It has been a long time since I have felt raw desire like this for a woman. I have fucked plenty of them, but I have not truly hungered for one like I do for her. I want to conquer this princess.
I shake my head trying to clear my thoughts, and tug on my pants to adjust myself. I need to get my head clear. I cannot think like that about her. I’m supposed to be a professional, and she is my target.
I feel Gemini poking me in the ribs. I look down at the human woman. This one is very different from the others. She is as hard as my blade and twice as sharp.
“Hey, you done drooling over the Merchant Princess?” she asks.
I grunt. Maybe thrice as sharp.
“Yeah, didn’t think so,” she says, rolling her eyes. “If you haven’t decided to abandon our plans and run away with the princess, it’s our turn. Play the part, look tough, and this will be over soon. Maybe when we’re done, our boss will let you play house with your little princess.”
If those words had come from anyone else, I would have made them swallow all their teeth. But I like her. She is a renegade from her own people, as I am from mine, and she can hold her drink, too.
She pokes me in the ribs again. She knows how to push me just far enough to annoy me, but still avoid violence. She is just like my dead brother.
“It’s our turn,” she says. “Remember, let me do the talking.”
I push my way through the crowd and it parts easily before me, and Gemini follows in my wake. Rhea turns to me from her dais and we lock eyes. I feel the heat of her stare in my belly. She has large, green eyes. I have never seen eyes like these on any other creature, so bright and full of life.
Rhea’s servant announces that the Merchant Prince will hear Gemini’s offer. She steps around me and stands before Rhea. Astrid sits beside her, grinning at me, as if she knows some amusing secret.
“What do you offer in trade, Gemini?” Rhea asks.
Gemini squares her shoulders and speaks loudly. “I do not come bearing broken artifacts and non-functional technology. I come with knowledge far more valuable. I know the secret location of a second Apotheosis Chamber.”
Gemini pauses for dramatic effect, and it works exactly as she intends. The hush of the crowd rises to a fever pitch. Rhea herself looks shocked. It is well known on Kartak that the power of the Tulani comes from their possession of the Apotheosis Chamber and the ability to survive its effect. There have always been rumors of other devices, but none has ever been found.
Rhea recovers from her shock and resumes her regal mask. I prefer her when she shows her raw emotions. It suits her better.
“What proof do you have of your claim?” she asks. “I have spent much time researching the Apotheosis Chamber, and no rumor of any other such devices has ever been substantiated.”
Gemini steps closer to her dais. “I have substantial proof I can offer in a private audience. I have seen the device with my own eyes. All you will need to get the device is your ship and modern excavation equipment.”
“And what do you ask for in exchange for this information?”
“A substantial payment for me and my companions,” she says. “And passage off Kartak to enjoy my new riches.”
Rhea turns her eyes back on me. I feel a shiver travel up my spine. I have not felt like this since I was a child on my first raid. “Is he one of your companions?”
“Yes,” Gemini says. “We must travel through the Blasted Wastes, and there are many great dangers there. Orion has traveled there and will be able to ensure the safety of our expedition.”
The crowd gasps at the mention of the Blasted Wastes. Astrid leans in and whispers into Rhea’s ear. She must not know that only the Tulani and the most desperate of fools dare travel in that deadly desert. It is a stronghold of the Void Seekers. Few are capable of surviving the natural dangers of the Wastes, and even fewer are capable of surviving an encounter with the Void Seekers who call it home.
“Very well,” Rhea says, “I will grant you and your companion a private audience to discuss your offer.”
3
Rhea
It’s hard for me to keep my thoughts straight as I look through the evidence Gemini offers me. It doesn’t help that Orion is sitting right next to me. I can practically feel the heat pulsing from his gorgeous body. I didn’t expect him to sit next to me at the table, but I’m not complaining. Twice now I’ve accidentally brushed my arm against his when I’ve reached across the table to take something Gemini offered me. I hope he hasn’t noticed. I know from Astrid’s stupid grin that she has.
