Battle Queen: Red Ruler Series (Book 1) Page 5

  Trill, trill, trill!

  I looked up at the door. No one came to a guest room unless they were requested. I didn’t think I was in any danger but better prepared than dead.

  “R’tok, I’ll check in with you later. Someone’s at the door.”

  “Yes, General.”

  I switched out from the communication over to the camera feed I had placed outside my door and hallways. Commander Hs’tar looked straight into the camera and smiled sharply.

  “The Battle Queen will see you now. Be ready in 5 minutes.” Hs’tar stepped back and the screen blacked out.

  I quickly checked all the other hidden surveillance feeds I had planted around the city and my own rooms. All were dead.

  “So it begins,” I chuckled.

  Welo

  Five contracts. Five fucking fucked up contracts.

  I was absolutely fuming.

  “...And then he shoved his T-Rex cock right up in my asshole.”

  “Wait, what?” I shook my head and looked up at Mel’s wry smile.

  “Took you long enough,” she smirked. “Was it the T-Rex anal that caught your attention or the dandelion tentacle taint tickling?” My jaw dropped and my head just turned like a confused puppy. Mel bent over in laughter as I just stared at her.

  “T-Rex anal,” I begrudgingly answered.

  “Wow, I mean I knew you took a trip to rage town once I said five contracts but shit, Welo,” she wiped away tears and kept chuckling, “The T-Rex anal was like the fifth batshit thing I said.”

  “Can you blame me?” I slammed my palm flat on the stone. “FIVE! Five fucking contracts fucked with and this dickhead’s wasn’t even the first! It was the third one that slipped past not only the entire contracts department but, myself as well!” I don’t know when I had stood up but I definitely knew I was shouting by the end of my tirade.

  “Look, I get it,” Mel lifted her hands in a placating gesture, ”This is a big fuck up. But we’re not infallible. You’re not infallible. Shit happens.”

  “We can’t afford to have ‘shit happens’ moments, Mel!” I was fuming, and while I knew Mel didn’t deserve my ire I couldn’t seem to contain it as well as I should have.

  “Just breathe, Welo—“

  “No. Fuck that, Mel,” I knew she couldn’t smell the slight stink of fear that I was giving off but I could. I pointed outside and heard the slight quiver in my voice, “Everything we’ve built to protect us can be destroyed in a single invasion or single planetary bombardment. We are always one cunt hair away from annihilation out here in the kuahiwi, backwater country bumpkin, of space.”

  “We all know that, Welo,” all traces of amusement died from her face. She knew that when my Hawaiian broke into my conversations I was beyond serious. “I’ve beefed up planetary security, as well as set all solar system mines to a random sequence accessible only to you, me, and Hs’tar.” Mel leaned forward, her forearms on her thighs as she looked me dead in the eye. She was the only other survivor from when I first arrived and it wasn’t entirely because I did things to protect her. She had pulled her own weight, won her own battles. I respected her, trusted her at my back to see everything that I couldn’t possibly see on my own. “All 3 of us knew that this was bound to happen some day.”

  “Some day, yes,” I sighed and looked away. Sitting back down in my chair I had to take in a calming breath. “We’ve only been free 2 years, Mel. It’s not enough time...”

  “We’ll never have enough time in this world, my friend,” Mel got a far away look, her words soft but profound. Her eyes swivelled back up to me, full of steel and determination. The same eyes that told me to keep breathing, keep trying, keep living when I had felt my world or my body shatter again and again. “You gave us 2 years of freedom. We’ll do what we can and if it’s not enough then at least we had that.” My eyes slid away from hers. The burning in my naau, my gut, always felt like I had never done enough.

  “Tell me about these contracts.”

  “3 are just basic fuck ups on our end,” she shook her head in irritation, “they were all in the preliminary negotiations stage anyways so they’re easy to correct.”

  “But...,” I rolled my hand for her to just spit out whatever she was building up.

  “But, they follow a kind of pattern like the other two which are much more devious and subtle in their alterations,” she ended.

  “What kind of pattern?” I asked in confusion.

