by Lynnea Lee
He lifted his head. “Keep them open, my sweet.”
He pushed her knees open again and dove back in. He encircled her clit with his tongue, and she rewarded him with her soft panting. He traced the opening of her pussy with two fingers and gathered enough wetness to push in. He thrust into her with his fingers. She squirmed and gasped.
It was strange not to be able to scent or taste her very well. But her little exclamations of pleasure urged him on. He knew that she enjoyed his touch. Emma wasn’t extremely wet, but she had said that she found it difficult to get turned on. It just meant that Cal had to work harder to make sure she was ready for him. He loved a good challenge, especially when achieving it was so much fun.
Cal increased the pressure with his tongue, and Emma held her breath. He hummed, adding vibration. She moaned, and he felt her channel convulse around his digits.
Cal couldn’t wait any longer. He lifted her and repositioned her to make room for him on the bed. He knelt between her legs, linked his arms under her knees, and lifted her hips. He stuffed two pillows under her hips to keep her lifted for him. Lining up the tip of his cock with the slit of her pussy, he grabbed hold of her hips and pushed in.
Her warmth enveloped him, and Cal growled with the effort not to take her too fast. He wanted to be careful with her, give her the reverence she deserved.
Emma bit her lower lip as Cal eased into her. When he was fully seated, he pulled out again and thrust back in, watching her face. She moaned and closed her eyes. He grabbed her by her hips and pulled her onto himself.
“Please, more.”
Stars! This was hard. All Cal wanted to do was to drive into her with wild abandon. But he didn’t want to hurt her. He didn’t want to trigger any negative experience she might have had. So he went slow.
Emma rocked her hips, trying to make him go faster, deeper.
“Please, Cal. Please. I need you.”
Cal thrust into her hard once, and the whole bed shifted.
“Yes!”
Oh, fuck. Cal dug his fingers into her hips. He needed to stop himself, or else he would take her too hard. “Emma, I don’t want to hurt you,” he managed through clenched teeth.
“You won’t. Please, I need this.”
Still careful not to hurt her, Cal thrust into her, but a little harder. Again and again, he drove into her body as she writhed under him. “Yes, my sweet. You are perfect.”
He pressed down on her clit with his thumb, and she screamed his name, the sound thin and breathy. Her pussy clenched and unclench around him, and the sensation was too much. He exploded into her with a snarl.
He bent the top half of his body over Emma. His sweat dripped on her and marked her as his, just as his seed marked her from the inside. A sense of contentment settled into Cal’s chest.
A soft hand reached up to touch his face, and Cal rubbed his cheek against it. Cal didn’t intend to ever let Emma sleep alone again.
Emma stretched out on the large bed. It was soft and comfy, and a large body kept her toasty warm. She smiled. Last night, Calix had woken her up several times throughout the night to make love to her. And despite the broken sleep, Emma still felt well-rested. She was fairly sure that most of the pillows now littered the floor after their night of sexual exploration.
Her body was sore, in a good way, and she hadn’t felt so satisfied ever before in her life. She had never understood the difference between making love and fucking, but she was certain that they had done plenty of both last night.
Only one thing sat off in her mind: they’d had to use the spray. It was a little disappointing to know that they needed a crutch. But crutch or not, Emma was happy that they had found a way past their problem. The olfactinull wasn’t going to be a permanent thing. It was just a temporary helper until her natural scent returned.
She cuddled back into the hard, warm body. Cal’s arm wrapped around her and pulled her close. In this position, Cal’s face was right up against her hair, and Emma worried that the spray had worn out over the night. But Cal continued cuddling her.
Emma had truly lucked out. She didn’t just find herself a hot and sexy pilot who was good in bed. She’d found herself a hot and sexy pilot who was good in bed and loved to cuddle.
Chapter 12
The rest of their trip to New Rhea with their merchant was uneventful. They rented a hangar to get some repair work done on the Defiant. Cal was convinced that the shot they had taken from the other ship wasn’t fatal, but Zeylum had insisted that his baby get a once over by a professional.
