Chapter Nine

Chapter 9

Lilly her face and body covered by her black robe stood beside Ronan in Perion’s luxurious office that sat at the top of the five-story tower behind the Pleasure Dome. The expansive white room was filled with luxurious furniture and artwork from all over the galaxy, and animal skins dotted the polished granite floor.

Lily had never seen the owner’s private quarters before; she’d always been too low-level a slave to come anywhere near it. The open room was cleaned by its own servos every night and by several small roaming units that circulated the room constantly dusting and vacuuming.

“So I am given to understand that the female cleaner is not hideous to look upon and has formed an attachment to my Prime?” Perion asked Cheng in obvious annoyance. Perion paused looking up from a sheet of figures on his desk and scowled. “I thought that it was some horrible emergency when you insisted I see them at once.”

“My apologies my lord, but perhaps you should see this first.” Cheng lifted a control from Perion’s impressive glass desk and flicked a switch.

The entire wall behind Perion’s desk disappeared and was replaced by one giant video screen ten feet high and twenty feet wide, on it was Lilly dancing.

“I would buy Lilly, she will still work as she has but I would own all rights to her body.” Ronan blurted out as Perion and Cheng’s eyes became glued to the screen.

“Did you know what she looked like?” Perion demanded turning to look at Ronan.

“No, not till after she was injured. I will give you all the credits in my account if you would sell me Lilly,” Ronan took a step closer to Perion’s desk and Tyrell shook his head.

“Silence I will deal with you later, remove your garments female.” Tyrell directed his gaze to Lilly.

Lilly was frozen in terror for a moment as her fear of discovery was fully realized.

“Remove your garments female before I remove them for you.” Cheng barked.

With trembling hands lily pulled off her veil and threw back her hood before pulling the black robe up and off, letting it drop at her feet. Beside her, Ronan made a soft growl and she shook her head as she felt Cheng and Perion’s gazes rack her from head to foot.

“Take off the rest of your clothes,” Perion ordered as he killed the video feed of Lily dancing.

“Please don’t, I beg you sell her to me. I will work for free just sell her to me.” Ronan begged as he saw tears begin to roll down Lilly’s cheeks.

“You will be quiet or you will be removed.” Perion snapped waving his scaly hand at Ronan.

Lilly closed her eyes and thought of her mother’s garden and the flowers blooming in the warm sun as she toed off her boots and then stripped off the rest of her clothes letting them drop to the cool floor at her feet. Once she was naked she wrapped her arms around herself trying to cover herself as best as possible.

“By the moons she is lovely, come here female so I may inspect you,” Perion ordered.

Lilly forced herself to open her eyes as she tentatively crossed the space to stand before Perion feeling the lizard man’s dark eyes study her closely.

“What is your name female?” Perion demanded as he rose to tower over Lilly.

“Her name is Lilly; please I will give you all that I have.” Ronan stepped towards Perion’s desk and felt Tyrell’s hand on his arm.

“Lilly, an unusual name for an unusual female. I don’t recognize the species but she is lovely. I look forward to being the first to bed her.” Perion’s right hand shot out to grab Lilly by the shoulder dragging her closer to him.

“No please, I can’t.” Lilly cried cringing at the thought of the grey-green-skinned lizard man touching her, of lying with her.

“You would deny me, female, I own you.” Perion pulled Lily closer grabbing her with both hands as she struggled to break free. “I can do whatever I wish with you and at the moment I wish to mate with you, I have never had a pale-skinned female before.”

“No, don’t.” Ronan jerked off Tyrell’s hand and stepped towards the desk only to have pain rip through him dropping him to his knees. He grabbed his collar as he saw Cheng with his finger on his control bracelet.

Lilly sobbed in terror for both herself and Ronan and struggled again against Perion’s hold feeling the tips of his sharp claws pierce her skin. “Please don’t hurt Ronan, I’ll do what you want just don’t hurt him.”

“Very good, if you are a good girl I shall reward you.” Perion traced the claws of his left hand down Lilly’s left arm leaving the feeling of fire in its wake. Then he stepped forward and suddenly bit Lilly on the right shoulder making her scream.