Gemini’s evidence seems genuine. She has detailed holographic recordings of the interior and exterior of the room containing the Apotheosis Chamber. She even has detailed readings of the energy signatures, showing that the chamber possesses a dormant power source.
I’d never expected to be offered anything like this on this trip to Kartak. Haven was supposed to have the only Apotheosis Chamber. Astrid has of course offered me the use of the Chamber to reverse the chemical sterilization performed on the unlucky majority of the commoner population in the Empire, but being treated by the Chamber carries substantial risk.
As of now, there have only ever been two non-Tulani who have survived the process. The first was Queen Naruni, the first Queen of the Tulani clan. The second was Astrid, the present Queen of the Tulani. I am no Queen. I just bought my title and station with the spoils of Kartak gifted to me by my all-too-kind friend. I do not have the strength Astrid has to survive it. If I did, I would have surely been fated to be a mate to one of the Tulani.
I am not Belle, and I will never find my Beast. I am not that lucky.
But with the second Apotheosis Chamber in my possession, I can have my scientists study it and figure out how it works. Maybe they can modify it so it works on humans without the risk of death. I spent nearly half my fortune hiring the best scientists I could find to study the technology recovered from Kartak. Unlocking the secrets of the Apotheosis Chamber would not only allow me to bear my own child, but it would also bring my fledgling House incredible fortune.
“I’ve made my decision,” I say and turn off the holographic projector. “Your evidence is convincing. I will accept your offer.”
Gemini claps her hands together and jumps to her feet. “Great,” she says, and extends her hand to shake. “Now all that is left is to work out the details.”
“Very good,” Astrid says. “Since you’ve come to an agreement, I will take my leave and allow you to negotiate the specifics in person.”
She gets up from the table and comes around to my side. “I will see you at dinner tonight.” She leans in close and whispers, “Unless you find yourself busy with someone else — I won’t mind.”
I blush furiously and hope no one else heard what she said. Astrid takes her leave, giving me a sly wink as she closes the door behind her.
It doesn’t take long to negotiate the terms of our agreement. Gemini’s offer is very reasonable, given the prize at stake. It is a small fortune, but one I can afford and merely a fraction of what I would be willing to pay to restore my ability to bear children.
Maya has helpfully prepared a contract to finalize our agreement. I lean forward over the table and watch Gemini sign the contract. I can’t believe this is really happening. I’m going to have a real chance to bear my own child. I sneak a glance at Orion. If this works, all I have to do is find a mate to bear a child with.
She dots her final ‘i’ and passes the pen to me. I grip it in my hand, sweaty with anticipation, and sign my name. Then I lean down on the table, pressing my sigil ring into the melted wax to finalize the contract.
A light breeze blows behind me, fluttering my dress. My eyes go wide as I see the flash of a blade in Orion’s hand. It feels like time slows down around me. His expression changes from that of a cocky flirt to an enraged beast and he flicks the knife at my head with an explosive motion. Maya screams and lunges forward, trying to throw herself between me and the blade, but she isn�
��t fast enough.
I hear the knife zing past my ear and strike flesh behind me, and I feel the hot splash of blood on the back of my neck. Before I can turn around, Orion is in the air, hurtling over the table. I hear his fist smash into the wall behind me, leaving a dent, as a thin creature in a skintight white suit dodges his blow. Green blood oozes from around the knife embedded in its shoulder. Where did he come from?
Maya shields my body with her own and presses me back as Orion squares off against the assassin with an axe in one hand and his empty hand held up in guard. My marines open fire, but the energy beams from their weapons arc into a black disc on my assailant’s chest and are absorbed harmlessly. One shot fires wide and glances against Orion’s arm, scorching his shoulder.
“Hold your fire!” I scream. “I don’t want Orion hurt!”
I hear what sounds like throaty laughter from the creature as he lunges at Orion with thin stiletto covered in black liquid. His strikes are swift and blur through the air, but Orion is just quick enough to avoid getting impaled by one blade and parries the other with his axe, knocking it to the floor.