While not under direct Dominion rule, New Rhea was still not safe for the human females to roam around unattended. It was a merchant’s planet. If it was for sale in the galaxy, it was sold here, including stolen merchandise and slaves. But that didn’t mean that they had to be sequestered on the ship. Cal wanted to bring Emma along to pick up their first flock of tepins, and other equipment for the grow lab.
Calix fingered the narrow collar. He wasn’t sure how Emma was going to react to it. They had made promising progress in the past few days, and he didn’t want one simple ring of metal to send it all tumbling back.
“What do you have there?”
Cal turned to face Emma and awkwardly hid the collar behind his back. She frowned at him.
“The safest way for you to go out to the markets with me is to pretend to be my slave.”
Emma didn’t look surprised. “Ashe warned me already. She said she had to pretend to be Zey’s slave on Vosthea as well. It’ll be easy for me. I’ll just fall back on old habits. No one will be the wiser.”
Cal showed her the metal ring. “I wasn’t sure how you would react to the collar.”
Emma touched it carefully. “This looks nothing like the heavy hunk of metal I had to wear. This is so delicate, it almost looks like a piece of jewelry. It’s very pretty.”
This was exactly the reason why he had chosen this design.
“The shape is modeled after one of Ashe’s, so it should fit you. It’s contoured so it’ll be comfortable. Unlike hers, it is thinner and more ornate. When I’m on New Rhea, I pose as a merchant. Out here, quite a few merchants have human pets. Some of them are given a lot of privileges and are quite spoiled.”
“I don’t know about the spoiled part, but I’ve been the pet.”
“You’ll play the part of the spoiled pet now. I’m not worried about you giving us away. I’m worried about me. The other males play the role well. Zeylum can get real nasty when he wants to be. Arus and Vore were raised Dominion and could snap back in the role. But not me. You will have to help me stay in my role. Can you do that?”
“I can try.”
Cal lifted the collar to Emma’s neck and snapped it into place. It looked like a piece of jewelry, which was what he had wanted. But it resembled a collar enough to let everyone know that she is owned and off-limits.
“Let’s go get us some tepins!” She smiled at him, and Cal felt a pull in his chest.
“We also need some more clothes for you.” They had borrowed one of Mia’s outfits. The only outfit Emma owned was the plain shift from the Meeting Grounds. It wouldn’t do for this outing. “You can’t live in my tank tops forever.”
“Who said? They are comfortable.”
“You can wear my clothes on the ship all you want. You look great in them. But it barely covers you. You’ll need real clothes when we go out. Unlike Vore, I don’t enjoy showing off my female’s assets.”
A knock came from the door before it slid open. It was Zeylum and Ashe.
“You two ready? Let’s head out.”
Zeylum’s face changed the moment they were out of the ship. He was suddenly the merciless mercenary captain no one in their right mind dared to mess with. Cal wished he had his friend’s ability to switch it on and off like that.
Ashe changed too. While outspoken and casual on the ship, she now looked demure and timid.
Cal looked at Emma. She h
ad reverted to her slave stance, one step behind him, eyes to the ground, hands behind her back. If anyone saw them, they would immediately assume that she was his slave.
Sidas and Moira followed behind them. Moira, being Tallean, simply went as Sid’s mate. Though she too needed to stay close to Sidas for safety.
The three couples parted ways to find the supplies they needed.
Emma reached for the crate with the six chirping tepins before Cal could pick it up. It would have been unusual for him to carry it if Emma was there and unburdened. They would send the feed and other equipment for the grow room to the hangar.
The older shopkeeper had been much too interested in her, and Emma had wanted to hide behind Cal the whole time.
“Is she trained to work with tepins? I’m looking for a helper in the store. She’s easy on the eyes as well. What’s your price?” The shopkeeper had asked after looking away from Cal many times during their negotiations.