Pain sliced through Lilly from where Perion had bit her and it felt like fire was racing through her blood as her knees grew weak and spots began to dance before her eyes.

“Now you have no choice but to behave.” Perion caught Lilly’s right hand while he turned to the others. “All of you leave now, I will think of a punishment for you later Ronan.”

Ronan forced himself to his feet wondering if he could spring across the desk, tackle Perion and snap his neck before he was shocked into immobility or unconsciousness, he was seething with anger that Perion had bitten Lilly. Ronan had heard that Hyperions could bite a person and inject venom that subdued their prey but he’d thought it was a myth till now.

Lilly felt Perion tug on her hand as the room began to spin as she gasped for breath. She felt him tug her again and then her knees buckled and she toppled sideways to the hard floor unable to stop herself.

“What in the moons?” Perion stammered as Lilly began to convulse on the floor.

Tyrell was the first to react, he slapped his comm button. “Send Arnal to the master’s chamber at once it’s a medical emergency.”

Ronan hurried to Lilly’s side, kneeling on the floor behind her he grabbed her head holding it on his lap as she continued to convulse.

“What is happening?” Ronan demanded.

“I don’t know, look at her arms and the bite mark she is having a reaction to the master’s touch and his bite,” Tyrell said as he threw Lilly’s robe over her naked body and then leaned forward to grab her shoulders trying to pin her in place.

“What is wrong with the female?” Perion demanded as Lily continued to thrash about violently on the floor.

“I’m no medic but it would seem, master that she is reacting to your bite,” Tyrell replied.

“I only wanted to calm her she was still resisting me.” Perion protested as Lilly began to convulse again.

“Where is the medic?” Ronan asked in horror as he watched the wound to Lilly’s neck swell and turn red before his eyes.

“He’s on his way,” Tyrell replied as Lilly continued to convulse.

Ronan was about to reply not fast enough when the chamber door slid open and the healer ran in carrying a black plastic case, he saw Lilly on the floor and hurried over to her.

“What happened?” Arnal demanded as he began running a hand scanner over her.

“I wished to couple with her and she was fighting me. I envenomed her to calm her,” Perion replied his slitted pupils wide in surprise. “No female has ever acted this way before.”

“Her physiology is different, she is similar to Gilesean in many ways and they are allergic to Hyperion venom.” Arnal looked up from his scanner. “She is going into shock I can try to save her but it will be expensive.”

“Do it.” Perion ordered.

“But master think of the cost?” Cheng sniveled.

“And what would happen if word got out I killed a female slave, I could not only lose the Dome but be arrested.” Perion snarled.

“Very well hold her I need to give her an antivenom injection, it might make her seize again,” Arnal said as he reached into his case and pulled out a hypo.

Ronan looked from Lilly to Perion and back, now was the time to ask for her again. “Sell her to me; I will take her as she is.”

“What you still want her?” Perion gave Ronan a puzzled look.

“Yes, she is worthless to you as a sex slave you can see that. Sell her to me what do you have to lose, she will still work to fix the servos and solar panels but she no longer will be a cleaner.” Ronan said tightening his grip on Lilly’s shoulders.

“Master, you can’t be considering this?” Cheng gasped.

“Be quiet if the female dies I lose everything, fine a thousand credits if you buy her now,” Perion stated.

“He will buy her for five hundred credits. You will agree in writing that he owes all rights to her body, that she can never be forced to lie with another male.” Tyrell looked over Lilly’s body at Ronan who nodded his head.

“If you would all stop bickering the girl is dying and I need to work.” Arnal snapped.

“Yes, yes agreed,” Perion replied stepping back.

“Contract heard and witnessed,” Tyrell said catching Ronan’s eyes.

“Contracted agreed to, now save her,” Ronan begged as Arnal gave Lilly another injection.

“I have her stable, but I need to get her to the med bay now,” Arnal said snapping his case closed and standing up.

“I will take her, sign your contract Prime and then come to the med bay.” Tyrell slid his hands under Lilly lifting her effortlessly.

Ronan wanted to protest but he knew Tyrell was right, why Tyrell had helped him he didn’t know and perhaps it didn’t matter, in a moment Lilly would belong to him.

