The Demon Master's Wife (Fantasy, Space Opera, Science Fiction Romance) (FORCED TO SERVE)

by McDonald, Donna

  “Could you now?” Ania asked.

  “I don’t know,” Synar said honestly. “I have taken the lives of many creatures I thought were unredeemable or who were doing what I considered true evil. Conor looks like me, almost like a twin. I look at him and see us playing as children. I see myself. I have trouble seeing the evil in him. ”

  “We were not meant to kill our own kin. It is one of those innate laws written in our spirits. To kill your kin is to at worst end your own kind and at best to bear a great spiritual burden for the rest of your life. I have worked with many warriors who have done such things. It is always life changing,” Ania said.

  “As are many other decisions,” Synar said. “You would kill Conor even at the risk of breaking the sacred contract and dying yourself. I see the decision in your eyes.”

  “Malachi has warned me of the penalty, but yes—I would still kill him. That is a truth because of my specific nature,” Ania said. “I do not know what it is to love a sibling. I think I am grateful my parents decided to only have one child.”

  Tired of a conversation that seemed even less redeemable than his brother’s spirit, Synar pulled himself upright and stood.

  “The training books are on the desk. You should start at the beginning. I will do rounds and then I will return to check on your progress. If you tire . . .” Synar stopped, looked at the bed. “If you tire, sleep here.”

  “Synar, why do you not sleep here? I see none of your energy in the bed,” Ania said.

  “The bed is new and was to be ours after we mated. I planned to keep it sacred for you. After what happened, I couldn’t bring myself to use it alone. I store my effects here in these quarters, but I sleep where you joined me the other night. I can see now it was just a foolish sentiment,” he said.

  “You haven’t slept here at all in two years?” Ania asked, looking at the bed.

  “No,” Synar answered. “I sat on it occasionally and wished for you.”

  Ania sighed in frustration. Was he going to expect her to become sentimental over such things as well? She was far too practical to do so over objects, despite the fact that she valued his physical fidelity to her as the greatest gift anyone had ever given her.

  “I may never understand you,” Ania said finally. “You are stoic and practical about the Liberator, yet foolish and reckless about yourself. It is a merely a bed, Synar.”

  “It is merely a bed until you are in it. Then it becomes my sanctuary and my place of true rest. Despite our differences, I hope you consider the offer to be my mate in every sense. I will think of it as already coming to pass until I convince you to move in here with me. I think the crew will be relieved once you do. They already think I’m odd enough for a captain as it is,” Synar said stiffly.

  “What if I agree to share your bed now and again, but not as your mate?” Ania asked, not sure she was ready to try being a normal mate again.

  Synar snorted. “You talk in riddles. If you are in my bed, Ania Looren, you are my mate.”

  Ania grinned and looked away, turning her back to Synar as she pulled the first book in the sequence towards her. “Yes, look how well that controlling attitude has worked for Dorian. You can tell yourself I’m your mate all you want, but it won’t change how I view us. Time alone will prove you faithful or false in your loyalty to me again.”

  Synar walked to her, grabbed a handful of hair to pull Ania’s head back and direct her gaze up to his. “Do not think that my reticence towards the rest of my family extends to you. I remember how you taste and I will know it again. I will learn this new body of yours until your measurements are burned into my mind replacing what I knew of you before. Inside the shell of your body is still the female that I want, and I will have that female for my mate. It is your essence that calls to me. That has always been the truth of our bond.”

  Ania stared up into his dark gaze. “You can have me for bonding any time you like, Liam. I have already agreed to that.”

  “Perhaps,” Synar said carefully easing his hold, “but soon you will agree to more. I warned you I was selfish and greedy where you’re concerned. I have decided that I want both the light and the dark. You are my destiny, the way joining with Malachi was yours. You will make of me what the creators intend.”

  He released her and walked to the door. “Read the words, but do not speak them aloud without me present. When you control the demon, many commands become reality the moment they are spoken.”

