The Thief's Dark (Renegades Book 3)

by L P Peace

  Turning, Zoe saw Edan staring at her.

  ‘Are you happy to watch?’

  Zoe looked from Edan to Daris. For a moment, she seriously considered going back to their room, but the comment about only some of the males here being honourable entered her mind. She thought about returning to the ship, but the fear that Tolomus might see it when he got here and decide to check it stopped her. Finally, she nodded wordlessly.

  Daris stroked her cheek with his knuckles, then turned to Edan. ‘You were rude and dismissive of my mate on the com call. Treat her with respect now, or we’ll leave and you can explain to your customers why this fight isn’t happening.’

  Edan smirked. ‘Get ready. We’ll watch the fight from the balcony in my suite. I will take the utmost care of her. Karijan!’

  A huge alien appeared from a door near Edan’s desk. He had black and grey skin, striated like a tabby cat. Black eyes from pupil to sclera turned to her, then widened with surprise. He had long pointed ears on the side of his head and jet black hair that fell in waves around his shoulders.

  ‘Edan?’ the male said.

  ‘This is Daris’ mate.’ Edan looked at her.

  ‘Err, Zoe,’ she supplied.

  ‘Would you bring some cold drinks and extend the shade on the balcony? I believe human skin is quite delicate and prone to burning.’

  ‘Err, thank you.’ Zoe looked at Daris and cocked an eyebrow. He smirked and kissed her.

  ‘I will see you shortly, ahdali,’ he whispered just for her, then disappeared into the modern-looking door set in the ancient stone.

  Zoe and Edan stared at each other for a minute before he turned and walked away. Taking that as an invitation, Zoe followed him through the door.

  They came into a room that was as equally big as the office outside. The stone floor was as polished, but there were more rugs. There was a seating area in the centre. Near the doors, through which Edan vanished, was a dining area and at the other end of the room was a library with several chairs and tables. Books were piled atop them. Next to the seating area was a large cabinet with a variety of bottles, carafes and decanters. The black alien was there, pouring a drink. He looked at her and nodded at the doors, gesturing her to follow Edan.

  She turned and walked over, stepping out into the bright, hot Vasa sun.

  He led her out into the balcony overlooking the pit.

  After leaving military school, Zoe had taken a trip to Rome rather than spend time with any family. She’d walked around the Colosseum, and as she stepped out into Alidai pit, she’d expected the same thing. It was very similar, with the high walls, the stands overlooking the pit. This was round rather than oval; the pit was whole, rather than a ruin. She remembered standing in the Colosseum when they activated the holograms to show how it had looked during the height of the Roman empire. This was bigger, much bigger.

  ‘Can you fill this with water?’

  ‘Why would I fill it with water?’ Edan frowned at her.

  ‘On Earth, we had something similar, two thousand years ago. They could fill it with water and re-enact sea battles.’

  ‘Hmm, there’s a thought,’ Edan said, looking around.

  As Zoe sat down, she realised two aliens were fighting in the pit. One was roaring as he threw fist after fist at the other alien. The one undergoing the assault had dark red, almost maroon skin. Large bone plates covered its body, and bone spikes protruded from its arms, shoulder and back.

  Zoe couldn’t help noticing that the maroon alien had no sex organs. She gasped.

  Edan laughed. ‘They’re on the inside.’

  Without thinking, Zoe looked at the other fighter’s cock. It was hard, jutting away from him. She turned her face away, mortified.

  ‘Does he often, er…’ She found that she didn’t want the answer.

  Edan laughed. ‘Every time.’

  The maroon alien fell to the ground under the relentless assault. Cheers and jeers rose in equal measure from the crowd as one alien turned the others face into a bloody puddle.

  In the stands, the crowds roared with approval.

  ‘That’s barbaric,’ Zoe gasped. ‘Why would people want to watch that?’

  ‘Sometimes it’s good to see other people in pain,’ Edan said. He seemed to say it to himself.

  Zoe looked at the older, scarred Aavani. His eyes were unfocused; he was somewhere else.

  ‘I’ve only ever seen humans used as pets or sex slaves. I’ve never thought anything about your kind before.’

