Night of the Zandians

by Renee Rose

  I wonder if she’s scared of the birthing process. I saw a hologram—and veck, it looked gory, but with Dr. Daneth and the females who know a lot about this, I’m sure it will all be as safe as possible.

  Her face lightens. “I know a lot about plants and botanical propagation. I’m confident I can make the best garden you’ve ever seen and come up with landscape improvement plans we can share with all of the teams. Her voice is fervent, and it does something strange to my insides. They rearrange to make room for the warmth in my chest.

  Jax touches her arm. His voice is low and calm, like he always seems to be. “It will be new for all of us. We’ll figure it out together.” He smiles at her.

  The muscles in her face soften. “Yes. Thank you.”

  I stare out the window as our assigned homestead site comes into view.

  It’s… totally barren. We’re supposed to erect our dome on a pile of mine tailings and broken boulders.

  “Is that… it?” Riya asks. My chest feels like it just caved in. How are we supposed to make our mate happy in this stark, ugly place?

  And what happened to the planet of my youth? It makes me want to demolish the Finn all over again. They ruined our beautiful planet.

  Ronan curses. “Is it too late to request an assignment in the capital?”

  Even Jax appears deflated.

  “Well,” Riya says, and I’m shocked to see her smiling. “We’re intended to improve it, right? So we can’t view it for what it is now. Imagine what we can do with it.”

  “What?” Ronan asks doubtfully.

  She grins. “Anything we want.”

  My heart tumbles in my chest. Our sweet female is so vecking brave. So strong and willing. Of course she’s probably lived in worse conditions than this. The Ocretions raped her home planet Earth of its resources until it became uninhabitable. They’ve over-mined and over-produced on every planet they’ve invaded. Her agrifarm probably didn’t look like much.

  The craft lands and I insist on lifting her out, mainly because I need to touch her. To thank her for her optimism.

  The warrior who brought us helps us unload the supplies and departs, leaving us with no means of leaving our new homestead.

  We’d better hope to the Zandian star we’re able to figure out how to homestead here, because we have nowhere else to go.

  I glance at the sky. The Zandian sun will set in a few hours and we have to get the dome built before nightfall or our mate will sleep in a tent, something I’m not willing to ask of her.

  “Let’s get to work,” I mutter. “Riya, stay close while we get the dome built.”

  Jax and Ronan fall in beside me as we fit together beams and snap together the high-tech materials to build our dome. Riya watches, making herself useful by handing us parts or tools.

  I don’t know about Jax and Ronan, but having her watch makes it hard for me to concentrate. Especially the way she gazes up under those long lashes at my chest and arms, as if she’s fascinated by my muscles.

  We finish just before sundown. The dome shines silver against the sky. The interior has been designed with controlled humidity and temperature. The exterior is strong to protect against storms, wild beasts, and any other threats.

  It’s set up to utilize the sun and wind for energy production, but we won’t have water until we tap the well next planet rotation. For now, we have enough in the tank to get by.

  “Come in and look around.” I am proud to show the dome to her. Our home—complete only with her. It’s magnificent.

  Riya

  I saw the domes they were putting up in the capital but seeing the males—my mates—put ours up so efficiently was breathtaking. The structure itself is vast, the top crisscrossed with silver beams and dotted with glass. The area outside the dome is rough, that’s for sure, but I saw a stream nearby when we landed, so I’m confident I can get something to grow on it. It will look completely different in a few solar cycles once the vegetation returns.

  The inside is luxurious, at least compared to what I’m used to. There’s a pantry for food storage and preparation, and an eating section with a table and chairs. A storage room for clothing, tools, and weapons. A washroom equipped with an automated washtube like they had in the palatial pod. A common area for relaxation, with hoverchairs and tables. And… the sleeping chamber. Like my mate’s chamber in the palatial pod, there’s one large hoverdisk composed of three smaller ones. There are smaller hoverseats along the wall, for relaxation, possibly. The hoverdisk is outfitted with soft fabrics and a flowing canopy.