“She’s not for sale,” had been Cal’s quick response.
Emma wasn’t too keen on outings, especially when it felt like she was a piece of merchandise herself. Back on the ship, Mia and Lettie had spoken of a colony called Reka 5. They had insisted that Emma would be able to go out in public and be treated like a regular citizen there. Maybe Emma should stay on the ship from now on unless they stopped at Reka 5.
Unlike Mia, Emma was a homebody and didn’t feel the need to explore and travel. Mia ran a travel blog showcasing all the new places Arus took her. It was her hope that one day, humans would be able to travel freely around the galaxy.
Currently, the only truly free humans who could mingle among the aliens of New Rhea were the crew of the Second Chance and various humans working on other mercenary ships. They had explained to Emma that Trenton was the galaxy’s first human space captain. He owned the Second Chance. His crew of ex-convicts was tough and well-armed. They were already making a big splash in the surrounding planets.
Another ship, captained by an ex-Dominion named Ulrek, also had humans on board. Ulrek had once been a Dominion captain, the poster boy of the Dominion fleet. He had since switched sides after finding out that the Dominion had planned to make a martyr out of him. At his last visit to Earth, he had picked up half of his current crew from a penitentiary, promising them freedom and the excitement of space exploration. They too were well-armed and hardened criminals.
Aside from these tough and intimidating men, humans on New Rhea were generally slaves or pets. They were rare and garnered a lot of attention. Maybe one day, that would change, but right now, Emma felt like a piece of pie on display.
It had felt similar back with her old owner, but not to this extent. There were far fewer humans on New Rhea, and she was a novelty here. Back in the inner Dominion planets, human slaves were very common. Emma was glad to have something to focus her attention on.
The tepins were larger and heavier than she had first estimated, and as they walked out of the shop, Emma wondered how she was going to make it back to the ship.
Emma was glad the negotiations were over, and they finally left the shop.
“Let me help you with that. You are small. I should carry it.”
She lowered her voice so that only Cal could hear. “No, I should hold them. It would be bizarre to onlookers if you did the heavy lifting since I am present. I’ll be fine.”
Cal didn’t look too happy about the response. “I’ll walk slow.”
They wove their way through the market, heading back towards the ship. It was a short walk, not far enough to call a transport, but Emma felt herself tiring. Each tepin couldn’t have been more than five pounds, the six of them thirty pounds at most. But the crate was unwieldy and awkward for her short arms. It also blocked her vision.
They got to a part of the market with many small stalls. A group of excited deal seekers pushed and shoved into the lane as a vendor announced a sale, and Emma lost sight of Cal. Panic crept in. She put down the crate to get a view. Cal was only a few steps ahead. She bent over to pick up the crate, but a rough hand pulled her up and yanked her to the side.
“Such a pretty human slave. Where is your owner?” The male spoke right into her face, his rancid breath choking her.
Emma averted her gaze. “Just ahead.”
“You shouldn’t be alone. Lots of dangerous males here.” The male started walking into the nearest alleyway, pulling her along.
Emma struggled to pull away, but his hold on her arm tightened painfully. She looked around frantically for Cal but couldn’t find him.
Not knowing what else to do, she dug her heels into the ground and screamed, “Let go! I don’t belong to you!”
“You belong to whoever has you.” The male yanked her forward and into the alley.
Emma screamed again, this time, a wordless ear-piercing shriek.
“Shut your mouth, you little whore!”
Her attacker raised a hand and slapped her, knocking her head back. Emma saw stars. He continued dragging her into the shadows.
Emma reeled, and the world spun from the impact. But she took one more giant breath and screamed again, hoping that Cal was close enough to hear. The male wrapped one large hand around her throat and squeezed. Emma struggled and gasped for air. She fought, but it was no use. Darkness swam at the edge of her vision as she struggled to stay awake.
Metal flashed, then the hand around her throat fell to the ground, detached from the arm. Blood spurted across her chest as her attacker was ripped away. When Emma looked up, Cal held the male up by the throat against the wall. Her attacker’s clawed feet dangled uselessly inches from the ground.
