by Renee Rose
“On an errand. We’ll be right back.”
“The veck you are! You can’t just take my ship on an errand whenever you want. What in the hell is going on?”
“Jaso wanted to get a drink at the Three Pits Tavern in Dumpler. Won’t take long.”
A long silence ensued. “Is Talia with you?”
“You guessed it. Don’t ask us. She wanted to go and had the crystal to pay for it.”
A string of curses ensued, most of which she’d never heard before, but apparently they didn’t require answering because Jano flicked off the comms unit while Rok was still midstream.
This was it. She was going back to Stornig. To kick the crap out of Thurn and demand payment for all the years she worked there as a supposed slave.
Then she could figure out whether to return to her species and join in their flight for survival and repopulation of Zandia.
The terrible twisting in her belly would probably go away soon. The heartache? That might, too, although she didn’t think so.
Tomis had been her one and only. She knew it without a shadow of a doubt. Too bad he didn’t concur.
~.~
Tomis roared and threw his fist into the wall, denting the metal. Then he repeated the action.
On the third time, Rok caught his arm. He turned, ready and willing to fight Rok, the messenger of the veck-all horrible news Talia had left for Stornig with Rok’s vecking foster brothers. He was ready to beat him to a bloody pulp for letting it happen, not just for being in the way, but the male threw his palms up in surrender.
“Peace, warrior. Females. I know—they’re infuriating.”
He drew his fist back once more, but Rok gripped his biceps, pushing his arm down. “Stop denting my vecking pod. If you want her so badly, go after her.”
Right. Simple advice, but sound. He’d go after her. But what then? She had chosen to leave, and he’d promised to let her. What would she think when he showed up ready to drag her back at all costs?
That wouldn’t work. But maybe he could convince her to come. Say the things he should have said before.
“May I take a ship?”
“If you bring it back.”
He whirled, already striding for the dock. “Clear me for takeoff.”
“Feel free to kick my brothers’ asses when you get there.”
“Don’t doubt it,” he called over his shoulder before pushing the door open to the loading chamber. He threw a helmet on his head and stormed out onto the dock. He picked the closest airship and jumped on it, firing up the engines.
Gone. Talia was gone. He’d seen it coming. Veck. He should have prevented it. What an idiot he’d been!
He should have worked harder to disabuse her of the notion he didn’t want her. Didn’t need her. But what if, fundamentally, that wasn’t enough?
He knew she cared for him. Or had that just been her hormones talking? No. She’d sacrificed herself to save his life. She loved him. He knew it.
He lifted off, setting the flight course for Stornig. Why in the hell had Talia chosen to run to the planet where she’d been enslaved? Veck, he would kill her former master if he got his hands on him. Was that why Talia had returned? To demand justice? Why wouldn’t she bring him along to protect her. Didn’t she knew he’d fight any fight for her.
Any fight.
Prickles raced over the skin of his arms.
Veck. He knew what Talia needed.
The answer hit him and, with it, all the life drained from his body. He had to choose her above duty. Above his species, his prince. Above honor. He had to be willing to fight for her, for them. Against his mentor and ruler, if he had to.
Was he willing to be Talia’s warrior instead of Prince Zander’s?
Hell, yes.
Because the alternative—losing her—was unthinkable. He couldn’t live knowing he’d hurt her. Let her down. Abandoned her to the authority of anyone else.
She belonged to him. Hadn’t she surrendered to him? Allowed him to master her—begged him to?
Yes. She was worth it.
He requested permission to land on Stornig. The air border guards charged him three steins just to land and another four to park his ship, but he didn’t bother to bargain them down.
Stornig was a poor planet, known for shady dealings, swindling, smuggling, and underground business dealings of every kind. Captain Rok, along with his brothers Jano and Jasu, had been smugglers based on Stornig before being recruited by Prince Zander. Their adventures led them to be some of the best—and most wanted—pilots in the galaxy.
He leaped out of the craft, paid the fees, and asked for directions to the Three Pits Tavern, which he gleaned was the center of seedy business transactions.
Was this where Talia had grown up? The thought made him want to throat-punch the first Stornigian he saw. He restrained his fury, though, intent on only one thing—convincing Talia he was her mate.
On the way, Jano and Jaso passed him, skirting wide to avoid contact. He shouted a few obscenities and hurled a couple stones, but they weren’t worth any diversion of his attention.
Inside the Three Pits, he scanned the tavern. Beings of every species jammed the dingy place, crowding the bar, standing around tables, spilling out onto an outdoor deck area. It smelled of stale brew and body odor.
An old, harried-looking Stornigian served drinks behind the bar. One of his eyes was swollen closed, and his lip was cut and bleeding. Beside him—oh stars!—stood Talia, coolly serving drinks, a smock tied over her white Zandian flight uniform. He’d loved her naked, and half-clothed in his shirt, but somehow she appeared even more delectable in the fitted suit, the fabric molding to her curves, setting them off in a way that made him want to hide her from the view of every other male in the place. She moved with efficiency and skill only the most experienced bartender possessed.
