"I know. Silvador explained it to me. But really, Sinn-Rahl, who else is qualified like I am? I know that the... requirements of this assignment bother you, but I'm fine with them. It's a completely different story from when I was a pleasure slave in the public harem," I said.

I leaned against the bulkhead in Sinn and Rune's apartment on the space station we lived and worked on. I watched Sinn-Rahl, once the crown prince of Felrou, my home country, now Fire Lord, frown at me. When Sinn had abdicated the throne to become Fire Lord, I followed him as he followed the love of his life, Rune, an employee of Mayhem, Inc. All of his personal guardsmen went with him when he left our planet, Daehel. He was an easy man to follow, and we all felt we owed our allegiance to him for various reasons.

Rune promised us all jobs at Mayhem, Inc. doing what she did: bodyguard work, bounty hunting, and the occasional assassination. She delivered on her promise, too. I liked the work, as did the other former royal guards. It was more challenging and rewarding than standing around in a palace trying not to look bored for hours on end.

"But this person, Jareth, he'll want to... he needs to...." Sinn stumbled over the idea.

"He'll want to suck your blood and fuck you into oblivion, maybe at the same time. Personally, I think it sounds kinky as all get out. Think he'd let me watch you two go at it?" asked Rune as she slouched on the couch.

"Rune!" Sinn exclaimed.

"What? I watched Zivon's brother Zesiro bang a guy on the dance floor once. It was pretty hot. Guys like watching two chicks go at it. Why wouldn't chicks like seeing two guys go at it?"

I laughed as Sinn scowled and muttered that it wasn't the same thing at all. Rune was completely irrepressible. I'd never met anyone like her before or since. She did what she wanted, when she wanted, and consequences be damned.

"I don't know if he'd let you watch, but I can ask if you want," I offered. I knew damn well that would set Sinn off. Teasing Sinn was a new hobby of mine and one that Rune firmly supported. Being around Rune seemed to encourage people to say and do things they normally wouldn't.

"You'll do no such thing, Liron. I forbid it," Sinn snarled as he surged to his feet and tried to intimidate me with his size. It would've worked if I wasn't almost an entire foot taller than my former prince.

I drew myself up to my full height of seven foot eight and looked down at the man I'd protected with my life for ten years. Even though Sinn was short for a Daehel male at six foot nine, he still towered over almost everybody on the space station. Only those of us who were his former royal guards were taller. I think he'd become used to cowing all the humans around him with his size and sheer presence. I watched as he started to stretch out his dark, leathery wings and let a little smile play around the corners of my lips. Two could play that male posturing game.