  “I never dreamed I’d have a home of my own,” I admit to my mates, who trail me through the dome, watching my every reaction as I take it all in. “As an agrifarm slave, I slept on the floor in a tent with the other slaves. We weren’t allowed privacy or the right to own anything.” I touch the finely woven fabric on the hoverdisk.

  But I’m getting soft. I shouldn’t get used to this. I can’t. It may not be mine for long. Am I foolish enough to think I’ll get to stay here for the five years until it becomes ours? My mates will figure out I’m not a breeder soon enough and they’ll petition for a new one.

  “Everything here is yours, now, Riya.” Tarren’s voice is hard.

  Tears spring to my eyes at his declaration and alarm flickers over Tarren’s face. I have to remember Zandians don’t understand human emotions. At least that’s what I’ve heard. They’re both mystified by the complexity of our emotions, and also influenced by them—becoming more emotional themselves when they bond with us.

  “I’m sorry.” I wipe my cheeks rapidly.

  Tarren turns away, but I think I see something flash in his eyes. He’s so guarded, and I feel the urge to break down his defenses and find out what he’s like inside, when he’s not putting up his rough exterior.

  After I tour our new home, I return outside, where the crates of equipment stand under the setting sun. The warriors follow me, as if my every reaction fascinates them. “What’s in here?”

  “I imagine that’s whatever they think we need to homestead. Shall we see?” Jax asks. He pries open the lid of one crate and peers inside.

  “Here is your stockpile of seeds,” Tarren calls out in his gruff voice, opening several palettes of silvery boxes. “And tools.”

  My breath catches, and I eagerly bend down to open the air-tight latches on the first box. On my training holo on the transport craft, I received an overview of what seeds we’d receive, what needed to be planted for sure, and what was optional, based on our personal team needs and desires. We were told we’d receive help if we needed it, but with my background, I’m confident.

  “Wheat,” I exclaim at the first packet. “Carrots, tomatoes, beans, onions.” I go through packet after packet. “Strawberries, potatoes, spinach, chard.” There are also boxes of herbs, vitamins, and fertilizers.

  “This must be worth a fortune.” My voice is full of awe. “How did King Zander obtain this?” I gesture at the riches in front of me. Earth foods are still prized, even if Earth is long gone. Their legacy, apart from human slaves, was our superior foodstuffs.

  “King Zander has been purchasing heirloom seeds since he mated his human,” Jax tells me. I remember all the lush food-bearing plants I’d seen in the palatial pod. Ronan had told me Lamira planted them. She was previously an agrifarm slave like me. “Our crystals are highly prized, and we are able to get vast amounts of things in exchange for even small amounts of them.” He holds out one fist. “A crystal that could fit into my hand probably provided the seeds and paid for the materials for all of the domes.”

  “Some of these things I’ve never tasted,” I admit to them.

  “No?” Tarren looks surprised. “Why not?”

  I shrug. “Even though we were responsible for growing it, slaves were harshly punished for eating even a mouthful of food that was grown for Ocretions.”

  My stomach twists remembering my life before the Zandians rescued us. Thank the stars it is different now. These seeds, these
plants in the making, these will be mine. I can taste them. I feel such joy at the idea that I jump up and throw my arms around Tarren. His body stiffens but he clasps me, a second later.

  Ronan scowls. “Riya, from now forward, you’ll eat whatever you want. In fact, I’ll make it my personal goal to feed you every single one of these foods every planet rotation, until you beg me to stop.” He looks at a packet. “This one. Corn. You shall have corn three times a planet rotation if you wish. Seven times.” He laughs.

  I giggle and snatch the packet out of his hand. “I think once a week for corn is plenty.” The Zandians don’t understand human eating. To them, it’s as strange as their crystal sustenance is to me. “But I have plans to extract the syrup from the corn kernels and experiment—turn it into an oily fuel. I think it could possibly be useful, although I’m not sure just how, yet.” So many ideas swirl in my mind.

