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UNLESS SHE WAS THE one issuing a command, “no” was not a word Ariette allowed into her vocabulary. And neither was failure.
The attack on the officials would have been flawless if not for Nyssa Dakros. Her manipulation of the icing spray had been instrumental in preventing the Chamagor from reaching his target. On top of that, the aggravating female had managed to send a warning transmission to the hunters. Four of the mercenaries she’d hired were dead, and the other two wouldn’t be around long enough to cause her any problems.
Erak’s younger sister was turning out to be a pain in her royal ass. A pain she’d taken measures to get rid of soon.
She’d coveted Erak from the first moment she’d seen him. It rankled her that the hunters had ruined her plans to make him one of her personal pleasure males. In addition to his loss, they’d uncovered Boyd’s network that supplied females to the slavers. An endeavor she’d greatly profited from considering she was the one to convince Molock, the now-deceased Klorthon warrior, to abduct and deliver the women.
The hunters were also tracking Harris Tremaine. The coward was in hiding, so obtaining males for his fight arenas was no longer a viable business. The last males she’d received payment for were the two hunters the Klorthons had taken when they’d captured Erak’s ship.
As technologically advanced as her planet was, they still had some archaic laws. The one impacting her the most stated that women were forbidden to rule. Even if her brother were to die after replacing her father, another male relative would be selected for the position.
Ariette stood near the viewing pane in the gathering room of the Ledorrion’s temporary quarters and stared at the landscape outside. The plant life was denser, the temperatures warmer than on Ryserna. She couldn’t wait to leave this dreadful planet and return home. After snatching her communicator from a nearby shelf, she pressed one of the frequently used buttons. Myles responded, but she ignored his pleasantries. “What is the status on the mercenaries?”
“They are no longer a problem. As discussed, their bodies won’t be discovered for several days, and there is nothing to link them to either of us.”
Shortly after Boyd’s capture, Myles had uncovered her connection to both the slavers and the fight arenas. It turned out the patrol commander was extremely greedy and hated the hunters more than she did. Not one to leave her future in the hands of her male relatives, she devised a plan to gain control of Rivean. If she controlled the ore, she’d be able to force the foolish males on her planet to make her their ruler. She’d also have control over the other planets that relied on the ore.
“I cannot wait to reward you for your efforts.” Ariette strained to keep the disgust out of her voice. Sex was her greatest weapon, and detestable as it was to share her body with Myles, she’d used it successfully to persuade him to become her partner.
The only other male who stood in her way was Dale Keagan. Manipulating him wouldn’t have been possible, which was why she’d hired the Chamagor. Not only would using the assassin throw suspicion on Tremaine, but killing Keagan while he was under the hunters’ care would undermine their standing with the council. It would instill doubt about their capabilities to protect the ore.
“What about Veros? His infatuation with the Tarron woman is going to cause problems,” Myles said.
“I know how to handle my brother.” Ariette loved her sibling. He’d taught her how to be ruthless, both in and out of the bedroom. She would never let any harm come to him.
Ariette didn’t understand his fascination with Nyssa. The thought of one day having that particular female as her queen and being forced to bow down to her was more than she could tolerate. “After today, Nyssa Dakros will no longer be a concern.”
“I’ll leave it in your capable hands, then,” Myles might have verbally agreed, but she could hear the distrust in his voice.
He was becoming a liability, one she could use to her advantage. “I need you to meet with me as soon as possible. I will send you the location.”
“But the conference,” he balked.
“Can wait. I cannot,” she cooed seductively.
“I will be there shortly.”
I know you will. The promise of sex never failed her. “Good, then I will await your arrival.” Ariette disconnected the link. It was time to initiate the rest of her plan.
#
NYSSA HELPED LYNA SEARCH the bedrooms while Dawson and Kyllan were outside running diagnostics on the sensors and transmission links. The dignitary who occupied these quarters, along with his staff, was attending the conference, and she was glad for the reprieve. The last two buildings they’d searched hadn’t provided any answers, and she’d spent most of her time consoling the distressed females.
A thin layer of sweat coated her brow. She was tempted to adjust the filter on the viewing pane to reduce the amount of sunlight warming the room, but preferred leaving things the way the current resident had left them.
“Nothing here.” Nyssa finished going through the last section of a storage unit, then slid the sealing panel back into place.
“I didn’t find anything either.” Lyna appeared stressed and exhausted.
Nyssa could relate to both. She remembered how panicked she’d felt once the meeting had ended and she knew Erak would seek her out to question her about Dawson. She’d stayed next to Lyna, bracing for the confrontation and fighting the temptation to bolt. When he didn’t arrive, she’d glanced across the room and found him facing away from her and speaking to Kel.
If Nyssa didn’t have a suspicious nature, she would have ignored the way Kel’s gaze had briefly locked with Lyna’s. She would have missed the way he’d tipped his head slightly toward the open doorway. And she certainly wouldn’t have given any thought to Lyna gripping her arm above the elbow and hastily getting her to leave.
“What did Kyllan whisper in your ear at the meeting?” Nyssa asked, squelching all signs of apprehension.
“He offered to remove Dathan’s balls for me.” Lyna grinned. “Tempting offer, but I’ll probably end up doing it myself.”
“Lyna, I...” Nyssa wished there was something she could do, but empathy went only so far. Dathan was a good male, but his treatment of Lyna lately was not normal for him. If things didn’t change, Nyssa would confront him herself.
Lyna held up her hand. “There is nothing to discuss. Besides, I would much rather hear about your night with Dawson.”
Nyssa knew better than to argue. “Fine, what do you want to know?”
“Did you have sex? Did he fulfill all your fantasies? And most importantly, does he know you’re his mate?” Lyna quickly tossed out the questions.
“None of your business to all.” Nyssa’s communication device buzzed, signaling an incoming transmission. She unhooked it from her belt and read the distressing message on the screen.
“Is something wrong?” Lyna asked.
“It is from Alayna. I am sure it is nothing. With her father at the conference, she is probably bored and playing tricks.”
“Are her quarters close by?”
“Yes, not far from here.”
“Go check on her.” Lyna gestured for her to leave. “I can finish the other bedrooms.”
“I will hurry.” Nyssa paused in the doorway and glanced over her shoulder. “Hopefully, she has not gotten into any trouble, and I will return before Dawson and Kyllan know I am gone.”
