by Tempest Luna
She thought she was okay. But now…she wasn’t so sure. Ro scooped her up in his arms and carried her back inside, setting her on the long cushion against the wall. The room started to spin around her, and she pressed her hand to her heart.
“Tessa,” he snapped. “Look at me.” He knelt in front of her and placed his massive hands on her shoulders. “Breathe.”
“Maren,” she gasped, fighting not to hyperventilate.
Ro cupped her cheeks now, his bright silver eyes flashing. “You must calm yourself.”
She nodded, but couldn’t force air into her lungs. Yanking her off the cushion, Ro cradled her in his arms and slanted his mouth over hers. Oh God. He claimed her with his kiss, and when he traced the seam of her lips with his tongue, she parted for him with a moan.
Her body responded to him immediately, her tense muscles softening, the pain from her injuries fading until Ro and his kiss were all that remained. Tessa draped her arms around his neck, feeling the damp tendrils of his hair slide over her fingers.
With a half-growl, he broke off the kiss, and she tried not to whine as he set her back on the cushion. “I am sorry,” he managed, then shifted away from her. “I should not have done that.”
“It…worked.” Her cheeks flamed. “And I enjoyed it.”
“As did I.” He stood with his back to her and adjusted his pants. “I will…make us food.” Ro turned to the cooking plate, then withdrew a small container from under the counter. He flicked a switch, withdrew several strips of meat, and laid them on the metal. When he spoke, his voice carried a somber tone. “Go get another blanket from the chest next to the bed. You are chilled. We will talk after you have eaten.”
She did as he asked, his commanding tone impossible to ignore. And he was right. Gooseflesh rose on her bare legs. Her mind raced, but she managed to keep her panic and fear tamped down deep inside. Whatever happened next, she was currently safe. With an alien who cared for her—or at least didn’t want to kill her.
Trudging back to the cushion with the blanket, she sank down and covered her legs, trying to ignore the wetness between her thighs. She shouldn’t want this alien. Not when everything she’d ever known might be gone forever.
He held two bowls with vaguely spoon-like scoops resting inside as he sat down next to her. “This is anu—a root with many nutrients—and tyro, a small animal that lives in nooks and hiding-holes in the rocks of Balrov. You had anu last night.”
The foreign food tasted better than any meal she’d had on Earth. Fresher. The flavors vibrant. “Back home, we don’t have many animals left. We eat manufactured food. Perfectly engineered to meet our needs—and mostly tasteless.”
“Tell me about…Earth?” He watched her over the rim of his bowl.
Tessa frowned. “You’re trying to distract me.” Biting her lip, she squeezed her eyes shut for a moment before flopping back against the cushion with a sigh. “Earth is dying. We destroyed the atmosphere. The land. Once, we had up to ten billion people. Now…there are less than two billion left. Most live in cities, work in the factories, try to survive. The only time I’ve ever seen our sun was through the window of my ship.”
“What ship?”
“Tyrio-Alpha Seven. We were on a harvesting mission. Three of us. Until the ship…broke apart.” She set the bowl down and swiped a few tears from her cheeks. Ro urged her to curl against him, then picked up her bowl. “Eat more.” He held the scoop to her lips, and she couldn’t help herself. She let him feed her, barely tasting the food as memories of her closest friends swam in her mind. Maybe it was better this way. A lifetime trapped on a slave planet where the only option for survival was to be owned by an alien had to be preferable to death. Right?
Chapter Eight
Ro
His female huddled on the cushions with a faraway look in her eyes as he cleaned their dishes. There was so much more he had to tell her. Including the note he’d found in his trailer when he’d unloaded after chasing the other male from his property.
I chose you for a reason. I do not know where the others are. Or if they live. But tell your brothers to search for them. And keep them safe. This is all I could recover from her belongings.
Alongside the note, he’d found a pair of boots that looked to be Tessa’s size. The leather was scorched, but otherwise intact. I chose you. Why would a Sypian try to save Tessa. And why choose Ro? He and his brothers kept out of trouble.
Of course. We keep out of trouble. There is little reason for the monitors to come here often.
With a shake of his head, he knelt in front of his human. “Tessa? Look at me, little one.” Her bloodshot eyes glistened, though she looked stronger now. Food and the light from the suns had helped her. “Are you still chilled?”
“A little.”
He offered her his hand, but after he pulled her to her feet, she swayed and grabbed his arm. “Easy now. Your body is still healing.”
