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

  ‘How did you know that?’

  ‘They are called Cealin,’ Makios said. ‘A little over a cycle ago, roughly what you would call a month, my oldest friend fell in love with the head of a people calling themselves the Protectorate—’

  ‘Protectorate?’ Rhona scoffed.

  Makios nodded and smiled.

  ‘They protect the borders of over forty worlds.’ Makios frowned. ‘Well, under forty now.’

  Makios told her about the events of a cycle prior.

  The human men were still alive because of experiments. They’d gotten free and killed the Cealin, all except the head scientist who escaped. The Cealin had taken them with the intent of using the human men to harvest Earth for their benefit, raising an army of billions to establish an empire. The scope of it took Rhona’s breath away.

  The Cealin wiped their memories to make them compliant. That hadn’t worked out for them, and the men had been rescued and aided by Amarans.

  ‘Jesus fucking Christ, that’s quite a tale,’ Rhona said. She was sitting up, the bedcovers around her, her breasts covered by her knees that were drawn to her chest.

  ‘You swear a lot,’ Makios said.

  ‘My dad’s a Viking and my mum’s Scottish.’ She shrugged. ‘I swear. Get over it.’

  Makios chuckled and rubbed her back.

  ‘I can’t believe they’re alive,’ Rhona said. ‘Protectorate.’

  Protectorate was the right word. They protected Earth from a horrific fate when they escaped, though they hadn’t been aware of it at the time. This would have been a very different day if the Protectorate had become the army the Cealin intended them to be. The chances of Rhona being here to appreciate it would be negligible.

  She shivered. What a different world it would have been.

  ‘Tessan Protectorate as of a cycle ago.’

  Rhona’s mind already reeling, Makios went into detail, explaining how his childhood friend and the head of the Protectorate fell in love with each other. In doing so, launched a series of events that saw slaves being freed across almost forty territories.

  ‘Tessa is a safe world for them now,’ Makios said, still rubbing her back.

  ‘There are still slaves in other systems?’ Rhona asked.

  Makios nodded.

  ‘Slavery is a widespread problem. There are few systems that are against it, but who knows what happens on their border planets?’ Makios sighed. ‘Thanesh has his eyes on a place in the IGC and after that, he intends to work on making slavery illegal. He has powerful friends, but also, there are powerful races who are heavily invested in slavery.’

  ‘Like the Fedhith?’ Rhona remembered the handsome purple alien with the cold green eyes.

  Makios nodded.

  ‘What’s the IGC?’

  ‘The Intergalactic Council. They’re an alliance of worlds. Amarans are one of the founding races.’

  ‘Tolomus is one of the most successful slavers,’ Makios said, getting back to the story. ‘The ship he has is an old Amaran aircraft carrier. It’s made to transfer ships to a planet, drop and invade.’

  ‘I thought Amarans were the good guys?’ Rhona frowned.

  ‘They’re okay.’ Makios shrugged. ‘The IGC was founded during a war with the Enhari Empire. The big alien with the tail that beat Decimen, he was Enhari.’

  ‘The big one with the teal stripes and four arms?’

  Makios nodded and resumed rubbing her back.

  ‘They were invading neighbouring systems. Building an empire, getting big enough to threaten the Amarans. If they had gotten the Amarans, with their superior tech, they would have been unstoppable, so a coalition fought them. Tolomus’s ship is a leftover from that war. No one knows where he got it. But it allows him to drop in, open up, launch ships and take with impunity,’

  Rhona shivered. ‘Yeah, I got a first-hand look at that, thanks,’ she snapped.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ Makios whispered. ‘I didn’t think.’

  Rhona looked at him. ‘I’m sorry. I’m not taking this out on you.’ She took in a shaky breath. ‘It’s just…’

  ‘It was the most traumatic experience of your life,’ he finished for her. Rhona nodded and reached for his free hand. He took her hand, squeezing it reassuringly. Sitting up, Makios pulled her back to his front and wrapped his arms around her. He held her quietly for a few minutes, his strength extended to bolster her own.

  ‘Alethia, along with Deyuul, is my best friend. I’ve known her since I was a child.’ Makios kissed her bare shoulder. ‘Her mother, Tessa, was pregnant with her when the passenger ship she was on was attacked. They attacked on entry to Earth. They got three hundred passengers.’