  ‘On Earth, we always considered all aliens to be threats. It was a surprise to find out that other races were enslaved.’

  ‘Why?’

  Zoe shrugged. ‘I don’t know. No alien has ever extended a hand in friendship to us. Every alien we ever saw was on a ship with heavy artillery, or a slave ship tractoring people in, never to be seen again.’ Zoe kept news about Endurance to herself. Daris may trust this alien, but she didn’t know him and she was still hoping that their mission could be saved.

  ‘I see,’ Edan said. He looked at her. ‘So, it seems we’ve both been dismissive of the other.’

  ‘I don’t know much about Aavani—’

  ‘Micillian,’ Edan interrupted.

  ‘I’m sorry?’

  ‘My people called ourselves Micillian before the Bentari came and renamed us. We called ourselves the children of Mother Micilla. The lands were Micilla. Of course, we had no idea about planets and space.’

  ‘Is that where you were born?’

  Edan shook his head. ‘I was born on a planet we called Indicial. Though the Seteans call it Valthalion.’

  ‘Seteans?’

  ‘A powerful but neutral race. They didn’t stop us from claiming the planet, but when the Davoshin came,’ he pointed at the maroon alien lying on the ground, ‘they did nothing to stop them from slaughtering and enslaving us.’

  ‘I’m so sorry,’ Zoe gasped.

  The crowd roared as the winner turned, his arms raised in the air in a gesture of victory. The Davoshin was picked up, and they left the grounds.

  Daris walked out onto the pit with the Sehn who had picked them up.

  ‘Is he poisonous?’ she asked, thinking of the fangs.

  ‘Very.’

  Zoe’s heart hammered in her chest. ‘Will he use his poison in this fight?’ Her voice was small.

  ‘No. We don’t fight to the death here.’

  ‘Very?’ Daris and Varid were circling each other.

  ‘The Sehn homeworld is almost wild. Most creatures there are poisonous, and the ones that aren’t are dangerous in other ways. But the Sehn aren’t just poisonous. The males of their species also develop antidotes for poisons, venoms and toxins. When they bond to a female, they bite them while vrokking, I believe the process is pleasurable. In doing so, they begin to develop antidotes specifically for their mate.’

  ‘That’s kind of sweet,’ Zoe said. Beside her, Edan laughed.

  ‘Sweet?’

  ‘Yeah,’ Zoe said, refusing to be embarrassed. ‘Like, his body adapts for her. Because she’s his. Its—’ Daris and Varid clashed with such violence Zoe jumped and almost cried out.

  Zoe had attended several of Sophia’s bouts through the last few years. While Sophia was thin, she was packed with dense, lean muscles from yoga and Pilates. She worked hard to maintain her physique and often complained about how skinny she was. It was a sore point for her. During those bouts, Zoe had seen blood and violence, but never had she seen two people slugging at each other the way these males did.

  It wasn’t just fists either. Both males had claws and they weren’t afraid to use them.

  The Sehn pushed forward and tried to use the heel of his hand to hit Daris’s nose. Zoe gasped. That move, for a human, could be deadly! Daris avoided the attack and skipped back two steps, before suddenly jumping forward. He landed on the Sehn’s chest and took him down to the ground. The two males wrestled, rolling in the sand.

  ‘I thought it was over for a second,�
�� she said as they both jumped up and walked around each other. They seemed to be assessing, contemplating.

  Edan laughed. ‘A good pit fighter knows to draw the fight out. Make the crowd wait. Lure them in.’ He looked at her. ‘Daris and Varid are both excellent pit fighters.’

  Zoe watched as the two males clashed and separated over and over. A tension fell over the crowd as they watched them circle one another. When they came together, the crowd would rise to their feet, screaming and shouting for their favourite fighter.

  The crowd were screaming as the two of them hugged in a grapple, pulling each other around. There was a jerk, Zoe wasn’t sure if it was Daris or Varid who’d done it, but they were on the ground and rolling. They split. Daris was the first to find his feet and jumped at the Sehn, quickly taking him to the ground. With three quick punches, the Sehn surrendered.

  ‘Still has it,’ Edan chuckled beside her. ‘I thought perhaps his time away from the pit or finding a mate may have made him soft, but he’s still a killer.’

