Rena nodded, wanting to see her father, and yet understanding the Zelthranites’ reluctance to let her return to Vaaden. Knowing what she did now, Rena wasn’t so sure she would want to return to Vaaden if given the option. Yes, it had been home for as long as she could remember, but if she was truly human, what would become of her if she returned? It had been so long since her father had hugged her, since he’d bade her goodnight, since she’d seen him smiling at her across the table at breakfast. Despite what Ryx had said about her being human and not Vaaden, all she had were happy childhood memories. Her father had always been kind to her, and she knew that he loved her. Maybe when she saw him, she would have the courage to ask how she’d come to be on Vaaden if she was from the planet called Earth. Although, if her father had stolen her from her real family, Rena wasn’t certain she wanted to know.
“There’s one more thing,” Ryx said, looking at Beren. “I’ve been in touch with Borgoz and the other council members. They wish for Rena to be mated as soon as possible. If her father does pay a visit to our world, we don’t want him to try taking her with him when he leaves. While humans are protected on our world, we don’t need to start a war with the Vaadens. The council believes her father would be more accepting of a mating if she were paired with a council member.”
Beren frowned. “Most of them are mated already. Faltz and Helio are the only remaining members who have yet to find a mate.”
Ryx shrugged. “Either would be a good mate for her.”
Beren didn’t look pleased with the news, and Rena wondered if there was something about the councilmen that she needed to know. Would they be cruel to her? Would they take one look at her scars, or hear the way she spoke, and be ashamed to be seen with her? She didn’t want someone to claim her out of pity. If she was going to be forced to have a mate, she wanted someone kind who would actually like her. But then, it didn’t sound like she was being given much of a choice. She should have been used to it after all this time. Perhaps she’d been correct before when she’d thought having a mate wouldn’t be much different from being a slave.
Beren and Ryx spoke for a while longer, but Rena tuned them out. Fear settled inside her, fear of what the future would bring. After everything she’d been through, had she not suffered enough? Now they were going to force her to mate with someone, a stranger. Would the male who claimed her even be able to look at her body without feeling repulsed? The scars everyone could see were nothing compared to what had been done to the rest of her body. Ryx had seen her without clothes, but she didn’t think he’d truly looked at her.
“I thought I was free,” she said as Beren walked her back to the room they were sharing.
He stopped in the middle of the hall and turned to face her. “You are free, Rena.”
“No, I’m not. Freedom means getting to make choices. My life is still being decided for me.”
“Is it having a mate at all that you’re opposed to? Or just the males the Chief Councilor wishes to pair you with? What do you want, Rena? If you could have anything, what would it be? Do you wish to return to Vaaden? Do you want to see Earth?”
She didn’t know how to answer him. When she’d first become a slave, all she’d thought about was going home to her father. Things were different now, though. Somewhere along the way, she’d stopped wishing to return home. Yes, she’d asked Ryx if she could go home, but knowing what she did now… No, going to Vaaden wasn’t something she truly wanted. Instead of thinking of home the last few years, she’d focused on surviving, just making it through each day. While some part of her had hoped to be saved at some point, she’d stopped thinking it was ever possible. And then Ryx had come into her life, and yet he didn’t want her. If the male who saved her didn’t want to claim her, why would some councilman she’d never met? Why would anyone ever want her? She could barely speak, and her scars were ugly. Rena had stopped being beautiful long ago, and she knew that males wanted beautiful females to claim as their mate.
“I don’t know,” she said. “I guess one male is just as good as another. It’s not like any of them will want me. They’ll consider it a sacrifice to claim me. I’ve had males desire me ever since I became a slave, but they thrived on pain. It wasn’t the mating itself they wanted. It wasn’t my body that interested them, but they knew if they could take me that it would humiliate me, that it would hurt me. My owners never let them claim my innocence, and for that I’m thankful. Your captain didn’t look at me with even a hint of desire in his eyes, and I’m sure your councilmen will be the same. Why would they want me when they could have someone perfect?”
There was something in Beren’s gaze that looked like understanding as he looked down at her. Slowly, he reached a hand toward her, and gently touched the scars on her cheek. His touch was light as he trailed a path from one scar to another, stroking the marks as if they weren’t hideous.
“Do you think these detract from your beauty?” he asked.
“I know they do.”
“They’re badges of courage. They tell a story, your story. Never let anyone tell you that you’re ugly, Rena.”
She felt her eyes tear up a little, and there was an ache in the center of her chest. No one had ever looked at her the way Beren was right then, as if he admired her. Ryx had looked at her with pity; others had looked at her with lust before the scarring. But no one had ever thought that she was worthy, that she was… what was the word he’d used? Courage. No one had thought she was courageous. Not until Beren.
He took her hand and led her back to their room. When the door shut behind them, she hesitated only a moment before reaching for him. She traced the scars along his arms with her fingers, and when they disappeared under his shirt, she lifted it to see more of them. Beren seemed to stop breathing as she explored, lightly touching the marks on his body, and his partially missing ear and finger. She didn’t find him repulsive, didn’t pity him. If anything, his wounds made him seem fierce. And yet, she somehow didn’t think he’d ever harm her. Not intentionally anyway.
