by Lily Thomas
Jacob pressed a button and a small hole appeared in the force field, allowing him to stick the baton through and zap the Vrak’rir until he fell to his knees.
The Vrak’rir’s face contorted in pain, and Jacob laughed. “Who’s ugly now?” he jeered.
Jade shifted uncomfortably. “All right, I think he gets the point,” she said.
Jacob continued the onslaught, and the Vrak’rir’s body started to jerk violently.
“Hey!” Jade barked, as she stormed over. “Stop it, before you kill him!” Although she wasn’t sure anything could actually kill a Vrak’rir. They were massively built and always seemed to come out on top compared to their enemies. These blue aliens with their blue tattoos were intimidating and awe-inspiring.
When Jacob didn’t stop, Jade gave him a forceful push away from the cell.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” He rounded on her pointing the baton at her.
“Making sure you don’t ruin your career.” She lied. She was making sure he didn’t kill a prisoner. Jade could care less if he lost his job. He probably deserved to lose his job, but not at the expense of a prisoner’s life.
Glancing down at the massive blue-skinned Vrak’rir she watched as he twitched on the ground while the volts continued to race through his system.
Jacob let out a grunt and passed Jade the baton. “Make sure you keep an eye on them. I get the feeling they’ll start something once they sober up.”
“I’ll keep an eye on them,” Jade promised, but she wasn’t too concerned. The Vrak’rir were locked away behind a force field. There was only so much they could do against a wall of energy that would zap them silly.
“You can’t be a proper guard if you can’t handle a little violence,” Jacob called out, as he left the brig.
She glared at the closed door. She wished he’d go to hell already. Jacob pushed her buttons more than anyone else on the prisoner ship, and that was saying a lot since the captain was always a pain in her butt.
The Vrak’rir uncoiled from where he lay on the ground and rose to his full height. She was amazed by how quickly he’d recovered from such a long shock of the baton. Like she’d said before, she’d be surprised if anything or anyone could actually kill a Vrak’rir. They could take hit after hit and still be fine.
Jade spun on her heel and went to stand by the console. She felt the Vrak’rir’s onyx eyes digging into her, but she didn’t glance up. She hoped his interest would fade with a little time, and he would stop staring at her so intently.
Her fingers trembled over the console screen. She was having a hard time concentrating with his eyes boring holes into her.
When a few minutes passed, and she could still feel his onyx eyes drilling into her, Jade risked a glance up. Her breath caught in her throat. If eyes could cast heated looks, then that was precisely what the Vrak’rir was doing. Her? Why was he giving her heated looks?
She was dressed in an olive-green uniform that did nothing for her complexion. Not to mention, she hadn’t even bothered with any makeup this morning. There had to be enormous bags under her eyes, and her hair had barely seen a good brushing. On a ship where her colleagues loved to sexually harass her, she didn’t put a lot of time and effort into making herself look good.
Her palms started to sweat as she attempted to turn her attention back to the console in front of her. His gaze unnerved her. What could he possibly be thinking about?
Jade was tempted to call up to the bridge and have someone switch out with her, but then her shipmates would have yet another reason to think of her as nothing more than a weak woman. And she didn’t want that to happen.
If she ever wanted a promotion, she had to handle her own issues and realize that prisoners were going to try to unnerve her. The prisoners were also going to think she was nothing but a weak woman. She had to prove everyone otherwise.
This was the time to be strong and show no weakness. Vrak’rir respected the strong.
She gulped as a trickle of sweat dripped down her spine. Why then, was she having such a hard time keeping it together today?
Chapter 2
Kruhn kept staring at the human woman on the other side of the blue force field. He had no idea where his interest had sprung from, but the moment she entered the brig he hadn’t been able to control himself.
The human woman did her best to ignore him, despite his intense staring, and he found it incredibly frustrating since all he wanted was her attention.
Focusing in on the blue force field in front of his face he decided on a course of action.
Taking a deep breath, he placed both of his hands on the field. Electricity sizzled through his body the moment he touched the field, but he kept his hands pressed against it as he gritted his teeth.
“What are you doing?” Veux asked from where he sat.
“Being an idiot,” Drelz commented in a bored tone.
“You’re going to hurt yourself.” Veux continued.
“He is hurting himself.”
Kruhn glanced over at his two buddies and then refocused his attention back on the blue force field. It hurt like hell, but he’d attracted the attention of the female guard.
The woman rushed over. “What are you doing? Are you crazy? Stop this immediately! We won’t let you out, so you’re hurting yourself for no reason!” She cried out in dismay. Her sapphire eyes scanned over him, and he saw the distress written plainly on her sweet face. She was like an open book.
She might play at being a prison guard, but she was too sweet for this job. Being a prison guard meant having a hardened heart, but she showed open concern for his well-being.
She showed him the baton. “I’ll have to shock you if you don’t stop. I don’t want to do this, but I will.”
Would she? He wanted to find out how far she’d go to get him to stop. Was she truly as sweet as she appeared on the outside?
She hit a button on the side of the cell entrance, creating a small opening in the force field.
