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

  He leaned his forehead against her as the last of his cum spilt inside her.

  ‘I didn’t get to play with your horns,’ she moaned.

  Makios laughed and opened his eyes. ‘Next time,’ he promised.

  ‘Makios,’ she whispered, ‘we have to do it this way again.’

  Makios nodded enthusiastically. ‘Slower next time,’ he promised.

  ‘Do you think we can manage it?’ she said. ‘You only need to stick that thing in me and I’m already cumming.’

  ‘Please,’ he frowned, ‘don’t call my cock a thing,’

  Rhona snickered. ‘Sorry, babe,’ she whispered.

  ‘Babe?’

  ‘It’s a term of endearment. Don’t make a thing of it.’ She was squirming again, a small frown appeared on her face.

  Confused, Makios nodded.

  ‘Now let me down. All the tendons in my legs feel like they’re about to snap.’

  Easing her to the floor, Makios made sure Rhona was steady on her feet before letting go. She looked up at him, a look of surprise on her face.

  ‘I just realised,’ she whispered. ‘I might get pregnant.’

  The thought of her body swelling with his child filled him with joy. ‘I hope so,’ he said sincerely.

  ‘Me too.’ She smiled. ‘I know it’s quick but, that’s kinda how us traders work.’

  He kissed her.

  ‘Now I’m going to have a shower, get dressed and spend time with Tyne and my trader family. You,’ she pointed at him. ‘Go to the bridge and be a hero.’

  Makios grinned. ‘I always am,’ he said before walking to the door. His female saw him as a hero.

  ‘Makios?’ He turned to see her shoulders shaking. Her hand covered her mouth. ‘Are you going to get dressed first?’

  ‘No,’ he said before walking out and shutting the door behind him. He heard her laughter booming through the door, then opened it and returned. ‘But yes, because two teenage girls are staying in a room two doors from here.’

  Rhona’s face went paler. ‘And here I’ve been screaming.’

  ‘Yes, you have,’ he said, his chest puffing with pride. ‘I would say the entire ship has heard us by now.’

  Rhona’s head fell against her chest. ‘Oh, God.’

  ‘Can you give the ship advance notice before you and the human start vrokking so I can get impressionable children out of the way?’ Vella asked as Makios entered the bridge.

  ‘I’ve found that going to the engine room, way at the back of the ship, with the pumping, booming of the engine is still not loud enough to drown them out,’ Vanoor said.

  ‘I pleasure my female well enough for her to announce it to the ship.’ Makios shrugged. ‘This pleases me.’

  ‘Well, a little warning next time,’ Vella said.

  ‘Here’s your warning,’ Makios said. ‘When I’m alone with my female, there’s a good chance we’ll be vrokking soon.’

  Vella sighed. ‘Makios, you know the upstairs storage that was the big suite we never use.’

  Makios nodded.

  ‘Can I move in there?’

  Makios froze. The upstairs storage rooms were an old suite of several rooms designed for the wealthy owners or passengers. In his mind, Makios stripped the detritus, decorated it and filled it with Rhona and half-Kathen children. His heart swelled at the image of Rhona holding their child, feeding their child. He could practically see the face of a half-Kathen babe with red hair and Rhona’s smile.

  ‘No,’ he said. ‘Rhona and I will be moving in there as soon as this mission is done.’

  Vella groaned.

  ‘In the meantime, live with our love.’

  ‘Oh?’ Vanoor looked up from the console.

  ‘Your what?’ Vella gasped.

  Makios froze. He hadn’t meant it that way, but now that he said it out loud, he knew it was true.

  Deyuul walked in, took a look at Makios and walked out.

  ‘Wait, Deyuul.’ The Uunda’s blue-grey head appeared in the doorway. ‘Everybody out. I have to put in a private call. Deyuul, with me.’

  Vanoor and Vella left.

  ‘Are your head and heart aligned now?’

  Makios nodded. ‘I’m sorry.’ He thought about how he’d treated Deyuul the day before and felt ashamed of himself. ‘Tolomus blindsided us. There was nothing any of us could do except what you did. Plus, I found Rhona.’ Without Tolomus taking him, she would have been at Thalos’s mercy. The thought chilled him, and Makios pushed it aside.