  “All 5 contracts are either directly from or via some kind of central world proxy.” And there it was, the real reason to be scared. I leaned back in my chair and let the terror run its course through my veins. I had to face the fear in order to conquer it and come out clear headed. Winning this small battle over myself would help me win whatever war that had found its way to my doorstep.

  “And the Rentok’s contract?”

  “His was submitted via a few levels of proxies. His contract was subtle in its changes,” Mel’s brow pinched in concentration, “Hell, even when I looked through it I damn near missed it.”

  “Commander Hs’tar, Planetside Security.”

  “Enter,” I told the automated door alert.

  “Welo,” Hs’tar’s gaze swept over me quickly and clinically then warmed when his eyes landed on Mel, “Commander Melinda.” I knew there was nothing there but it still made me want to punch Mel out of jealousy. You have an arrangement, not a relationship. Ah, fuck.

  “Hey, Hs’tar,” Mel smiled happily. She punched him lightly in the arm as he sat down, “Staying out of trouble?” Hs’tar laughed. The sound both warmed my soul and stabbed my heart. He never joked around with me. Fuck’s sake, pity party of one over here. I cleared my throat.

  “Was Commander Hs’tar supposed to add to this discussion,” I asked frostily, “Or did you want to update him on the contract issue at the same time as me, to save time?” Mel rolled her eyes.

  “General L’Ryx is waiting in receiving downstairs,” his voice was flat and his eyes held none of the warmth he had just showered on Mel.

  “I already updated Hs’tar on the contracts issue,” Mel sat up in her chair, plowing ahead before I could admonish her for telling him first, “I wanted him here for this so you could get a first hand update on the recreational activities of this particular client.”

  “He’s been here less than 4 standard days but already he’s put up a multitude of surveillance bugs,” Hs’tar continued the steam rolling of information. I hated when they teamed up on me but I never doubted their tenacity for following leads. “He’s also been communicating with a ship hidden somewhere in our solar system.”

  “Me and the girls gave up on trying to crack the communication stream,” Mel huffed. The edge of my lips tweaked thinking of Mel’s ‘girls’. No one quite knew the levels of technology we had here but the neuro-enhanced females who ran our systems were our first line of defence both on the ground and in the wider galaxy.

  “I’m surprised they weren’t able to crack it,” Hs’tar mused. He seemed to have the same thought as I did. “His planetside surveillance feeds were pretty harmless, mostly just gathering general photos and video.”

  “Like a scouting mission?” My eyes narrowed as I pondered over all the disparate data I was being given. “Mel you said those 5 contracts were from central worlds, right?”

  “Yeah,” she began, “What’re you thinking, Welo?”

  “Of the 5, you said that 3 were still in the negotiation phase and still could be corrected, right?”

  “Yes, but—“

  “What do all 5 contracts have in common besides that they’re from or via central world proxies?” I knew my mind was catching on to something but I couldn’t put my finger on just what. Yet.

  “2 are breeding contracts, and 3 are pleasure contracts,” Mel continued.

  “But no gladiatorial or viewing contracts,” asked Hs’tar. He leaned back in his chair and looked up at me. We were both trying to pull together the threads.

  “N
o...” Mel trailed off and looked back and forth between the two of us. “What are you two thinking?”

  “I’m thinking it’s either we’ve just leveled up and hit the big times, or we’ve caught the attention of some major players in a bad way,” I nibbled on my bottom lip with my fangs.

  “Or both,” Hs’tar added.

  “Well aren’t you two just a ray of fucking sunshine,” Mel deadpanned. She carelessly ran her fingers through her hair and blew out a breath. “How do you want to play this meeting with the General?”

  “Hs’tar?” Mel and Hs’tar both blinked at me in shock. I studiously ignored their expressions, waiting for Hs’tar to recover and continue.

  “I cut all his surveillance feeds right after I went to pick him up for this meeting,” the sharp clipped tone let me know he had enjoyed that little power move. I suppressed my smile as best I could while Mel had no compunction about laughing outright. He continued in an even tone but his claw tipped fingers twitched slightly. “It’s obvious that this is a trend. I don’t think he came here for his own pleasure.”