  “Conor already knows these words, doesn’t he?” Ania said.

  “Yes—Conor finished all but the last half of the third book. Father prevented him from seeing it for reasons he never got to explain to me, but my brother knows enough to do great harm,” Synar said.

  “Even if killing Conor is not an option, I will still find a way to stop him,” Ania said firmly, stating a variation of what she already told Malachi.

  “Maybe in your research you’ll find what prevents me from seeing my brother as the evil that I logically know he is. I watched him kill my father and yet my mind still does not want to believe what my eyes saw,” Synar said quietly.

  “Liam, accept this in yourself and think around it for now. I do not know what boon you grant your brother in your spirit, but I do not think it strange at all to want to show mercy to someone you have cared for much of your life,” Ania said gently. “Go in peace for now. You can trust that I will read silently while you are gone.”

  Chapter 21

  Gwen woke in a strange dark room and found herself in bed with a naked male wrapped around her.

  Had the rescue just been a dream?

  She was dressed in some sort of loose clothing that tangled around her, but decided to just be relieved she wasn’t as nude as he was. Perhaps her captor was waiting for her to heal before using her. Wiggling her legs, she noticed the pain in them was nearly gone.

  In her dream, her legs hadn’t worked at all because she’d insisted on having the wires removed by medical. They had hurt as much coming out as they had going in. Talk about wishful thinking, she thought, rubbing her thighs. Then a more full realization of her situation hit.

  Shades of Kellnor, Gwen swore softly.

  Now she had to save herself from the male in her bed.

  She slid her left hand casually into the male’s right one, linking their fingers tightly to keep him from using the controls Gwen had learned from the bragging doctor were located in his palm.

  Thinking of the doctor sent a shiver through her, reminding her of his creepy promise to avail himself of her when he was finished wiring her. Well, if that had happened, she didn’t remember it and thank the creators, Gwen decided. If she ever got the chance, she would look up the doctor and kill him for what he’d done. For now what she needed to think about was how to escape the bed without being tortured to death by electrical shocks.

  Tightening her grip on her captor’s fingers, Gwen flipped herself over him and pressed her free hand hard against his throat, feeling him stiffen under her in surprise. She stretched out his right hand to hold his palm flat, relieved that the male beneath her did not seem inclined to fight back. Maybe she should thank the creators her assigned captor was not a trained warrior. He was probably one of those stuffy business males she’d met at dinner.

  “So let me just tell you how this situation is going turn out. If you try anything I don’t like, I’m going choke you with one hand and use the other to break your wrist,” Gwen told him, bending his hand back with hers to prove that she could. “I’m not one of those helpless females you bastards have been using and abusing. If you don’t do exactly as I say, I’ll cut off your bonding parts and feed them to you. Now I’m getting out of this bed and you’re not going to try to stop me.”

  “Lights on full, now,” Dorian called urgently, practically yelling the words when the hand on his throat loosened just enough to let him speak.

  When the sudden bright lights finally stopped blinding her, Gwen stared in shock at the naked male still lying im
mobilized under her. She found herself blinking hard at the mixture of pity and pride in Zade’s dark gaze.

  She eased the one hand off his neck and the other away from his fingers at the same time. Then to her complete embarrassment, Gwen burst out crying with relief, huge tears flowing freely as she realized the rescue hadn’t been a dream after all.

  Zade had really come to get her. And evidently he’d been successful.

  It was all coming back to her now.

  “I woke up and thought …” Gwen choked, rubbing at her eyes to stem the flow as best she could.

  Realizing she was still sitting astride Zade, Gwen started to climb off only to find herself held in place by firm but gentle hands on her hips. Then he scooted upright under her and pulled her tightly into his arms. Accepting the comfort he offered, Gwen wrapped grateful arms around him. He matched her hug for fierce hug, until she was calm enough to pull away and speak.

  “My legs are working,” she reported in awe.

  “So I see,” Dorian said, his voice rough with relief. “Thank the creators.”

