Zandian Pet

by Renee Rose

  Kicking off her shoe, she sought his leg with her bare toes. She knew she’d found the right limb by the way his hand jerked at his food and his brows lowered. She inched her foot higher, following the inside of his calf to his thigh.

  “I have a question,” Talia piped up beside her, directing her attention to their father. “Why does everyone still refer to Prince Zander as prince, when his father is dead?”

  “I will claim the title when I reclaim our planet,” Zander answered from the head of the table, making Talia blush.

  So he hoped to retake Zandia. Interesting.

  “Although I suppose it is confusing now that we have a new prince in the palace.” He turned a loving gaze on the bundle in his human mate’s arms.

  Lamira shifted their tiny half-breed, and a dozen servants surged forward, offering to hold the tiny new prince. From what Mina had seen, that infant would never pass a single moment out of some being’s arms. The entire pod lived and breathed for their newest royal.

  Even Eslyn’s children seemed highly revered, despite the fact that their fathers were in the dungeons below. In addition to the three warriors who took charge of Eslyn, the young had dozens of other Zandian adults eager to step in as guardians and teachers.

  Mina’s foot arrived at the apex of Erick’s thighs, and her toes wiggled along his hard length, trapped against one thigh.

  His horns thickened, and he swallowed convulsively.

  Beside her, Tomis stroked Talia’s thigh, his fingers traveling higher and higher, his horns as thick and hard as Erick’s.

  What would her sister think of her past as a sex slave? She wanted to tell her but couldn’t risk their father finding out.

  What did Erick think of her now? She got the sense he was ashamed of his behavior at Prium’s. Hell, he’d even apologized to her at the time. Maybe his lust had taken him by surprise, too. If there were no other Zandian females around, his reaction to her might have been as surprising as her reaction to him.

  She found the head of his cock and squeezed it with her toes.

  ~.~

  What was Mina’s game?

  If she didn’t stop stroking his cock with her little foot, he’d never be able to leave the table because his malehood was at a full salute.

  “So, Tara,” —he cleared his throat— “how did you find our pod?”

  The conversation didn’t stop her toes, although he swore he saw reproof at his question.

  “I heard of it a few lunar cycles ago and made it my intention to get myself here. I’d hoped I’d be able to beg for assistance from the prince, but I had no idea my father had survived the invasion.”

  She looked over at her father’s scarred face. He had one hand buried in his human mate’s hair, but he froze when she looked at him, an apology in his expression.

  Now her little toes stopped, and she dropped her foot to the floor, which shouldn’t have come as such a disappointment.

  “I don’t mind about your new mate,” Mina said softly, and the table went quiet around her. She flushed as if she hated the attention.

  This was the same female who’d goaded it back at Prium’s. He vecking hated seeing her out of her element. Wanted to do everything in his power to make her comfortable, although he couldn’t, for the life of him, think of what that might be. He offered Mina what he hoped was an encouraging smile.

  Seke’s mate, Leora, lifted her green eyes.

  “I’m happy you found a new mate, Father. It’s strange for me to see you with her, but I don’t mind.”

  Talia nodded beside her. “Me neither.” She shrugged. “Of course, my memories are incomplete anyway.”

  Leora inclined her head with regal grace. It was easy to forget she was human and had also recently been a slave. “I’m grateful for your acceptance.”

  Everyone seemed relieved when Zander stood, indicating the dinner was over. Mina jumped to her feet, although she couldn’t go anywhere because she was immediately boxed in by a half-dozen interested males.

  Separated from her by the table, there was nothing he could do to aid her. If she even wanted that.

  What did she want from him? Had she just been torturing him because she knew he couldn’t do anything at the dinner table? Was this her form of sexual payback for what he’d done with her?

  “Excuse me, I’m very tired. It’s been a long few planet rotations.” She elbowed her way through the crowd.

  He slipped out of the Great Hall ahead of her, taking the corridor toward the sleeping chambers and waiting around the first corner. The moment she rounded it, he stepped into her path.

