“Disappeared?” Oses’s brows knit together. “It ran out of the room?”
Katrina shook her head. Her expression was almost hard, as if daring him to naysay her. “No, Commander Oses. When I say it disappeared, I mean it vanished right before our eyes. One moment this – this thing was there, then it was gone.”
“It looked like a man at first,” Heather added. Her voice trembled. She’d been among those who’d cried, and she scrubbed at her cheeks with the heels of her hands. “I saw him near the door, silhouetted against the light. I couldn’t make out his features, because it was mostly dark in there. He seemed to – to shimmer.”
“Shimmer?” Oses’s eyes narrowed.
Heather hesitated, clearly groping for a better description. Finally, she shrugged. “It’s the best way I can describe it. It’s similar to how heat on a road turns things blurry and shaky in the distance? That kind of effect. I’m sorry I can’t give you more.”
Oses smiled at her. “You have no reason to apologize, Matara. I appreciate what you’ve told me.”
The men he’d sent into the would-be dance club returned. “We found nothing, Commander,” came the report. “It’s empty. We found no evidence of anyone hiding.”
“You won’t,” I muttered. Ghosts can come and go as they please.
Oses glanced at me. “All right. Ladies, I need you to come to my office with me so I can fill out a full report from each of you. If we have some sort of intruder, I need to have all the details.”
I thought of Finiuld and his ability to disappear at will with the aid of his phase tool. However, the entity had not appeared to be an Ofetuchan. It was too damned big. Plus Finiuld had never shimmered, as Heather had claimed this creature did.
Besides, Oses had taken custody of Finiuld and Glidas's phase gadgets before we got off the ship. He'd given them to Captain Zemos. Those used by the imprisoned crew had been limited versions, not useful off the Ofetuchan ship according to the weapons commander. Only Finiuld and Glidas could have phased at a distance from their vessel. With Oses being so meticulous, I couldn't imagine him missing a phase converter...and surely the destroyer crew had gone over their prize with a fine-tooth comb once it was in their bay.
As we trooped through the ship at Oses’s heels, I noticed Candy was staying with us. “You didn’t witness it,” I said to her.
“No, but I want to hear all about it,” she whispered. “When we investigate this ourselves and try to convince the ghost to talk to us, I have to know all I can.”
Unfortunately for Candy, Oses took the reports separately. We went into his office one at a time to be interviewed. When Candy discovered she wouldn’t be able to listen in, she quizzed me about the encounter. Once I and a few of the other women waiting to talk to Oses gave her the lowdown, she left us. I assume she went to prepare for us to hunt the entity down.
I wasn’t so sure I was ready to hunt it anymore. I hadn’t felt any animosity from it, but what good can be intended by an entity that keeps a bunch of women prisoners, if for only a couple of seconds?
What was high on my priorities at this point was, how could I protect myself? Were there any answers to that?
I was the last to be interviewed by Oses. He must have arranged that on purpose, but it was okay. It gave me the opportunity to calm down and frame how I would tell my story.
I dreaded talking to him even as I looked forward to being with my big, bad Nobek. Betra’s reaction to my ghost story was still very much on my mind. Would Oses think I was slipping back into trauma too?
I went into Oses’s office when he called for me. The door shut behind me, leaving us in privacy.
My Nobek lover seemed grim as he sat on his desk before the chair I took. Worry shadowed his eyes. “Tell me.”
I did. Not just what happened in our would-be club, but from the beginning when Candy first saw her spooky visitor. I told Oses all of it, from start to finish. I watched him carefully as I did so, waiting to catch any hint that he believed I’d gone off my rocker. Oses’s intense gaze was aimed at the wall behind me as I talked, his expression of concern unwavering.
I ended my tale with, “I’m not crazy, Oses. I’ve seen something.”
His eyes finally moved to my face. To my relief, he gave no sign that suggested he thought I was due for a straitjacket.
Instead he said, “You never told me about the entity in your room.”
“After the way Betra acted, I was scared you’d imagine I was having another breakdown.”
“Shalia, you know me better than that,” Oses’s tone filled with disappointment. I cringed to hear that note in his voice. “This is nothing like your prior hallucinations. Plus, we have others corroborating your tale, even before today’s event.”
“You believe we saw a ghost?” I scarcely hoped the big, bad Nobek was willing to be that openminded.
He held his hands up. “I didn’t say that. You witnessed something, but I’m don’t believe the dead come back to frighten innocent Mataras.”
I swallowed. “I worried perhaps it was focused on me...and I am not so innocent.”
Oses’s brow raised. “What do you mean?”
“Well, I killed Glidas,” I reminded him. “And that Earther who Finiuld gave me to torment—”
“I carried out those acts upon the man,” Oses’s expression turned dark. “If his angry spirit was to come after anyone, it would be me.”
Not necessarily. However, I could tell Oses had made up his mind on that score.
“If it’s not a ghost, what would it have been?” I asked my friend.
