Disclaimer: See Chapter 1. Thank you so much to Fameanon, bina W, 2redbird and maba7x for reviewing.
Seraphina paced in front of her console, debating whether or not to call the Consulate and discuss Renuk's behavior. On the one hand, it wasn't her business to report the man for sleeping around. For all she knew, he had been rejected by the woman he was "fingering" and was on the hunt for a wife, simply playing the field like a human man. But on the other hand, Vulcans were not human, and did not act like humans. She had even heard a college professor condemn humanity for being so free with their sexual passions. Renuk did not seem like a normal Vulcan in that regard.
She sighed, and deciding it was better to tell the Embassy about it, she contacted their front desk. An old Vulcan woman appeared on the screen and glared at Sera.
"This is the Vulcan Consulate front desk. How may I be of service?"
"Good afternoon," she replied nervously, fidgeting a little. "Um...I have an incident to report. Who is in charge of discipline at the Consulate?"
"Ambassador Soval is involved in making sure all Vulcans in service on your planet act according to the rules of our culture. What precisely do you mean by incident?"
"Well...last night, I met a Vulcan. I think his name is Renuk, if memory serves me right. For reasons that I'm sure you'd find disgusting, I have reason to believe he's breaking protocol, if my studies about Vulcan culture are any indication. Can I speak to Ambassador Soval? One of his aides? Does Renuk have an immediate supervisor?"
The woman narrowed her eyes at the screen, but then turned her head and stared at something off-camera. She heard a masculine voice speaking in Vulcan, and then the woman bowed her head and turned back to the screen.
"You are fortunate that Ambassador Soval has taken interest in Renuk's behavior. He will speak to you in a few moments."
Sera waited as the woman put her on hold, and the next face that came on screen was Ambassador Soval himself, with two Vulcans flanking him. She bowed slightly in greeting and offered him a wan smile, and the ambassador raised that Vulcan salute.
"You are Seraphina Goodman."
She frowned. "How do you know my name?"
"I recognized you," he replied smoothly. "Were you not at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Senate building?"
"I was. I'm President Samuel's aide, and I have an incident to report...I feel this is the right thing to do."
"What is the nature of your relationship with Renuk?"
"Well, we met last night at a dinner party, and he acted...strange. He was way too...I want to say charming, and I don't mean that as an insult by any means. He was just...eager, I guess. Now I know Vulcans are usually reserved...I also know they look down on our sexual practices. I have reason to believe this man is sleeping around. I look him up in the Vulcan database...he's married. So why did I smell jizz on his fingers?"
Soval frowned. "What is...jizz?"
The elder of the Vulcans, a man with silver hair much like the ambassador's, muttered something in the man's ear, and Soval's eyes widened.
"How did you know he had ejaculate on his fingers?"
Sera blushed. "He put his finger to my lips and I could smell it."
She thought the ambassador looked rather green, but he and the younger Vulcan beside him, a man with graying brown hair, exchanged a significant look.
"Ms. Goodman, would you be willing to help us?" the ambassador asked suddenly. "You are correct in noticing Renuk's odd behavior, and we have record of his...sleeping around. It would be much more effective if we caught him red-handed. Are you willing to aid us?"
"Sure...as long as I don't have to sleep with him. How many women has he been with?"
"More than five, according to our source. You will not have to engage in relations with him, simply...make it seem like you are seducing him."
"Ok...there's just one problem. I told him to never contact me again after the...incident. So how do I seduce him if he knows I find him repugnant?"
"Did you call him repugnant?"
"Not exactly, but I'm pretty sure I made my thoughts clear."
Soval simply raised an eyebrow. "That will not be a problem."
…
Renuk was just about to settle down for meditation when his comm beeped. The number was not from Vulcan, but from Earth, a residential number. He raised an eyebrow.
His expression faltered slightly when Seraphina Goodman appeared on the screen, and he tilted his head in silent query.
"May I help you, Ms. Goodman?"
She smiled at him. "Hi...um...I've been doing some thinking," she said slowly and carefully, twiddling with her hair. He found the mannerism attractive and raised his eyebrows further.
"Yes?"