  Ronan cocks his head. “Fuel from this?” He looks at the picture, surprise etched into his expression. “It sounds impossible. But I trust you. Soon we will have the best homestead on the planet and I will tell beings our mate is a miracle worker.”

  The vast open space fills me with a giddy joy. “This is incredible.” I spin around. “I think the wheat should go in that field, there, to take advantage of the sun. And strawberries there, but beneath the peas and beans, because they will do well as ground shrubs. I think the tomatoes and chard should go—” I break off. “Unless you want them elsewhere?” I hesitate.

  Surprise flits over Jax’s face. “You will decide what to plant, where.” He points to the land. “And we will plow it for you and do the work to make it so.”

  I am taken aback. “I will tell you?”

  “How else will we know where to plant them?” He looks at me. “We trust your judgement. You will know more about this than I.”

  “But I thought you were going to give me orders.”

  His mouth quirks up. “I’m sure I’ll give you plenty of orders, but most of them will be in our chamber, little human. You’re not a slave any longer, Riya. You’re our mate.”

  Ronan comes up and snakes his arm around my waist, pulling my back against his front. “I have a few orders I’d like to give right now.” The dark suggestion in his voice has my feminine parts flaring to life. My freshly pierced nipples, which are slightly sore now that the analgesic spray has worn off, bead up.

  I’m here with three handsome powerful males who expect to bed me again. Soon. Very soon, judging by the way they keep touching me, looking at me with those hungry eyes. Even Tarren, the gruffest of my mates, wants me… badly.

  Ronan

  Inside, female.” I don’t release Riya, but propel her toward the dome, keeping her delectable ass pressed against the front of my body.

  I don’t know about my cousins, but I can’t wait any longer to claim our mate again. I’ve never felt so grateful for another being in my life.

  Her upbeat attitude is about the only thing that saved mine from going straight to my boots when I saw our homestead site. But she’s right. With her knowledge of agriculture, we’ll be able to transform this place into something beautiful again.

  I’m so damn grateful for her. She’s already so much more than I ever imagined we’d find in a mate. And I don’t mind sharing her at all. In fact, it makes it easier because I wouldn’t know how in the veck to keep a female satisfied. But I’m confident between the three of us, we’ll figure it out.

  Riya allows me to maneuver her inside, the incredible scent of her arousal making my dick turn harder than Zandian crystal.

  My cousins are right behind me. I think I hear Tarren growling in anticipation. I take her to our sleeping chamber and release her.

  “Take off your clothing,” I order.

  She casts a nervous look at the three of us looming before her but doesn’t move to comply.

  “I think she prefers to have it done for her,” Jax says mildly, strolling easily forward. He grips her tunic and pulls it over her head.

  Her breasts bounce free and this time I’m sure Tarren’s growling. It rumbles right in harmony with my groan.

  Jax walks around behind Riya and cups her breasts. “She’ll learn soon enough to obey us.” He pinches both her nipples, gently tugging on the new studs decorating her nipples.

  She gasps, but it’s not fear I read on her face, it’s a lust as equal—I hope—to ours. Her cheeks flush with color, her pupils are wide and black, darkening the gold of her eyes.

  “Little mates who are slow to submit get punished,” Jax murmurs, his lips right at her ear. He bites the place where her neck meets shoulder.

  She shivers, but I don’t think it’s from fear.

  “Boots off. Quickly now or Ronan will get the strap from that box Dr. Daneth gave us.”

  She jumps to comply, looking adorable as she hops on one foot and pulls off the boots that make her legs look so vecking sexy.

  Jax hooks his thumbs in the waistband of her leggings and slides them, along with her panties, to the floor. She steps out of them, twisting her hands in front of her body. Jax catches her hands and places them behind her head. “Let my cousins look at you, beautiful. You’re the sweetest thing we’ve seen in our lives.”

  I nod my agreement, giving my cock a rough squeeze through my pants as I advance. “Spread your legs, sweet girl,” I command. As soon as she does, I cup her mons, swallowing her gasp with my mouth. I suck her lower lip, sweep my tongue into her mouth. I want to devour our pretty mate.