  ‘I am a great believer in fate, my friend,’ Deyuul said. ‘You two were meant to be. I can tell you that from the way you’ve been blasting your feelings and random thoughts at me for the last day.’

  ‘Oh,’ Makios said, dumbstruck.

  ‘I’m attuned to both of you, thanks to that kiss in the slave cage, and I can tell you with confidence: I couldn’t have imagined a female more perfect for you.’

  ‘You can’t get your shields up?’

  ‘I’m attuned. You’re both under my shields, and your feelings are powerful,’ Deyuul said. ‘But I will adapt.’

  ‘I appreciate that, my friend.’

  ‘I am sorry for what I said.’ Deyuul stepped closer. ‘Had I known I was talking about your female, your mate, I would have kept my tongue.’

  ‘Kathen don’t bond like that.’ Makios shook his head. ‘Neither do humans.’

  ‘Really? What I felt was a bonding. Your species don’t bond, but perhaps when individuals are as compatible as the two of you, maybe you bond to each other?’ Deyuul stared at him through multi-faceted eyes. ‘Yes, I think so. I think you are bonded.’

  ‘Thank you, my friend.’ Makios swallowed. He reached out and squeezed his friends’ shoulder. It wasn’t often that he and his best friend touched. Deyuul was very sensitive to the minds and emotions of others, and direct touch meant his defences were almost useless. In that touch, Makios conveyed his regret and his gratitude for him and his friendship.

  Deyuul’s expressionless face showed nothing, but somehow, his eyes showed how deeply affected he was.

  ‘I’m going to call Thanesh. Will you stay?’

  ‘Of course,’ Deyuul said.

  A few moments later, the screen lit up and Thanesh’s face appeared.

  ‘Don’t call Alethia,’ Makios said. ‘This is a business call.’

  Thanesh nodded. ‘I am sending you the coordinates of where you can rendezvous with Dairon based on your trajectory,’ he said.

  The coordinates flashed up in the corner of the screen. At his side, Makios saw Deyuul snatch the coordinates and enter them into the system.

  ‘I know you asked me not to, but I spoke to Dahnus.’

  ‘That’s fine. I have Rhona.’

  Thanesh breathed a sigh of relief. ‘Good. I was concerned. Did he harm her?’

  ‘Strangled her, left her with a bruise that’s still healing. He would have killed her if it hadn’t been for his adalan.’

  ‘His adalan?’

  Makios told him about Tyne and Aran. When he reached the part where Thalos threatened them with Aran at his feet, Thanesh growled.

  ‘You recorded that?’

  Makios nodded. He recorded every conversation he had via the viewscreen in case he needed it later, then wiped most. His conversation with Thalos, when he had Aran at his feet, went straight into the keep folder. He forwarded it to Thanesh.

  ‘And Tyne is with you?’

  Makios nodded.

  ‘I will let Dahnus know. Drexan Thalos is a powerful male with ties to the Amaran military through his business interests, and the government,’ Thanesh said. ‘Dahnus trusted him and is furious. He can move against him, but the adalan’s testimony would help.’

  ‘I’ll talk to Tyne.’

  ‘Are you going to offload your human with the rest of the passengers?’ Thanesh asked.

  ‘No.’

  ‘You are going to Caras. They randomly board ships.’ Thanesh let out a breath. ‘This is your mission,
but I would recommend sending your human to us with Dairon.’

  Makios scrubbed his face with his hands and nodded. ‘You’re right,’ he said. ‘She’ll fight me, but you’re right.’

  ‘She burns with passion then, does she?’ Thanesh smiled.

  Makios chuckled. ‘And then some,’ he confirmed.

  ‘I am happy for you,’ Thanesh smiled.

  ‘Could you send human clothes with Dairon?’ Makios asked. ‘Rhona doesn’t have anything except my tops.’ Makios thought of Rhona in one of his tops. ‘Though actually, that doesn’t seem too bad.’

  Thanesh chuckled. ‘I know how that feels.’

  ‘And food, the passengers are eating the galley bare,’ Deyuul interrupted.

  ‘Done. I have news for you. Daius Edan contacted me,’ Thanesh said.

  ‘I thought he refused to work with you?’ Makios frowned. That meeting had not gone well. ‘Did he change his mind?’