  ‘The Calypso,’ Rhona gasped.

  ‘Rhona?’

  ‘The ship, The Calypso. I watched it on TV just a couple weeks ago when we remembered The Violation.’ Rhona shook her head. ‘They showed pictures from the ships manifest. I probably saw Alethia’s mum on them.’ Most slave attacks got trading ships or small transport ships. The Calypso had the largest passenger manifest of any passenger ship taken and was the biggest group of people the aliens had gotten since The Violation.

  Makios huffed a humourless laugh. ‘Strange universe,’ he whispered.

  ‘Tessa told my adiff about what happened to her,’ Makios continued. ‘I was a kid. They thought I was asleep. I already hated slavery because of the things I saw growing up, but Tessa was such a good person, to hear that.’ Makios pulled her closer. ‘To see how it affected her and little Alethia. To see what happened to you.’ His voice turned into a growl. ‘If Tolomus hadn’t killed those males, I would have.’

  Rhona saw Michael lying on the ground, blood poured from him. ‘Can we talk about something else please?’

  ‘Of course.’ Makios drew away a little and studied her. ‘I’m sorry. I’m what Alethia would call a dick.’

  Rhona chucked and the images dispersed. ‘I like Alethia already,’ she said.

  ‘Good,’ Makios said, a satisfied tone to his voice.

  ‘She’s important to you?’

  Makios nodded, and Rhona felt a small flair of jealousy. ‘Have you ever,’ she looked at him, keeping a casual look on her face, ‘eyes open with her?’

  An amused smirk tilted the corners of Makios’s lips. He hid it, burying his mouth in her shoulder and opening his mouth to gently scrape his teeth on her skin. Rhona shivered. She pulled her shoulder away a little.

  ‘Don’t try that on me, mister,’ she warned. ‘Answer the question.’

  ‘When I was about twelve, and Alethia was eight, I decided I would “marry” Alethia in the human custom,’ he admitted.

  Rhona laughed. ‘That’s kind of adorable,’ she said, relaxing a little.

  ‘It was a childish thing. I didn’t have feelings for her, but I had just heard the story and I wanted to protect her.’ He went still. ‘When we started freeing slaves together, I believed I was in love with her.’

  Rhona felt her jaw clench. She wasn’t a jealous woman by nature, but something about Makios being in love before stirred up something ugly inside her.

  Makios was silent for a moment. ‘I don’t know how to put this without misrepresenting Alethia.’ He frowned. ‘She’s a strong female, Rhona,’ he said. ‘I like strong females.’ Rhona tried to move away from him. ‘But,’ he said quickly and wrapped his arms tighter around her, ‘Alethia was a slave for the first six solars of her life. She was about to be sold to the worst kind of male when two Kuyon bonded to her mother and rescued them.’ Rhona went still, angry at the people that could do that to a child. ‘Alethia always carried damage from her time as a slave. At sixteen, after her parents died, she asked me to help her buy and free slaves, bring them to the planet where she lived.’

  Makios let out a sigh.

  ‘They told her their stories, and every time, it damaged her more.’ He shook his head sadly. ‘She took on some of their pain, but in doing so, a fire I loved in her went out. I watched it happen, bit by bit,
and there was nothing I could do to stop it. I love Alethia, but I fell out of love with her a very long time ago.’

  Makios lifted Rhona and placed her on one powerful thigh. He cupped her face and looked into her eyes.

  ‘Thanesh worried what my relationship was to Alethia—’

  ‘That doesn’t make me feel better.’ Rhona complained.

  Makios smiled. ‘I’ll tell you the same thing I told him. Alethia is burdened. Weighed down by the pain of others. My female,’ he stroked her cheek with his thumb, ‘burns with passion. If you take on the pain of others, I believe it will be to burn it away and cast the ashes into the wind.’

  The only response Rhona had was to kiss him, putting everything she felt into her kiss. When they broke, their faces still touching, they were both breathing heavily.

  ‘My parents argue a lot,’ she said. ‘They’re both really passionate, really stubborn people.’

  ‘I expect we will too,’ Makios said.

  ‘But, no matter what, I’m in,’ she said. ‘I’m here.’

  ‘Me too,’ Makios whispered into her hair.