“I will do it.” She warned him one last time. “It’s the rule to shock prisoners who don’t stay away from the field.”
Kruhn continued to press his hands against the field. How far was she willing to go?
Apparently, she had more strength than he’d given her credit for, because in the next moment she suddenly stuck the baton through the field and delivered an even more powerful shock than the male guard had given him. Kruhn slowly collapsed to his knees. Once he dropped to the floor fully, she ceased shocking him.
“I’m sorry, but I warned you.” Her sapphire eyes flashed, as she watched him twitch on the floor.
He was impressed she’d actually shocked him, even as his muscles twitched convulsively. He kept his onyx eyes on her as she stood above him from the other side of the force field. She turned on her heel and walked back to her position at the brig console.
Weirdly enough, he was proud of her. Maybe it was the alcohol still swimming through his blood, but she made his cock rock hard. She was a sweet woman, but she strong as well. She never flinched as she delivered the shock to his system.
“I thought I was the stupid one,” Veux stated in a bored tone from where he was still sitting in the cell.
“It must be a disease among our people,” Drelz commented.
“I’m not stupid,” Kruhn grunted the moment he had control of his muscles again. Those damn batons hurt like hell.
“Then what were you doing?”
Kruhn shrugged as he sat up and leaned against the wall next to Drelz. He carefully placed his arms, still shaky from the electricity, over his folded knees. “I have no idea.”
Veux and Drelz shook their heads in unison.
It had to be the alcohol floating in his blood that was spurring him on. “I think I’ve just had too much Andora whiskey.”
“You’re telling me.” Drelz snorted. “I understand liking it rough, but getting shocked until you’re twitching on the ground? I don’t know about that. Seems a little
weird to me.”
Kruhn snorted. “It wasn’t a sexual fantasy. I just wanted to get her attention.”
“You got it, but I’m not sure it was such a success. There are better ways to win a woman over…More pleasing ways.” Veux wiggled his eyebrows.
Kruhn ignored Veux and found his eyes being drawn back to the little human. Kruhn felt the need to get to know her better. She piqued his interest. He wanted to let down that shining mass of hair that was trapped in a tight ponytail.
He stifled a groan as his cock shot to attention again. He had to get his mind off the human woman. She was an unforeseen distraction that he couldn’t afford.
The Vrak’rir finally appeared to have calmed down, to Jade’s absolute relief. She was thankful he wasn’t causing any more of a ruckus. She hadn’t liked shocking him, but he hadn’t listened to her and gave her no choice.
At least she’d now be able to finish her time in the brig with some peace and quiet. The Vrak’rir wasn’t even casting her heated looks anymore. Perhaps the shock had done more than quiet him down.
Maybe it really was time to change careers. The prisoners weren’t even giving her any respect, and they should fear her. She was taking them to a prison planet where some of them might very well stay for the rest of their lives.
Typing on the console, she researched what the Vrak’rir had done back on Rionia. Words scrolled across the console, and she found herself raising an eyebrow. Of course, the three Vrak’rir had been taken in because of a fight. When were Vrak’rir not fighting with someone or something?
They had a bad reputation for being brawlers. They were the blue-skinned demons of the universe. Their black tattoos signaled their position and their triumphs, and every fight was a chance for a new tattoo.
But she had to admit her stubborn Vrak’rir was attractive in a muscled, blue-skinned kind of a way. Those heated looks he had cast her way made her heart thunder in her chest and heated the area between her thighs.
This definitely wasn’t the right career for her if she was having lusty thoughts about one of the prisoners. Where was her professionalism?
“How have they been treating you?” Jacob strolled into the brig, his shoulders back like he was the hottest stuff in the universe.
“Nothing I couldn’t handle,” Jade informed him. “Ready to take over again?”
“Yeah, thanks for covering for me.” Jacob sent her a wink.
She chose to ignore him and began to leave the brig when Jacob’s voice called her back.
“The captain wants a word with you, by the way.” Jacob’s eyes slid over to where the Vrak’rir were sitting in their cell.
Had the captain been watching the brig cameras and seen what happened? Had he seen her hesitate before giving the Vrak’rir a shock with the baton? Was she about to lose her job?
Inwardly, she groaned.
Jade’s eyes slid over to where the attractive Vrak’rir watched her with his dark onyx eyes. He watched them intently and listened in to their conversation.
She hoped he realized he might have just cost her the career she’d been striving towards for the last couple years. This was probably another opportunity for a promotion zooming right past her.
“See you later then.” Jade made her way out of the brig with her spine stiff as a rod. She could feel the attractive Vrak’rir watching her with those dark onyx eyes.
Once she was in the hallway and the door had closed, she let her spine relax. She didn’t want to go and see the captain. Jade knew he wasn’t going to have any kind words for her, he never did.
Within minutes she strode onto the bridge only to find Captain Drew not in his treasured captain’s chair. His butt and that chair were like one piece, always connected.
“Where is the captain?” She asked the nearest person on the bridge.
The man turned to look at her, his mustache twitching a little with his every word. “In his study.”