  Edan’s words settled over the victorious feeling that surged through Zoe when she saw her mate take down this male.

  ‘But he’s still a killer.’

  Daris stood and looked for her. When his eyes landed on hers, there was new heat there. Zoe bit her lip.

  ‘But he’s still a killer.’

  Edan insisted that Daris and Zoe remain with him for the rest of the fight. Around them, the crowds were going insane. It was terrifying just how much the crowds seemed to enjoy watching the males wail on each other.

  Daris returned to the office and took a seat next to Zoe. He placed one hand on her thigh, rubbing, squeezing and massaging it until every nerve in her body was on fire. When he raked his nails across her skin, pulling the dress up her thigh slightly, she felt like she could cum just from that action.

  When the crowds were leaving, Edan insisted they stay and join him and the other fighters down on the pit floor for a meal. Zoe could feel the tension coming off Daris. She could feel throbbing between her legs in anticipation of him, but Daris agreed and with Edan, led her down to the teal sand of the pit.

  By the time they got down there, the last of the crowds had left. There were tables and chairs on the pit floor and the fighters were gathered around, talking while several females that resembled the alien who had beaten the Davoshin set food on the table.

  Zoe was relieved to see they were all wearing clothes.

  ‘Daris, is there a place for me to buy clothes on this planet?’ she whispered, not wanting to sound stupid.

  ‘You want clothes, ahdali? Then we will go out tomorrow and buy you all the clothes you want.’ He kissed her cheek as they walked.

  Karijan walked over to them and handed Zoe a drink. In the time she’d been up in Edan’s office, he’d brought her drinks every few minutes like he was afraid she’d shrivel up from dehydration in the time it took him to get the next one. She’d rejected several of them, but this one she accepted gratefully.

  ‘How are you, Karijan?’

  ‘I am well, Daris.’

  ‘Anything from the queen?’

  Zoe looked at Karijan. Queen?

  The male growled. ‘She came, eventually. By then, I had already bought my freedom and told her where she could go vrok herself.’

  ‘I don’t think that’s how that saying works?’ Daris smirked.

  ‘It is when I say it,’ he growled. He turned his black eyes on Zoe and bowed. ‘Zoe,’ he said, before turning and walking away.

  Zoe looked up at Daris, deeply confused.

  ‘He’s Dauvin. They are deeply respectful of women.’ Daris tilted his head, a thoughtful look on his face. ‘Most of the time, anyway.’

  ‘”Where she could go vrok herself”.’

  Daris chuckled. ‘To be fair, if you knew the story, she deserved it.’

  Daris led Zoe to the table as the males around them began to sit. He loaded two plates with food and placed one in front of her. Zoe smiled up at him, touched by the thoughtful way he treated her while being a little annoyed he’d chosen her food for her. Looking down at the plate though, she realised he’d loaded it with small bits of everything, giving her a tasting plate so she could see what she liked. She bit her lip at his thoughtfulness only to feel his finger free it.

  Karijan sat down across from them, a small smile on his face.

  As she looked around the table, she was struck by the lack of females. ‘Do you have female fighters?’ she asked.

  When everyone had stopped eating and were staring at her in horror, she wished she’d held the question back for when she was alone with her mate.

  ‘Female fighters?’ It was the alien who had beaten the Davoshin, the one who was sitting next to him, his face heavily bruised.

  ‘He’s Raqhan,’ Daris whispered beside her.

  Zoe resisted the impulse to repeat the word and fix it in her mind. She didn’t think she needed to do it anyway; the alien had already made an impression with the ferocity of his attacks.

  ‘We have them on Earth. My best friend is the champion of our fleet.’

  ‘But you are so small, and soft,’ Karijan said. ‘Females should not fight. You are too delicate and precious.’

  Zoe gritted her teeth. She was insulted and flattered at the same time.

  ‘I get we couldn’t fight you guys.’ She looked around at the males, all of whom were at least six-and-a-half-feet tall, many taller, with the Raqhan topping them at around seven-and-a-half-feet. ‘But we’re not as delicate as you think.’

  ‘I could break you like a twig,’ the Raqhan said. ‘Not that I would ever harm a female.’