  “Agreed,” I nodded. “Correct me if I’m wrong Mel, but so far he’s the only one that’s physically shown up,” she dipped her chin in confirmation. “I think we should feel him out as to whether this is sharks circling or aku birds trying to swoop in.”

  “What?” Hs’tar’s strong and hairless eyebrows rose in confusion.

  “A shark is an apex ocean predator, and an aku bird is... well, an island bird,” I finished lamely.

  “She means we need to find out whether we’re being eyed by predators who think they’ve got a shot at us,” Mel explained, “Or, if it’s just opportunistic dickheads trying to steal scraps or work their way in while we’re not looking.” Hs’tar shook his head.

  “Such colourful idioms. Is everything ocean related on your planet?” Hs’tar teased Mel.

  “Naw,” Mel laughed, “This bitch grew up in a beautiful paradise called Hawaii on our planet.” I rolled my eyes. “Beautiful beaches, delicious food, beautiful hula dancers...” She wiggled her eyebrows at me and I dipped my head to hide my smile. Mel always knew how to redirect things with humour. I would be the first to admit that mine tended to be a bit weak now-a-days.

  “Hs’tar please show General L’Ryx in. Let’s get this shit show started,” I watched him gracefully get up from his chair and walk out. He wore the same red and black uniforms of all the other arena guards but his always seemed immaculate. It was a far cry from the days of utilitarian dark grey pants, boots, and random straps across his body. He looked even deadlier now, sharper and less rugged then when I was a slave and he was a slaver guard. Both of us were at the mercy of the old leader. Hs’tar was second in command, but in the end that never mattered to the old leader. Credits were the only thing that mattered. But I sure do miss the days of him being shirtless all the time, I thought wistfully.

  “If you eye-fuck that door any harder I think Hs’tar might feel it on the other side,” Mel snickered.

  “Shut up, Mel,” I waved my hand at her. “We’ve got more important things to focus on, right now.”

  “Commander Hs’tar, Planetside Security. General L’Ryx.”

  “Enter.” I composed myself, and watched Mel pull a blank and indifferent expression. The change was stark, but I knew that all three of us had survived as long as we had because of our carefully cultivated outward image.

  “Battle Queen Welo,” General L’Ryx greeted me with a smarmy smile before plopping comfortably down in what was Hs’tar’s chair. He turned and looked back, “I’m sorry, were you sitting here?” Hs’tar didn’t even dignify that question with a response. He turned slightly to me while still keeping the general in his sight.

  “Welo,” smooth as honey my name rolled off his tongue. His long black, skillful tongue. Hs’tar’s pupils dilated and he inhaled sharply. Mel coughed. I blinked back to reality and cursed myself mentally. I had let my pheromones slip from my grasp and it had flared. Hs’tar cleared his throat and continued, “General L’Ryx has expressed concerns over his contract’s fulfillment but has refused our entire catalogue of available breeders.”

  “Our contract specified that we would have a choice of who we choose as our breeder,” L’Ryx happily supplied.

  “Let’s take a look, shall we?” I smiled sharply, using my best fuck you customer service voice. I pulled up the contracts on one of my holoscreens. “Yes, it does say you would have a choice—“

  “As I’ve said—“

  “However, your contract also stipulated that the list from which you choose would be provided by us,” I hated being interrupted. I also didn’t buy the whole swaggering smarmy dickhead routine he was pulling either. His fighting style had been cold and calculated. Anything else and he would be dead right now instead of trying to bait me with his facade.

  “Well, what can I say,” L’Ryx leaned back, subtly flexing and stretching. His form fitting uniform was as jet black as his own skin. The high collar of his shirt held four gold lightning bolt like pips on either side near his throat where the material came together. “Word travels far about the beauty and ferocity of the Battle Queen of the Blood Sands. Why would I accept anyone less?”

  “Cut the shit L’Ryx,” I scoffed. “We both know your contract was null and void the moment you challenged me and lost.”

  “If memory serves, it was a draw,” L’Ryx smiled but it seemed a bit more forced, like he was fighting to maintain his act.

  “We gave you an out by declaring it a draw,” Hs’tar sat slowly on the edge of my stone desk, crossing his arms over his chest. “You’re fortunate that we’re also civilised enough not to kill you for installing surveillance throughout the city and hijacking our PA system.”