His heart thundered. It took all his willpower not to storm behind the bar, snatch her up, and carry her out of there. That wouldn’t do any good, though.
Talia had chosen to come back here. She didn’t appear to be under duress.
He slid into a booth in the corner to watch her, forcing himself to wait. Stars help any being who laid a finger on her, though. He wouldn’t be able to stand by if any being disrespected her.
She worked steadily through wave after wave of customers, until finally the place quieted down.
He sensed the exact moment she spotted him, the air in the tavern seeming to leave through the doors, the din of voices changing to a loud buzz. Or was that the blood rushing in his ears?
They locked gazes, her pouty lips falling open with what he imagined must be a gasp. She untied her smock and removed it, never breaking eye contact with him. She’d showered since he’d seen her last, and her reddish-brown hair fell in thick, glossy waves, which bounced and swayed in time with her hips as she crossed the room to him. His cock thickened in his pants, and he had to shift to accommodate it.
Talia arrived at his table and leaned both hands on it, staring down at him. Her breasts fell forward, pressed together by the frame of her arms as if presented just for his mouth.
He nearly trembled from the effort it took not to move, not to yank her down onto his lap and bite her neck. “Hello, starshine.”
Her chin wobbled, and he cursed himself for being responsible for the vulnerability he saw there. “What are you doing here?” she asked warily. “You promised to let me go.”
He attempted a nonchalant shrug. “I promised to let you, but I didn’t say I wouldn’t follow you anywhere and everywhere you went.”
Her long-lashed eyes widened. “What does that mean?”
“It means I’m yours, beautiful. I promised to serve. I’m not quitting just because we’re off Zandia.”
She folded her arms across her chest, but not before he saw her nipples protruding beneath the fabric. “What about your prince? Did he send you?”
“No. I left his service. You’re the only being I serve now.” He finall
y permitted himself to reach for her, looping an arm around her waist and pulling her onto his lap.
“Tomis...what do you mean?” Her breathless voice so close to his ear made it hard to concentrate.
“I mean you’re mine, starshine. Whether you like it or not. I may not have pierced you yet, but I claimed you back at that waterfall, and nothing will keep me away from you.”
She wrapped a fist around one of his horns, and a shudder of pleasure made him yank her ass over his cock.
“You’d better know that touching me there is going to end with you getting vecked mercilessly against the first hard surface I can find,” he growled.
She squeezed and tugged on the horn, and he nearly came in his pants. “What about my father?” she breathed in his ear. “And Prince Zander? What about the battle to take back Zandia?”
He captured the back of her head, holding her still as he grazed her neck with his teeth. “What about them?”
“You’re leaving all that? For me?”
He bit down on the juncture of her neck and shoulder, hard enough to leave a mark. “That’s right, beautiful.”
She drew in a shuddering breath and he smelled, with horror, the scent of her tears.
“Starshine, no. Don’t cry. Please, baby.”
“You’d really give that all up for me?” She leaned her forehead against his.
“Yes. My life is nothing without you. Say you’ll wear my crystal, Talia. Let me be your mate.”
“Yes,” she sniffed, pressing her body even closer to his.
He inhaled her scent, smelling the soap from her shower and underneath it, her own unique essence, sweet and wild. “I never should have pretended I’d give you up. It would have been an impossibility, even if I’d wanted to. You’re mine. You’ll always be mine.”
“You’re mine, too.” She squeezed his horn. “And I require servicing.”
Tomis attacked her mouth, biting her lower lip, twining his tongue with hers. “Veck, female. I thought my need for you would relax once we were off-planet. But it’s only worse.”
She kissed him back feverishly, apparently forgetting where they were or not noticing the elderly bartender stared at them with grudging approval. “It’s worse for me, too,” she said huskily. “Do you think it will always be this way?”
“I hope so.” His hand slid up her inner thigh. “Come to the airship I borrowed. I need you alone.”
“All right.” She stood up and smiled, so beautiful she took his breath away. “Come and meet Thurn, my former master.”
He growled, hands closing into fists.
“Easy, warrior. I already gave him a black eye.” She shrugged. “He found a girl out in the desert and saw it as a windfall. My life wasn’t all that bad. He taught me a trade and three languages. Took care of me when I was sick. Protected me from every patron here who wanted to use my body. He was a poor substitute for my real father, but I think he loved me in his own way. Even if he did use a lie to keep me bound to him.”
He arched a brow. “You came to forgiveness far faster than I will.” He unfolded his legs, adjusting his aching cock as he stood.
“Let it go. Take me to my real father, I’m ready now.”
He went still. “You’re willing to meet him?”
“Only as your mate.”
Warmth exploded in his chest, filling him with more love and pride than he believed he could take. She hadn’t wanted to be delivered to her father because she belonged to him.
“I won’t keep you from your duties, Tomis. Knowing you were willing to give it all up for me is enough.”
He yanked her into him, crushing her lips with his. “I love you, Talia. Only you.”
She melted into him, her soft form supple and yielding. “And I love you, warrior. Now, let’s go. I think you promised me a hard vecking.”
He growled, palming her ass and squeezing as they started across the room to meet and bid farewell to Thurn.
