Chapter 21 #3
Holotulle was the capital world of the Coalition.
Every member species had their own planet, save for one.
The vitulli, the species of the High Imperium, had no home world.
Trove heard that it was destroyed when their sun went supernova, that they couldn’t go back.
Holotulle was a fully artificial ring world that they’d built around a different sun and then adopted as their homeworld instead.
The ringworld was massive. Monolithic on a scale that was cosmic.
It was divided into many different districts.
Half of them were ‘natural’, in that they were designed to be practically wild.
The other half were urban and suburban. It was so huge that every species in the Coalition had thriving populations there, many of whom had never even seen their home planet.
Though, now that he thought about it, it was interesting.
The vitulli had built the thing, but no one ever saw a vitulli living there.
The only one known was the High Imperium themselves, and no one knew what they even looked like.
It was like the species had built the ringworld for the sake of everyone else.
Hyde apparently made his home there. That wasn’t very surprising, especially for the super wealthy. It was the ultimate hub of intergalactic trading and business. It even facilitated trade with species that weren’t part of the Coalition.
He supposed that meant they’d be going to visit Holotulle. They’d been there a few times, though he didn’t recognize the district Chee mentioned. He supposed if it was a really wealthy one, he wouldn’t know it off the top of his head.
They made plans for getting to Holotulle, for how they would transport the cup, what kind of cup it might be.
Sure, it could be something that fit in the hand; it could also be something that required three grown males to lift.
Just because it was called a ‘cup’ didn’t mean it was literally a cup.
He imagined Hyde wouldn’t have hired them if they were incapable of transporting it, but that didn’t mean it would necessarily be easy.
It was all just basic conversation. Speaking more hypothetically than anything since they still didn’t know exactly what they were transporting.
Trove was happy just to listen to it. Watching over Chee as she discussed Hyde’s manor.
She had stayed there for a short time, apparently, when she first came over from Earth and before she was sent on to find them.
It was very nice, according to her, and the staff had been very attentive, and the food really good.
Rich people stuff, basically.
He wasn’t even feeling impatient yet when the silver furred male finally returned and announced that Rinnicks was waiting for them.
Once again, he let Chee take the forward role. She would be doing the majority of the speaking since this was still her job. They were just here to pick up a cup.
Rinnicks had on clothes today. Well, sort of.
She was wearing a tiny, slinky, slip of a dress that clung to every curve of her body.
The shiny purple fabric would have drawn the eye even without it being so absolutely provocative.
But it was, ending just low enough to hide her cunt, while the sides were open, only a thin black string crisscrossing over her flanks to keep the front and back pieces together.
She was barefoot, laying back on her bed, one of her males tucked into her arm, sleeping on her breast, fully nude and sated.
Showing off again. But this time with a hard gleam in her eyes.
“I know you’re not here to tell me no,” she said by way of greeting, looking right at Trove.
He smiled back at her, but Chee was the one to respond.
“I’m afraid that our deal is purely business,” she said. “And as we say on Earth, we don’t mix business with pleasure.”
Rinnicks sneered. “What foolishness. I work in the business of pleasure. That’s all I do. That’s all business is. Trying to buy what gives you pleasure.”
“The answer is still no,” Chee assured her, no wavering in her tone.
“You do not own him,” Rinnicks snarled, tusks on display. “You are not his mate. You do not get to speak for him.”
Chee flinched.
Trove winced.
That hit a little too close. Was it so obvious that they were disconnected? Could no one else even tell that they were bonded?
Well, they weren’t bonded.
Pre-bonded?
That sounded worse. He liked these thoughts less and less as he had them. So, he instead just smiled at her and said simply-
“Flattered as I am by your offer, I will have to decline it. I’m here only to help deliver the cup and nothing more.”
He knew that look that came over her eyes.
Rejection. Surprise. Then, anger. Furious at his audacity. Like it was an honor for her to even have offered in the first place and him telling her no was a personal affront against her.
“I am not denied anything I want,” she growled.
“I am sure there are many males who are far better than me who will be happy to service you. But I will have to decline.”
She snarled. All her teeth and her two prominent tusks on display. Not at all mollified. Because he was the one she wanted, but he had told her no. And that, for someone used to getting everything their hearts desired, was a terrible insult.