The Merciless Alpha(erotica)

I resisted the urge to use the THESE TITS line, thankfully. “I’ve been fascinated by sharks for fourteen years. In that time, over a billion sharks have died, many of them discarded alive, their fins cut from their bodies. In fourteen years, twenty-eight shark species gained Endangered or Threatened status, and twelve are feared to be extinct. Population surveys show shark numbers down ninety percent from the turn of the century.” I let the numbers sink in. “Sharks don’t vote, they don’t donate to candidates, and they can’t testify in person. Concerned people like me have to do that for them. I don’t want to look in my children’s faces and tell them about the sharks lost in the next few decades if we can’t fight for them now.”

I wiped a tear away. “In the United States, we nearly hunted wolves to extinction. It took decades to bring these magnificent creatures back, and only then did we realize how important they were to the ecosystem.”

“Surely you’re not advocating a ban on shark fin trade,” another reporter asked.

“I wish I could convince people of the truth of the damage their bowl of shark-fin soup causes,” I replied. “I could tell them how the cartilage they think helps them isn’t even digested. I could show them the studies proving shark fins do nothing to prevent cancer; in fact, the toxins and heavy metals that build up in those fins are putting them at a GREATER risk of cancer. I wish I could change the traditions and folk tales that push shark fin prices up,” I said. “When people stop paying for it, fishermen will stop harvesting them. That change takes time, and an outright ban would lead to the trade going underground on the black market. What I can advocate for is RESPONSIBLE management of our resources. The proposed law will reduce the kills of threatened species by making it possible for law enforcement to identify them. It also makes sense. If you are going to harvest a shark for food, utilize all of it. Respect the resource and allow populations to recover and stabilize.”

Having made my point, I answered a few more questions, including one about my dating life. Fiona linked that security was ready, and my car was waiting, so I thanked the reporters and was escorted out the back of the room. “That went well,” Fiona said.

“I dare them to dismiss me,” I said. Linda asked for and received permission to film the meetings, but any footage would have to be approved or deleted. It was better than nothing and would be dynamite for the show.

I met briefly with the Prime Minister and a few of the lawmakers pushing the conservation bill, posing for photographs and signing autographs for them and their families. Instead of heading to the hotel, I traveled with the Prime Minister to the Imperial Palace. “Wow,” I said as I stepped out.

Aides took me to where the Emperor, his wife, and Princess Aiko were about to dine with a dozen other guests. “Ah, the guest of honor,” Aiko said as she came over to me. I bowed to the Emperor, the Empress, and then to the Princess. “Welcome to our home,” she said as I straightened up.

“Thank you for inviting me,” I said.

I learned over tea and sushi that everyone present knew me not just for my conservation and modeling work, but as the person who returned the Lost Samurai Sword of Power. “Our scientists and historians have verified the sword and its maker,” the Prime Minister said. “You asked for anonymity, but if you want your testimony to work, I think we should use this.”

“How?” I’d used the sword to kill Master Alexander and never considered keeping it once I found out what it was.

“By accepting a sword from me, along with the thanks of the Japanese people,” the Emperor said. “There is a press conference scheduled in thirty minutes. The Prime Minister will make a statement, and the Curator of the Tokyo National Museum will show the sword before it goes on permanent display. The Emperor will present you with a sword and the gratitude of a nation.”

It was genius, and I’d get a sword out of it. “It would be an honor,” I said. I didn’t mind the truth coming out now; everyone knew about the antiquities I’d inherited from Alexander, and this was just one more. The ceremony in the Palace was well-attended, and the sword’s return was big news. The Emperor presented me with a sword set from Master Swordsmith Yoshihara Yoshindo.

I stayed overnight in a guest room just down the hall from Princess Aiko, after staying up watching movies and eating ice cream with her. She loved the clothes, and we talked excitedly about our diving experiences. Late the next morning, I testified with three other conservationists in favor of the bill. I took some hard questions but held my own.