“Gravity is different here, I think.” She let him scoop her against his chest and draped her arms around his neck. “I feel all off balance.”
“If you want…I could help you bathe.” He held his breath, praying to the ancient gods she would say yes. The thought of her naked body against his made his cock rise to attention, but more than that, he ached to care for her. To protect her.
Tessa’s cheeks flushed, and she buried her face against his neck. “I’d…like that.”
“Why do you feel shame over this?” Ro asked, setting her down in his wash room so she could brace herself against the basin. “You are m—boltrak. I have seen you naked before.” He cursed himself for almost admitting he had claimed her—at least in his heart.
“I don’t know.” She ran a hand through her dark blond hair. “I’ve…seen you naked too. A lot. Parts of you, anyway.” Her cheeks turned a deeper shade of red, and Ro thought the color was lovely. And strange. Did all humans turn red when they were embarrassed?
“Which parts?” He pulled off his chest harness and draped it over the door frame before shedding his boots. When he reached for the buttons on Tessa’s shirt, her breath hitched, and he froze. “Did I do something wrong?”
“N-no. I…no. Go ahead.” With her head bowed, he could not see her eyes, but as he shifted to reach the lower buttons, his gaze landed on his cock tenting his pants.
Now, he understood. And he liked the sense of awe that traveled over their fragile bond. “Which parts, little one?” A smile tugged at his lips, and he could not remember the last time he had felt that particular sensation. Life under the Supreme Ruler had few joys, but a life with Tessa promised him more.
“Your hair.” She grinned up at him, and he caught her around the waist to tug off her shirt. “An ear.”
“For that…you will pay.” Sliding his hand down to cup her ass, he palmed the firm flesh, warmed it, and then let his hand fly. The sharp crack against her skin made Tessa yelp, and for an instant, Ro worried he had been too relaxed, too playful with his little female. But then, she ground her hips against him.
The growl that rumbled through his chest, so low and possessive, startled him, as did the incredible ache in his balls. By the ancient gods, he needed her. Wanted her.
But not like this. Not until she could stand on her own. Until she could take his cock and claim him fully. “Be careful, Tessa. You will not tease me for long.”
“I don’t want to.” Half-lidded eyes peered at him, and she held on to his arms as she levered up on her toes to crush her lips to his.
She tasted like rain. Like the heat of a long day by the planet’s sea splashing in the waves. Like his best memories, but more. Her kiss was home.
But when he tried to lift her to set her on the wash basin, she made a small, pained sound, and he cursed himself for losing control. “You are still healing,” he managed. “We cannot do this now.”
“Bathe?” Tessa looked longingly at the bathing tube.
This time, his smile felt less foreign to him. “That, we can do. But nothing
else will happen.”
Her exaggerated pout reassured him. His little human was strong, and soon, she would be fully healed. Another cycle, perhaps two, and they could talk about the bonding.
When he shed his britches, Tessa held her breath. “You’re…huge.”
“I thought you had ‘seen’ me before?” Ro teased. Though, he did not understand how she had done so. Much like his father’s visions, Tessa’s were still a mystery to him. He had never been blessed with his father’s gift, though he thought perhaps Zaden had been.
With an arm around her waist, he helped her into the bathing tube and turned on the hot water. She sighed as she relaxed against him under the cascade of droplets. “Showers on Earth are warm at best. At least in the harvesting dorms. They never let us have hot water.”
Her sadness carried over their bond, and Ro ran his fingers through her hair, desperate to touch, to heal, to provide whatever comfort he could. “You will always have hot water with me.”
“You say Balrov is a terrible place, but you have all these wonderful things. Hot water, fresh food, sunlight. How can a place with all these things be so…awful?” Tessa’s eyes shimmered, but it was not from the bathing water. Her tears spilled over, and Ro whisked them away with his thumbs as he cupped her cheeks.
“I will explain everything soon, sonara.”
“Sonara?” Tessa asked. “What does that mean?”
Now it was Ro’s turn to be embarrassed. “It is a term of affection.” In truth, it was the Balrovian word for mate. Every moment he spent with Tessa made him want more.
“Like sweetheart?” She tipped her head back, letting the water wash away the last of the blood still staining her hair. The movement highlighted the swell of her breasts, and Ro turned around abruptly.
“Ro? Is something wrong?” Tessa wrapped her arms around his waist from behind and rested her cheek against his shoulder.
