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

by McDonald, Donna

  “Dorian once told me there are all kinds of death. As I studied the demon training books, I came to realize just how true that really is,” Ania said quietly. “Perhaps only Conor’s spirit will be saved. For Conor Synar, corporeality might be the first price to be paid.”

  Synar nodded, thinking about it as he dressed.

  ***

  The pain was exquisite, but she stopped plucking at the three exposed wires in her thigh when the knock on the door sounded. Lowering her tunic over her legs, Issa Onin rose gracefully to answer the door, mildly surprised to see Peace Keeper Looren hovering on her threshold. She was even more surprised when the bold female walked uninvited into her assigned space.

  “Can I help you?” Issa asked sharply, tone dripping with a displeasure she didn’t have to fake.

  “Yes you can, Ambassador,” Ania said firmly. “I want you to put me in direct contact with Conor Synar.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I assure you I am not amused by your comments. I don’t know anyone in the captain’s family,” she said.

  “I didn’t say Conor was the captain’s kin,” Ania said, walking over to sit boldly on Issa Onin’s bed to intentionally irritate her further. “But it was to be my next statement. I confess I am curious. I have heard many stories that Conor looks just like his brother. Is that true?”

  “I wouldn’t know,” Issa said coldly.

  Ania laughed at her bravado. “Before you decide to lie to me again, you need to know I spend my nights with Liam Synar. I saw a very interesting message his very responsible communications officer needed to validate with the captain concerning me. Don’t worry though, I didn’t reveal you. I have other plans.”

  Issa Onin walked to the desk, pulled out the chair, and sat. There was a good reason she had been chosen to be an ambassador. She was unflappable in the face of pressure—or torture—and even in the face of a demon-possessed female who could easily kill her.

  “What other plans?” Issa asked, lifting her chin.

  “In the larger one, I will have revenge against the male who condemned me to carry a demon for life. In the smaller one, I will have the help and cooperation of the male who was fully trained to be the demon’s master to achieve my escape,” Ania said softly. “I swear I will have all I want one way or the other. Either Conor can profit from my desires or not.”

  “Conor will never agree to help you. He wants to kill you and put the demon in someone worthy,” Issa said gleefully, eyes lighting with the pleasure of the possibility.

  “How little you know of it, Issa Onin. Conor cannot kill me, nor can anyone else. Malachi’s loyalty has shifted to protecting me at all costs now that the demon and I are fully merged. Even Liam cannot harm me, not that someone like him ever would,” Ania said quietly, letting herself sound as disappointed as possible. “If you don’t believe I speak the truth about my invincibility, feel free to try to kill me now. I will not fight back just so Malachi will be forced to do what is needed. Though I have to warn you the test will likely cost you your life. The demon is without mercy for those attacking his host.”

  “You attempt to deceive me into believing you have such motives. It is well known on this ship that you are Liam Synar’s mate,” Issa accused.

  “Check the records for Ania Looren and then look at me. The meek Pleiadian female Liam Synar mated is no more. I am the host body for his cursed demon,” Ania said harshly, lifting her hands and looking at her body. “I spent eight hundred years becoming enlightened, becoming free of the blood lust of my youthful first century. Now I have none of that left.”

  “Am I to feel sorry for you?” Issa asked, knowing her eyes were smiling even when she could not.

  “More like you should fear me, as should all creatures now. I cut off the hands of Fener Sel’s men without a qualm. I could hack you to pieces, Ambassador Onin, launch the pieces out into space with the garbage, and go to eat dinner afterwards without feeling a shred of guilt or losing my appetite. Liam will pay for what I have become, and I do not need you to accomplish that goal. You are merely expedient for the moment. Conor will eventually find us even without your help,” Ania insisted.

  “What do you want me to do?” Issa asked resentfully, seeing Ania Looren’s eyes flash red with power as her irritation grew.

