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LURIN'S SURRENDER
By
Marie Harte
© copyright September 2004, Marie Harte
Cover art by Eliza Black, © copyright September 2004
ISBN 1-58608-137-3
New Concepts Publishing
Lake Park, GA 31636
www.newconceptspublishing.com
This is a work of fiction. All characters, events, and places are of the author's imagination and not to be confused with fact. Any resemblance to living persons or events is merely coincidence.
Chapter One
Captain Mara Seni swore as the ship encountered another round of hostile fire from the Melan rebels.
"Damned ex-patriots," she seethed as she fought to keep her ship in one piece. Not only had the rebels come out of nowhere in the middle of an asteroid storm, but they'd interrupted her crew's attempts to subdue her thrashing and less-than-willing captive.
She narrowly guided the ship out of a speeding asteroid's path and smiled grimly as she watched it destroy one of the three Melan ships tracking her.
"Damn it, release me, you heathen fethra," a deep voice bellowed angrily from the hallway. "When I get free I'm going to make you all pay for this," he roared, a deadly promise too intense to ignore.
Swearing under her breath, Mara jockeyed her ship out of the storm and quickly thrust into hyper drive. The minute her ship leapt out of the Melans' sight, she exhaled with relief and left the controls to see to her prisoner.
She encountered him with the other three of her crew. She grudgingly respected her captive's strength. He struggled under the two hulking Fas brothers and the quick-as-a-whip Catam of Mardu. She had ordered her crew to be firm and if necessary, a bit rough. After all, the prisoner had committed a ruthless crime.
"Ah, so the dark eyed woman was not a mere figment of my imagination after all," the captive purred and stared at her insolently as she approached. His light blue eyes fairly sizzled as they traced her from the top of her golden brown hair to the tips of her boots.
"That's our captain," Catam said quietly and knocked the captive back with a hard punch to his midsection. "Show some respect."
The captive absorbed the blow but made not a sound. Again Mara studied him curiously, wondering how a man that looked like this could have turned into a murdering rapist.
He had dark blue-black hair and sun-kissed skin. His build towered over hers, and Mara considered herself a tall woman.
His muscular forearms led to thick biceps and a broad chest, visible through the sleeveless and ripped tunic he wore. His skintight rak-hide leggings suggested similar strength in his powerful thighs.
But his face. Stars, Mara thought, irritated for having noticed. With a face like that and a body to match, this man should never have to resort to rape. His straight nose and sharp chin framed an arrogant face. High cheekbones and cat-slanted eyes gave him an exotic look, made even more stunning by his thickly lashed electric-blue eyes and full, sensuous lips.
Mara watched those lips curve in sardonic amusement as she said nothing, merely studied the man before her.
"Like what you see?" His smooth voice beckoned her closer. For a startled moment she almost stepped forward. Then she mentally shook herself and stared angrily at her prisoner.
"You are Lurin Vez, are you not?" she asked throatily, suddenly conscious of her own sensuality.
His eyes lit but he said nothing, his gaze firmly on her mouth.
"He is," Nu, the elder Fas brother spoke.
"We searched his belongings earlier and found this," his brother Set remarked. He held out a system tag that clearly showed her prisoner's likeness against the name Lurin Vez.
"Good." Mara smiled and the prisoner blinked, his gaze leaving her lips to peruse the rest of her face. "Nobless Cari Elaran has a bounty on your head," she said pleasantly. She watched but could detect no recognition in his shuttered gaze at the name. "We'll have you at her estate in less than a week's time, captive Vez."
"Why are you doing this?" Lurin struggled against the Fas brothers again, his muscles straining to regain freedom from the shackles at his wrists and legs.
"Come now, captive Vez." Mara shook her head in disappointment, making a mental note to continue to address him as "captive". He didn't like it one bit. "You raped the Nobless' virgin daughter and murdered her future mate. Surely you didn't think that action would go unpunished?"
He stared at her in surprise, as if unaware of the heinous crimes he'd committed. Mara waited patiently for him to refute the accusations; she could read the denial on his face.
"That's why you're bringing me in?" he asked softly, his eyes intent on her face.