  ‘Oh, God, Makios,’ she whispered, feeling a growing hardness against her thigh.

  ‘Rhona,’ he gasped as she rose up, wrapped her legs around him and lowered herself onto him. He groaned, his eyes fluttering.

  She tapped his shoulder, and he opened his eyes.

  ‘The first one to close their eyes loses,’ she challenged him.

  Makios grinned.

  It was hard, fast. Rhona lost when she came so hard that she couldn’t breathe.

  They fell back on the bed, Makios still pumping inside her, small dribbles of his seed dripping out around her.

  Finally, they fell asleep.

  ‘Why did you come to my room?’ Makios asked, remembering the intent look on her face. He instantly regretted it when he saw her happy face turn dark.

  They were sitting on the floor on cushions in front of the coffee table. The table was laden with food that Sidha thoughtfully brought for them for breakfast. Rhona was wearing the sheet Makios dropped onto the floor the day before, and he was still naked.

  ‘I wanted to talk to you about going after Aran.’ She grimaced.

  Makios sighed.

  ‘Before you say anything, let me throw out a few suggestions me and Tyne came up with. We find a way to neutralise his weapons,’ she launched into her list immediately, ‘I don’t know how, but there has to be a way. Maybe the Amarans have a way? Two, we lead him into a trap. He wants me back. You contact him and say you’re fed up of me and will exchange for cash.’

  ‘Rhona.’ The thought of even pretending to hand her over was out of the question.

  ‘Three,’ she refused to pause. ‘We contact these Protectorate and help them—’

  ‘Rhona,’ Makios said, louder this time.

  ‘Or the Amarans and get them to help.’ She refused to stop.

  ‘Rhona, no.’

  ‘Because he sacrificed himself to save me and Tyne and I can’t bear the thought of the things that man will do to him, Makios. You didn’t see the room.’ Her voice broke. ‘The things he uses on them. The things he would have used on me. The things he’ll be doing to Aran right now, and I went and had sex with you instead of fighting my corner like I came in to do.’

  Her face burned bright red. ‘I forgot. I came in here, saw you naked and forgot him.’ She looked at him, pleading with her eyes.

  The redness was shame, he realised. Makios moved closer to her and took her face in his hands.

  ‘You have nothing to be ashamed of,’ he told her firmly. ‘Everything that’s happening; everything that’s happened. You took some time out for you… for us, to build us. There’s no shame in that.’

  ‘I wish I could believe that,’ she whispered. ‘Will you help him?’

  Makios took a deep breath. ‘I won’t risk you,’ he whispered.

  Rhona’s face crumpled.

  ‘But...’

  ‘But?’ Hope entered her eyes.

  Makios sighed. Unable to stop himself, he reached forward and kissed one eyelid, then the other. Hope, love, happiness—he would move suns if it evoked these things in her. This next thing was nothing but was everything if it made her happy.

  ‘But,’ he said again. ‘Thanesh is going to contact the Amaran Ilan. Abusing an adalan is a crime punishable by death on Amara. Because of their nature, adalan are vulnerable to abuse. The Amaran Ilan is passionate about protecting them.’

  ‘Ilan?’

  Makios frowned.

  ‘Similar to emperor,’ he said. ‘Ilan is an inherited title. They rule over a large swath of space and several species live in their space for protection.’

  ‘And he’ll help Aran?’

  Makios took in a deep breath and nodded.

  ‘When I told Thanesh about you being taken, he was furious and promised the Ilan would take immediate action.’

  ‘What did he say when you told him about Tyne and Aran?’

  Makios stilled.

  Rhona stared at him. Her lips thinned into a line. ‘You haven’t told him yet.’

  Makios shook his head.

  ‘What the hell are you doing here?’ she demanded. ‘Out.’ She pointed at the door.

  ‘I’m having breakfast.’ The rational part of Makios’s mind tried to stop him from speaking. When he saw the look on Rhona’s face, he realised why. ‘I’ll take breakfast with me,’ he said, standing and grabbing his plate.

  ‘Good boy,’ she said. ‘Before you go, do you…’ her eyes scanned his bare chest ‘…wear tops?’

  Makios puffed up his chest and Rhona grinned.

  ‘Occasionally.’