  “I don’t know what you mean,” L’Ryx replied casually.

  “Commander Melinda, you mentioned an unauthorised ship in our system. Lingering without permission?”

  “Yes, Welo. They appear to be masking their location but also communicating planetside with someone,” Mel was nothing but cold and cruel, “Could be raiders again. I prefer to bomb them back to stone age first then search the debris for any answers. Only if you feel like it, of course.” Good, she’s catching where I’m going.

  General L’Ryx frowned and his eyes darkened. The swirling nebulas there seemed to tighten into a focused predatory glare. “You’ve made your point.”

  “Have I though?” I looked at him innocently.

  “Yes,” he sighed and sat up straighter, letting his little act fall like icicles off his body. I spread my hands before my desk and waited for him to continue. “I was sent by Rentok High Command to be a representative for this contract.”

  “So this breeding contract was legit?” Asked Mel.

  “Yes,” he nodded at Mel. I didn’t believe him. He had to have been lying but I wasn’t about to call him on it. “I took a gamble by trying to lure you out but I don’t regret it.” This time his smile was much more genuine. I narrowed my eyes at him. I had tried the brutish direct route and got half an answer. Maybe if I tried a softer approach I would get the full one.

  “Why me?”

  “Why not you,” he asked. He seemed honestly confused by the question.

  “We have access to over 158 species for breeding contracts. Humans are hardly sought after for breeding,” Hs’tar pushed. Way to make me feel like shit. I mean I know it’s true but damn, warn a bitch before you stab her in the ego.

  “You must not know much about the Rentok if you think that,” he laughed condescendingly. I watched Hs’tar’s jaw tighten.

  “Then enlighten us, L’Ryx,” I winked. I could do condescending just as easily.

  “The Rentok are hyperadaptive,” Hs’tar cut in before L’Ryx could speak, “They’re considered one of the older races. They maintain a dominant genetic structure even when interbreeding with other species. Their species integrates new genetic traits with each generation, making their DNA dense and compact. In fact, their
entire culture is focused on bringing in the best genetic traits into the over all fold.”

  “That’s correct,” L’Ryx looked closer at Hs’tar as if really seeing him. His eyes returned to me. “You are unique.”

  “Well she does have a winning personality,” Mel murmured. L’Ryx laughed heartily and deeply. The sound of it made my thighs twitch. I clamped down on my pheromones, which seemed to want nothing more than to reach out and wrap themselves around that wonderful sound.

  “And a bone shattering kick as well,” L’Ryx chuckled. I shifted slightly in my seat feeling the warm wetness pooling between my thighs. What the fuck is wrong with me. From my periphery I could see Hs’tar shift more towards me. He had one hand on his right thigh and the other braced on my stone desk. It was a perfect analogy for his personality. His perfectly pressed uniform outlined his poised form. His muscles tight and always alert, ready on that knife’s edge to act.

  My breath stuttered for a moment just thinking of how his muscles bunch and contract under my hands or my tongue. My eyes widened fractionally as I dragged myself back to the conversation going on around me. I knew what was happening. I was on the edge of another heat. It didn’t make sense. I shouldn’t be going into another heat for at least another sixty days.

  “At the very least, let me enter into negotiations with you,” L’Ryx pushed.

  “No,” Hs’tar pushed right back. ”All our contracts are filled by willing participants,” he sneered.

  “I wouldn’t have her any other way,” replied L’Ryx indignantly.

  “How generous of you,” scoffed Mel. While I squirmed in lusty thoughts the entire conversation had devolved.

  “General L’Ryx I see no reason to extend the courtesy of negotiations when you’ve been caught planting unauthorised surveillance as well as communicating with a hidden ship,” I interjected cooly.

  “It was never my intention to make you concerned for your safety or the safety of your people,” he apologised. Well, shit that took the wind out of my high horse sails. “We were sent with minimal information and I felt it best to protect myself and my crew while learning as much as I could about who I would be dealing with.” I could empathise with what he had done, and in the end no permanent damage had been wrought. Not to mention the billions in credits we made from live viewing and betting from his impromptu challenge match alone.