  “Erick.” She stopped with an audible inhale, her pale hair falling forward into her face.

  He advanced. One step then another.

  She retreated. Not out into the corridor to the Great Hall, but backing up to the wall.

  In a second, he was upon her, pressing her small, lithe body up against the smooth pastel plaster, dragging his open mouth down the column of her neck.

  He hadn’t meant to pounce, hadn’t even known he’d intended to, but the moment he had her caged, his senses exploded with everything Mina. When she lifted one leg to wrap around his waist, his last thin thread of control snapped. He palmed her ass cheeks and ground his heavy erection against her core.

  “Were you punishing me, beautiful pet?” He thrust his clothed cock into the notch between her legs, registering the dampness coming through her fine white leggings. “Did you want to make me sweat in front of your father? You know he’d vecking kill me if he found out what I did to you, don’t you? One word from you and my life would be over.”

  It thrilled him to know she held the balance of his life in her hand, as much as it seemed to thrill her to be handled roughly by him. He thrust again, hammering her ass against the wall. “You’re going to let me do it again, though, aren’t you?”

  It was unbelievably bold, but he’d made Zander’s fortune with his skill at reading beings. He knew when he was going to get his way. How he’d won this victory, he had no idea, but he’d won it.

  Her lids drooped, full lips parted as her head lolled against the wall.

  “I’ll take your pretty pussy this time, beautiful. It’s what I should’ve done in the first place, not that I ever meant to claim you at all. I swear on the one true Zandian star, my only goal was to get you out of there.”

  She wrapped her fists around his horns, sending a jolt straight to his cock. “I believe you.” Her husky tone made him even wilder.

  He thrust against her alluring heat again. “You didn’t wait to be rescued, though, did you, sweet female?” He nipped her neck. “You saved yourself. But you stole from me, naughty pet.”

  She used his horns to bring his mouth down to hers. “You’ll have to punish me.”

  Holy star of Zandia.

  He picked her up, and she wrapped her other leg around his waist as he carried her to his chamber, where he slapped his palm against the scanner to open the door. Mouth locked onto hers, he saw nothing on the way to the sleepdisk. His fingers roughly squeezed her ass as he stumbled forward and launched them both horizontal.

  He tore her leggings off and attached his mouth to her core, taking his first pull of what he’d been missing every minute since they’d parted the previous planet rotation. “Veck, yes, Mina. You taste so good.”

  Her answering cry matched his urgency. She rubbed his horns, yanking his head tighter to her hot pussy. He suctioned his lips over her clit and sucked while she thrashed beneath him.

  He broke his kiss. “You’re so wet for me.”

  “Yes...yes,” she moaned.

  “Too bad I can’t let you come.”

  “Wh-what?” She leaned up on her elbows, her beautiful lavender skin flushed a shade of reddish purple, eyes glassy.

  “This is punishment, remember?”

  Her slow drink of breath went straight to his cock. Hell, the idea of punishing her went straight to his cock because, this time, he had her permission.

/>   She wants this.

  Nothing made him harder than the idea of Mina willingly placing herself in his hands. Offering that sweet ass up for the lick of his belt.

  He yanked off his tunic and undershirt and threw them over his shoulder. Her clothing went next. He backed off the sleepdisk and grasped under her knees to yank her core to the edge of the bed. Right where he wanted it—no, needed it—when he finished punishing her.

  He took his time unstrapping his sword belt, measuring the flicker of excitement in her eyes against the flinch of fear. Stars, if he saw any sign that his words or actions were too much, or that they threw her into distasteful memories, he would drive his dagger through his own hand. But she showed only interest, even encouragement.

  He wrapped the belt around one hand and picked up her ankles with the other, holding them high. “What happened to the ring you stole, Mina?” He snapped the animal hide across her buttocks. He was relieved her skin showed no marks from the whipping he’d given her the previous planet rotation.

  She jerked at the impact. “I traded it to a pilot to get here.”