"Please, no more games." Mara felt an odd sense of disappointment. Most of her bounties protested innocence until confronted with their guilt. For some reason she thought Vez would be different. He possessed a core of strength that unfortunately went no further than the physical. "Nu, Set, take him to his new quarters. And Catam, make sure all is clear for our journey to planet Jaron."
Her crew did her bidding easily since the prisoner ceased fighting. Perhaps now that his crimes had been brought into the open, he realized he had nothing with which to bargain.
Mara smiled bitterly. She didn't believe in bargaining with men regardless. She lived a simple life, a solitary existence devoted to her career as a bounty hunter. She had no use for pleasures of the flesh or emotional attachments. And though not overly satisfied with her lot in life, she did feel content.
Though her job brought bursts of excitement, Mara preferred when the job went smoothly. Relieved that the crisis with Vez had been averted, she headed to the galley for some sustenance. Since the capture of her prisoner, she'd been awake for more than two days.
His capture had been a thing of beauty, she recalled, and grabbed a tray of food before she sat down. Staring at the unappetizing fare, she thought about Vez and the circumstances surrounding the mysterious criminal.
From one of her many sources, Mara had received word that her latest quarry had been hiding out on one of the Melan moons, a smart move considering the Melans' dislike for anything Elaran.
Disguised as a pleasurer, Mara had visited bar after bar on Sheias--the central moon to which all information funneled concerning planet Melan. Soon armed with his whereabouts, she'd easily infiltrated the rebel club where Vez had been drinking by himself in a corner. For the right price, a serving girl agreed to tamper with his next drink.
The drug had worked surprisingly well and the Fas brothers escorted him unhindered to her ship. They'd been sitting cloaked in space, waiting out the Melan rebel force's movements, when her captive had revived.
She frowned and forced herself to eat. Vez had proven himself amazingly strong, almost defeating both Fas brothers until Catam had entered the scene. The Fas brothers hailed from Ragga, a planet known for delivering inhumanly strong species due to the minerals found in the water.
For Vez to have almost defeated not one, but two Raggas meant that he was no ordinary human. His unusual good looks could be attributed to any number of planetary inhabitants, but his strength made her wonder. Then there was the matter of his intoxicating voice. Something in his tenor denoted simmering power. A telepath, maybe? His overt sensuality though, bespoke of something more. If she hadn't known better, she might have thought him a Thesha.
A Thesha, sure. She scoffed at her overworked imagination.
The Thesha had been a legend for as long as she could remember. No matter that the nobles in the system still searched and raged about the sensually gifted race, Mara didn't believe they existed anymore, if they had in the first place. Imagine a race of men able to pleasure a woman without cease. Obviously a tale created by deprived women.
"Captain?" Catam stepped quietly into the galley and waited for her to acknowledge him.
"Yes?"
"We're set for Jaron. I enabled the communicator should you like to inform Nobless Cari that we're on our way." His sensual, gold eyes brightened with intensity as he stared at her, and Mara had the uneasy suspicion that she would need to make at least one stop before reaching Jaron.
From the beginning of her captaincy, Mara hadn't wanted to use a crew of men only, but her need for their strength and solidarity of warlike mindsets had made the decision to exclude females an easy one.
An unusual maiden, Mara had been trained in the arts of war since she was old enough to stand. Softness was not a part of her. When she felt such uncomfortable stirrings, she returned to her training. Unlike the men she worked with, however, she felt free of the lusts they often suffered.
She'd made sure to take on men she could trust, and though they never discussed such matters, Mara always made sure to stop at a pleasure point somewhere in space where her crew could see to their base needs. Left untended, she worried her men might grow lustful around her.
"Good work, Catam." She nodded at him. He watched her carefully while maintaining a respectful distance. Mara knew should she give him the slightest hint, Catam would take her to bed without question. Rumors of the sensual Mardu had at times made her wonder what held her back.
"I'll go talk to the Nobless." She pushed away her half-eaten food and stood. "Oh, and Catam? Set a course for Nebe6 on our way to Jaron. You and the others have performed well this week."
At mention of the pleasure planet Nebe6, Catam smiled widely. He bowed and with a mischievous wink left her to reset course.