“I’m covered in them,” he said. “The scars. They’re everywhere.”
“On me too,” she said.
Rena didn’t even hesitated before she pulled her shirt over her head and let it fall to the floor. Beren sucked in a breath as his gaze fastened on her partially exposed body. Her nipples hardened as he traced the scars on her breasts, then lightly explored her belly. He curved a hand around her waist and she turned, showing him the marks on her back. Beren ran a hand down her spine, but Rena knew the marks went below her leggings. She pulled them off, letting him see all of her. It was the first time she’d ever stripped for a male without being forced to do so, but for some reason, she wanted Beren to see her, all of her. To see what she’d been through, what she’d survived, and why no one would ever want her.
“What did they do to you?” he asked.
She turned to face him and as his gaze dropped below her waist, she watched as he paled. Ryx had mostly focused on her face and likely hadn’t noticed the full extent of the damage done to her body. If he had, then maybe he could have explained to his council members why she wouldn’t be a good mate. Frih’s males had enjoyed themselves a little too much. While her virginity was intact, they had still left their mark on her body in other ways.
“Frih tied me down to a table. He told the males they couldn’t take my virginity, but said they could do anything else they wanted to me. They touched me while they stroked their cocks, but they soon grew bored with that, and I think it angered them that they couldn’t fuck me. So they decided to give me a lasting reminder of my time with them.” Rena looked down at her scarred body. “It wouldn’t be fair to make one of your males mate with me. Not when they’d have to look at this every day, when they’d have to touch me and… be intimate with me.”
Beren moved slowly and removed his shirt, and yet he didn’t come any closer. She gazed at his broad chest and chiseled abs, thinking he was rather spectacular even if his skin was crisscrossed wi
th scars. There were some that were rather deep and looked like they might still pain him. A few looked as if someone had tried to cut him in half. Others were fine silvery lines that were hardly noticeable. Rena couldn’t help but reach for him, needing to run her fingers over those marks, as if she could somehow erase his pain. The scars dipped below the band of his pants, and she looked up at him, wondering if he’d show her the rest. Being naked in the room with a naked male had always ended in pain for Rena, but Beren was different. If she was going to trust someone, it would be him.
Beren didn’t move for several minutes, then he reached for the fastenings on his pants. As he kicked off his boots and stepped out of the leather pants, Rena’s cheeks flushed. He might be battered and scarred, but he was easily the most beautiful male she’d ever seen. Broad through the shoulders and chest, he was more muscular than any of her previous owners or the males who had been allowed to harm her. That alone should have scared her, but all Rena felt was curiosity, and a sort of kinship with the male who was as badly scarred as she was.
Muscles flexed and bulged as Beren moved. His cock was only semi-hard, but she could tell it was larger than any she’d seen before. Most females in her position would have felt nervous, having only felt pain from males in such a state before, but oddly enough she felt completely safe with him. As she stared, he grew harder, until he was fully erect.
“Sorry,” he muttered and reached down to cover himself, but she stopped him.
“I’ve never willingly looked at a naked male before,” she admitted. “And I’ve never taken my clothes off for one before either, not without being ordered to do so. I trust you, Beren. I don’t know why, but I do.”
“I would never hurt you,” he said. “I should be able to control myself better. Even though I’m hard, I would never force myself on you.”
“Will it hurt? When I’m claimed? I’ve heard the slaves screaming, but I hoped that was only because our owners were cruel. If someone weren’t trying to harm me, would it still be painful?” she asked. Perhaps that scared her more than anything else. It was bad enough she’d be stuck with a male who didn’t really want her, but to think she’d have to endure pain every time he wanted to have sex wasn’t something Rena was prepared to handle.
His cheeks flushed. “I’ve had little experience with females, and I’ve never taken a virgin, but I’ve heard there can be some pain the first time. I think if the male were patient and took his time, then maybe you would enjoy it.”
Rena knew she shouldn’t ask, but she couldn’t help herself. It was hard to imagine a male like him not having options when it came to females. He was kind, and so very strong. The ultimate warrior from what she could tell. “Why don’t you have more experience?”
His eyebrows lifted and his cheeks burned a deeper purple. “Most females don’t enjoy being with someone who looks like me. Even the whores at the floating brothels are disgusted by me. I decided I didn’t want to be with someone who would endure my touch but not enjoy the experience.”
Rena nodded, she could completely understand that. It was what she feared as well, that the male who claimed her would find her disgusting because of her scars and her damaged voice. But Beren didn’t seem repulsed by her. He’d called her courageous, almost as if he admired her for surviving everything she’d been through. The way he touched her, so softly, was something she’d never experienced before, not before the Zelthranites had come into her life. And when Beren had gotten hard, it hadn’t been because he wanted to hurt her. He seemed to actually desire her, or so she assumed from his current state. Or maybe he was just hard because it had been so long since he’d been with a female. She didn’t know him all that well. Maybe any female would do.
She thought again about the way he’d touched her, and Rena wondered if he would be as gentle if he were the one to claim her virginity. He’d said that if the male who claimed her was patient and gentle, then she might enjoy it. From what she’d witnessed, pleasure was only found by males when it came to sex, but what if Beren was right? What if it was possible for a female to enjoy mating as much as males did?