“Thanks.” Jade made her way to the other side of the bridge where there was another door; this one led to the captain’s study.
Her finger pressed a button near the door.
“Come in.” Captain Drew’s voice came out of the small speaker near the button.
Jade walked in bracing herself for whatever Captain Drew would throw her way.
“You asked for me.” She stood in front of his desk stiffly.
“I saw how you handled that Vrak’rir.” He leaned back and interlaced his hands above his belly.
Of course, he had. Peeping tom. Ok, maybe that was a bit harsh, but he was always watching and waiting for her to do things her way instead of his way. And if wasn’t done his way it meant she’d screwed up.
“Did I do something wrong, sir?” Her eye contact never wavered.
Captain Drew snorted. “Something wrong?’ He gave a small huff. “You handled the situation in the brig all wrong!”
“How so, sir?” As far as she was aware she’d handled it within the prison guard guidelines.
“You were far too lenient with that Vrak’rir.” He shook his head slowly like he had to teach a child.
“According to regulations, I gave him a warning to stop his inappropriate conduct or I would have to shock him. When he persisted, I shocked him until he hit the ground.” Jade was getting tired of defending her actions. She’d done everything by the book. “That doesn’t seem too lenient to me.”
“You tickled the man. He’s a Vrak’rir, if you want to show him who’s boss you have to give him a real shock. He probably sees you as weak now.”
“I don’t need to be the boss of others.” Jade murmured under her breath. She couldn’t help but bristle when he was accusing her of doing her job wrong when she knew she’d been doing it all to the letter.
“What did you say?”
“Sorry, I didn’t realize I needed to show I was the boss.”
“Of course. You’re a woman, and you don’t realize the importance of showing your dominance, or maybe the Vrak’rir scared you a bit.” He leaned forward in his chair, as he raised an eyebrow.
Jade gritted her teeth, as she seethed in anger. She might be a woman, but the Vrak’rir didn’t scare her. She wasn’t one to back down and hide in a corner.
“I gave him a warning and the zap I did give him got him to stop.” She refused to admit defeat.
“I disagree.” Captain Drew shook his head. “Women are too soft for this job. Maybe it’s time you realize that and found a different position.” Before she could utter another word to defend her actions, Captain Drew spoke once more. “Dismissed!”
Jade willed her feet to move, but she stayed rooted to the ground.
“This is where you leave my study.” Captain Drew growled in irritation.
“No, sir. You aren’t listening to me and are picking on me unfairly because of my gender.” There it was out. It felt slightly liberating to speak her mind for the first time since joining this crew.
Captain Drew’s eyes widened, and then his face turned beet red. “Dismissed!” He hollered at her, spittle flying from his lips.
“Respectively, no sir! We still need to finish discussing this matter!” Her sapphire eyes met his cold ones, and she made sure they never wavered in their intensity. She’d had enough of being bossed around by the men in her profession. It was about time she spoke her mind and made herself heard, even if they refused to listen.
Captain Drew hit a button on his desk. “Get in here immediately.”
The study door slid open, and a couple of security guards loped in.
“Take her out of my study and lock her in her cabin. She isn’t to go anywhere on this ship!” Captain Drew launched himself out of his seat, came around his table, and pointed a finger in her face. “Disobey me again, and your career will be ended. I can promise you that much.”
Jade gritted her teeth and said nothing.
The two security guards latched onto her arms, but she shook them off. Casting each of them a glare, she barked at them. “I ca
n find my way back to my quarters.”
She marched out of his study with her back straight. The two security guards stayed with her but let her walk ahead with some semblance of dignity.
Jade wanted nothing more than to scream in frustration.
She walked into her cabin, the door hissed closed behind her, and she heard it lock into place. Now she had nothing but time on her hands and nothing to do but sit and wait.
She was going to blame the Vrak’rir for all of this mess. The men she worked with may have been intolerable, but at least she hadn’t felt the need to stick up to the captain before now. It was definitely the Vrak’rir’s fault. There was only one other person to blame, and she wasn’t about to point the finger at herself when it was easier to blame a prisoner for her rash words.
Huffing she sat down on a couch and stared out her cabin window. The stars flew by in a rush, just like the thoughts inside her head.
Her eyes drifted over to her computer console.
There was one thing she could do while she was locked away in her cabin, at least. She would start working on a letter of transfer. This ship and crew were not a good fit for her. No matter how much she fought it, the captain would never see her move up the ranks.
Chapter 3
Kruhn was getting tired of sitting in the brig now that the alcohol had finally worn its way out of his system.
“How are you both feeling?” Kruhn looked over at where his men were standing in the tiny cell.
Veux and Drelz each gave him a nod.
“We’re doing well,” Veux confirmed, as he picked at his black claws.
“I think we fooled all of them.” Drelz sounded smug.
“Good. It’s time we take the ship right out from under the humans’ noses.” They just thought they’d picked up three rowdy Vrak’rir on a pleasure planet, but they had taken on three ship hijackers. They’d been hired to acquire a prisoner transport ship, and now that they were in place, they were about to surprise the crew.