“Someone still among the living. All descriptions of this entity in the club sounded similar to a Kalquorian running at full speed. It was the right size, and according to what you and Heather have both seen, the right shape.”
“But how is it disappearing at will?” I asked. “No Kalquorian can do that. It somehow got in Candy and my rooms without triggering the announce. The door stayed closed. It didn’t open to let it escape!”
“That is the mystery that needs to be solved,” Oses admitted. “I’ll have to go over security vids carefully to figure it out.”
I wasn’t convinced. Kalquorians do not walk through walls, as Megan had seen happen a few days ago. Still, Oses wasn’t staring at me as if I’d grown two heads. He believed I’d seen it.
Speaking of the unbelievers, it was then that Betra showed up. The door announce went off, and his voice rang in the room. “Commander, it’s Betra.”
“Enter.” Oses was guarded as my liaison stepped into the room.
Betra blew out a breath to discover me there. “Katrina just told me a group of you were threatened as you looked over your options for a club. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” Considering how worried the Imdiko obviously was, my tone was too clipped. Damn it, he’d hurt me.
Betra heard it and flinched a touch. His gaze went to Oses. “What was it?”
“Unknown at this time. You should have reported the break-in of Shalia’s room, Imdiko.” Oses was severe.
Betra flinched again. “I had planned to, but I kept forgetting. I wasn’t sure it was a break-in.”
“You didn’t believe it happened at all,” I pouted.
He blushed. “I thought – the nightmares and all that – damn it, you said the person disappeared into thin air.”
“Yeah well, it turned out I was correct.”
My liaison looked shamed. “I fucked up. I’m sorry.”
I didn’t want to stay mad at Betra, not when he was that contrite. Truth be told, I had flaked out pretty bad after being taken away by Finiuld. I suppose Betra had good reason to doubt my story of dark, scary shadows that came and went with no evidence to back me up.
“Fine,” I sighed. “Apology accepted.”
“Not so fast,” Oses said. “You are due some discipline for failing to report, Betra.”
The Imdiko’s eyes widened. “I—I am?”
“It’s an egregious lapse
of security for any Matara, particularly one who is pregnant.”
Betra’s shoulders slumped. “Shall I wait for you to write up your report so I can sign it?”
Oses eyed him contemplatively. “I suppose we could do the official reprimand, if you like. However, I am willing to not file a report that will show up on your record.”
Betra blinked. “That’s very kind of you, Commander.”
“You’ll still be punished. Privately.”
Anger moved onto the Imdiko’s expression. “I am not fucking you.”
“No, you’ll fuck Shalia.”
Betra now appeared as confused as I felt. I scowled at the Nobek. “Since when is fucking me a punishment, you big goon?” I asked.
Oses’s mouth quirked in a brief smile. “Since Betra can’t have control. Do you remember being in charge of me when we were prisoners, Shalia?”
Boy, did I. I’d been forced to dominate and have sex with Oses for an audience. The sex part was good, but I hadn’t enjoyed being in charge.
I told Oses as much. “I’m not an on-top type of girl.”
“No, and Betra is certainly not an on-bottom man from what you’ve mentioned to me.” The weapons commander gazed at the worried Imdiko. “Shalia says you are every bit as controlling as I am.”
Betra nodded uncertainly. “I prefer to be in charge of my sexual partners.”
“Not this time. I’ll be in charge of you both. You play with Shalia, but I call the shots. I’ll decide if you climax or not.”
Betra’s eyes went as wide as mine. “Wait a damned minute—”
Oses shrugged. “The choice is yours. I can write you up and you’ll have to face disciplinary measures as well as a permanent mark on your record, or we can resolve this quietly here and now.” He grinned, more shark than man. “What’s the big deal, Imdiko? You said you enjoy being watched.”
“Yes, but – but I don’t like—” Betra glanced from Oses to me. “You told him!”
I was confused. “I told him what?”
“That I was interested in hearing about when you topped him during your captivity. You knew I was planning something.”
“Betra, I have no idea what you are talking about. I remember you and I discussing me being forced to dominate Oses, and you did seem interested. Beyond that, you’ve lost me.” It was true. I was clueless.
Oses was not. His grin got bigger. “So, you planned to do the same thing, except you would be in control of me. Imdiko, did you really think you could gain the upper hand on a man such as myself?”
Betra’s face turned red – whether in anger or humiliation, I couldn’t tell. “I wanted to give Shalia an experience I knew she’d enjoy. Both of us at once. I hoped you’d appreciate it too, even if you and I weren’t touching.”
The Nobek fairly purred. “Oh, I like it. I appreciate that you would be willing to give me such a gift. But I’ll be giving orders, not you.”
Betra stood there, his expression ranging from fury to anxiety. When he glanced at me, there was hunger as well. For my part I waited silently, wondering where this crazy situation would end up. I had hopes that it would be with my legs in the air, but that goes without saying.
After a few moments of emotional struggle, Betra’s shoulders sagged. “You won’t touch me?”
