The Smuggler's Radiant (Renegades Book 2) Read online

  Thanesh nodded.

  ‘You will have every resource at your disposal,’ Thanesh promised.

  ‘Payment?’

  ‘Above the market value for your work,’ Thanesh assured him, ‘which I include to ensure your silence. You will also be provided with anything else you need.’

  Sidha nodded. ‘Sounds like a good deal,’ he smiled.

  ‘That is what my mate calls “the carrot,” so now here is the stick.’ Thanesh leaned closer to the screen. ‘If you betray us, if you become unreasonable, I will end you.’

  Sidha gulped and nodded. ‘I’ve never been one to break a deal,’ he assured Thanesh.

  Thanesh nodded.

  ‘Makios!’ Alethia was in the doorway. She stared at him for a moment before she ran across the room. There was relief on her face and tears in her eyes. ‘When did you get free?’

  ‘A few hacri ago.’ He smiled at her. ‘We’re on a little side mission to retrieve a human, then we’re continuing on with the original mission.’

  ‘I’m so relieved you’re safe.’ She brushed at her eyes and smiled. ‘You come home as soon as possible. I want a big hug. I’m going to cook you Farrin.’

  Makios quickly turned the grimace to a smile. ‘How about if I cook the Farrin?’

  Alethia pursed her lips. ‘Deal, as long as there’s Farrin.’ She grinned. ‘Wait ‘til you get back. We’ve set up a prefab site where the capital’s going, and there are surveyors and architects everywhere.’

  Makios grinned, cheered up by Alethia’s happiness. After solars of living in secrecy, they were exposed, yet never safer.

  Tears entered her eyes again, she rubbed them away. Thanesh put a hand on her back, his face watching her with love and concern. There was no trace of the threat that had been there a few moments before.

  ‘I was really worried about you, Makios.’ Alethia’s voice was shaky.

  ‘Now you know what it felt like, little human.’ He smiled.

  She nodded. ‘Ya big dumb Kathen.’ This was a new nickname Alethia had taken to calling him anytime he referred to being afraid for her.

  ‘Ya little dumb human,’ he replied.

  ‘We should let Makios get on. He has a human female to rescue.’

  ‘A human female…’ Alethia’s eyes went wide. Though there was concern there for the female, there was also speculation.

  ‘Dairon?’ Makios looked at Thanesh.

  ‘I will have him contact you.’ Thanesh was smiling at Alethia’s reaction. He turned to Sidha and the smile faded. ‘Consider this job your interview, Sindaal.’

  Thanesh looked at Makios pointedly, and Makios nodded his understanding.

  Alethia looked between the two, confused, then back at Makios. ‘You know Thanesh is going to tell me everything,’ she said. It wasn’t a question.

  ‘See you soon, human.’ Makios grinned.

  Thanesh was laughing at Alethia’s open-mouth scowl as the screen went dark.

  Makios sucked in a deep breath. He felt lighter. More hopeful.

  ‘That was the most beautiful female I’ve ever seen,’ Sidha said.

  Makios and Sidha looked at each other.

  ‘I’ve never really been into females, but for her—’

  ‘That female is my oldest friend. The male is her mate. You will show them the utmost respect, or I’ll show you the airlock.’

  Sidha’s eyes widened and he nodded. It was an empty threat, but Sidha wasn’t to know that.

  ‘Tell me what you can do.’

  Sidha grinned. There was no sign of worry on his face now. ‘I grew up on the Sindaal homeworld,’ he started. ‘In a village called Abhin.’

  ‘Thrilling,’ Makios said dryly. ‘Not your life story, just what you can do.’

  ‘It’s relevant,’ the Sindaal protested, holding out his hands to calm Makios. ‘Abhin is a tiny, out-of-the-way place up in the mountains. We don’t even get half the facilities the nearest towns do.’

  Makios let out a tortured sigh.

  ‘I worked in a small office there. It’s where I learned to hack,’ Sidha continued, ignoring the frustration slowly rising on Makios’s face. ‘I didn’t even have access to the office’s only terminal. I’m a natural.’ He grinned at Makios.

  ‘Anyway, the Temerin ship landed outside the village, and I saw my chance to get out. I paid them for the transport, then took down the entire Sindaal planetary security system from that terminal.’