  ‘Well, that’s very sweet of you,’ Zoe said. The male frowned at her and grimaced as the others laughed.

  Daris looked down at her, a smirk on his face, a brow cocked. He looked proud of her. Zoe felt her face flush and bit her lip, quickly releasing it when Daris moved to pull it out. A disappointed look crossed his face. She rolled her eyes and bit her lip once more, almost laughing when he smiled and pulled her lip free.

  ‘May I ask a question, Karijan?’

  The Dauvin nodded.

  ‘You said you’d earned your freedom. What did you mean?’

  ‘Edan, buys us. But unlike other pit owners, he allows us to earn a portion of the money we bring in. When we’ve earned the price he paid for us, he releases us. Some of us leave immediately. Others choose to stay on and earn more money to start our new lives.’

  ‘And that’s what you chose?’

  The Dauvin shook his head. ‘I chose to stay because this is my home now. I am Edan’s second. I help run the pit; I help buy the slaves and train them. I show them how to earn more money so that they can earn their freedom quicker. The sooner they do, the sooner we can buy new slaves to earn their freedom.’

  Zoe looked down the line of faces.

  ‘Were all of you slaves?’ she asked.

  ‘No,’ the Raqhan answered. ‘But I believe slavery is wrong. Unfortunately, I am a minority in my home world.’

  Zoe huffed out a barked laugh.

  ‘What?’ the Dauvin asked.

  ‘It’s just… everything out here is so much more complicated than my people think it is,’ she said.

  ‘Isn’t it always?’ Edan said, his eyes burning into her from the other side of the table.

  The drink was a wine made from a local berry. It was very alcoholic, and Zoe could only sip at it lightly. The food was delicious and very alien. She couldn’t think of Earth foods that could compare except for a sticky rice like food that was red instead of white. It was delicious.

  The pit fighters were crude and funny. It reminded her of being back at the academy when the instructors weren’t around, and she joined in as much as she could. However, it was difficult with there being no cultural references in common.

  When the meal was done and everyone had drifted into groups, talking to each other, Daris leaned into her.

  ‘I want to lick your cunt until
you cum into my mouth.’

  Zoe forced the moan away as Daris excused them and led her back into the building. They were barely out of sight when he pushed her against the wall and kissed her, his hand slipping inside her dress. He brushed his finger over her several times then brought his hand up so that they could both see it.

  ‘So very wet for me, ahdali,’ he said, sucking his fingers into his mouth.

  He picked her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist and he walked up to the suite, occasionally stopping to kiss her, taste her pussy again. At one point, he put her down, leaned her against the wall, and spent several minutes teasing her to the edge of orgasm with his tongue, but not allowing her over. By the time they reached their suite, Zoe was a desperate mess.

  Once in the bedroom, he undressed her. He lifted her, placing her kneeling on the edge of the bed facing the wall before he surged inside her. His tendrils found her nerves almost immediately while his tail found her clit, brushing it with a light, gentle touch as he fucked her. Both hands found her nipples and plucked and strummed them until she was choking with need, at which point he slowed his pace, bringing her back from the edge.

  ‘Daris, please.’

  ‘Not yet, ahdali.’ He massaged her breasts and rolled her nipples.

  Teeth grazed her neck as he pumped in and out of her in a slow, lazy rhythm. By now every part of her pussy was throbbing for release, but Daris strung it out for several more minutes until she was begging him to let her cum. When she reached down to find her own release, he caught both her hands in his and held them behind her back.

  ‘Oh no, ahdali. Remember, I control your orgasms. They’re mine to give you—mine alone. Just as you are.’ He surged into her then, faster, harder, his tail applying more pressure as his hand enclosed her throat.

  Her whole body seemed to detonate. Her muscles tensed until she was unable to move, unable to breathe. She surrendered to the feeling as Daris groaned in her ear. He fucked her harder, feeling everything as his cum pulsed up his cock, then felt it inside her, hot, searing, claiming every part of her. His fingers flexed around her throat. She knew it as a command—she was to breathe—but she couldn’t. Her lungs refused to work as the orgasm finally hit its peak and slowly began to ebb away.