The Nanny and the Alien Warrior by Honey Phillips
Chapter Eleven
Once again, Craxan had not slept, holding Joanna tightly against his chest after she succumbed to an exhausted slumber. He had been truthful with his mate—he was not particularly worried about escorting the captain to pick up his mysterious cargo. But he still hated that he would have to leave her, especially now that they were truly bonded.
His mind replayed the events of the evening over and over. How beautiful she looked without clothing, her soft curves glowing in the warm light. The exquisitely tight clasp of her sweet cunt. The small gasp she gave when he touched her just right. The trust in her eyes when she looked at him while they were locked together.
His cock was as hard as if he had not knotted inside her twice already, experiencing an ecstasy he had never thought to receive.
When his internal alarm warned him that it was time to go, he hesitated. Should he wake her from her peaceful slumber or just leave her a note? He longed to taste her lips again, but which would be easier for her?
In the end, he did not have to decide. As soon as he slipped his arm out from under her, her eyes fluttered open. She looked up at him, her eyes dark and solemn, then pressed a hand to his face.
“Come back to me.”
“Always,” he said just as he had longed to do the previous day.
Her lips trembled, but she smiled at him.
“Should I go and tell Tavi goodbye?” he asked.
She thought for a moment, then shook her head. “I think it would worry her more.”
“Very well.” Time was passing, but it was difficult to tear himself away. “I will miss you, my mate.”
He could see the sparkle of tears in her eyes. “I’ll miss you too, but please don’t say it so seriously. It makes me think this is goodbye.”
“It is not goodbye,” he promised.
“Good.” She managed a smile. “Because I wanted to try base four point one again.”
His cock jerked reflexively. “You are making it very difficult to leave.”
“Consider it a reason to return,” she said.
He could tell she was trying to tease him, even though her voice trembled, and he played along.
“I will. Because I have also been considering four point two.”
His tail traced the soft curve of her ass, and she gave a breathless laugh as he finally pulled away. “I can see we have a lot to explore.”
“Just think of that, and I will be back before you know it.”
He kissed her again, far too quickly, then pulled on his uniform. As he reached the door, he turned back to look at her. She deliberately lowered the sheet to reveal her luscious breasts and circled one rosy nipple.
“I’m considering the possibilities for four point three,” she told him, then laughed when he tripped over his own feet.
He made his way out of the cabin and found Jed waiting for him.
“You’re sure about this?” the other male asked.
“You are as bad as my mate,” he growled. “I gave my word.”
“I know. I just wish we knew more about the captain. Every time I think I have him figured out, he does something that makes me doubt my assumptions.”
Merios was somewhat of a mystery, but he did not believe the male was malicious. Of course, that did not mean that he was not going to the situation with an abundance of caution.
“You will watch over my mate and child while I am gone.”
“Of course.”
The captain was waiting in the cargo hold, and he raised a sardonic eyebrow as they approached. “I’m terribly sorry if this job interrupted your slumber. Or perhaps you weren’t only sleeping?”
He knew Merios was just taunting him, punishing him for being late, and he refused to give him the satisfaction of revealing his annoyance.
“Are we leaving, or are you just going to stand there talking to yourself?”
Merios scowled at him, and turned to Jed. “Lock the ship. No one goes in or out until we return.”
“Yes, Captain.”
“Can I rely on you?”
Jed lifted his chin and met the other male’s eyes. “Yes, Captain.”
Somewhat to Craxan’s surprise, Merios accepted Jed’s assurance without further comment. He turned and led the way down the small personnel ramp. As soon as they reached the bottom, he set it to retreat into the ship.
The usual sense of disorientation washed over Craxan as they crossed the landing field in the dark, but he was used to making the transition from ship time to planet time. By the time they reached the stalls that ringed the field, he had adjusted his internal clock.
Although he had heard of Driguera, he had never been here before. He kept his face impassive as he followed the captain, but his eyes constantly searched for any signs of danger. At least outwardly, Driguera did not appear any worse than any other rather seedy spaceport, although it was significantly larger.
They traveled through streets lined with more stalls, selling everything from food to mechanical tools to highly illegal substances. Even at this late hour, the streets were full of people going about their business. Most of them were armed, he noted, and there were few females other than the occasional pleasure companion.