Oses looked him over, as if he’d been given as a trophy. “Not one finger. I’ll busy myself with Shalia.”
Woohoo!
Betra hunched more, a turtle trying to withdraw his head into his shell. “Lock the damned door. I swear that if anyone finds out about this, I’ll mangle you.”
With the pleased tone of a man closing a lucrative deal, Oses ordered, “Door, lock.”
It beeped obediently. I folded my arms over my chest and called up a severe glare for the Nobek. “I don’t recall you checking with me to verify that I’m up for this. Or am I being punished too?”
Oses smirked at me. “To paraphrase your earlier question, since when is sex with Betra or me punishment?”
He had me there. Oh well. Let the chastisement of the Imdiko begin.
Sensing his victory, the weapons commander returned his attention to Betra. “Strip, lovely boy. All the way down.”
For a moment Betra just stood there. I thought he might change his mind and take the official reprimand. Instead, he gathered his pride and made himself stand up straight. He still wouldn’t look at Oses, but his shoulders were back and his head held high again. He lifted a leg and yanked at the black boot that came to mid-shin. I was impressed that Betra never wavered. I don’t have that kind of balance when I’m not front-heavy with baby.
My liaison got his boots off in record time. Now that Betra was committed to enduring discipline, he undressed quickly. He opened his formsuit at the throat seam and the armored fabric purred apart, running in a straight line from neck to groin. He peeled himself free of the uniform and tossed it in a corner.
I’ve seen Betra naked on more occasions than I can count, but that didn’t keep me from enjoying the view. Betra’s body is stunning. Wide shoulders, strong arms, flat belly, beautifully sculpted ass...yow. There is not one damned flaw on that Imdiko.
Despite not being very happy on an emotional level, his body appeared plenty delighted. His cocks were swollen, gleaming with lubricant, and standing out from his groin. It was at complete odds with the grim expression on his face.
Oses came around the desk and prowled around Betra, taking in the view with deliberate concentration. No doubt the Nobek wished to run his hands all over that amazing body. His fingers twitched. The front of his pants started to tent.
For his part, Betra stood there and endured the examination. A muscle jumped in his set jaw, but he made no complaints. He didn’t flinch, though I had the insight that he would have chosen to move away from wherever Oses was at the moment. I also knew that if the weapons commander laid so much as a finger on Betra, fists would start flying. The Imdiko was on edge.
Oses stopped in front of Betra and pointedly stared at the other man’s cocks. My liaison’s face turned blistering red at the blatant ogling. Yet he seemed to grow more erect and wet under the scrutiny. I blinked in surprise.
Oses shot grinned at me. “Betra isn’t turned on simply by being watched. I believe he has a weakness for humiliation as well.”
“Can we get this over with?” Betra snarled. He somehow managed to turn redder.
“I expect you to be a good boy for me, and that includes respect in your comments,” Oses’s demeanor was pleasant, but there was a note of warning in his tone. “In fact, during this you may refer to me as ‘Master’. I will call you ‘boy’ so there is no question of who is in control here. Is that clear?”
Betra shook with suppressed rage. Yet his pricks jerked, as if excited by the way the encounter was going. He was battling two different instincts: first of all, pride, which made him inclined to beat the shit out of Oses. The other inclination was need, however. Beneath the mask of fury was a hint of want so deep and profound that I surmised this part of Betra’s makeup had never been addressed before.
Oh my goodness. Things were getting interesting.
Betra managed to choke out, “Yes, Master. You are in control.”
“Good boy. Touch yourself for me. Stroke your cocks.”
Betra’s shoulders hunched again, but he obeyed. A hand went to each of his cocks, and he masturbated himself in front of Oses. His gaze was locked on the floor.
Oses sat on the edge of his desk. The slight smile on his face was pure danger. His attitude said he expected to enjoy every moment of this conquest. He might not be getting all he wanted from his beloved Imdiko, but he reveled in what he could have.
“Look at me, boy. Look me in the eyes as you handle yourself.”
Betra grimaced. For a long second, I worried he would disobey. With effort, he dragged his gaze up so that he stared Oses in the face. He continued to pull on his cocks. A drop of pre-cum formed at the tip of the larger one. The Imdiko’s exp
ression was that of a trapped and frightened youth, who was mortified by the situation...but in his eyes was another expression. Desire.
Not for Oses to touch him. I knew Betra’s sexual dislike of other men was a definite piece of his personality. However, being pushed to do this embarrassing act in front of Oses – for Oses – was serving another part of him.
I couldn’t quite fathom it. If it had been me being told to perform in a manner I found shameful, I would be out the door in an instant. I couldn’t do what Betra was doing, no way, no how, no sir.
But watching another person deal with the indignity? Betra putting himself under the control of a man he knew was bent on punishing him, who would subject him to even more humiliation? Well, I won’t deny I found that exciting. I could barely breathe as I waited to see what Oses would have Betra do next. Especially since I knew Oses had a cruel streak a mile wide.
Shalia's Diary Omnibus Page 91