Tyrell with Arnal right behind him hurried out the chamber door leaving Ronan alone with Cheng and Perion.

Tyrell stepped to his desk and activated the built-in computer, he typed something in quickly and then looked at Ronan. “I have set up the transfer of ownership as we agreed to. The female’s body belongs to you and you alone, she will continue to maintain the solar panels and the servos but will no longer be required to clean chambers. If you agree to this place your palm on the scanner and five hundred credits will be transferred from your account to mine.”

Ronan didn’t need to even think twice about it, he stepped up to the desk and quickly scanned the agreement to be sure it was what Tyrell had claimed it was then slapped down his hand. There was a soft ping and a white plastic card popped out of the desk and Tyrrell handed it to Ronan.

“This is your receipt as well as your ownership card for the female. Go be with her, we will discuss your punishment later for keeping her beauty a secret.” Tyrell made a dismissive gesture and Ronan with a nod of thanks all but ran for the door.

Ronan raced through the complex and down to the med bay holding Lilly’s ownership chit tightly in his hand. He would find a way to make this up to Lilly to try and undo some of the harm he’d caused her; he would never forget though that she had agreed to let Tyrell violate her in exchange for not harming him.

Ronan stepped into the med bay and saw Lilly lying under the clear Plexiglass cover as blue healing light played over her sheet-covered body.

“She shall recover, I gave her the anti-venom in time but she will need several days’ rest and at least one treatment,” Arnal said looking up from a bank of monitors.

“Thank you for saving her.” Ronan slipped the precious chit into his pants pocket and stepped up to Lilly’s bed. “When will she awaken?”

“Not for some time. It is better that she sleeps for a while the bite and the scratches would be painful to her,” Arnal replied. “You can go if you want I will contact you when she wakes.”

“No, I will stay with her,” Ronan replied.

“Suit yourself; I’ll be back in a moment,” Arnal said then disappeared into the back room.

Ronan looked across the chamber to see Tyrell leaning against the far wall, he gave Ronan a nod. “Now that you are here I’ll return to my duties.” Tyrell stepped away from the wall and headed towards the door.

“Thank you for helping me, but why?” Ronan asked.

“I like you and her, and I’m not a scum bag I only work for one. My men and I came here to make money; on our home world of Cetus, the Reapers hit us with the Red Fever, what you call the Phage, just as they did Gilese. Millions of my people died and like Gilese only a few females remained. My world has a clan system, and the clans fought to control the females that were left. My clan lost, my men and I could have stayed and been killed or starved or we could go off-world.” Tyrell replied looking at Lilly. “I am also not stupid; since I first saw you fight I knew you were someone important, someone of status. I’m guessing that either reapers or Scavengers attacked your ship and took you prisoner, that they brought you to this dusty back end of the galaxy and sold you. I’m guessing that one day soon your people will come looking for you and when that day happens I’d rather be your friend than your enemy.”

“Thank you and what of Lilly? You have been helping her too.” Ronan said.

“Even before I knew she was a female I liked her. She worked hard, didn’t cause trouble, and was kind. It has been a long time since I saw kindness, I thought there was none left in the galaxy and then I saw her help Lars one day. Cheng had whipped him bloody and left him in the middle of the yard in the burning sun to die, I don’t even know why. Everyone was afraid to move, afraid to help him but not her. Lilly came and with the help of several servos dragged him into the shade of the fountain and tended his wounds, and gave him water. She even helped him to his quarters when the others would have left him to die. She risked being beaten for it but she did it anyway.” Tyrell shrugged. “I must go, I will let the Dome know you are not working for the rest of the day, but tomorrow you will have to come if someone asks for you, it’s all I can do.”

“Thank you; I won’t forget your help,” Ronan replied and Tyrell smiled.

“You’re welcome; take care of your female she is worth a million credits. Latter tell me what world she comes from, I could use a female like her.” Tyrell turned and stepped from the med bay leaving Ronan alone with Lilly.

“He is right you are worth a million credits and more and whether you agree or not you belong to me Lilly and I vow I will try harder to protect you.” Ronan didn’t know when or how it would escape the Pleasure Dome but he did know Lilly was coming with him for he’d die before he left her.