  ‘Where?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ Makios thought. ‘Formal occasions—’

  ‘Not where do you wear tops, you idiot,’ Rhona groaned standing. ‘Where do you store them?’

  Makios chuckled, put his plate back on the table and walked over to his cabinet, opening the part that functioned as his wardrobe. He pulled out two tops.

  Rhona took a dark blue one and shook it out.

  ‘Perfect. This’ll do me as a dress until we can get me some clothes.’

  ‘I’ll get Dairon to bring you some things,’ Makios said.

  ‘Dairon?’

  ‘Alethia’s little brother.’

  ‘She has a brother? What are they, twins?’

  ‘The two Kuyon who rescued Alethia and her mum, they’re his fathers.’

  Rhona looked up at him, surprise on her face. ‘Wait… It’s possible to have children with aliens?’

  Makios grinned. ‘I don’t know of any human and Kathen hybrids, but yes, there are hybrids between humans and aliens, between aliens and aliens.’ He chuckled. ‘Sometimes, they need help, but many species are compatible.’

  ‘So she ended up with two Kuyon guys?’

  ‘Kuyon only bond in triads,’ he said. He found he enjoyed telling her about the various aliens and their cultures. What he knew of them, not least because of her reaction to them.

  ‘And here I am with only one Kathen male,’ she shook her head.

  Makios bright mood darkened. ‘What?’

  She looked up at him, her wicked grin in place.

  Makios scrubbed his face. ‘Female,’ he groaned. They watched each other, Rhona already giggling. He looked at her, his hands dropping to his side, then launched across the room. Rhona screamed, her eyes brightening, a smile on her face. She dropped the top, spun and tried to run. Makios picked her up, dropping her to his waist where she wrapped her legs around him.

  ‘Maybe it’s not a red god,’ he growled. ‘Maybe it’s a red goddess. Maybe I’m looking at her.’ He lifted her hair as proof.

  ‘Got me,’ she said before meeting his bruising lips.

  After a long, passionate kiss, she drew away.

  ‘Now get on that comm and call Thanesh,’ she squirmed. ‘I want Aran on this ship by the end of the week.’ She continued squirming, trying to g
et him to release her. When all she achieved was giving Makios an erection, she stopped. ‘Now you’re going to have to go to work with a hardon.’ She crossed her arms. ‘Bet you feel like an idiot now.’

  Makios slipped a hand from her ass through the sheet and found her already wet.

  ‘No,’ he whispered.

  Rhona began squirming again. This time, it was for another reason.

  Makios lowered her onto his cock and slammed her into the wall behind her, she huffed out a breath.

  ‘I’m sorry. Are you all right?’

  She nodded. ‘Fuck me, Makios, please,’ she whispered. ‘But make it quick, then to the bridge.’

  He chuckled and nodded. Then, withdrawing, he slammed into her again.

  She cried out and wrapped her legs tighter around him.

  He grabbed her hips, angled her, moved her knees so that they were over his arms and slowly withdrew, watching her face turn from passionate to desperate as she cried out.

  ‘Oh my God,’ she whispered, her eyes closing.

  He tapped her shoulder. ‘Eyes,’ he grinned.

  She opened them and he slowly moved back into her. ‘God, this feels amazing, but I said quick.’

  ‘Do you really think I’m going to last long at this angle, my red goddess?’ he groaned the last words.

  ‘Me neither,’ she cried out, a pussy spasming around him.

  Makios bit down on his lip to steel his resolve, but it was failing fast as it did every time her pussy spasmed around him. He cried out from between clenched teeth. ‘Oh, my red goddess,’ he said. He sped his rhythm, plunging into her, their bodies slapping against one another and adding a beat to their lovemaking.

  ‘Oh, God, Makios I’m going to cum,’ she cried out.

  Makios pounded faster.

  Her orgasm hit and her muscles clenched down on him. Makios snarled as every sensation increased. His orgasm was triggered a moment later. He roared, rough and grating in his throat as her pussy continued spasming around him and Rhona cried out, hard, fast, several times. He continued thrusting into her for a short time after. Rhona’s eyes were closed, but in all honesty, Makios had no idea if he’d kept his eyes open the entire time. Each time was better than the last, and this position in particular would be used many times, with his female’s permission.