As they traveled deeper into the port, the streets grew quieter. Retail establishments, heavily barred, were closed for the night. The bars, of course, were not. A fight broke out as they passed one, and a strange male came at them with a knife for no apparent reason other than because they were there. Craxan intercepted him and knocked him to the ground, leaving him clutching a broken wrist and screaming obscenities.
“I knew you were the right male for the job,” Merios said casually as they moved into a more residential section.
A group of males loitering on a street corner looked them over, but must have decided they weren’t worth the effort because they didn’t bother them. The houses grew larger and more prosperous, until they finally emerged on a street lined with enormous townhouses, packed shoulder to shoulder along each side.
“That’s the one,” Merios said quietly, gesturing at one of the largest houses.
The building was typical for wealthy city dwellers. Ornate frescoes decorated the façade, and tall windows lined the upper floors. However, the ground floor had no windows or doors, only a gated tunnel that led through into an inner courtyard. The actual living quarters were only accessible from that courtyard.
Two neatly uniformed guards stood on either side of the tunnel, their eyes alert. Professionals. Merios strolled up to them as casually as if he were walking onto his own ship.
“I am Captain Merios. I have an appointment with Lord Rulmat.”
“And the Cire?”
“Protection. For the product.”
One guard laughed unpleasantly. “How the Cire have fallen. Hired help for a pirate captain.”
Craxan did not bother to respond. Insults did not damage him.
The guard looked disappointed at his lack of response, but he opened the gate and led them down the tunnel, while the other guard remained at his post. Craxan caught the glint of security cameras in the roof of the tunnel, turning to follow their progress.
Elaborate stone mosaics formed the floor of the inner courtyard, with small scented plants artfully arranged around a central pool. But despite the trappings of wealth, the space was designed for defense. Guards on the upper level would have an unobscured view of the entire area. There were no places for an assassin to lie concealed, nowhere for an enemy to shelter.
A chill shivered down his spine. Just who were they meeting?
A four-story building formed one side of the courtyard, the only access a narrow stairway with two guards at the bottom and one at the top. A lower building at the rear of the courtyard was no doubt intended for the guards and the household staff, while the side walls were sheer stone, covered with decorative tiles. Overhead, the night sky had the faintest shimmer, an indication of a protective shield covering the courtyard. The place was a fortress.
The gate guard passed them off to the stairway guards, one of whom followed them up the stairs. At the top of the stairs, the atmosphere changed completely. Lush plantings divided a wide veranda into numerous seating areas, the furniture carved from rare woods and heaped with cushions covered in the finest fabrics. There was no evidence of further security, although he had no doubt it existed.
He followed silently as the guard led them into a great hall with a towering ceiling. The tall windows he had seen from the street lined one side of the room, currently covered with heavy drapes, while the remaining walls were paneled with more exotic woods. The surroundings were designed to impress, but he was more interested in the male lounging next to an actual fire. Like most heavily populated planets, open combustion had been banned on Driguera many years ago. The fact that the male had no hesitation in flaunting the law confirmed his suspicions. Only a very powerful criminal—or a politician—would dare to behave in such a manner.
The male was a Skaal like Jed, but completely different from his friend. His well-oiled scales shimmered in the firelight, covering a body that was no longer in its prime, but still heavily muscled. Small gold piercings outlined his features, then continued down his chest in a series of elaborate designs, visible beneath the open silk robe.
“Captain Merios,” the male drawled. “At last.”
“I apologize, Lord Rulmat. I encountered some unexpected delays.” The captain’s words were polite enough, but the sardonic note was more apparent than usual.
“I was considering cancelling our transaction, but since you are here—do you have my credits?”
Merios held up a gold credit chit. “But of course, I wish to inspect the product first.”
“Of course. This way.”
Rulmat rose to his feet in a single powerful move, then led the way out of the room to a narrow set of stairs tucked in an outside corner. As soon as they were below the main level, the elaborate paneling disappeared, replaced by rough stone walls. At the bottom of the stairs, Rulmat unlocked a door and ushered them through into a stark, dimly lit corridor. The air smelled of blood and violence, and Craxan’s tail lashed anxiously.
