The Scientist's Price (Warriors Book 1) Read online

  The Scientist’s Price

  Warriors: Book I

  L. P. Peace

  © 2021 L.P. Peace

  All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” at the address below.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  [email protected]

  www.lucypeace.com

  Cover by Sam Muraski

  Editing by Ly Publishing

  Contents

  Blurb

  Glossary of Terms

  Foreword

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Epilogue

  Universal Menagerie

  Also by L. P. Peace

  Reading order

  About the Author

  He will cross the galaxy to find her.

  When Kadian agreed to help humans design an engine that could break the light barrier, he had no idea his heart would become the property of one human so completely. But she rejected him, even though he could see the fire in her eyes and feel the passion in her kisses. Then she left, on the same ship powered by the very engine they'd designed together.

  When Olivia's ship is attacked and the crew sold into slavery, Kadian will do anything, hurt anyone, stop at nothing to find her and when he does, he will allow nothing to separate them again.

  His price for this rescue?

  Everything!

  Glossary of Terms

  Standard IGC measurements

  Hacri - Hour

  Metri - Minutes

  Scira - Seconds

  Madith - Miles

  Fenth - Foot/feet

  Inith/iniths - Inch/inches

  Rote - Day

  Cycle – month

  Solar - Year

  Common Amaran insults

  Vrok - Fuck

  Vrokking - Fucking

  Durv - Shit

  Durev - Shithead

  Vashni - Idiot

  Keth - Scum

  Bolsen insults

  Grek - fuck

  Garog - Bastard

  Vatik - scum

  Gavoch - what you're saying makes sense and I hate it!

  for those of you already familiar with the series, this book starts just before the events at the IGC and finishes just after.

  For those of you who aren’t familiar with this world, you can start with The Captain’s Promise free from BookFunnel.

  Kadian awoke with Olivia’s name on his lips, his cock fully engorged and throbbing at the memory even as his ire and bitterness rose.

  The grip of sleep loosened its hold. Her face slipped from his mind, along with the moans and gasps that had electrified him during their encounter in the cupboard at Endurance's launch party two rotes ago.

  Looking at the clock by his side, he saw the hands barely reaching past three in the morning. He had hacri before he had to go to the lab.

  Shutting his eyes, he tried to ignore his arousal, but as his knot began to grow, he realised it was already too late. There was no getting away from it now. Once his knot was filling with cum, he had to milk it. It was a health hazard if he didn't; never mind it would make walking around the lab difficult and embarrassing.

  Wrapping his long fingers around his girth, Kadian rubbed his thumb over his glans. Precum dribbling out at the touch, he smeared it over him.

  The feelers on the underside of his cock writhed against his grip, more precum sliding down over his fingers. Kadian rubbed it over the sensitive ridges and feelers, hissing when his cock twitched. He felt his knot filling, getting bigger and bigger. He'd waited too long between that rote in the cupboard and relieving himself, and his knot felt tight and uncomfortable as it filled. He'd need to do this again a little later.

  It was something all Todaal men were taught when they were uncut. Todaal males only produced sperm in the action of self-pleasure or sex. But without being regularly filled and emptied, the knot slowly lost its elasticity. He was supposed to pleasure himself regularly, but his thoughts always turned to her, and thinking about her hurt.

  Unable to put off the inevitable now, Kadian grabbed the only picture he had of Olivia and stared at her as he stroked himself. He examined the lines of her face, losing himself in the sight of her. She was so vrokking beautiful. So small and delicate. So kind. Even when she stopped talking to him, she was never cruel.

  Just looking at the picture heightened everything. Kadian gritted his teeth, his eyes fixed on her, his hand moving over his knot to apply the pressure he needed to cum. He moved his hand faster until he was unable to resist the urge to pump his hips, vrokking his hand.

  He stared into her hazel eyes. 'Vrok! Olivia!'

  Cum jettisoned out of him, landing on his chest and abdomen. He kept stroking, his orgasm drawing taut and peaking as he sucked in air between his teeth. His knot slowly subsided until he was gasping for breath.

  'Ungh! Vrok! Vrok!'

  Shaking and breathless, Kadian felt the build-up of heat in his body. It would dissipate quickly—he was cold-blooded, after all—but for those few moments he could imagine she lay in his arms, warm, sweaty, gasping and murmuring sweet things. Not that they had ever been in that position. All Kadian had were fantasies.

  He closed his eyes, pressing her picture to his forehead.

  'Vrok!’ He let out a frustrated sigh. Despite his promise, he'd felt empty since that rote, since holding her.

  Kadian tried to ignore the hollow in his chest that had been carved out when she left. Dread dropped in his stomach when his eyes opened on the darkness of his empty bedroom.

  She was gone.