  Her pussy leaks honey onto my fingers, flesh growing plumper with each stroke. She’s so damn responsive—it nearly undoes me.

  “This pussy,” I growl when I end the kiss. She stares up at me with surprise. “Must be the most perfect pussy on the entire planet.” I screw one finger into her and she almost falls forward, attempting to recover her hands from Jax. He keeps her captive though, caging her hands in one of his as he toys with her breasts with the other. Tarren watches from the hoverdisk. He’s removed his clothes and washed up, and he strokes his cock now.

  “Where do you want my cock, Riya?” I ask her, adding a second finger and vecking her with them.

  She gasps and squirms, eyes going glassy.

  “Do you want it here? In your pussy?”

  “Y-yes,” she gasps, and I kiss her again.

  Jax releases her and I usher her over the hoverdisk, where I fold her torso down onto the mattress. Her ass is so pretty, just waiting to be turned pink again, so I slap it, hard.

  She squeaks but doesn’t stray from her position. I slap her again and again until her skin turns a beautiful shade of pink. Then I release my cock and stroke the head over her slit.

  My eyes roll back in my head when I enter her, and I groan. I ease in, giving her time to adjust to my size. My thighs shake from the effort of holding back, but I distract myself by running my palms up and down her sides, down the elegant slope of her back. When she arches and pushes back to take me deeper, I bark out a curse. Holding back is no longer an option. I grip her hips and pull back, then fill her with every inch of me.

  She cries out, but it has a wanton quality to it, so I go on. Every time I plow deep, she makes little mewls of pleasure until all I can hear are her cries, my grunts, and the slap of flesh between us. Jax crawls over on the hoverdisk and lifts her head with her hair, mating their mouths. Tarren reaches his fingers under her hips, rubbing the place that makes her go wild.

  She starts to tighten around me and I lose control. My balls tighten, thighs shake. I pound into her two, three more times, then bury myself deep and come.

  “Come, Riya,” Tarren commands, but it’s not necessary. Our little mate is already coming like a meteor. Her muscles squeeze and milk my cock of every last drop of cum.

  “That’s it, sweet mate,” I croon, draping my torso over hers, utterly replete.

  Riya

  I continue to be amazed that sex with my mates hasn’t brought up any thoughts of violation or the abuse I suffered before. Not ev
en a hint of it. It’s like my body knows its owners, responds to their touch like I was made only for them.

  I hardly notice as Ronan eases out of me and Tarren sits beside me on the hoverdisk. Some being rubs my back. Another massages my scalp. Bliss still courses through me, thick and warm.

  Tarren brings me back to reality when he lifts me and puts me over his and Jax’s laps.

  I squeak in dismay, at first thinking they’re going to spank me again. But Tarren has another idea entirely. “Spread your thighs,” he tells me, “and loosen your bottom cheeks. I am going to insert a training device into your back hole to spread you out. That way you will be able to accept Jax’s member and we can both share you at once.”

  I can feel how hard and long Jax is beneath my thighs, and I clench up automatically. There is no way he’ll fit into me that way without a lot of pain.

  “Relax,” Tarren soothes me, his voice softer than I’ve ever heard it. “We’ll take care of you. You can trust us.”

  “Dr. Daneth assured me,” Ronan adds, reaching out to stroke my thigh, “With training you’ll be able to take us in the ass, quite well. And that you’ll enjoy it.” He gives me a soft spank and laughs. “You will see.”

  I’m dubious, but I also am fascinated, and my body thrums with desire. I’ve heard other humans talk about how good this feels, and Mother Earth, I’m eager to find out. The plug is coated with some kind of lubricant, and when Tarren pushes it against my body, I relax my muscles to allow entrance.

  “That’s it,” encourages Jax. “Just let him push it in all the way. Don’t fight it. If you push back against it, it will go in more easily.”

  “It hurts,” I whimper, as a burning pain arises at the widest part of the plug.

  “Just for a minute,” agrees Jax, stroking my back and thighs. “Once it’s in entirely, the pain will cease. I promise.”