  “Do not test my patience with an acid tongue. Put me into contact with Conor Synar. I will do the rest,” Ania said. “But I want a person-to-person visual. I will tell Liam you and I are contacting the Peace Alliance so we can use the private channel. I will spell the very attractive communications officer into assisting us. He’ll think he is dreaming.”

  She stood to walk to the door. “When this is over, I’m going to bond with every male on this ship until my body forgets that I was ever mated to just one. Whatever your goals in life, Ambassador, I would pass on a permanent alignment.”

  “Obviously you’ve never been with a male like Conor,” Issa said, trying to win Ania’s compassion by sharing. “He is unlike any other. If you enjoy pain and pleasure together, he is a master in bed. I have no doubt that Conor will prove a worthy master of the demon.”

  Ania smiled, her eyes flashing with red as Malachi showed her some images. She was part disgusted and part intrigued that a female would submit herself to such things.

  “Yes. I can see your memories of him. Are you really willing to share Conor with me?” Ania asked.

  “What annoyance I feel would pass quickly. He is my chosen mate. We met the year I served on the planet of his exile. But Conor Synar does not own me nor I him,” Issa said firmly. “In truth, I’m sorry you rescued me before I got to enjoy my new Lotharian owner for a time. I was looking forward to resisting and seeing what he did to me. Of course, Conor would have killed the male later for daring to touch me, but that would have been enjoyable too.”

  Ania snorted. “I like to be the one controlling the bonding acts, not the one being controlled. Perhaps it is the demon’s influence. Any Lotharian captor would have lost his hand the second time he shocked me.”

  Issa shrugged. “Then you and Conor would probably not bond well. There could be only one submissive among the two of you, and Conor never submits.”

  “Or maybe I would be the first female to conquer him,” Ania said softly. “Now that I find appealing. And it would be lovely for Liam to know I preferred his brother.”

  Issa swallowed hard at the wickedness in Ania’s eyes. “If you’re into females, maybe we could . . .” She shrugged and smiled softly, not wanting the demon host’s wrath turned in her direction.

  Ania smiled back broadly, disgusted with the concession, but also pleased it had been made.

  “I will keep your offer in mind. Meet me in the bridge conference room in three hours. I will tell them it is a private report and only I am permitted to witness your discussion,” she said, walking out of the door and closing it behind her with an echoing click.

  As she walked down the hall, Ania felt Malachi fluttering inside her in excitement. It had been a while since she’d been so physically aware of him.

  I haven’t been this aroused in centuries, Malachi sent.

  Stop gloating. I feel like I need a body cleansing now, Ania returned.

  I know exactly what you need, Malachi said. I suggest you contact Liam to relieve yourself. I fear I am having a bad effect on your bonding drive after all.

  Does anything ever disgust you? Ania demanded.

  Hosts who refuse to bond even when they need to badly, Malachi said. By the way, what’s the rest of your plan? I am being blocked from seeing your intentions. Why? Or better yet—tell me how you have accomplished this.

  I am not ready for you to know my plans, Ania said back. As to how I’m doing it, I’m learning all sorts of helpful things from the training books.

  You can now block me from reading you whenever you wish? Malachi asked, shocked.

  Do not fear my secrets, Malachi. I will always tell you the important things, Ania answered.


  Then saying nothing more, she just smiled as she headed to Synar’s quarters.

  Chapter 24

  Synar walked into his room, quickly closing the door behind him. Not seeing Ania anywhere, he called out so his voice would travel into the bathroom.

  “Ania? You said it was urgent so I’m here.”

  Moments later she opened the door and walked out of the bathroom totally nude. Synar drew in a breath, which was a mistake because he got a good whiff of her. His body tightened and started to hum. He hadn’t seen her completely naked form in a long time, and she hadn’t looked like this in his memories. Ania was now the lushest female he could ever remember seeing. His knees weakened as he stared.

  “Sorry to interrupt your body cleansing ritual,” Synar said, voice rough with arousal for her.

  “Undress please. We need to bond now,” Ania said gently, taking his hand and leading him to the bed.