"Well...I looked you up in the Vulcan database. It said your family is wealthy and powerful, and...maybe it wouldn't be...so bad...if we got together?"
She sounded unsure of herself, nervous even, but she gave him the most endearing smile, and he relaxed slightly.
"How did you convince the receptionist to let you talk to me?"
"I have connections, and I reminded her of that fact."
Renuk gazed deeply into her eyes, searching for any deception. She was being honest, but he wasn't completely convinced.
"I do want us to know each other better. I got emotional during our last meeting, and that was very wrong of me. I'm very sorry for what I said to you. And you are a very handsome man, and I've never been with a Vulcan before...heck, I've never been with a human, to be honest...I mean, think of the possibilities for my career if we got to know each other! I'm near nobody in the intergalactic community, and having connections with your family would do for me."
"You have never been with a man before?"
She shook her head, and he raised an eyebrow. Seraphina had his attention now, and the thought of being the first man to have her appealed to his darker nature much more than any of the others had. His own wife had been previously married, until her telsu died in a tragic accident in the Osana caverns. Her parents had contacted his a month after the incident, and they were married a month later. She had already been with her mate, and he was not the first to probe her depths.
He nodded, his fingertips tingling in anticipation. "Meet me at this address, and we'll...talk."
She smiled in relief and nodded vigorously. "What time?"
"Oh, say, in an hour?"
"Perfect. See you then."
She lingered, staring at him with a distant look on her face, and then terminated the link. He smirked and turned to his wardrobe for something more appropriate, relishing his victory.
…
Seraphina got to the address early, a modest-looking motel off the beaten path. She wondered briefly if he had met any of his other conquests here, but put the thought out of her mind for now. She needed to look like she was happy to see him, but a little nervousness would make the whole thing more convincing. After all, Soval had instructed her to act as if she had come to this choice reluctantly, but she was happy about it as well. Acting wasn't her forte, but thankfully, a little ego stroking went a long way with Renuk.
Renuk watched her arrive, observing her from a safe distance, and it pleased him. An untouched woman, even if she was a human, was a rare delicacy. He made her wait for a time, wanting to see if she would leave, or give any sign that she was not going to follow through. When he saw her stay, he left his flitter and entered the hotel lobby. He saw that she was distracted, and snuck up behind her pulling her into him by the waist.
"I did not think you would truly come, Seraphina. It pleases me you have," he whispered into her ear as he licked up its rounded shell. "Come with me..." He tugged her towards the lift.
She waited until the elevator doors closed before turning to him fully, stroking a timid hand over his hair, mussing it up. He smirked and buried his nose into her neck, making a noise like a purr as he licked back up to her ear. Sera thought perhaps he was trying to give her a hint, and she stood on her toes and licked up his ear. He jerked in response, pressing into her, and she licked him again.
"That is very agreeable," he moaned, diving for her neck again. She let him do whatever he wanted, knowing she would probably wake up with bruises in the morning from the way he was nibbling at her flesh.
When the lift door opened he picked her up, carrying her cradled in his arms. "I will make your first time memorable, Seraphina," he said in a low growl, walking down the hall with her. "You will be ruined for any other man." He tapped the door code and it slid open.
They entered an opulently decorated room, but Renuk walked her directly to the bed before she could take it all in. With surprising care, he set her on the satin sheets.
"I purchased us the...I believe the human phrase is ...honeymoon suite. I canceled all of my meetings until morning. I wished to have adequate time to please you..."
Now her nerves were building, but she calmed herself and thought of how this would ultimately be his downfall, and that he would be packing by dawn. She tugged his shirt collar down and licked at the exposed flesh, and he growled in her ear, nuzzling her with heady arousal. A few more moments, and his shirt was on the floor.
He made to reciprocate, and she hesitated before letting him take off her top. He cast it aside and reached for the front clasp of her bra, but she took his hand instead and caressed it.
Renuk moaned, much to her surprise, and she used his distraction to get his pants unbuttoned. "Do you like that?" she whispered, smiling at him even though his eyes were closed.
"I am very agreeable to your touch on my hands..." he growled, pushing off his pants and loincloth with the hand she was not caressing.