His mate.
Stars, how did he get so lucky?
Chapter Eight
Talia gripped Tomis’ hand far harder than she meant to, hesitating outside the door to Prince Zander’s Great Room in the palatial pod. Her body felt deliciously tender in so many places after endless hours of lovemaking and her freshly pierced nipples, ears, and cheek. But her emotions were as raw as her body, and she didn’t feel ready to meet Seke.
They’d gone to the training pod first, to return the airship, then traveled on with Rok and Lily to meet Prince Zander and her father.
“Wait,” she whispered, digging in her heels as he tried to lead her through the door.
Rok and Lily bumped into them from behind.
“Sorry. I...uh...forgot something.”
Lily touched her shoulder. “I know what it’s like to meet family you don’t even remember,” she said. “I ran from it at first, too.” She looked through the open doors, her gaze landing on two human women—one older and one with an infant in her arms—who had the same coppery hair and green eyes she did. “But, next to Rok, they’re the best thing that’s happened to me.”
She hooked an arm through Talia’s free elbow. “Come on. We’ll go in together.”
A mist blurred her vision as she walked in beside her new mate and friends.
The conversation in the room stopped, and the scarred warrior in white standing beside Lily’s mother jerked his head up, eyes locked on hers. “Talia,” he rasped.
She swallowed, hard. “Father?”
He strode forward, opening his arms.
For a moment, she didn’t move.
Tomis squeezed her hand. “It’s all right, starshine. You don’t have to—”
She rushed forward, falling into her father’s embrace, rediscovered memories jostling around her head. She remembered his deep voice. The strength of his arms. The straightness of his back. The warmth of his hug.
Tears wet her cheeks, and she sensed, by the tightness of Seke’s arms, how much emotion he choked back.
“Talia. I thought you were dead. I’m sorry I never found you.”
“You found me now,” she said against his chest. “Tomis found me.”
He seemed reluctant to release her, but, after a long moment, he did. He raised his forearm toward the ceiling to greet Tomis. “Thank you. For rescuing my daughter. I am forever in your debt.”
Tomis bowed. “And I, yours, for my upbringing. And because I have mated her.”
The room erupted with cheers of congratulations. Seke thumped Tomis on the back, and the handsome Zandian who’d been standing with Lily’s sister did as well.
Tomis bowed to him. “My lord. May I present my mate, Talia, daughter of Master Seke.”
Zander inclined his head. “Welcome Talia, and congratulations on your mating.”
She curtsied. “Thank you, my lord. And thank you for sending Tomis to rescue me.”
Prince Zander’s lips quirked into a smile. “Tomis sent himself. Not that I wouldn’t have dispatched a mission for your rescue.”
She gazed up at her warrior, who tucked her back against his side, as if she belonged nowhere else. “Is that true?”
He nodded, once. “One look at you, and I was willing to give my life for your rescue. Are you surprised?”
“No,” she whispered. Of course she wasn’t. Tomis was her hero. Her protector. Her mate and master.
He leaned down and brushed his lips across hers. “Are you all right, starshine?”
“Yes,” she murmured. “I’m perfect.”
A Note from the Author
Thank you for reading Her Mate and Master! If you’re not on my newsletter list, please sign up! You’ll get free books, bonus scenes, discounts, and my thoughts on D/s in books and the bedroom. You can sign up here.
Acknowledgements
Thank you to Aubrey Cara and Katherine Deane for their beta reads and to all the readers who kept asking, when is the next book coming out?
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Read all the Books in the Zandian Masters Series!
His Human Slave (Book 1)
COLLARED AND CAGED, HIS HUMAN SLAVE AWAITS HER TRAINING.
Zander, the alien warrior prince intent on recovering his planet, needs a mate. While he would never choose a human of his own accord, his physician's gene-matching program selected Lamira's DNA as the best possible match with his own. Now he must teach the beautiful slave to yield to his will, accept his discipline and learn to serve him as her one true master.
Lamira has hidden her claircognizance from the Ocretions, as aberrant traits in human slaves are punished by death. When she's bought by a Zandian prince for breeding and kept by his side at all times, she finds it increasingly harder to hide. His humiliating punishments and dominance awake a powerful lust in her, which he tracks with a monitoring device on her arousal rate. But when she begins to care for the huge, demanding alien, she must choose between preserving her own life and revealing her secret to save his.
His Human Prisoner (Book 2)
HE DIDN'T BELIEVE IN DESTINY—UNTIL HE MET HER.
When a beautiful human slave steals Rok's ship and leaves him stranded on an abandoned planet, he's furious. Discovering her sister is the mate to the prince of his species only makes him more determined to find her and punish her thoroughly for her crimes. Yet when he captures her, he finds her impossible to resist. Punishment becomes exquisite pleasure as he teaches her to submit.
Lily's attraction to the huge Zandian warrior unnerves her. She's never been moved by a male, nor interested in sex before, but Rok coaxes every bit of emotion out of her as he demands her complete surrender. But he intends to turn her over to the authorities, which will mean her certain death. She must find a way to escape the handsome alien before she loses her life—or worse—her heart.