  “Now?” Synar asked. “But I told Dorian I would be back shortly.”

  “We will achieve full release as quickly as we can,” Ania said firmly.

  Standing by the bed, she proceeded to unbutton his shirt, wishing she had time to linger and truly enjoy the experience. Now that she found pleasure in his pleasure and hers, the whole act was much more worthwhile to her. Malachi was having an effect on her, but so far it had only been a good one.

  “It’s been a while and I don’t think—” Synar said, hissing at her hands unfastening his pants. Her touch was so aggressive that he reeled from the insistence of it.

  “Good. It’s best you don’t think this time,” she said sincerely.

  Ania dispatched his uniform pants to the floor along with the protective clothing that had been cradling evidence of his growing desire. She cupped him boldly with her hand instead, feeling his want of her heavy in her palm.

  “If you keep that up, I will swell too much to get inside you,” Synar choked out.

  Ania just snorted and dropped to her knees. She slid her mouth over the length of him and felt him swell more to fill her mouth.

  “Ania—Shades of Kellnor,” Synar said, his voice broken by lust. “This is not wise. Where did you learn to do that? Men in my culture can’t stand that level of stimulation.”

  A wave of pleasure shook him and travelled into her, but Ania tucked it aside, refusing it. It was much easier to do than she thought it would be and the result she got from Synar was exactly what she wanted.

  “What are you doing?” Synar asked, shocked, trying to talk despite the distraction of what her busy mouth was doing to his sanity. “You can’t just ignore my vibrations. I cannot have pleasure without you.”

  Ania slid her mouth off him, then stood, and pushed him back onto the bed. Climbing over Synar, she trapped his arousal between her spread legs, pressing the wet, anxious opening of her body along the length of his need, which, in his excitement, climbed further up his belly.

  “Ania—I am a Norblade. It angers me when you do not accept what I give to you,” Synar said logically. “It angers me that you do not gift me with your pleasure in return.”

  “Really?” Ania said, touching his erection with the tips of her fingers but not moving otherwise. “You don’t sound very angry.”

  “Teasing me when I am fully aroused is not wise,” Synar said again, feeling another vibration tear out of him when her fingers teased the tip and squeezed. He felt the energy go into her, and still Ania merely gazed at him stoically. His blood heated with unchecked bonding lust no matter how much he tried to tell himself Ania must have good reasons for refusing his vibrations.

  “Ania,” he said, voice hard. “Accept my vibrations before this gets out of my control. I have a lot for a male of my kind, but there are limits.”

  “When I am ready I will accept your vibrations,” Ania said matter-of-factly, working hard to sound unconcerned, which was nearly impossible with her life force beating frantically against the walls of her physical form.

  “You will accept them now,” Synar told her, his voice strained with urgency as she stroked him. “You are my mate.”

  “Haven’t we exhausted the mate argument yet? We are no longer official mates,” Ania said, watching Synar’s face change as his control snapped.

  All Ania heard was her own elated groan as Synar rolled her over, insistently pressing his almost fully aroused length into her while she struggled to adapt herself. It was not comfortable, but it was exactly what she needed. For the first time though, Ania had an appreciation for just how much Synar had held himself back since the moment he’d met her.

  Patience gone to complete the bond, Synar pulled out slightly before pushing back in hard, roughly ending the last of her body’s resistance to him.

  As he hit home inside her, the first vibration of her climax rolled free and she bucked under him shivering in ecstasy. Synar accepted the resonation as his due and tried not to be disgusted with himself for feeling so proud of forcing Ania to have a climax no matter how much she’d fought him.

  “This is how humans bond. They force the connection, pound their organs into their females without concern for comfort. Is this really what you want?” Synar demanded, throbbing within her depths, already anxious for more despite his critical words.

  “Today? Yes. I want to know what it’s like to be forced to submit, and I need your strongest energy,” Ania told him. “I will refuse your vibrations until you do this for me.”