Mara shook her head. Males. They were so predictable. She left the galley and moments later entered her captain's quarters. She sat down at the communicator and activated the vidscreen.
"Nobless Cari?"
She watched as the vidscreen revealed a handsome woman in her midyears. Nobless Cari had a head of dark red hair, brown eyes, and the gloriously smooth skin of a woman many years younger. Wealthy beyond belief, the Nobless had survived two past matings and now had only herself and her daughter Sara to care for.
"Yes, Mara," the Nobless answered in a voice used to being obeyed. "I'm glad you called. I trust everything is in order."
Mara ignored the Nobless' imperious tone and focused instead on the other twenty thousand beks she'd receive once she pulled off this bounty. "Everything went like clockwork, my lady. We have Lurin Vez in captivity and should arrive within the next few days."
"Splendid, Mara," the Nobless commented evenly. Mara thought the woman's satisfaction a trifle odd. If Mara had a daughter that had been raped, the rapist's capture would stir more than a cool "splendid".
"I've got plans for him," Nobless Cari murmured slyly, her face darkening with an expression akin to ... desire?
"Yes, well," Mara trailed uncomfortably. "I just wanted to let you know we've got him."
"Wonderful. I trust he's not overly harmed?"
What does that matter? He raped your daughter. "He's not happy, but he's in good health."
"Wonderful. We'll see you soon. And for a job well done, I'm adding another five thousand on top of the twenty awaiting your arrival."
Mara watched in consternation as the vidscreen blanked. Something about this entire situation felt wrong. Mara had met young Sara. A quiet yet pretty young woman of eighteen, she was betrothed to a wealthy, older nobleman. Though Sara appeared the proper young miss, Mara had seen something in Sara's eyes to suggest the girl had more fire under her skin than she allowed to show.
Foolishness. Shaking her head, Mara forced thoughts of the perplexing Nobless Cari and her daughter from her mind to focus on the present. She finished some administrative details she'd been procrastinating and decided to take some much needed rest. She paged Catam and informed him of her status, then made a last trip to ensure the security of her prisoner.
Around the corner from the crew's berthing, Mara opened a small portal at eyelevel on the secured door of Vez's cell. He lay on a narrow bed, his massive arms folded behind his head as he contemplated the ceiling. She shifted to get a better look. Sensing her movement by the door, he shot up in bed, his eyes locked on hers.
The quickness of his action startled her. He had seemed rested, half asleep, when suddenly he moved like one of Catam's people, the Mardu.
Vez leapt off the bed and approached her. Though a door separated them, she felt as if he stood directly in front of her. Her eyes narrowed and she frowned, irritated that she had to look up to see his face.
Her captive smiled down at her, the expression not reaching his icy blue eyes.
"Ah, lady, how good to see you again," he said in a low purr. "Why don't you come in and visit for a spell?"
His gaze beckoned and Mara felt an odd compulsion to do as he suggested. In his eyes she saw herself enfolded in his grasp, his large hands removing every piece of her clothing, his mouth trailing down her neck to her full breasts....
Mara shook her head, shocked to see her hand poised above the security console. She angrily moved away from the window and glared up at him.
"You, Vez, are going to receive Nobless Cari's hospitality in just under a week's time." Mara's eyes darkened to black and her mouth flattened into a grim line. "And when the Nobless takes you behind closed doors, you'll pray for mercy, something unlike that which you showed poor Sara and her mate."
"I don't think so, beauty," he rasped, his voice all the more threatening for its soft intensity. He lowered his head so that they saw eye to eye through the opened window. "I think you've made a grave mistake, one that's going to cost you." His eyes raked over her body and he licked his lips, an action that sent heat spiraling to her loins. "I'll enjoy making you pay."
Mara simply stared at him, appearing unfazed by his threats. Ignoring her racing heartbeat, she raised a brow at him and grinned as if amused, then slapped the portal shut. She congratulated herself when she heard him curse.
Having faced down her menacing prisoner, she returned to her private quarters, determined to get at least a few hours of sleep. Confused at her odd reactions to Vez, she suddenly felt as limp as a rag. Apparently her sleepless nights had caught up to her. She stumbled into bed, exhausted and fully clothed, and fell immediately asleep.
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