The creature wails in anger and lashes out again with his remaining weapon. Orion twists out of the way, grasps its wrist in his powerful hand and chops off its arm at the elbow with his axe. The creature’s scream of pain comes to a sudden end when Orion smashes his fist into its mouth, embedding his head into the wall behind him.
Its body twitches and goes limp and slides down the wall to the floor, leaving a streak of green blood on the cracked white paint. Orion grunts and brushes his hand, dislodging a tooth embedded in his knuckle.
I finally release my breath now that the danger appears to have passed. Maya’s still on top of me trying to protect me despite my marines having formed a protective barrier around me.
I gently nudge her off me. She stands up warily and takes my extended hands and helps me off the floor. My legs feel like jelly and I drop on my chair trying to catch my breath.
I watch as Orion takes a thin needle from the mysterious creature’s dismembered arm and holds it up with a disgusted look on his face. “A poisoned needle,” he says with a grunt, and sheathes the blade in the corpse’s chest. Not a moment later, the black disc on its chest sparks and the body erupts in purple flames, emitting a sickening stench. I can feel the intense heat radiating from where I stand as the body quickly burns into gray ash, but it doesn’t seem to bother Orion.
Orion turns to me and we lock eyes, and I see a look of concern in them. I thought he was trying to kill me, but if it wasn’t for him, I’d be dead right now.
“Thank you,” I breathe to Orion. “You saved my life.”
Captain Mikael stands by me ready to receive Orion aboard the Sojourn. He salutes, hand to his heart and says, “Welcome aboard the Sojourn. We are honored to receive you.”
Orion presses his fist into his hand across his chest and takes a small bow. “The honor is mine,” he says. Grinning, he turns to me and bows deeper with his eyes locked onto mine. “I would be a blind fool to turn down such an invitation from a beautiful Princess.”
He wears his desire for me plainly on his face, and I feel warmth spreading in my core and embarrassingly across my cheeks. It’s been so long since I’ve had anything but a toy between my legs. I’m afraid if I keep this up, my people might start calling me the Horny Princess behind my back. Thankfully, if Mikael noticed, he doesn’t let his face show it.
“You are too kind,” I say. I manage to keep my voice from squeaking this time. It helps when I’m prepared for being embarrassed. “I would be a poor Merchant Princess if I did not reward a warrior who saved my life so valiantly,” I say. And who I wish would sweep me off my feet. “Please come, I wish to give you a tour of my ship and have had a feast prepared in your honor.”
Orion nods, his smoldering eyes still locked onto mine. His smile tell me he plans to eat more than just a feast and, if I didn’t have the dignity of my station to uphold, I’d be more than willing to let him.
The Captain coughs into his fist to cut the tension in the air. He leads the way onto the ship and we step into the lift. Orion moves like the panther I saw in New Denver where I had my title confirmed by the Guild Counsel. His stride is relaxed but graceful, hinting at his explosive power.
The clearmetal door slides closed and the lift ascends quickly to the bridge. He takes in each level of the Sojourn, his eyes widening with wonder. I can’t help but feel proud of my ship. If I had known the effect it would have had on him, I might have balked a bit less at its outrageous price.
The lift opens onto the bridge and the Captain leads us inside. “Captain on deck!” the Watch Commander announces and the crew snaps to attention. “At ease,” the Captain responds. “Return to your stations.” The crew returns to their stations and resumes their duties. I appreciate how difficult it must be to not gape at the massive Tulani.
I interrupt the Captain before he can proceed with the tour. “This is the Sojourn’s bridge,” I say. “The command center of the ship.”
He walks towards the clearmetal viewports and looks out into Haven below. “You have windows on your spaceship?” he asks.
“No,” I say. “They are a special metal composite that is see-through.” I turn to the Watch Commander. “Activate the CIC systems.”
“Yes, your Royal Highness,” she responds. The panels around the wall turn opaque and the Combat Information System on them lights up.