  He nodded. “That was a good use for it. But if you’d waited for me, I would’ve flown you.” He spanked her with the belt again.

  She tightened her buttocks against the punishment. “I know,” she panted.

  He stopped and raised an eyebrow. “You know? You knew? Why didn’t you wait, then?” He whipped her again. She jerked, her knees bending and making her bottom bob. He loved this position because he could make eye contact during her punishment.

  “I don’t know,” she gasped, turning her head away, as if to avoid his gaze.

  “Look at me.” He slapped the belt.

  “Too much,” she gasped.

  He stopped the belt mid-swing, jerking it back. “Too much, beautiful?”

  She closed her eyes.

  “Look at me.”

  Her lashes flew open, but she didn’t meet his gaze, instead rolling her head from side to side, as if in pain.

  Veck. Had he hurt her? He hadn’t meant to use much force behind the strokes.

  “It was too intense—what you drew from me,” she blurted. “I’d never responded that way with a male before.”

  Triumph galloped through his chest, but he hid it, not wanting to break out of the role of master she’d let him seize. He whipped her three times in quick succession.

  “It was easier to run.”

  Her courage kicked him in the gut. The sheer vulnerability it took to reveal herself to him stripped away his defenses, too. He dropped the belt. Not bothering to take off his pants or boots, he pulled out his cock and lined up at her entrance.

  “No running this time. But I need to hear you say you want this, Mina. I don’t want to hate myself for forcing you a second time.”

  “I want it. Give it to me, Master.”

  Oh stars. Lust rocketed through him, tightening his balls. He was going to come the moment he entered her.

  He grasped her ankles and spread her legs straight out to the side. “You keep these legs wide, knees locked, pet, understand?”

  If he’d had any doubt about whether she enjoyed his domination, he saw it in the squeeze of her pussy and anus, the shudder of bliss that ran through her body. She nodded. “Yes, Master.”

  He channeled all the pleasure of hearing her call him master into his first thrust, growling as he pinned her wrists above her head and buried himself deep into her sopping channel. “Oh veck, pet. So good. I don’t know how I survived my whole life without access to this sweet vecking pussy.”

  She rocked her pelvis up to meet his thrusts, rubbing her clit along his shaft as he entered. He pistoned in and out of her, driving deeper and deeper until her eyes widened, riveted on his face. “Please, please,” she whimpered, still holding her legs straddled wide and straight.

  “Do you need to come, beautiful?”

  “Yes… yes.”

  “So do I.” He slammed harder and harder into her as his balls tightened. “Hold your breath, pet.”

  Confusion flitted over her face. He adjusted one hand to cover her mouth, leaving her nostrils open so she could choose herself if she wanted to obey.

  She did. Her ribs stiffened as she locked down her breath.

  He vecked her hard, plowing with enough force to shake the sleepdisk. His orgasm ignited, exploding through him in a rush of heat and glorious release. He thrust in to the hilt and stayed deep. “Come, Mina,” he managed to gasp around the roar erupting from his throat.

  Her body convulsed, jerking beneath him. He pulled his hand away from her mouth, and she drew a huge, ragged breath, pussy squeezing and releasing his cock like a tight fist. Shock, fear, pain, ecstasy all danced over her face as she came and came.

  When her muscles stopped squeezing, her body went slack, knees bending, head lolling to the side. Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes.

  Oh stars.

  ~.~

  Her body had exploded into a million pieces—in the best possible way. Like some mad spiritual awakening, their sex had shown her the universe from a larger perspective. Pleasure pulsed through every cell, and yet she’d flown out-of-body at the same time.

  The orgasm left her blown open, naked. Not in the no-clothing sense, but stripped of every barrier, of every defense. Even of what she’d held closely as her definition of self.

  Erick eased out and grabbed the corner of his coverlet, yanking the beautiful spidersilk across her naked body.

  She rolled to her side, dazed by the intensity of her experience.

  “I’m sorry, Mina. Did I hurt you? Are you all right?” He fitted his body around the back of hers, wrapping an arm around her waist.