Beren watched her, as if he weren’t certain what she’d do next. He was probably shocked that she’d removed her clothes, that she’d run her hands over him so blatantly, and without invitation. And he hadn’t stopped her at any point. Had he realized that she’d needed to show him what had been done to her? She felt honored that he’d shared his scars as well, now knowing that he felt as insecure about his body as she did about hers. Rena didn’t think it was often that Beren removed his clothes, especially without being asked. His embarrassment over others finding him unattractive had been genuine, even if she didn’t understand why others didn’t find his body beautiful. But seeing him, knowing they shared something in common, had helped her in some way.
“You’re not repulsed by me?” he asked, seeming like he couldn’t believe it. And she understood, considering the things he’d shared with her.
Rena smoothed a hand over his chest and across the worst of his scars. “You called me courageous. I survived slavery, but your wounds were earned defending others. They’re a sign of your bravery, of your fierceness to protect those weaker than you. And you should wear them with honor.”
Beren gently placed his hand over hers, pressing her palm tight against his skin. She could feel the thump of his heartbeat, and as she looked up into his eyes, she saw admiration and a hint of wonder. In that moment, she felt closer to Beren than she’d ever felt to anyone before. It was completely crazy. They were strangers, and yet he understood her better than anyone had in a long while. He had the same fears and concerns, and while Rena couldn’t understand how someone so strong, so powerful could feel the same weakness she did, it made her like him a little more. Not that she wished her circumstances on anyone, but sharing that with Beren made her feel a little less alone.
“Rena, I…” He visibly swallowed, and his hand tightened on hers a moment before he took a step back. “We should get dressed. If anyone came by and found us like this, they wouldn’t understand. They might think I was taking advantage of you.”
“Then they don’t know you very well,” she said. “I may not have known you long, but I’m certain that isn’t something you would ever do. The others… they seem hesitant to anger you, which tells me that you’re quite the warrior and command their respect. I don’t think they would think badly of you, even if they didn’t understand.”
He nodded and reached for his pants, quickly pulling them on. Rena was a little sad to see him cover his body, but she understood. The last thing she wanted to do was cause a problem between him and the crew. She was a temporary passenger, but being on this ship was his job, a part of his life, and she didn’t want to mess that up for him. Not after the kindness he’d shown her.
While Beren finished dressing, Rena put her own clothes back on and settled on her bed. Beren set up another movie for her to watch, and soon she was falling asleep.
Chapter Four
Beren watched the young female sleep, her hands tucked under her chin and her legs curled toward her belly. There was this calm that settled over him as he kept an eye on Rena. He couldn’t remember ever watching a female sleep before, or spending much time with one at all for that matter. But then Rena wasn’t like most females, or any that he’d ever met. She seemed at peace, and he hoped her dreams were sweet.
She’d stunned him earlier when she’d removed her clothes, and even more so when she’d reached for him. Even in the galley, the way she’d grabbed onto his shirt, as if she knew that he would keep her safe, had made something inside him shift. It was his job to protect his people, but it had been so long since a female had willingly touched him. He didn’t know quite what to make of the small human. And he was starting to worry that he liked her a little too much, liked the way she made him feel. It was dangerous to get attached when Borgoz had decided she should mate with a councilman.
He felt himself grow hard at the memory of h
er naked and touching him. If he were alone, he’d unfasten his pants and relieve some pressure, but he wasn’t going to chance her waking up and finding him partially unclothed and gripping his cock. The thought of her spreading her thighs and beckoning him closer nearly made him groan, and he bit his lip to stifle the sound. Beren rose from the bed and stepped into the bathroom, then turned on the cleansing unit. As the water cascaded down, he quickly stripped out of his clothes and stepped inside.
His cock bobbed and was turning a dark purple. Beren slicked his hand with some cleansing gel and began stroking his cock from root to tip. His palm was a poor substitute for a female, but he was used to it. No one had wanted him since he’d come home scarred from battle. Rena was the first to touch him and not shy away or show revulsion for his wounds. He closed his eyes and pictured her on her knees, her mouth open and begging for his cock.
He’d thrust inside, feeling the wet heat surround his cock as he pumped his hips, going deeper with every stroke. Beren braced a hand on the wall as he pleasured himself, his fist working his cock faster and tighter. Her skin had been so soft, her touch so light. He focused on how she’d looked, completely bare, and he grew even harder. What would her pussy feel like wrapped around his dick? His hand slid up and down his length as he pictured himself thrusting inside her. Soon, he was coming, his cum shooting out over the top of his hand and splattering the wall of the cleansing unit.
As his heartbeat slowed, and his cock finally hung limp between his legs once more, Beren cleaned up himself and the mess he’d made of the unit. When he was finished, he dried off and put his clothes back on before stepping back into the quarters he now shared with Rena. Thankfully, she still slept, not having moved from the position she’d been in when he’d decided to give himself a little stress relief. He went back to his bed and stretched out, watching her once more.
Rena and the Alien Warrior (Intergalactic Brides Book 16) Page 5