  Makios reviewed what he had just heard. Sidha had said it in such a casual way, it wasn’t until the last sentence that he realised what was being said. ‘You took out a planet’s entire system from a small terminal in a mountain village?’

  Sidha nodded grinning. ‘The connection for the terminal was terrible,’ Sidha said. ‘I had to set up so many bugs in so many systems for cycles beforehand.’

  ‘So you were just waiting for a ship?’

  Sidha nodded.

  ‘What else can you do? What can you contribute to the running of my ship?’

  This could work.

  ‘The Temerin taught me to pilot. Kentor, my sweet Kentor, doubled as the engineer and the muscle. He taught me engineering.’ Sidha smiled. ‘Ah, Kentor.’ He closed his eyes, savouring some memory.

  Makios let him have a moment, reminded of the kiss he had shared with Rhona. The feel of her lips pressed to his. Her legs wrapped around him; his cock pressed against her.

  The next time he spoke, his voice was shaky. ‘I’ll send you down to engineering first.’ Makios cleared his throat. ‘Kenian can tell me what he thinks of your skills. Then up here to pilot with Vanoor.’

  ‘Sounds good.’

  ‘I’ll add you to the cleaning and cooking roster. I want to see everything you can bring to this ship while you’re here.’

  ‘Sounds good. You won’t regret hiring me,’ Sidha said.

  ‘You been shown your quarters?’

  Sidha shook his head.

  ‘Get off to the engine room,’ Makios said. ‘I’ll have Kenian show you your room after.’

  The Sindaal left, leaving Makios alone on the bridge.

  He brought the tracking system back up on the viewscreen. Stars streaked by, but a corner of the screen was taken by the blip being chased by their ship. They were catching up.

  Speaking to Thanesh and Alethia, then interviewing Sidha, talking about the roster, it had all worked to calm the rage. But as he sat there, watching one blip chase another, the thoughts of what the Amaran might be doing to his female haunted him. The rage rose. It wouldn’t clear until he was smashing the Amaran’s face into a pasty pulp.

  ‘Get your hands off me,’ Rhona said, stepping out of Dalus’s hand for the fourth time.

  After several more injections, Dalus and Coll brought her back to the lift, and they made their way to Drexan’s private quarters.

  Drexan sent his regrets before she left med-bay that he wouldn’t be much longer.

  He can take all the time he wants.

  The doors opened as Rhona snatched her arm away, and she took the opportunity to step out and away from them.

  She expected them to chase her. Instead, they stayed in the lift and the doors closed on one grinning face and one sour face.

  Rhona turned around and saw a large circular hall with five doors leading from it. The room was decorated in purples and yellows. Rhona liked purple, but this was ugly. The tones clashed. Drexan had abysmal taste. Living here was an assault on the eyes. Her mind turned to the Medbay and what almost happened there. The colour palette was the least of her worries.

  A huge round table sat in the middle of the room with some kind of plant on it. The plant was yellow with purple flowers looked fresh. How did he manage that here in space?

  Walking around the table, she eyed the doors. She had received no instruction on where to go, no help on what to do. The guards had groped her, dumped her and left.

  ‘Bastards!’ she called in frustration. Getting angry would do her no good, she decided. S
he needed to be calm to face whatever that sadistic fuck had planned for her. That thought alone was enough to send a chill through her that did nothing to help her out. She took a deep breath and forced her muscles to relax. She could feel tension radiating through her shoulders to a painful degree.

  The centre door opened, and a dark grey face with bright magenta eyes looked out at her.

  ‘You must be the new purchase,’ a male voice said to her.

  ‘I must be,’ she hissed. ‘And you must be another pervert who doesn’t give a shit if I’m here willingly or not.’

  The male stepped out from behind the door. He had a large X-shaped scar across his nose and the right side of his face.

  ‘Oh my God.’

  ‘You’re not the only one here unwillingly,’ he said, then turned, leaving the door open as he walked into the room. She hesitated for a moment then followed him.

  She entered a space both opulent and devoid of taste. The room was circular. Two curved cream sofas were built in against the wall. They were both around fifteen feet long, had deep seating and faced each other. The rest of the room was decorated in beige and gold. Gold covered the walls, pillars, the ceiling, cushions. The most generous thing she could think to say about it was that it was big, but to her, once again it was an unnecessary show of extravagance on a ship where every ounce cost money. It was a display of wealth for the sake of it.