  “Thanks to you and Chiang,” Gwen said, suddenly sure of that too. “None of it was a dream, was it? You two did something to help me.”

  She leaned back in Zade’s arms to look into his remarkably beautiful face.

  “Lights down to meditation level,” Dorian ordered, bringing the harsh glare down so they could relax. “My mother says Chiang is a natural healer. Yes. I asked him to help you.”

  “Thanks,” Gwen said, scooting back a bit on his lap. “I guess I’m a little edgy.”

  “Understandable,” Dorian told her, lifting gentle hands to push back her hair. “But it makes me very proud to know you would never have stopped trying to escape them, no matter what happened. I admire your spirit, Gwen Jet.”

  Sliding down his thighs almost to his knees gave her a view of Zade’s male landscape she wasn’t quite ready for, so Gwen looked away as she swiped at the last of her tears. She had to clear her throat to talk.

  “Crying is so typical female Earthling,” she said, disgusted with herself. “My mother would be so proud. My Thelorian father would shake his head in pity.”

  Dorian laughed even though he didn’t want to offend her. “Perhaps. I don’t see how crying after a trauma is such a bad thing. It is simply your nervous system looking for an outlet after being overwhelmed. Crying is better than screaming, as some females do.”

  “Maybe crying is better for your ears at least,” Gwen said sniffling, laughing a bit at their conversation. “Why am I here in bed with you, Zade?”

  “Boca suggested you not be alone. Where else would you be if not with me? You are my mate,” Dorian said softly. “It is my honor to care for you.”

  Gwen did climb off him then, but she didn’t go far. She just crawled back under the very comfortable covers, rubbing her thighs and the remaining pain she found there.

  “I thought . . .I mean, with what happened . . .” Gwen paused, not sure how to state what she considered to be obvious.

  She didn’t like talking about what happened to her when they took away Zade’s energy, much less thinking about it.

  “You thought that we would not be mates anymore after my energy was removed from you?” Dorian supplied, stating the question for her.

  “Well—yes,” Gwen answered. “I didn’t even know it was you under me until you turned on the lights.”

  “Things are different between us, but my memories are intact. You need care, and I want to be the one who helps you,” Dorian said softly, pushing back the covers.

  Unconcerned with Gwen seeing his completely nude form, Dorian walked to a small cooling box where he kept some refreshments for after his meditations. He selected a bottle filled with water from Rylen and brought it back to Gwen.

  “Zade? That’s Rylen water. Why do I need this now?” Gwen asked, trying to pretend she hadn’t been admiring his amazing body, figuring she’d failed when she saw him grin.

  “You need it in case I cannot stop myself from trying to claim you again, which is now obvious to me that I want to do,” Dorian told her firmly. “I think we need to discuss our situation first, and more I—I think you need some time to heal before we even have such a discussion. Next time I try to claim you as my mate, I would prefer you to be in favor of the process. It will be a much better experience for both of us.”

  Gwen looked at the water in her hand and at him. “I heard that Sirens can read minds when the connection is strong enough. So you probably already know I want you to do it again, don’t you?”

  Dorian climbed back into bed and arranged himself around Gwen’s body, holding her close. “Yes, I know you want it tonight, but not necessarily for the right reasons. It would be taking unfair advantage and risking further trauma.”

  Sighing, Gwen twisted the bottle top and drank. “So what happens now? You expect me to move in here and be a mate without benefits?”

  Dorian snorted. “Mate without benefits? Is that your way of asking if I intend to bond with you if you spend your sleep cycles with me?”

  “No, that’s me being sarcastic because I’m just generally not a very pleasant female most of the time,” Gwen said sarcastically. “Yes, Zade. Raging fires of Helios, I’m asking if you think you’ll ever want to have sex with me again.”

  “For sure not tonight,” Dorian said confidently, smiling when Gwen let out an exasperated breath. “Maybe we’ll try something tomorrow evening. I’m sure I could find some way to meet your needs even if my bonding parts fail to cooperate.”