  For the first time since the rote humans called Tuesday, Kadian let himself feel it. Despite his words to her in that cupboard, Kadian knew if Olivia truly didn't want him, he would leave her alone.

  Something inside him, feral and animalistic, gnashed against Kadian's self-control. Thanesh had sent Kadian a ship a few cycles prior. Kadian’s contract on Earth, to build FTL capable engines, was coming to an end. Thanesh wanted to make sure Kadian could leave the system quickly without having to wait for Makios and Dairon, his agents and regular visitors to Earth, to arrive. The creature inside Kadian, the one that came out when he was on the battlefield, raged at him to get on that ship and hunt his female down.

  Kadian sighed. Perhaps it was time to move on. Perhaps he should let her go.

  A comm chime interrupted his train of thoughts. Kadian looked at the clock again; it was heading towards 4 a.m. Who could be calling at this time?

  'Voice,' he said, accepti
ng the call.

  'Err, Kadian?'

  'Connor,' he acknowledged. Connor was the director of the lab where Kadian worked, replacing Margaret Teller, who'd earned a promotion after the successful launch of Endurance, humanity’s first FTL capable ship.

  Kadian heard huskiness in his voice. But considering the time, Connor would assume he'd woken Kadian, not realising Kadian didn't really sleep anymore.

  'Erm, I don't know how to tell you this, buddy,' Connor said. 'It’s about Endurance. It’s about Olivia.’

  Suddenly aware, Kadian sat up in bed. ‘Tell me.’ His voice was clearer now.

  There was a delay as Connor took in a breath. It scratched against every nerve in Kadian’s body, leaving him feeling exposed and irritated.

  ‘The Tessans contacted the government. Endurance didn’t make the rendezvous with the Teyas,’ Connor said. ‘They’re looking into it, but they’re not sure what happened. They’re trying to track down the captain of the Halidan ship. I know this is bad news,’ Connor continued. ‘I know you have feelings for Olivia, but just hang tight. As soon as I have news, I’ll—’

  ‘Connor,’ Kadian interrupted him.

  ‘Yeah?’

  ‘I resign.’

  ‘Kadian… what?’

  ‘I resign,’ Kadian repeated. He stood, ignoring the piercing pain that struck down his leg. It was always worse when his muscles had gone unused for several hacri. Looking down at the single picture he owned of the woman he loved, Kadian put the pain out of his mind. Olivia was out there. Was she alone? Was she safe? Was she in danger? The thought spurred him on as he limped into the bathroom and turned the shower on. As a cold-blooded creature, he preferred the bath, but time mattered now. Olivia needed him. ‘I will be leaving as soon as I am ready. I need your clearance to go to FTL in system.’

  ‘Kadian, you can’t be serious.’

  ‘Connor, I am the equivalent of a special operative on my world,’ he said, his mind completely clear. He was already planning steps. Contacting the Tessans would be first. Finding out where they were, what news they might have that Thanesh would share with him but not Earth. He was from a Protectorate member world and therefore a formal ally of the Protectorate. More, he and Thanesh knew each other. As warriors, they respected each other.

  The two males had sparred. Despite Kadian’s injury, he’d held up well against Thanesh. Later Thanesh admitted digging into Kadian’s history—working with a military unit to prevent others from exploiting radiant technology with malintent.

  As he moved, Kadian made a mental list of others he could contact. Someone, somewhere, knew what happened to that ship and what happened to his Olivia. He would stop at nothing to get her back to him, safe. ‘I’m going. If you try to stop me, I’ll go through you.’

  And Tanir. That would be his first call. His old commanding officer. His friend. Tanir would help, however he could.

  He placed her picture on the mirror, tucking it into the mirror’s border. ‘I’m getting Olivia back,’ he said through gritted teeth.

  One Earth month later.

  Keral was across the room, watching the entrance to the bar. The target of their surveillance, the whorehouse the slaver Tolomus liked to use when he was on Caras, sat across the massive divide that ships used to enter and exit Caras space station, a criminal stronghold in Ledaan space. It was well known there was an Ualhan male there he liked to visit.

  Keral and Kadian had rendezvoused two rotes previously before entering the station. Tolomus used Caras as a base of operations. Since his incarceration and subsequent release by the Tessans a few rotes prior, his ship had been sitting outside the station while Tolomus was inside spending the extortionate number of credits his slaving business made him.

  Kadian gritted his teeth. He’d made some of those credits selling Olivia!

  Kadian looked out of the bar, out past the walkway and over the balcony, over the huge hole through which ships ascended and descended to the massive airlocks of the station. Across that expanse, prostitutes stood trying to entice customers into one of the seedy establishments across the way from them. His eyes moved over Aavani, Zavi, Ualhan and humans, who flashed their wares as ships moved up and down the gaping maw of the central space.