Despite his finery, Rulmat looked at home in this dark basement, perhaps even more than he had in the riches above, and Craxan grew increasingly suspicious of the reason for their trip.
“The product is in here.” Rulmat unlocked a dirty yellow door.
The only light came from the hallway behind them, and it took a moment for Craxan’s eyes to adjust. Outrage roared through him as he saw the figure chained to the far wall. Human. Female. And painfully young, he realized as he took in the pale, dirty face behind the gag. A bruise discolored one cheek, but her eyes blazed defiantly at him.
He started to turn, to seize the worthless male by the throat—and Merios pressed a blaster against his back.
A shot in that specific spot would be instantly fatal, but he would have chanced it anyway if it was not for Joanna and Sultavi. The bastard was dealing in slaves. He had to make it back to the ship before the captain could add the two of them to his cargo. How could he have been so stupid as to trust the other male?
“Not in the best condition,” Merios drawled, and Craxan’s tail lashed with suppressed rage, as he waited for his opportunity to kill both males.
Rulmat shrugged. “She cleans up all right. If you like that kind of thing.”
“Yet you want to get rid of her?”
“I got what I wanted. And I’m tired of the constant defiance.”
“Which also lessens the value.”
“Not necessarily. Some males enjoy it.” Rulmat’s fangs flashed as he leered at Merios. “I’ve even heard that Kissat males like a good tussle.”
Did the fur spike on the captain’s shoulders? He couldn’t tell in the uncertain light.
“Occasionally,” Merios drawled, but his voice sounded strained.
“Anyway, we have already agreed on a price. Are you changing your mind?” Rulmat raised a pierced brow. “I have plenty of other buyers interested.”
“No. We will take her away from you.” The captain tapped the blaster meaningfully against Craxan’s back as he spoke, then let it drop. Did his words have an underlying meaning?
Despite the rage still sizzling in his veins, he also realized that Merios had made sure the other male could not see the blaster. He forced himself to remain quiet and await additional information.
“Off this planet,” Rulmat insisted. “That was the arrangement.”
“We’re heading for the underground market on Regten,” Merios drawled. “Is that far enough?”
Craxan managed to keep his face impassive, even though Regten was in the opposite direction from Trevelor. However, the female struggled even more wildly, her muffled protests muted by the gag.
The captain sighed. “Do you have a cloak? I do not wish to attract attention, and I suspect she will not come quietly.”
“There should be something in the room at the end of the corridor. Your Cire can fetch it while we conclude our business.”
Merios nodded, shooting him what looked like a warning look. His anger had cooled to the point where he suspected there was more to this encounter than his original impression, so he jerked an assent and obeyed. All he could find was a ripped and none too clean blanket, but it was better than nothing.
He returned just as the other two completed the transaction.
“Remember,” Rulmat said. “Off planet. If I hear that you decided to pick up a quick profit at the local market instead, I will not be pleased.”
His previous affability had vanished, his voice low and deadly, confirming Craxan’s earlier suspicions. Rulmat was more than just a wealthy merchant with a penchant for human females.
“We’re leaving immediately,” Merios assured him, then turned to Craxan. “Bring the female.”
Rulmat manipulated a wall control and the chains retracted. The female crumpled to the floor. Her ankles and wrists were still bound, and he bent to untie them.
“If you do not want to attract attention, you will not release her.” Rulmat had resumed his previous mocking tone.
Craxan shot a look at Merios, and the captain nodded grimly. Perhaps he was right. There were far too many unsavory individuals walking the streets of Driguera to take the chance.
“This is for your own good,” he murmured softly as he wrapped the blanket around the female, covering her completely, then placed her over his shoulder as gently as possible.
He hated it. Not only did he hate the entire situation, but he hated carrying any female other than his mate. His skin crawled from the touch of another female, and her smell irritated his scent receptors. It was all he could do to keep his face impassive as they climbed back up the stairs.
The guards jeered at them as they left, but didn’t interfere.
As soon as they were two blocks away from the house, he pulled Merios into a shadowed doorway.
“Now tell me what the hell is going on,” he demanded.