“Do not touch what is mine.” Cal’s voice was quiet but menacing. Then he threw the male against the far wall of the alley. Her attacker hit the wall with a thud before crumpling to the ground.
“Come. We should leave now.” Cal reached for her arm and led her out of the alleyway.
Still mute with shock, Emma followed silently, allowing Cal to lead her towards their hangar.
At the door, Cal punched in the code.
“Are you okay?”
“We left the tepins.” For some reason, that was all Emma could say. It felt silly the moment it left her mouth.
“I have them.” Cal lifted the crate he had been holding with his other hand. “Are you okay?” He repeated.
“I don’t know.” Emma wasn’t sure how she felt. She didn’t feel as though she was connected to her own body.
Cal led her into the safety of the hangar and up the gangplank into the ship.
“Are those tepins?” Arusasked excitedly from the side. Then he did a double-take as he took in her blood-splattered dress. “Fuck. Is she okay?”
“She was attacked.” Cal handed the crate of tepins over to Arus. “Set these up in the enclosure. I need to tend to my female.”
Chapter 13
His female stared straight forward as Cal removed the bloodied clothes from her body. He led her into the cleansing unit and started it up. Stripping quickly, he joined her under the warm water.
Speaking to her in soothing tones, he cleaned her, making sure to wash away all remnants of her attacker’s blood and stench.
“It’s okay. You are safe now. I’m sorry I lost sight of you.”
He did the same for himself before holding her in his arms.
“I promise it will never happen again.” This must be why Zeylum had insisted on using the lead in crowded places. Cal had been resistant, not wanting to remind Emma of the past. His decision had put her in danger.
After a while, Emma’s stiff body started to relax as she recovered from the psychological shock of being attacked. She clung onto him and cried. Cal held her quietly and waited for the sobbing to subside.
“Next time, if we go to crowded places, we will use a leash so that we are connected. I’m sorry you were hurt. This was my fault.” Cal knew it was.
Cal ended the wash cycle and continued to hold
her while the warm air dried them from above. Then he carried her over to their bed, sat down, and settled her into his lap. Cal wanted Emma to feel safe.
“I’m okay, I think,” Emma finally said. “It all happened so fast. There were so many people, and they were pushing and shoving, and the crate blocked my view. I couldn’t see you. He came out of nowhere and grabbed me.”
“He won’t bother you now.” Cal needed to get the news out to the rest of the crew in case his action brought too much attention to the ship. He had left the male alive, minus the offending hand. Leaving him alive meant he could retaliate.
“Oh, no! Are you going to get in trouble? What if he goes to the police? He was still alive.” Emma’s heartbeat sped up. She’d been attacked, and she worried about him getting into trouble.
“It was within my right. He tried to steal my property.” Then, worried that Emma would take that wrongly, he clarified, “You are not my slave, but you are still mine.”
“Am I?” Emma turned in his arms to look up at him with big grey eyes.
“Yes, Emma. You are.”
She was quiet for a moment, but then replied, “I think I enjoy being yours.”
“Good. I promise I’ll take better care of you. This was my fault. Zeylum had told me to use a leash if we go anywhere crowded so that we can’t get separated. I chose not to. I didn’t want to remind you of your life with your previous owner.”
Emma was pensive for a moment. Then she said, “My old owner never used a leash. He only took me out to buy necessities, like groceries. The city I was in had quite a few human slaves. I still got a lot of stares, and sometimes another male would ask my owner if he was selling. But they often lost interest once they got close enough to notice my scent. But still, no one attacked the humans, and very few were leashed where we lived.”
“You must have been in the more civilized inner planets. That is the trade-off for living out here. Here, humans could be free, if they were strong enough to fight for their freedom, or if they had a champion to fight for them and keep them safe. Inside the Dominion, humans would only ever be slaves, but there is relative safety.”