  As he watched, a horned, four-armed Ajnian grabbed a human around the throat, threw her against the wall, and rutted her there. Jeers and catcalls went up through the space and twisted Kadian’s stomach with hatred and disgust.

  The human’s face turned bright red, and a look of despair fell over her delicate human features.

  ‘Vrok! Vrok!’ Kadian heard Keral swearing over their open comm. ‘I’m gonna kill that vrokker!’ Keral hissed.

  Keral was sitting in a booth near the door. Even sitting in shadow, instinctually, everyone avoided him. Everyone knew the Protectorate and only a vashni would get in their way. Kadian saw the shadows move for a moment and heard the gnashing of Keral’s teeth. He sat there, enclosed in shadows so that Tolomus wouldn't see him. Protectorate, with their white skin and hair and long white horns, were easy to spot. Rotes before, Tolomus was released from Thanesh’s custody after picking him up on Vasa, and Keral didn’t want to risk the Fedhith slaver seeing him and ruining their operation.

  The Ajnian stilled and groaned loud enough to echo across the space. Done, he dropped the human in an undignified heap to the grilled flooring and threw a credit chit at her as he walked away. The female scrambled to stop it from falling through the gaps in the floor, then ran into the establishment she was slaved to.

  ‘He’s the dockmaster,’ Kadian said when he got a good look at the Ajnian. ‘Greeted my ship when I came in.’

  ‘Thanks for the information. I’ll cut the vrokker’s throat before I leave.’

  Kadian picked up a drink and held it close to his mouth. ‘If Tolomus doesn’t come,’ Kadian said into the comm on his wrist, ‘I’m going to contact his ship and apply for a position.’

  ‘That’s a good idea,’ Keral said. The shadows moved, and Kadian got the impression that Keral was watching him from across the bar. ‘Then I can come with you when you dock and we’ll beat it out of him there instead.’

  Both males were after blood. Kadian liked Keral. He was a blunt instrument and reminded him of Tanir, his unit's commanding officer and one of Kadian’s closest friends. The male who’d recruited him when he was fresh from the Vedium, the school where he learned to be a radiant engineer. Tanir was blunt, brutal, strong. He taught Kadian to be strong. Kadian couldn’t have been here, in this place right now, if not for Tanir and everything he’d taught him.

  ‘As soon as you have your information, I’ll forward the list to Thanesh. I just need to find this hu—female and my job here will be done.’

  ‘You think she’s still undiscovered?’

  Keral chuckled into the comm. ‘I know she is. Last night, I was talking to the Ledaan who bought her. He’s furious. Spent a solar working for Tolomus so he could set up business here. Now he’s out the solar and the female.’ Keral laughed. Kadian could see his shoulders moving from across the room before they abruptly stopped. ‘Vrokker deserves it. If I get the chance, I’m going to cut his throat too.’

  ‘We should cut all their vrokking—’

  ‘Got him,’ Keral said, the shadows retreating into his booth.

  Kadian looked out of the bar across the space. There, the metallic purple skin form of a Fedhith strolled past the prostitutes on the walkway. He wore a black pair of loose pants and a matching hood that covered his hair. A moment later, he was gone through the doors where the Ualhan worked.

  Kadian got up, noting Keral already exiting the bar. Keral turned left, so Kadian took a right. They walked around the grated metal walkway, covering both directions in case Tolomus left.

  When they came to the doors, Keral went in first, and Kadian followed.

  ‘Welcome to Rapture,’ the female Ledaan behind the counter said. ‘How can I help you?’

  ‘We’ve been invited to join To
lomus,’ Keral said, winking at the female.

  ‘Of course. That will be extra,’ the female said without pause.

  ‘Of course.’ Keral got out a credit chit and paid her, adding a generous tip, ‘for your trouble.’

  She walked ahead of them up the hall and pointed out the door, leaving before they’d reached it.

  Keral watched her go. His eyes turned to Kadian, the humour fleeing, his face becoming hard.

  He opened the door, and the two of them walked in.

  Tolomus was holding the Ualhan back-to-chest against him. The Fedhith had one hand wrapped around the Ualhan’s white-grey cock, the other on his pale face, turning it towards Tolomus as they kissed. They were so lost in their passion they hadn’t noticed the interruption.

  Kadian shut the door a little harder than needed.

  Tolomus looked up, surprise on his face, though the Ualhan was still too lost to the hand on his cock to notice.

  Keral grabbed the Ualhan’s arm and pulled him away from Tolomus, throwing him at Kadian, who caught him, checking him over once to make sure the slave was unharmed.

  ‘What the vrok is this?’ Tolomus snarled. He looked up at the Protectorate horns and sneered. ‘Still angry about the humans,’ he said, his voice mocking. ‘I was working—’