“Well, I don’t!” Blayde slammed down his hand on the arm of Kyle’s chair. “And this is my bounty. No, it’s out of the question. I forbid it. We’ll figure out something else, but this is just stupid. ”
With that, Blayde had turned his back and left the command deck, going down to his own quarters, leaving Kyle to stare at the closed door in outrage. Blayde wasn’t his alpha, and even his cousin Lucas, his true alpha, would never lay down an order like that to one of the family. He resented the tone Blayde had taken with him. Blayde may have been a few years older and had more experience with bounties, but he’d be damned if he’d let Blayde tell him what to do. Perhaps Blayde had worked with his mate Ryan too long if he thought Kyle would roll over and obey him just because he fucking forbade it.
For a long time, Kyle had questioned whether or not he was truly an alpha. His brother and all his cousins were, and the curse foretold that all descendants of old Gunnar would be alphas, but did that necessarily make it true?
He wasn’t a gamma either—he liked giving orders, but he was also comfortable in not taking the lead. He often found himself as a pilot, ferrying the bauxite around the galaxies, along with one of his cousins, and he was happy to let that cousin do most of the negotiations with the clients. Maybe a strong beta, then—that seemed more likely to Kyle. He liked the role of strong right-hand man, and as a Balanescu, he’d never had to go through the selections like most other Lycans. They chose their own alpha on Lycanus 3 and that was Lucas.
So the issue of his rank had never really come up. Still, he didn’t like the tone Blayde had taken with him. Kyle knew he was capable and strong, and could handle himself. He didn’t appreciate Blayde telling him what to do. Kyle got up, checked to make sure he had the pouch of diamonds he’d need to make the deal, and defiantly left the ship, heading back to Blood in the Water. Blayde might be pissed when he found out, but so be it. He’d be happy enough when he’d made the deal and arranged the sting. Or at least that’s what Kyle kept telling himself.
Chapter Two
From the moment he left the ship, he felt like he was being observed, but it could have only been his imagination, despite Tarr’s threats. Still, he was feeling a little nervous, and wondered if he wasn’t making a huge mistake.
When he walked into the club, nothing seemed to be any different than earlier in the evening. The place was still mostly deserted, with only a few customers standing near the bar, talking quietly. The bartender glanced up as he walked in and nodded shortly, but still frowned at him. Across the room, from the same corner, he saw the Tygerian, Tarr Bonnet, watching him from the shadows.
Kyle glanced around him, but saw no outward sign of any of Tarr’s men. The men at the bar could have been Nilaniums, but they barely
glanced at him and didn’t seem to show much interest. He knew they must be around, though, and he’d need to be on his guard if this were to have any chance of working. He walked slowly over to Tarr’s table and stood in front of him, looking him over curiously.
He was as handsome as his picture indicated, though his curly hair looked a little greasy and he was in need of good bath, in Kyle’s opinion. Lycans were scrupulously clean, and he couldn’t help wrinkling his nose a bit at the strong, though not altogether unpleasant body odor coming off the Tygerian. His stripes were exotic and beautiful, and Kyle found himself fascinated by the man.
Tarr smiled up at him and fired something off in a rapid language Kyle didn’t understand. When Kyle simply looked at Tarr blankly in response, Tarr gave a short laugh, showing strong white teeth, and spoke again in heavily accented Lycan. “Sit down, wolf. I won’t bite—not much, anyway. ”
He bared his teeth again and indicated a chair across from him. “I must admit I’m interested in what you might have to say to me. It’s been my experience that the Lycans are as bloody-minded as their Alliance cohorts and have little use for Tygerians. I wonder what you could possibly have to say to me that I would be interested in. ”
Kyle sank down to the chair across from Bonnet, took the pouch of diamonds from his jacket and laid it on the table between them. “This is yours if you’ll hear me out. ”
Tarr glanced over at the pouch, and one corner of his mouth quirked up. “Tell me what’s on your mind, Lycan. ”
“I want to give you a love slave—that’s your business, isn’t it? Well, I’ll give you a valuable one and even pay you to take him if you’ll agree. ”
Tarr glanced again at his face and tilted his head a bit to the side. “What sort of love slave? I have very exacting standards. ”
“You saw the man I was with earlier, didn’t you? I’m talking about him. ”
Bonnet narrowed his gaze. “What’s the catch? You two have the look of each other—is he not some kind of relative of yours?”
“He’s my cousin, yes, but there’s no catch to this. He needs to disappear, that’s all, and never come back. Suffice to say I have my reasons. ” He pushed the pouch of diamonds toward Tarr. “He’s young and good looking, so you should be able to find a buyer for him, and I’ll give you another pouch just like this one when you pick him up. ”
“When I pick him up, huh? That easy? And where might I find this man?”
“He’s on my ship. I’ll make sure it is easy for you—I can slip him a sedative in his food. That won’t be a problem. ”
Bonnet shook his head. “If he’s your cousin, why would you do this? I understand Lycan families are quite close. Something about this doesn’t feel right. ”
“He has a human mate that I’ve fallen in love with, if you must know. I need him out of the way so we can be together. It doesn’t really matter, does it? Just get him out of my way and I’ll pay you any price you ask—plus you’ll have whatever you’ll be able to get for selling him. ”
Tarr continued to stare at him, so he leaned forward, trying to make his case. “If that’s not enough, I can get more. Just tell me what you need. ”
Tarr smiled. “What I need?”
“Yes, I’ll get it for you. ”
“That’s a very kind offer, and I’m glad to see you’re so willing to see to my needs. It will stand you in good stead in the years of service to come. ”
Kyle sat back in his chair, his heart beating a little too fast. This asshole was toying with him, that’s all. He had to keep calm and not let him see he’d rattled him. “Don’t threaten me, Tygerian,” Kyle said. He could feel his hackles rising on his spine.
Tarr shrugged. “No threats. But why do I need to go to any more trouble when I already have you, plus this little bag of diamonds?”