“This is how we view the space around us in combat,” I say proudly. “You can see a three-dimensional map of the land surface around us. Limited by only the planetary curvature. Normally, we’d be able to detect everything on the land and in the air around us. Even something as small as a human being or any humanoid, but there is interference on Kartak that limits our range significantly.”
I gesture to the Watch Commander and she shuts off the displays and the panels go clear again. Orion turns from the panel and back to me. “Your ship is very tall,” he says. “Much like the old ruins. The airships I’ve seen have all been longer than they are tall.”
“The Sojourn is designed as an orbital launch ship,” I say, ignoring the concerned look on Captain Mikael’s face. I am well aware of his concerns over discussing my House’s military capabilities with any outsiders let alone an alien, but I owe a great debt to the Tulani. “It’s capable of reading for launch in three minutes and it reaches orbit in two and a half minutes.”
“No human could survive the acceleration without the most advanced medication,” I say, peeking at Orion’s hard body with my back to the crew. “Though, you might be able to.”
He walks towards me, his muscles rippling under his gauzy shirt. “What of those ships I saw through the lift?” he asks. “On the fourth and fifth deck?”
“The Sojourn carries a wing of fighters, scout ships and a bomber,” I say with a smile. “She also carries various utility ships.”
Orion nods in appreciation. “This is a very impressive fleet,” he says. “I’d love to see technology like this deployed in battle against the Void Seekers.”
I flinch at the mention of the Void Seekers, recalling the nightmare of being trapped in the Void when I was their prisoner. I still wake up some days believing I’m being slowly consumed by it. If it weren’t for Astrid and the Tulani Clan, I’d still be doomed to that fate.
I shake my head clear of my dark thoughts and look up to the Tulani that most recently saved my life. “I would enjoy putting my ships to the test against them,” I say, my voice trembling with anger. “They won’t stand a chance.”
He leans his elbow on the back of an empty seat, that smoldering look back on his face. With him so close to me, I forget my anger and the crew around me. “I have no doubt, Princess,” he says, “that you would be a most formidable conquest.”
Orion is squeezed into a much-too-small seat at the dining table in my private cabin. The Petty Officer refills our glasses of wine and clears the empty dishes off the table. I
can see him struggling to keep himself from gawking at the massive Tulani. I don’t blame him since I’m going through the same struggle.
Once the room is ours again, I raise my glass of wine and Orion does the same. The glass looks comically small between his large blue fingers. “To our friendship,” I cheer.
“To friendship and more,” he replies, and we clink our glasses together. I’m so nervous with him in my room, with my bed mere steps away, that I drink half the glass before I put it down. He grins at me knowingly and throws back the whole drink in a single gulp.
“This drink is delicious, as was the meal,” he says, refilling his cup to the brim. “I’ve never tasted meat as juicy as cow.”
I giggle at his error, feeling a little tipsy from my drink. “The animal is called a cow, and the meat is called beef,” I correct him.
He chuckles as he downs his sixth cup of wine. I should have had stronger drink brought for him, but I don’t want to call anyone else in to interrupt our dinner.
“Well this beef is very juicy then, and extremely tender,” he says as he leans on his elbows on the table. I lean in towards him as I take another large gulp of my drink and catch his eyes on my cleavage. I’m close enough to smell his heady scent and feel the heat radiating from his skin. I wish he’d stop talking about the food, toss the table aside and throw me on the bed.
“Is life so luxurious for all humans?” he asks.
“Hardly so,” I say. “I try to provide better for my people than I was provided for when I was a commoner in the service of a Merchant Prince, but I can only do so much. There are nearly a trillion humans spread across the Mercantile Empire. It will take much more than one upstart Merchant Princess to create change on such a scale.”
“You were a commoner once?” he asks, cocking his eyebrow. “How is that possible?”
Renegade Orion: A Scifi Alien Shifter Romance (Shifter Kings of Kartak Book 2) Page 2
