Roman muttered something under his breath. I couldn’t make out the words, but his demeanor said it all.
“What of your daughter? How did he sneak her out?” Roman asked with a clipped voice.
“Siona was quite petite at the time—my baby was a late bloomer,” I added with a nervous smile. “He placed her in stasis inside one of their crates. I only consented because we could track her vitals remotely, and because she would only remain inside it for a few hours.”
“Two Guldan females, one of them a virgin, outside Guldar,” Roman reflected out loud. “You, and especially your daughter, are worth a fortune. No wonder he kept you trapped. But I don’t understand why he didn’t try to impregnate you.”
I tapped my left upper arm with a smirk. “Contraceptive implant. He had mine removed during my surgery, but as it had been close to expiring at the time, I already had a new five-year one that I auto administered. He has no idea I have it. It’s still good for a little over a year.”
“Smart girl,” Roman said with a smile before sobering. “However, I admit knowing little about Guldan females. What makes you think you can handle a Braxian?”
“Guldan children are born fully horned,” I explained. “Our womb and inner walls are reinforced to resist tears and injury from the sharp tips. They are also very stretchy to allow an easy delivery of our larger babies, horns included. We do not tear, we adjust.”
Roman looked at me with new eyes, an impressed but kind smile stretching his thin lips.
“Well then, that changes things. Your secret is safe. I am meeting with a Braxian in a couple of days from now. He’s a good man and a good friend. Let me see if I can work something out for you.”
We spent the next ten minutes ironing out the final details. By the time I headed back home in the Commons—the affordable section of the space station reserved for customers of low to average wealth and the regular staff of both the Commons and VIP sections—my head was swimming at the thought of a potential new beginning.
As I disabled the multiple locks restricting the access into my humble apartment, I couldn’t stop thinking that, in two days, our lives could completely change. No more fear and no more stretching every credit to ensure my baby’s safety.
I pushed the door which opened onto a narrow corridor where Tamika—my friend and Siona’s babysitter—was standing. She was stunning with her dusty blue skin, elven face with a pointy chin, her large, doll eyes of the deepest blue, and her long silver-white hair almost identical to mine, the petite Avean female was one of the most sought-after females at Bacchus. Like me, she was working off an Indentured Servant contract with Luther. Unlike me, she’d negotiated smartly.
“How did it go?” Tamika asked as sole greeting.
I closed the door behind me and gave her a trembling smile. “Roman is going to try to find me a buyer. He hopes to have some positive news for me in a couple of days.”
“Oh Goddess, that’s wonderful!” she exclaimed, hugging me fiercely.
“Mama?” Siona said, her soft voice filled with hope.
“Sweetie,” I said, letting go of Tamika to pull her into my arms.
She hugged me tightly, and I kissed her forehead between the delicate obsidian horns which started at the top of her forehead, recurved over her head with their sharp points rising back up. They contrasted sharply with the silky curls of her silver-white hair. Cupping her cheeks in my hands, I pulled back to look at her beautiful face. Although my stamp was all over it, her slightly more prominent cheekbones, her emerald green eyes and button nose, and the aura of innocence emanating from her gave my daughter a unique glow that would take anyone’s breath away. No wonder they coveted my little gem.
“Everything will be all right,” I whispered to her. “Roman will help us. Come what may, I will never let anyone hurt you.”
Chapter 1
Krygor
As we approached the security gate of the Lilith Hive docking bay, the guests on my firstborn’s state-of-the-art pleasure barge cowered before us. The fearsome faces of my pilot Yulan and engineer Zartag reflected the same amusement I felt. As Braxians, we towered over most other species by at least a head, sometimes more. Considered as giants, with biceps bigger than a human head, our bodies were naturally built for war. I loved seeing the little people squirm, trembling in their boots, their eyes all but popping out of their heads as we strolled past them.
But then, I was slightly deranged.
I was born in the wrong era, after the Great Wars. As the Leader of a warrior clan, I lusted after blood and battle, the sound of my enemies’ screams the sweetest of music, and the feel of their bones crushing beneath my fists an almost orgasmic sensation. I welcomed physical pain, feeding my battle rage with it to inflict it right back to my foes a thousandfold. Too bad the Galactic Council had brought peace to the Eastern Quadrant.
“Welcome to Lilith Hive, Mr. Aldriss!” said one of the guards manning the gate while waving us through with deference. “It is an honor to have you among us.”
I grunted in acknowledgment and gave him a slight nod. My crew puffed their chests as the guard also welcomed them with respect. Although I kept a neutral expression on my face, pride filled my heart to bursting as I walked past the security check onto the imposing entrance hub of the entertainment space station. Lilith Hive was one of seven pleasure barges built by my firstborn son, Anton; a half-breed. Back in the day, by Braxian customs, I should have put him down for not being pureblood. Sparing him not only changed the fate of my formerly struggling clan—making it one of the richest and most powerful of Braxia—it also helped change the course of history for our people.
I still couldn’t fully grasp how he had managed to achieve all of this when every possible odd had been stacked against him. Lilith Hive was his second largest space station—after his HQ named Venus Hive—and could house nearly five million people. The most wealthy and the common folk from all sentient species of both Quadrants flocked here to enjoy everything that the Hive Network had to offer. Each station offered entertainment in all forms from music concerts to dance shows, casinos to gladiator arenas, fashion and gastronomical, and of course, every possible shade of adult entertainment.
But I wasn’t here for pleasure… yet. My son had turned my barren farmlands on Braxia into a gold mine, making me extremely wealthy in my own right. While grateful for how that had changed the fate of my clan, I had made it a point to prove myself worthy of him in return and grow that wealth further.
The chauffeur sent to pick me up by my business contact waved at me while standing by a sleek, oversized hovercar to comfortably accommodate my massive frame. I waved him back before turning to my men.
“You have a two-day leave,” I said, smirking at their overjoyed expression. “Anton has given you both free access to every venue on the station. Do not make him regret it.” I didn’t need to add they’d face my wrath if they did. “If you intend to sleep in one of the local hotels instead of aboard the ship, make sure to give them an early enough warning. Otherwise, enjoy.”
“Yes, Clan Leader,” both men answered respectfully.
With another grunt, I headed towards the vehicle, nodded at the chauffeur as he babbled some words of greeting, and settled inside without a word. My gaze roamed over the various species strolling down the large walkways alongside the elegant buildings of the VIP venues boasting muted colors and fancy business signs. Humans dominated in numbers, skewing heavily towards a greater female presence. They were beautiful. Unlike any other species, they came in a great variety of heights, sizes, shapes, skin, hair and eye color, and facial traits.