  “I’m not hurt.” Her voice sounded far away.

  “I’m so sorry, sweet female. I’ve done it again, treated you like—”

  “It was wonderful.”

  He went still behind her. “You’re not upset?”

  “No, just… stunned. Overwhelmed. How did you know what would happen when I held my breath?”

  He leaned up on one elbow, stroking back the strands of hair that fell over her face. “I’m a depraved male. I’ve spent far too much time in galactic brothels, seeking something I never found. Until you.”

  His words warmed her chest. The previous planet rotation he’d shown her fierce domination and rough sex. It had driven her wild, and she’d wanted more, but she hadn’t known the male behind the hard muscle and expensive clothing. They’d had no pillow talk. Now, his charm made him even more irresistible. Which scared the life out of her. She’d left her days as a sex pet behind. She didn’t know who she was now, but it wasn’t Mina. The reversion to her childhood name was symbolic of a bigger change. And if she let herself fall for this devastating male, she’d be consumed by him. She’d never figure out who she was.

  “Well, I’m grateful for your habit, since it enabled me to get free.” She kept her tone light, didn’t acknowledge the claim he appeared to be making on her.

  “With great damage to my male pride, I must say. I’d imagined myself the hero, bringing you back safely and receiving your father’s commendation, perhaps even his blessing to mate you. Instead, I’m sneaking around corridors to catch you up and carry you back to my chamber like a thief. Like the sex fiend I’ve always been.”

  She sat up, smiling at his rueful tone. “Poor thing.” She crawled off the sleepdisk. She needed to get out of his room, away from his addictive presence.

  He stood as well, but he walked around the sleepdisk and put his hands on her waist. “Where are you going?”

  She flattened her palm on his muscled chest. “You can’t keep me prisoner, warrior. Remember what you said? One word from me, and my father will have your head.”

  He drew back as if she’d slapped him, dropping his hands to his sides. “I would never force you, Mina.” His jaw flexed. “Will you not forgive me for what I took at Prium’s?”

  She swallowed against a tightness forming in her thr
oat. “I liked it, Erick.” She hid her face from him as she pulled on her clothing.

  “So, what is this? You’re going to hold it over my head...forever?”

  She tugged the fitted dress down over her leggings. “No.” She walked to the door and pushed the button to open it. “We’re not doing this again. Mina no longer exists.”

  She held her head high and somehow managed not to look back as she strode out of his room. A sense of wrongness niggled in the back of her mind, like she’d just made a huge mistake, but she ignored it.

  This couldn’t go on. Not if she wanted to be free of her past.

  Chapter Four

  “A name, Behn.” Erick placed his laser gun on the desk between them in a not-so-subtle hint. He’d told Behn he’d return in three planet rotations for his carriers, but he wasn’t surprised to find they hadn’t magically appeared.

  The broker blinked his eyes rapidly, chin trembling. “I-I don’t know. The manufacturer said they were stolen, but he’s making you new ones. They’ll be ready in five moon cycles.”

  Erick gave a short shake of his head. “I need them now. Who stole them?”

  Behn mopped his brow with a square of spider silk. “I have no—”

  He lunged across the table, pressing the butt of the laser gun against Behn’s forehead. “Give me. The name.”

  “I-I heard it was Neo Lin, the collector. But I cannot verify such information.”

  Erick pulled the gun away from Behn’s head. If he’d suspected Behn of stealing the money or the carriers himself, Erick would’ve killed him, but the male was too soft for that kind of treachery. He’d been caught in the middle of a bad situation, same as Erick.

  “Who have you told about our arrangement?” He’d been firm from the beginning that no one could know the Zandians were buying the galactacarriers. Not that the Finn weren’t already on notice.

  “No one. I swear.”

  “Good.”

  “I beg you not to say I sent you,” Behn called after him as he left his elegant office.

  Erick didn’t dignify it with a response. He returned to his ship and set the course back to the pod.