Ruthless Control

  CONTENTS

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Blank Page

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Glossary

  About the Author

  Predictive

  Controllers Book One

  Controllers Book Two

  RUTHLESS CONTROL

  L.V. Lane

  Copyright © 2019 L.V. Lane

  All rights reserved.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. This book or parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise—without prior written permission of the author.

  CHAPTER ONE

  Extensive trials followed the development of the Copper virus, and these yielded what was now categorized as the Delta through Mu dynamics.

  These early trials led to the first mass release on the tiny outer-reaches planet, Adora3, a mining planet with a high military presence.

  The Copper virus does not work as if given a blank slate. It takes what is offered in the individuals DNA and encourages it to flourish. The first Alpha dynamics manifested within days. Untrained and unchecked, the results were devastating. They were revealed among the strongest, mentally and physically, and many occupied positions of power within the government, business, military, and the police.

  Knowing the observers from the Empire’s governing council would destroy them, and the whole planet if necessary, they took action.

  All too easily, the virally altered inhabitants of Adora3 infected the next world.

  Doctor Lillian Brach

  A SOFT GROWL escaped my lips as I stroked the silky hair of the blonde Beta kneeling at my feet. Her fingers trailed up my pants leg.

  “Ah-ah,” I said when she drew close to my zipper. “Be a good girl and wait.”

  Her little whine was one of frustration, but she knew better than to argue, turning instead to kiss the brunette who was kneeling beside her.

  I lounged on the low seating arrangement of my office that offered a view over the nightclub. It was early morning, and beyond the window, Peppermint Moon was thrumming, flashing lights, gyrating bodies, and thumping music. Two thick-necked Beta floor managers stood at the door to my office—they paid my activity no heed. There were certain perks associated with owning Chimera’s premier nightclub, and I indulged frequently and generously of everything on offer.

  I closed my eyes, and an image came to mind of a certain non-dynamic…complete with her signature disapproving frown. Dark red hair that fell in waves over her shoulders, a heart-shaped face with a petulant chin, full pink lips, and eyes the color of a summer sky.

  I only had to turn her way, and her pale skin would color with a pretty flush.

  Plump tits mashed together as the two Betas embraced, mouths opening on a hot, sweet kiss full of tangling tongues and breathy gasps. I reached for my drink, swirling the alcohol over my tongue before letting it roll down my throat to settle a fiery warmth in my gut.

  Watching them wasn’t exactly a hardship, they were beautiful women, tall, lithe.

  The intensely arousing sight before me should have captured all my attention, and once upon a time, it would have, but that damn redhead with her disapproving frown kept intruding.

  My dick jerked, and like sharks sensing blood, the two Betas stopped their make-out session and turned eager eyes my way. It wasn’t for them, it was for the tiny slip of nothing—who wasn’t even a dynamic. No woman that petite had any business being anything but an Omega.

  Her attitude, yeah, that was the clincher.

  Thinking about spanking her judgey ass had my traitorous dick rising and ready for action. I glanced at my watch—three hours before she would be hand-delivering the perfect barista-crafted coffee for an exorbitant price.

  When I stood, both Betas whimpered. “No need to fret, pets.” I stroked a hand over their glossy hair. “Let’s take this upstairs.” Gathering their leads, I gave a gentle tug.

  They both moaned softly. I smirked, needy bitches.

  Nodding at the Beta floor manager standing by the door, I took the elevator to my penthouse with my eager pets in tow.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Due to the Omega imbalance, many of my early trials with the Copper virus involved the delivery of high viral doses to selected candidates.

  We hand-picked adults from non-dynamic pairings who harbored typical Omega traits. The trials did deliver Omegas in fifty percent of the cases. However, the Omegas were muted. They were biologically Omega in terms of heat, scent, and disposition, but they did not have the typical Omega gifts that accompanied the ‘natural’ approach.

  Although many revealed their Omega dynamic within minutes of receiving the dose, we know others revealed months or even years later.

  I had a strong suspicion that most, if not all, the candidates we treated with the new viral strain went on to reveal as Omegas.

  Some would have hidden their dynamic, and as an Omega myself, I could not blame them for taking this approach.

  Others, though, I was forced to concede, may have fallen prey to the less scrupulous factions within our society.

  Doctor Lillian Brach

  I ARRIVED AT Peppermint Moon at precisely five minutes to nine. This was my schedule every day and had been for several months. Once inside, I would be paraded through the prestigious nightclub to deliver…a coffee.

  It was all a sick game to him, no man with that much wealth needed a barista-made coffee delivered every day. A man like him would have one of those fancy machines that brewed the perfect coffee at the touch of a button. Or a personal chef-barista awaiting his every beck and call.

  He probably threw this one in the bin right after he had his daily chuckle at my expense.

  Game or no, Lucian Banner, the infamous owner of the nightclub, liked his coffee—delivered with a smile.