  Stepping farther into the room, she saw a viewscreen against one wall showing a film of a forest cast in hues of turquoises, azures and sapphires. The sky was pink, darkening to purple as the orange sun set in the sky. It was beautiful and dizzying to see.

  'Our homeworld,' the male she'd followed said, gesturing absent-mindedly towards the screen. 'It's a live feed. Drexan likes to have it playing.'

  The male crossed the room and went to a table with decanters on it. He poured three drinks and held one out to Rhona.

  She studied him as she crossed to take it.

  He was tall, but not as tall as Drexan. He was obviously the same species as him but had dark grey skin instead of Drexan’s light grey colouring. His hair was a dark blonde and tied back at the nape of his neck, revealing more scars on his shoulders and a dark bruise around his throat where he’d obviously been recently choked. He had very high, regal cheekbones and upturned, wide eyes. His nose was long, strong and straight. His lips were full and she could see the lines that had formed around it by too much pain.

  She took the drink, looking up into his magenta eyes, which she could now see had a ring of amethyst around them. The colours were saturated and blazed when set against his grey skin. Drexan’s eyes were cool green; the other light-skinned Amaran’s eyes were light pink. Neither of them had the depth of colour of this male. ‘What is it?’

  ‘Alcohol,’ he replied.

  Rhona sniffed at the glass and was overpowered by the smell. It burned her nose and, she flinched, holding it away from her.

  ‘Is it all the alcohol?’ she sniffed again. ‘I don’t need anymore. I’m now drunk.’

  The male smiled at her as he turned and walked across the room towards one sofa. She saw another male sat casually upon it, his legs stretched out in front of him. He must have entered while she was busy studying the first one. He was scrutinising her with interest.

  He had the dark grey skin of his friend, but his was a little lighter. His black hair was trimmed neatly to his face like a Roman senator. He had no facial scars, but through the open V-neck of his shirt, she could see the lighter grey of healing flesh. This one’s eyes were yellow with an orange rim. Like his friend, they were saturated, standing out vibrantly against his dark skin.

  The male lying on the sofa took the drink handed to him and held his glass out to Rhona.

  ‘Welcome to hell,’ he said before downing the drink.

  ‘Pace yourself, man. That stuff’s lethal.’

  The male looked at the empty glass and frowned. ‘If only,’ he said dryly. ‘Aran.’ He nodded at her.

  The one who had served the drinks sat next to him, knocked back his own drink, then lay down in Aran’s lap.

  ‘Tyne.’ He waved at her.

  Aran’s hand went straight to Tyne’s head, his fingers stroking his hair.

  ‘Rhona.’ She waved back with the glass hand. The drink slopped inside.

  ‘If you’re not going to.’ Aran held out his free hand.

  Rhona crossed the floor and handed him the drink. Aran finished it in one swig. She held her hand out and returned the glasses to the tray as an excuse for distance. They didn’t seem to be threatening her. They seemed to be in the same situation as her, but she couldn’t be sure. She turned and walked over to the opposing sofa and sat down.

  ‘So how did you guys get here?’

  Aran looked at Tyne and grinned, Tyne grinned back.

  ‘Oh, we were stupid enough to believe Drexan when he said he loved us,’ Tyne answered.

  ‘Together?’ Rhona tried not to let the shock show in her voice, but it slipped in anyway.

  Aran shook his head. ‘Tyne was already here,’ he said. ‘I didn’t know until I arrived and found out what a nightmare Drexan is.’

  Rhona swallowed. She had to know. ‘How bad is it?’

  Aran and Tyne looked at each other. Tyne sat up and sighed. ‘Usually, Amaran males and females enjoy dominating or inflicting pain purely because we like it,’ he said. ‘Drexan enjoys inflicting pain because he enjoys it.’

  ‘I’m confused,’ Rhona said.

  ‘Not every species knows what adalan are, Tyne,’ Aran said.

  ‘Drexan said that,’ Rhona said. ‘He told those two arsehole guards to take me to his adalan. What’s an adalan?’

  ‘We are adalan,’ Aran said, holding his arms open.

  ‘I don’t understand.’ Rhona shook her head. ‘You guys are going to have to walk me through it.’

  Tyne sat forward, his legs dropping from his lounging position he assumed on the settee to the ground.