  Synar swore in his own tongue, swelling in rage until their connection was painful even for him. “Never ask me to do this again,” he said, bowing to his body’s demand to take advantage of her surrender.

  Ania arched as he moved inside her, the tight friction as wonderful as it was uncomfortable.

  “My language has no name for this kind of bonding. What is this called in Earth terms?” she asked, moaning when she felt the vibrations building again.

  “You do not want to know. It is an ugly word,” Synar told her.

  “Tell me,” Ania demanded.

  Grunting with the effort he was making not to unleash all of his frustration on her, Synar reluctantly whispered it in Ania’s ear as he moved hard inside her, raising her body from the bed.

  Their bed, Synar thought, feeling her body give under his, conceding to his power. Their mating bed. His mate in his bed at last—thank the creators.

  He slowed his movements, held still inside her for a moment, touched his lips reverently to Ania’s, enjoying the flush of desire in her expression.

  Surely she could not want the harshness over the sweetness of their . . .

  “Yes I really do want you to do that to me, Synar,” Ania ordered. “Harder please. I barely feel you moving at all.”

  Anger blazed inside him at her harsh demand, and his body shook in rebellion at the restraint he placed on it. He rose up to meet her gaze. All he saw was desire. And need, along with an expectation that he would do exactly as she asked. It was both arousing and disturbing . . . and not like Ania at all.

  “This is not what I want from you,” he told her.

  “Well, this is what I need from you today,” she argued back.

  “So be it then,” Synar said at last, turning loose the rigid hold he had on himself.

  Heedless of the discomfort to both of them, Synar pulled out more than halfway before driving fiercely into her again. When the next vibration traveled across their joined bodies, Synar let it fuel a stronger one immediately after, and then a third after that.

  His blood boiled as he let go of the torment of wanting and never having all he wanted. He took and gave without regard for her comfort, forcing her response far beyond what she had given to him before. He let the vibrations roll through them both unchecked and never even attempted to stop them.

  “Enough,” Ania called out, arching with climax after climax rippling through her.

  “You should have been more careful about what you asked of me,” Synar said roughly. “This is what you said you wanted. Now you have to take al
l of it.”

  He gripped her with hard hands, bowing her hips to receive his thrusts, making each one more possessive and harder than the next. Ania whimpered under him and moaned at the constant state of pleasure he was keeping her in. Synar could feel the final vibration with his release hovering.

  “Ready for the last one?” he asked, feeling it spiral as he pressed in hard. “Every other male is going to sense this before they even lay eyes on you today. Every other male will know you are mine—my mate. One day the admission is going to fall off your tongue as easily as your name.”

  His body hit the right frequency, emptying itself into her in mad relief. Tears were rolling down Ania’s face now, and all he could feel was a sick pride for them. In apology, he licked the tears away even as he throbbed within her, soaking up her pleasure echoes.

  “Are you satisfied now? I finally made the Pleiadian female I mated cry. I have avoided doing that since I have known you,” Synar said roughly.

  “Females among my species always cry during bonding,” Ania said logically, rubbing her eyes free of the moisture. “But I was crying for a different reason. It was for knowing that you desired me enough to break that iron control of yours.”

  “You enjoyed me hurting you?” Synar asked in shock, hoping it was not true.

  “Stop worrying so much. You didn’t really hurt me, Synar,” Ania said quietly. “I’m talking to Conor later. I need him to believe I am your reluctant mate. I need Issa Onin to believe it as well. It turns out the duplicitous ambassador is your brother’s mate. The situation on Lotharius was a trap for us. They were using Fener Sel to get to me and Malachi.”

  Synar bent his forehead to hers and swore in Norblade again. “I knew it was only a matter of time until they found us. Ania—I don’t enjoy physically hurting you, not even in small ways, not for any reason.”

  “The only hurt you have ever given me has not been to my physical body,” Ania whispered. “I enjoyed this very much. Maybe I even needed this unrestrained bonding for reasons other than Conor. I feel somehow more at peace with you now. Perhaps that makes me as warped as Issa in some ways.”