  As I entered, cool air and thumping bass hit me like a wall. Two Deltas were waiting inside the service door, both young, not much older than me, one fair and one dark. The younger one smirked. Not only was the Alpha owner a dick, but he employed them as well.

  “Can I help you?” the dark-haired one, Kade, as I learned on one of my many trips, asked—like he didn’t know why I was here, even though we did this every day.

  “Something is wrong with your memory, you should get that checked out,” I said.

  Chuckling, he gave me an up-down look, not at all bothered by my snarky tone. “Sweetheart, you look like an Omega…but then you open that mouth.”

  Serious blond-half of the Delta duo, aka Jordan, grunted and rolled his eyes.

  My sweet smile encompassed them both. “I’m sure the two of you will make some poor Gamma very unhappy. No need to take your inadequacies out on me. I’m not into hooks or knots…or any other deformities, I’m delivering a coffee to your,” —Master dick,— “illustrious leader.”

  Kade roared with laughter.

  Jorda
n growled—he didn’t have a sense of humor.

  “What was the name again?” Dark-haired mini-dick, aka Kade, asked, still smirking.

  “Madelyn,” I said.

  He frowned, tried to smother his smile…and failed. “Nope, I don’t have any Madelyn,” he said, pointing to his information tablet before sending a fake, questioning look my way. “Ah, no, my bad. It’s been crossed out, and someone’s replaced it with pet.”

  I laughed. It felt good to make light of it. There wasn’t a damn thing I could do anyway. Kade was fun in a big, growly Delta kind of way, and my grouchiness didn’t faze him one bit. Also, he didn’t disdain me like most dynamics did, so that earned him some points…but not that many. “In your dreams.”

  Even Jordan cracked a smile…before it dropped, and he nudged his head at the door. “For fuck sake, take Satan up to him. You know he gets pissed if she’s late.” He gestured toward me.

  “Fine,” Kade muttered, and pushing open the inner door, he guided me into the nightclub.

  I straightened my uniform, my nerves exploding in anticipation of seeing Lucian, and I followed Kade as he weaved through the masses. I was confident there was a better way to get to the office, but it made me uncomfortable, and I was convinced Lucian derived sick pleasure from it. Head forward, I endured the embarrassment.

  The multi-tiered venue was still heaving even at this hour, as beautiful people talked, danced, and laughed without seeming to have a care in the world. Out of curiosity, I had once checked the entry fee on the net…and the drinks menu. An average night in Peppermint Moon would cost more than I made in a month. Not that I cared for such an environment—and I was a non-dynamic, our sort wasn’t welcome unless we were serving drinks.

  A laughing Beta male stumbled into my path, high or drunk, and I flinched back when he made to grab me, a leery grin on his face. Barely had I recognized a threat when Kade had caught him by the collar and slammed him against the nearby wall. Two of the black-suited floor managers converged on us while I was still struggling to assimilate the event. The protesting man was marched out so swiftly that had I not personally been involved, I might not have noticed the incident at all.

  “Fuck,” Kade muttered, taking in my trembling body and the still lidded coffee that was rolling on the floor. The perfect sprinkle art on the top would be ruined…not that the dick noticed it anyway.

  “I’ll need to get another one,” I said. The thumping bass felt threatening after the scare, and I could not command any level of calm.

  “Don’t worry about it,” Kade said, his smile sensitive. “He’s not that much of a dick.”

  Yeah, the jury was out on that.

  Waving a waitress over to collect the coffee from the floor, he guided me on toward the elevator that would take me to Lucian’s office.

  Why was I going up? I didn’t have a coffee anymore? Kade was talking on his communicator, the words lost in the blaring music. As the elevator door closed, quiet descended. “…dealt with,” Kade said. “No, he didn’t fucking touch her…give me some credit.”

  It was just a drunk man, I had dodged worse. I thought my reaction might be due to the way Kade had handled the man. I had been in the presence of Alphas, and Deltas were outwardly indistinguishable, but I had never seen such a dynamic strike with that purpose and speed.

  A sense of vulnerability gripped me. I was small and slight enough that people often confused me with a child. Danger surrounded me, and while I strove to block it out, days like today drove my perilous situation home.

  The doors opened while I was still trying to work out what the hell was happening.

  As Kade urged me out of the elevator, my dread and trembling increased. Lucian was talking on his communicator with his back to me, barking orders. Upon my entry, his conversation ceased, and he swung around to face me.

  Those eyes, I could get lost in those eyes, sharp and green, they missed nothing. They were beautiful, but he was a huge, beautiful Alpha, all enclosed in a perfectly tailored suit. Those eyes narrowed on me, and as they trailed the length of my body, his lips formed a tight line. “Get rid of them,” he snapped to Kade, thumbing over his shoulder at two Beta beauties wearing tight, scandalous dresses. They were clinging to one another as though they were the ones who had been confronted by a drunk-high man.

