and thin, about the size of an SD card. But instead of holding data, it would broadcast the information to its twin, which they had installed onto Arus’s personal portable computer.
“The first batch of females the Dominion took from your planet were taken from pleasure houses.” Lettie had heard something about that in the news.
Wasn’t Angie one of the first escaped slaves to make it to Reka 5? She must have led an exciting life. She didn’t speak much about her life back on Earth, but that was her own business. Lettie didn’t care what Angie did back on Earth; she knew she was an excellent friend and a wonderful person. Lettie missed her already.
She was glad to have Mia on board. Moira, a female Tallean crew member who was still on vacation, had permitted them to raid her limited cosmetic stash, and Mia had done Lettie’s hair and makeup for the event.
They kept it simple with dark liner and red lips.
“Your hair is gorgeous!” Mia had crooned. “It’s so long!”
They had elected to leave her crowning glory down around her shoulder to show off the length. They had curled it to give it some bounce and volume. Vore had raided the crates for a pair of sparkly clips with red jewels in the center. They matched her dress.
Siren red seemed to be the theme of the evening.
Lettie looked at herself once more in the mirror. She hadn’t dressed up this fancy since prom.
“It better be warm in there, or I’ll freeze. I might as well be naked.”
Vore wrapped a fur stole around her shoulder. It looked somehow familiar, and she looked at the fur inquisitively.
“What is this? It looks familiar.”
“It should,” Vore said cryptically, looking amused. “Now, you can say that you are wearing the furs of a beast you killed yourself.”
Lettie did a double-take. “Dragus! This fur is the thicker ruff around their necks.”
“I skinned the least mangled of the ones under the tree. In Tallean tradition, we celebrate our first hunt by keeping a memento: fur, teeth, or claw. It's an old tradition and abandoned by most.”
Lettie felt a warmth fill her. Vore had skinned the dragus as a souvenir for her first kill. He had wanted to remember it and celebrate it.
“If you ever feel scared during the mission, just run your hands through the fur and remember how brave you were facing down that dragus.” Vore cupped her face with his hand. She leaned into it and closed her eyes.
“You have an invitation, so no one would suspect anything anyway, right?”
“Yes. I belong there.” Vore paused a moment before continuing. “Remember, no matter what I do in there, I’m still your mate. And I promise to keep you safe.” His brow furrowed.
“You still look worried.”
“I am, but not about getting caught. The reputation I kept was not just for sexual pleasures. I had the reputation of enjoying all the pleasures of the flesh, and I earned that reputation well. You may not approve of some of the things I do while we are there, and you may hear details of my past that may anger you.” He grabbed her face and forced her to look into his eyes. Worry swirled in them. “I do not wish to lose my mate, right after I have just found her.”
That was sweet. Vore was worried that she would learn things about him that would push her away. Didn’t he know that the only thing that could turn her off him now was if he cheated on her?
“I understand. You may enjoy the things you do for what they are, but I know you also do it for your job. Cal made it clear that you were the male for the job. I promise I won’t hold a grudge for anything you do in there unless you fuck some other woman. Then, I’ll gut you myself.”
Satisfied, he released her face.
“I should give you a few rules for behavior while you are in there. You are playing the part of a slave, though only very spoiled slaves are brought to events like these. There will be other human females there for the same reason, and you will fit in.” He pulled out the communicator Cal had given them. It was barely the size of a grain of rice. “Tilt your head. I need to place your communicator.”
“When we are sitting, sit between my legs on the floor if possible. If not, to the side. I may pull you up to my lap sometimes. If I do, stay there. Do not speak to anyone unless they speak to you first, and look to me before replying. Never deny me anything, or I’ll need to discipline you. No matter what you see or what I do, remember that I will never hurt you. Trust me to care for you.”
Vore peeled the clear backing off the adhesive and pressed it to the inside of her ear, right up against the front. From the outside, Vore assured her, no one would notice it. Vore did the same to his.
“No need to call me ‘Master’ or anything special. I know some males prefer it, but I’m known to be a very casual male who scoffs at rules.”
Cal poked his head in. “Time to go. The transport is here.”
Arus and Mia joined them in the transport; it would drop them at a nearby inn, so they could be close enough to receive the info and stay in contact with the mini comm device. To prevent detection, they needed to reduce the range of the communicators.
“We got some more details on the event. Our good friend, Ulrek, is going to be there.”
Vore grunted. Ulrek was the reason his captain, Zey, was in hiding right now. Last time they met, Ulrek’s men had been shooting at Vore, and Vore had returned the favor. Ulrek had been after the sizable bounty the Dominion had slapped on Zeylum’s head. The Dominion set smaller bounties for everyone else on the Defiant’s crew.
“What’s a Dominion prick doing here?”