  “You’re mocking my concerns, aren’t you, Zade?” Gwen asked, shaking her head.

  Just to irritate him, she guzzled the rest of the water as if she were dying of thirst. Fine, Gwen thought. She hoped she became totally immune to him and never wanted to do anything physical with him again. Who needed the aggravation of wanting a reluctant male?

  “No, I’m not mocking you,” Dorian said firmly, settling an arm across her waist.

  Changing his mind, Dorian plucked the now empty bottle from Gwen’s hand and tossed it over his shoulder onto his floor. Then he pulled her back down until she lay against him once more, his arm holding her to him.

  “I definitely am not mocking you. Tonight I’m sleeping to forget and trying not to think about what happened to you and how I feel about not getting there sooner. We may not be connected in the same way we were, but I still feel like you are mine to protect. I still feel like I failed you,” he said.

  It hadn’t really occurred to Gwen that Zade would feel anything like that towards her—at least not without the whole mate-claiming thing.

  “Zade—don’t do any guilt. It’s wasted energy. You will never know just how happy I was to see your controlling ass come walking into that lab to toss those sadistic bastards on the floor. I’m just mad that I didn’t get to help,” Gwen said, patting his arm.

  Dorian pulled her tighter, appreciating the emotional pain she buried beneath the brave words and her attempt to spare his feelings. He was starting to want her again even without the claiming urges, but those weren’t the right reasons tonight for him either.

  “Heal fast, Gwen Jet,” Dorian ordered. “I want to have this discussion again under better conditions.”

  “Are you always going to be this bossy? Never mind, I already know that was a stupid question. Turn the lights out,” she demanded in return. “I promise not to try to hurt you in my sleep again. I know where I am now.”

  “Indeed,” Dorian said firmly, hugging her. “You are exactly where you need to be—safe beside me. Lights out. Go to dark.”

  Gwen lay awake for a long time after that though, listening to Dorian’s even breathing while being grateful for his arm holding her to him. It was the first time in her life she could ever remember feeling like she truly needed a male’s company. Strangely, she was glad that when such a weakness had finally happened, it had turned out to be Dorian Zade that she needed.

  But Gwen still hoped that t
omorrow the need for him would go away. She wasn’t able to make herself sleep until she let herself believe that it would.

  ***

  Ania felt her body being lifted from the chair and she opened her eyes. “You’re lucky I didn’t attack you. I’m getting to the point where that’s my first response to everything again.”

  “You’re so exhausted right now even Malachi couldn’t help fuel you,” Synar said harshly. “I at least took a stimulant to stay awake.”

  Synar carried Ania to the bed and laid her down on the covers he had turned back in preparation. He’d come in to find her face down on book two of three.

  “I couldn’t sleep so I just kept on reading. I guess at some point my brain shut down,” she explained. “How is everyone and everything, Captain Synar?”

  “We’ll rest together. I get to sleep for a few hours now myself,” Synar said sternly, irritated that her concern was for what was going on instead of for herself. “Dorian is awake. Gwen has gone to medical to be checked so she can relieve Dorian later. Chiang was meeting Gwen to do his own checking. The duplicitous Ambassador Onin seems to still be sleeping. No sign of Conor yet. That’s the end of my report. Move over now so I can lie down with you.”

  “Aren’t you getting undressed?” Ania asked.

  “That’s not wise,” Synar said. “If I do that, I’m going to want to use this bed for the purpose it was meant for originally. This is not the time.”

  “Well at least take off your shoes and get under the covers with me,” Ania said, scooting over. “This seems like a very comfortable bed for sleeping, but you need to be able to relax.”

  Synar settled himself next to her and sighed. “It’s going to be hard to relax or sleep while I’m thinking about using this bed for doing other things with you.”

  “We will make time for bonding soon,” Ania said, patting his chest. “Che’el locum nat. There. I swore an oath on it. Sleep now.”