  ‘No, emphatically no.’ Thanesh smiled. ‘He sent me your bill of sale. Tolomus sold you to him thinking it would be a punishment, not realising he owed your family a debt. He has set you free and called the debt paid.’

  ‘Thank vrok,’ Makios heard Deyuul whisper at his side.

  Relief burst over Makios. Thank the goddess. He smiled. Vrok that, thank my red goddess. ‘Thank you for telling me,’ Makios said. ‘It weighed on me.’

  Thanesh nodded. ‘Once the passengers are off, would you get on with the vrokking mission?’

  ‘Consider it done,’ Makios said.

  ‘I will consider it done when it is done,’ Thanesh said. ‘Talk to the adalan. I will be in touch shortly to take his statement.’

  Makios nodded.

  ‘I’ll let him know,’ he said. ‘Give my love to Alethia.’

  ‘I will.’ Thanesh nodded.

  The screen went dark, except for the streaks of stars across the viewscreen.

  ‘How long until we intercept with Dairon?’

  ‘Four rotes,’ Deyuul said.

  ‘That soon? Is he in the area?’

  Deyuul shook his head. ‘We’ll have to take the Olidus jump gate to Dahnus Ascent in Amaran space, rendezvous with Dairon, then jump back to go to Caras.’

  ‘Caras is on the way to Olidus.’ Makios shook his head. ‘Can’t Danithor just come and meet us?’

  ‘Danithor doesn’t have a ship,’ Deyuul said. ‘That’s one of the reasons he’s betraying the Goedan.’

  ‘Contact him, see if there’s anything we can do.’

  Deyuul nodded.

  ‘I don’t hold out any hope though,’ Deyuul said.

  Rhona went down to the two storage rooms where the humans and other slaves Makios and his crew rescued were staying.

  Callie Dalgleish was lying in her wife Emma’s lap talking to a guy she didn’t recognise. As Rhona walked in, Callie’s eyes landed on her and widened. She sat up. ‘Rhona!’ She was on her feet a moment later, crossing the room and into Rhona’s arms.

  ‘I thought you were done for, when they said some alien bought you!’ Callie admitted.

  ‘Me too. But I managed to get into an escape pod and Makios was already after me.’

  Callie grabbed Rhona’s hand and led her over to the floor bed she and Emma were sharing. Rhona had known Callie Dalgliesh her entire life. Even though she was an Earther, she, like many of the systems traders, had a home in Hermes. She was in her mid-forties, and she and her wife Emma recently celebrated their twentieth wedding anniversary. They were like aunts, friends and big sisters to Rhona.

  ‘Makios? The one with the horns? Is that who you were screaming your lungs out with?’

  Rhona felt her face flame, grinning she settled on the ground to come face-to-face with a human male glaring at her. Over his shoulder, other people were drifting over. She looked around the room but couldn’t see any of the aliens from the cells.

  ‘Yeah, err, we…’ Rhona laughed. ‘You know.’

  Callie smiled. ‘I know.’

  ‘We all know young lady.’ Rhona looked up to Abe, smiling at her. He winked, and Rhona felt her face flare hotter.

  Emma leaned around Callie. ‘A lot of those rescued have a major crush on your Makios,’ she said. ‘You should have seen him at the auction when his crew saved us. Others,’ she glanced at the guy sitting across from them, ‘are still toeing the anti-alien line regardless.’

  The man sitting across from them turned a sneer on Emma. Callie sat forward, blocking his view. Her steel grey eyes hardened, her brown hair drawing over the side of her face.

  ‘You look at my wife like that again, Karl, and I’m gonna plant you on your ass.’

  Karl looked from Emma to Callie, then turned his attention to Rhona, his sneer only deepening.

  Rhona suppressed a shiver as she looked at a man she’d spoken to dozens of times on the comm, called out to in the cages, thought she was friends with, who looked at her like she was the enemy.

  ‘Oh, hun. Let me say this once and make it clear: that alien who saved your life may be the love of mine, and if you think your judgement is in any way going to shame me or deter me from pursuing my happiness, then please hold your breath and wait. But don’t expect me to be the one who revives you.’

  Rhona looked up at the faces of her people. ‘I’m not asking anyone’s permission to be happy. I love you lot like family. We are a family.’ She looked back at Karl, then back to Abe and the others. ‘But I’m absolutely sure he’s the man I’m meant to be with and nothing will stop me. Understood?’