“Former Dominion prick,” Arus corrected. “Remember how Ashe and Moira told us Ulrek believed the Dominion was going to off him to make him a martyr? It seems it was true. They sent pirates after his ship, but he got away. He is close to Jotah. I believe Ulrek had mentored under Jotah for a few years when he was younger.”
“Fuck, it’s going to be hard not to kill him.”
“Try your best. They are not our enemies this time, and we don’t want to cause trouble. At least not until we get our data. If anything, they may see you as one of them. What with your history and all.”
Lettie looked quizzically at him, but he ignored it. When they got back, he would tell her his story. He and Arus had been rising stars at the Dominion Academy before they left to fight for the other side. Vore often left out his questionable past when he met new people.
“Them? Who else is there?”
“Kean.” Arus looked thoughtful. “I almost wish I was going in instead so that I can finally meet him. I’d like to pick his brain.”
A few years older than his friend, Kean had worked for the Dominion as a chemist before they fucked him over. Kean now made a good living producing and selling Euphora. Vore had only met him once before but had sampled his goods many times. It was clean and strong, giving its user an unparalleled high. Arus had missed out on meeting the male the last time they had met too.
If Arus and Vore hadn’t escaped when they did, the Dominion would have sent Arus to work with Kean. And most likely he would have been fucked over at the same time. Vore was glad he had convinced his friend to leave that life behind. It was the best decision they had ever made.
Arus turned to Lettie. “Do not worry. Vore will take good care of you.”
“I know. I trust him.” Vore felt a warmth spread across his chest at her words. He intended to protect her with his life.
“Anything else?” Vore asked.
“Try to stay alive.”
“That’s a given.”
“Maybe sneak a dose of Euphora out for me. It’s been a while.”
Lettie tried to act natural as she took in the opulent estate. Jotah had not skimped on anything. He was rich, and he made sure it showed on every gleaming surface. Subtlety was not a word in the retired merchant’s lexicon—the tasteless overuse of rich textures and excessive ornamentation bordered on gaudy. Even the decorations had decorations.
“I believe this is the first time we are sitting together at the same table rather than shooting at each other. It feels strange,” Vore said casually. He leaned back on his extravagant chair. They sat at a low gilded table with several other Talleans. All of them looked scary.
Some of the other guests had beautiful Tallean women perched on similarly ornate chairs next to them. Others had slaves, some humans, some not, sitting on cushions on the floor, all females. They all leaned obediently against their owner’s legs. One was rubbing her owner’s feet. But the rest were just sitting quietly, looking pretty. Lettie copied them and leaned against Vore. His proximity gave her a sense of tranquility.
Arus had been right about the two ex Dominion officers seeing Vore as one of them. Lettie had no idea why. Wasn’t the entire crew of the Defiant anti-Dominion?
Vore had an air of easy comfort as if he was just hanging out with friends on a Saturday night. Lettie, on the other hand, felt queasy. She was surrounded by some of the most dangerous-looking aliens she had ever seen. She recognized the one lounging the closest as the captain of the ship that had taken her from Earth. He had visited the holding cells several times after they had left Earth. He did not have a female with him.
“I agree. It is strange to be talking to you rather than strangling you. But if not here, where else would we both be? After all, we are all ex-Dominion here.” Ulrek motioned to the males sitting on the couches surrounding the low table.
Vore grunted.
Ex-Dominion? Vore was ex-Dominion. Was this one of the details Vore had thought she would disapprove of?
Kean, the devilishly handsome Tallean drug dealer who sat across from them, spoke, “Where is that friend of yours—Arus? He was a rising star at the Academy, in my very own field no less. They had planned for him to work with me when he got out.” Like Ulrek, he too did not have a female with him.
“He’s around. Parties are not his scene.”
“I fucking hate parties,” Arus’s voice agreed through the comm in her ear.
“I want to meet him. I have a project he might be interested in.” Kean’s eyes fell on Lettie, and she tucked her chin, remembering not to make eye contact. “You might be interested as well, for non-academic reasons.”
An extravagantly dressed older Tallean male entered the circle. He was graying at the temples. It was the first time Lettie had seen a Tallean with gray hair. The crew of the Defiant were all young and in their prime. And most of the settlers at Reka 5 had been younger too.
“Welcome to my estate.” Jotah made a dramatic sweeping motion. “I assume you have all met my beautiful companion, Neyala.”
Next to him was a stately Tallean woman dressed to kill. While her dress boasted yards of sumptuous fabric, it still failed to cover up anything more than the essential. She was tall and lean and perfectly proportioned. Her tan skin was free from blemishes, and her hair was long, thick, and shiny. Was this the caliber of women that Vore played around with before meeting her? Neyala was gorgeous, and Lettie found herself lacking in comparison.
Jotah continued talking, punctuating his words with big gestures of his hands.
“I see I won’t need to introduce everyone. It seemed you males already know each other.” He turned to Vore. “I had no idea you were also ex-Dominion. You never mentioned it.”