A helicopter took us south to the port in Chiba, where we boarded a dive boat. As soon as the Princess and her guests arrived, we got underway. Eight of us dove the reef, surrounded by dozens of Banded Houndsharks in the three-to-six foot range. We also saw a few Japanese Horn Sharks moving slowly along the reef. The highlight of the dive was finding a Blotchy Swell Shark. This rare species was under a coral overhang, hiding from bigger predators by inflating its body with water to wedge itself in place. I dove with the Princess, with her security and our cameras following us as we explored the reef three times. I was disappointed when darkness forced our return.

While we’d been diving, the Palace staff had reviewed the video we’d taken, and removed nothing of consequence. It was going to be a hell of a show when it got done, and I couldn’t wait to see the daily.

We flew directly to Brisbane, Australia, for the next stop on our tour.

**********

The airliner crew and some passengers recognized me from the news coverage, and I took some photos and signed some autographs before settled into our first-class seats. Social media was king, as Mercedes said, but it was also tiring. Linda could fly in a tracksuit and tennis shoes, and no one cared. Me? I had to wear a Bodyglove-designed dress, makeup, and heels. I found myself looking enviously at girls wearing jeans, t-shirts, and a hoodie.

The flight was half full, giving me time to catch up on some homework I was taking Chemistry, English Literature, and American History, and spending ten to twenty hours a week on it. I’d only had enough time for it because Lynette had the Sea Scout overhaul under control. I read over her latest report; the engine overhauls would finish in a week, and the living quarter refurbishment was starting with fresh paint and fixtures. It was the Saturday after Thanksgiving, and we were on track to finish by mid-December.

The three of us arrived after lunch, just an hour after the rest of our crew arrived in Brisbane from New Zealand. Mercedes said a limo would be waiting to bring us to the hotel, so we rolled our carryon bags through the second floor of the international terminal, passed through Customs, and went down to the passenger arrival area outside.

“Over here,” Linda said as she spotted our ride, the driver holding a sign with her name on it, and Carly waiting by the rear door. I saw Linda pulling her camera out, but figured she was getting transition shots for the show, a few seconds to show as “Brisbane Airport, Queensland, Australia” appeared in subtitles on the screen. I smiled at Carly as she opened the door for me. I was bending down when the smell hit me.

No.

It couldn’t be!

“Susan?” I stepped into the car and squealed; she was sitting on one of the benches with Hammer on one side, and Amy and Luke on the other. “What are you DOING here?” I hugged her before sitting down across from them as the rest of my team got in.

“A few things have changed since we last talked,” she said.Text © 2024 NôvelDrama.Org.

I looked down at where she held Hammer’s hand, catching the glint of a big diamond. “He finally asked you to marry him?” She nodded, holding it out. The ring had a larger round diamond, with deep red rubies surrounding it and tapering to the plain white gold band. “Congratulations!” I gave her another hug, then hugged Hammer before returning to my seat as the driver pulled away from the curb. “I thought you were spending a week in Minnesota!”

“Plans changed,” Hammer said.

Susan nodded. “We got a last-minute deal on the airline tickets and decided to come down here and spend some time together. We missed you guys.” I missed them too. “We didn’t want you guys worried about us since you have so much of your own going on. The Pack was shocked to see you on the news with the Emperor, and Amy says your show taping is going well.”

“Almost too well,” I said. “We’re getting so much material that cutting it down to one season, even with an hour per, is going to be tough.” The rough cuts of the dailies were usually over an hour, and we only had 43 minutes of broadcast time for an hour episode.

“And we have hours of film from Japan and New Zealand to work with now. I’m never getting a day off,” Linda complained.

Luke was excited. “You got to dine with the Emperor, and he gave you a SWORD! How cool is that?”

“It’s pretty nice,” I said. I’d shipped the sword to Uncle Leo; he could display it in his home, and it would be away from the salt air on my boat until I had a permanent home for it. “The diving was cool, too. There were so many sharks on that reef! It was a tribute to the marine preserve’s effectiveness.”