  There were a few shakes of the head and looks of disgust.

  ‘Oh, Rhona, do you really think I give a damn who you’re with as long as you’re happy?’ Abe’s eyes sparkled. There were murmurs of agreement.

  ‘Not you, Abe. Never you.’ Rhona smiled at him. Abe was another Earther who had a house at Hermes. He was in his sixties now, and most traders had already retired a decade ago. But Abe, like her parents, was determined to die in the black. She looked over his shoulder, then down at Karl. ‘But some people do.’

  ‘You should stick to your own kind,’ Karl hissed before getting up and walking away.

  ‘I’ll stick to who I like, without reference to you or anyone else,’ Rhona called after him.’ She looked at Callie and Emma, then Abe and the people past him. I should have expected this, she realised as those with disgusted looks on their faces followed Karl.

  Makios ran up to the vacant suite and looked around. It would be perfect for raising a family. Would Rhona think so? He decided not to tell her until he had ripped it out, cleaned it up and prepared it for decorating and furnishing. Once they had the radiant, he could do that on the way back to Tessa so he could show her when he arrived home.

  Home.

  Makios considered Tessa his home ever since he and his family first arrived there more than twenty solars before. They met up with Adanith and Teyrin when a job they were both involved in went bad, forcing them to work together to save each other’s lives. A trust was built that had bonded both families together. Eventually, the Kuyon pair invited them to meet their bond-mate, daughter and new son. As soon as they set down on the planet, filled with forests and wildlife, Makios felt safe and free for the first time.

  His father laid down the foundations for a house not far from where Alethia’s family built their home. He died before he could finish it, but the foundations were still there. He could build the house, and he and Rhona could have a retreat or live there if she preferred.

  He’d show her both when he arrived home and let her choose. Or if she wanted to go back to Earth, he’d go with her and make it work somehow—make the humans accept their first alien. The thought was intimidating, but for her, he’d make it work.

  Makios checked their room, but Rhona was already gone. He knocked on the door and remembered he’d bunked Sidha with Deyuul. He’d have to see if Sidha and Tyne were okay with sharing. Though he thought Tyne would probably prefer his space given everything the adalan had been through.

/>   The door opened and the adalan in question appeared.

  ‘How are you doing?’

  ‘Not as well as you and Rhona sound, but better than I was.’ The smirk on Tyne’s face was tinged with a darkness that penetrated his whole being. Makios’s heart went out to the adalan.

  ‘Speaking of which—' Tyne pulled the door open, and Makios saw Rhona sleeping on the bed in front of the window.

  ‘A brief “resting my eyes” has turned into snoring,’ he said dryly.

  Makios sighed. ‘I have to wake her,’ he said regretfully. ‘I need to speak to you both.’

  Tyne gestured him in, and Makios crossed the room, sitting on the bed and brushing her hair out of her face. Some of it was stuck to the corner of her mouth by a thin line of drool. Makios suppressed a smile and wiped it away.

  ‘Rhona,’ he called.

  She awoke almost immediately. Her eyes were bleary, but she smiled when she saw him. ‘Hey, sexy,’ she said, grabbing his hand and kissing it. She rolled around and pulled herself onto his lap. A wicked look crossed her face as her hand crept towards his cock.

  ‘We’re in Tyne’s room,’ Makios said quickly.

  Rhona’s eyes widened and she sat up. ‘Sorry, Tyne,’ she said.

  ‘Oh, please don’t stop on my account,’ Tyne said, leaning against the wall in full view. ‘Been a long time since I saw the good kind of vrokking, and from the sounds coming out of your room for the past day, it’s a very good kind of vrokking.’

  ‘You don’t want to watch us have sex.’ Rhona laughed.

  ‘Actually, Amarans are well-known for their voyeurism,’ Makios said.

  Tyne smiled at her and arched a suggestive eyebrow. ‘Watch, participate, whichever you prefer. Actually,’ a shadow crossed his face his voice was more subdued, ‘while Amarans have a reputation to protect, I’ll pass. I think it’ll be a while before…’

  ‘Oh, Tyne.’ Rhona got off the bed and crossed the room, cuddling him.

  ‘Thanks for the offer though,’ he said.