  ‘Amarans have three genders,’ Tyne said. ‘Drexan is male, you,’ he pointed a finger at her, ‘are female. We have females.’

  Rhona nodded.

  ‘We are adalan.’ He stood. ‘We’re shorter than males but bigger than females.’ He dropped down. ‘Our features are softer than males, but harder than females. ‘Our cocks are different. We deposit hormones as well as sperm.’

  ‘And the more obvious differences.’ Aran took over. ‘Adalan are born with darker skin and brighter eyes, more vibrant eye colours. Our nervous systems are different, which means our brains interpret pain as pleasure.’

  ‘You’re masochists?’ Rhona asked.

  ‘Masochists?’ Aran asked.

  ‘It’s what we call people who enjoy pain.’ Rhona shrugged.

  ‘You have these on Earth?’ Tyne asked.

  Rhona nodded.

  ‘And you’re one?’

  Rhona shook her head. ‘No, I’m terrible when it comes to pain.’ She felt the blood drain from her face when she thought about how the conversation had begun.

  ‘It may have been easier for you if you enjoyed it,’ Tyne said bluntly. ‘Though it’s never been easier for us.’

  Aran shook his head. ‘No,’ he said quietly. ‘It hasn’t.’

  ‘You guys are freaking me out,’ Rhona said, forcing a small laugh.

  ‘I’m sorry, Rhona, but it’s better that you’re prepared for what’s to come,’ Tyne said.

  ‘Oh, God.’ Rhona’s eyes closed.

  Makios’s face appeared in her mind. The way he looked after he kissed her, determined. She shook her head and squashed the thought down. She could survive this, she could—if she didn’t allow herself to hope. It was better to adapt, to find a way to earn Drexan’s trust and escape when his guard was down. Then she could think about finding Makios and returning home. Though she hadn’t the first idea how she might accomplish either.

  Panic bit down on her.

  ‘I can’t do this.’ She stood and looked aro
und as though an escape might present itself. Her chest felt like there was a tonne weight on it, and she gulped down air, which only increased the spinning sensation.

  ‘Rhona.’ Tyne stood and slowly approached her.

  She shook her head in denial, tears welled in her eyes. ‘I can’t be here! I have to go. I can’t do this.’

  Tyne walked over to her slowly, hands up. ‘Rhona.’

  ‘No.’ She stepped away. ‘No. Don’t “Rhona” me. I can’t do this.’

  ‘Aran?’ Tyne looked to the bigger Adalan.

  ‘What are we supposed to do, talk to Drexan? That’ll just get us punished.’

  ‘I don’t know, I don’t…’ Tyne looked at Rhona. Pity shone in his eyes.

  ‘Oh, God, don’t look at me like that.’

  ‘Rhona.’ Aran stepped forward. ‘You have to calm down, okay?’

  ‘How am I supposed to calm down? He could be here any minute.’

  ‘Aran, I can’t do this.’ Tyne shook his head. ‘I can’t watch him do this. She’s even smaller than our women. She won’t survive.’

  ‘Oh, Jesus fucking Christ, Tyne, you’re not helping.’ Rhona was shaking now.

  ‘You’re really not, Tyne.’ Aran stepped around him.

  He took Rhona by her upper arms, stroking his thumbs over her skin; there was something calming and reassuring about Aran.

  ‘Your fear and intolerance of pain is a good thing.’

  ‘It doesn’t feel like it,’ Rhona whispered.

  ‘I know.’ Aran’s face was solemn. ‘But Drexan will enjoy it and he’ll start pretty light. It means you’re more likely to survive long enough for us to get you pregnant—’

  ‘WHAT?’

  ‘Drexan has promised that once his female gets pregnant, he’ll stop hurting her,’ he sighed, ‘at least during the pregnancy.’

  ‘Oh, great!’ Rhona shouted. ‘So I can get pregnant by a monster, and he’ll have the decency to not hurt me while I bear his spawn.’

  ‘Spawn?’ Aran looked at Tyne, confused.

  ‘Must be what they call their young.’

  ‘It’s not—’

  ‘It’ll be our spawn too,’ Aran said. ‘Mine or Tyne’s.’

  ‘Ours.’ Tyne squeezed Aran’s arm. He nodded. ‘Ours.’ Tyne said again, this time squeezing Rhona’s arm.