Soval stood rigidly outside the door. "Are we ready?" he asked, looking to Sorak and to L'Vek.
"More than ready," Sorak replied with barely contained rage. L'Vek stepped back, allowing the other human females to get to the door.
Soval tapped the security code into the door, motioning with his hand for the girls to go first.
Sera heard the door creak open and immediately pulled away from his rough kiss, covering her top half with the blanket and letting go of his hand. Renuk was exposed now, and the silence that pulsed through the room was nearly palpable.
Portia spoke first. "You little bastard," she hissed, stepping forward with fire in her eyes. "You didn't tell me you were married. I'm sorry, but I don't sleep with manwhores."
"Do you have any idea what you gave me, Renuk?" Maureen added, stepping up to back Portia. "I hope you keep it so you'll always remember us."
Renuk was speechless, and Sera kept her eyes averted from his package, slightly frightened of what she might find there. She felt her cheeks burning with shame by association, even though she was in the right.
Soval finally stepped forward and growled something in Vulcan, then waited for Renuk to get dressed before pushing him out the door.
Maureen watched Renuk leave, and glancing back at Sera, she sighed. "Be glad you have some smarts, girl. He has crabs..."
She huffed and walked out, following behind Portia.
Sera leaned back on the bed and laughed.
…
"Never in my time on Earth, nor in my lifetime, have I seen one of my staff act in such a despicable manner. You have broken a rule we hold sacred from birth, betraying your marriage and shaming all Vulcans in the process. How are the humans supposed to trust us if you destroy that trust to feed your beast?"
Renuk was silent, and L'Vek looked composed as ever as he stared at his former subordinate; Meral also looked composed, though Soval could see a glint of victory in his eyes. Sorak was silently fuming in the corner, but perhaps the oddest guest in the room was Commodore Forrest, who stood by Sorak and had an expression on his face that was a mix of disgust, anger and curiosity.
"You have lied to your colleagues and to your family, and nearly caused a diplomatic incident. You will compose an apology to every woman you had intercourse with, explaining thoroughly that your behavior was abnormal and abhorrent, and pray that their trust in Vulcans can someday be restored. I have already contacted your clan mother, and she is eager to speak with you once you return to Vulcan. I hereby strip you of your position and all its privileges. You are not fit for diplomacy, and your depraved behavior is more fitting an ancient warlord than a modern Vulcan. And to think, I heard you say many times when you thought I could not hear you that Vulcans are much more civilized than humans."
Silence reigned in the room for several minutes, until L'Vek spoke, his voice calm and collected, a stark contrast to Soval's harsh tones.
"My a'duna told me that had you engaged in this behavior in her hometown, you would have been stoned to death by the locals. Foreigners are not exempt from the laws they uphold in her country."
Soval sneered down at Renuk. "A fitting punishment for one so barbaric."
The ambassador stepped forward and curled his fingers around the symbols on the left side of Renuk's robes. He tore the three metallic glyphs off of him in rapid succession, then placed them on his desk.
"Your transport leaves within the hour. Get out of my sight," he growled, then turned his back on him, folding his hands neatly in front of him as he contemplated the view from his window.
He heard the man get up and walk towards the door, and he turned his head slightly so he could address the others in the room.
"L'Vek, if you would escort him to Meral's office so he may clear his things."
The adviser softly agreed to the task, and only when the door had closed again did he turn around.
"Osu?" Meral murmured, his voice tinged with surprise.
"Did I not tell you?" the ambassador said calmly. "You are hereby reinstated to your previous position, with all its rights and privileges. You begin as soon as you bring your things from Vulcan."
"Yes, Osu."
Meral left the room, presumably to arrange transportation for his personal belongings, and Soval turned to the human in the corner.
"Forgive us, commodore, for this display. Renuk is atypical, and will pay the price for what he has done."
Forrest shrugged. "Remind me never to piss you off. You sound scary when you growl."
The human left, and Sorak slumped his shoulders.
"On a more positive note, I heard Ms. Keeler and Meral planning a wedding in Jamaica. They are bonded, but her father wished them to exchange vows the human way. We are all invited."
"I have never been to a human wedding before," he mused. "I'm sure it will be a fascinating experience."