  Delicate leather collars adorned their necks—I shuddered.

  Owned. I could not imagine anything worse than being owned, even as part of a sexual game.

  They scurried past me, and as they did, the scent of sex and Alpha pheromones wafted past strong enough to make me want to gag.

  I stared at the floor, feeling uncertain as the elevator closed, trapping me inside, alone with Lucian Banner.

  There were rumors he had come from a distant planet on the far side of the universe—an uncivilized sort of place. Fringe, they called it because it existed outside our laws.

  I didn’t know what had brought him to Chimera, but when I looked at him, I saw a man who belonged.

  I’d never been anywhere but Chimera. I knew about the war, and that I was lucky to live in the cultural capital of the Empire, safe and protected.

  Rarely did I feel lucky. My family were all non-dynamics, we lived from day to day, treated as second-class citizens because, as painful as it was to accept, that was what we were. The virus could only host and enhance existing traits. My parents were unsophisticated—that was the nature of a non-dynamic. Our home was two hours away from the city, and the only reason I’d landed a half-decent job was because the service industry paid non-dynamic servers well if they had the appearance of an Omega.

  My life was one huge risk, and today was no exception.

  When I glanced up, I found Lucian studying me with an intense expression that made my knees feel weak. I was a non-dynamic, I should not be affected by Alpha pheromones, nor sensitive to the cloying odor of sex.

  His face softened a fraction, and he said, “Come and sit down, Pet.”

  I hated that word as much as I hated seeing the beautiful Betas in his collar—and I knew it was his collar since his scent lingered on them. It wasn’t the first time I had witnessed such a scene. There were Beta women present as often as not, sometimes kneeling at his feet, sometimes on the periphery of the room chatting softly.

  And one time, I had even found a naked pet nestled on his lap.

  I wasn’t naïve, but there was something dark about his world, and I wasn’t ready to be alone with him. This was not a place for me.

  He took my hand when I remained rooted and guided me over to the low seating arrangement where he would usually wait for me—with or without his pets. His hand felt roughened and warm against mine, and I wanted to retain the hold. But as we arrived at the low couch, my unsteady legs made the decision for me.

  My nose wrinkled. It smelled of him and sex.

  “You’re very sensitive, Pet.”

  His voice stirred me from my scent rumination, and his expression held a measure of calculation that turned my blood to ice. He was infamous for more reasons than his wealth. The coffee shop manager where I worked had been near catatonic when Lucian had walked in that day. The expensive suit, rippling Alpha bulk, and an aurora that held both polished charm and ruthless determination. His eyes had narrowed on me, and he issued a request for me to bring him a coffee every day.

  Only it wasn’t a request. I had known it, and the manager had known it.

  Because Lucian Banner was also known to be part of the criminal underworld, and if he asked for something or someone, he got it.

  I wasn’t aware that he had moved away until he pressed a glass of water into my hands.

  I assumed it was water.

  “It’s only water, love,” he said. His deep, smooth voice had a mesmerizing quality, and I had to blink a few times to snap out of my daze.

  His lips twisted in a smirk so sinful that I nearly dropped the glass.

  He was a criminal, wealthy beyond measure—he kept human pets! And I was
alone with him in his office.

  “I don’t prey on non-dynamics or dynamics for that matter,” he said like he could read the direction of my wayward thoughts. “I like my entertainment willing, Pet. Now drink your water, and I will arrange for my driver to take you back.”

  I took a sip, confused by his consideration of my wellbeing.

  Watching me, he ran a hand over his jaw and muttered, “You have no business being anything but an Omega.”

  My heart rate surged, and my palms became clammy. No, stress was not good; I needed to keep calm, especially while his pheromones polluted the air. If he growled, I would lose control completely.

  He observed the emotions as they played out over my face, and never had I felt so exposed.

  But he did not growl, and nor did he offer the comforting Alpha rumble. Why would he? I was a non-dynamic and should be unaffected by such things.

  “You’re quite shaken. I believe my driver should take you home.”

  No, that was not a good idea, and I jumped out of the seat before my legs were ready to comply. I staggered a little before I could right myself. Lucian didn’t touch me, but his entire focus was on me like he was ready to intervene. “I’m fine,” I said, staring about and wondering what to do with the glass until he indicated the table.

  It clattered as I placed it against the smooth surface. Another person, probably a non-dynamic or a Beta, would need to collect it. I should be the one clearing it up, not leaving it for others.

  “I have a proposition for you,” he said, and my head snapped up.

  He smirked. “Nothing sinister, Pet. I wasn’t lying when I said I liked my companions willing. It’s not an easy life being a non-dynamic. The world is not a fair place, but sometimes it presents opportunities.”

  “What sort of opportunity?” Some sixth sense told me exploring opportunities with him would be tantamount to making a deal with the devil. A part of me said I should decline and get out as fast as possible, but another part of me was curious. An unhealthy kind of curiosity. “And why me?”