Under the steaming waterfall, they stayed locked together for endless moments until Ro could find his voice. “I want you, Tessa. But not until you are healed. It is…hard for me to keep my hands off you.”
“Oh.” She dropped her arms. “I’ll, um…get out. Do you have a towel?”
“I do not know that word.” Ro wrapped his fingers around her wrist and held on as if his life depended on the contact. “Stay with me.”
Her blond brows furrowed in confusion, but she nodded. Ro let the water wash the sweat and dirt from his body while Tessa leaned against the side of the bathing tube, her arms wrapped tightly around her waist. She looked so small and fragile next to him, the bruises still darkening her ribs and hips.
When he shut off the water, he gathered Tessa close as the warm air circulated around them, whisking the last of the drops away. “Oh. Wow,” she breathed.
Tessa’s awe at some of the simple things he took for granted shocked him, and he wished he could see his planet through her eyes.
“Come,” he said as he helped her back to his bed. “You should rest for a bit. I must unpack the rest of my purchases from the trade. When I am done, we will talk more and fashion clothing for you.”
She looked like she wanted to argue, but as soon as she lay back, her blond hair fanning out over his pillow, her eyelids drooped, and she made a vague “uh-huh” sound before her breathing steadied, and she relaxed.
* * *
Ro pulled on a pair of clean britches and gave serious thought to returning to the bathing tube to release the ache in his cock that was ever-present when he was around Tessa. But while she slept, he had work to do. Including finding out who had written the note and left the boots in his trailer.
Tessa’s friends could be alive. But how? There were no other humans at the auction. Zaden hadn’t shown at all. Vrax had left before Ro. He turned his communications array on and hoped he would be able to reach one of his brothers.
The crackle of static made him cringe, and he glanced towards the bedroom, but he did not sense his little one stirring.
Fuck. She is not yours.
Except, she was. Completely. He’d already mated to her in his heart. And she had not protested their closeness. The kisses they’d shared. From the scent of her arousal, she wanted him as much as he ached for her. He’d stared to sense her emotions—and he believed she could sense his as well.
Claim her.
By the ancient gods, he would not survive if he did not make her his soon. But she needed answers first. As did he.
Picking up the communications array’s microphone, he cleared his throat. “Vrax? I need to talk to you.”
Only static.
He changed the channel. “Zaden. Please answer. It is important, brother.”
More static.
Another switch. “Vr—”
“Put her to work. Now.” The hissing voice of a Sypian male startled him, and Ro almost dropped the microphone. “They are coming.”
“Who is this?” Ro demanded, but silence fell on the other end of the connection. How could a Sypian have even found this frequency? If they knew he and his brothers communicated…
The high-pitched whine of Sypian speeders sent Ro slamming the communications array back into its hidden compartment and racing into the bedroom. “Tessa, get up.” Grabbing her around the waist, he set her on her feet as she blinked the sleep from her eyes. “You must trust me now.”
Panicked, she nodded. “I do.”
Ro tried to ignore the pain in her gaze as he turned her around and slapped her round bottom hard enough to leave a red handprint.
“What the fuck?” Tessa yelped.
“Please, Tessa. As soon as they are gone, I will explain. But you must pretend not to understand anything said in the next few minutes. Both of our lives depend on this.”
Guiding her out into the main room, he helped her down to her hands and knees and pressed a rag into her hand. “Monitors are coming. They must believe you are my property. That you are broken. A slave. Do not stand. Do not raise your head. You must pretend to fear me, and I must be rough with you.”
The speeders stopped outside, and boots crunched on the sharp rocks. Tessa peered up at him with tears in her eyes. “Please, sonara.”
Ro ran his fingers through her hair, doing his best to hide the new neural implant he’d given her, and Tessa leaned into his touch for a brief moment as the heavy footsteps came closer.
“O-okay,” she whispered and started to wipe the floor as the Sypians pushed through the black curtain.
With a grunt, Ro pointed at a spot by his feet. Tessa shuddered and nodded, cringing away from him.
“Monitor Nyek,” Ro said as he lowered his head. “Monitor Gylik. Welcome.”
“How is the human performing?” Monitor Nyek asked as he narrowed his eyes and peered down at Tessa. “Where is its control collar? Its ankle chains?”
With a brief glance at the other soldier, Nyek grabbed Tessa’s arm and hauled her to her feet. She whimpered, shaking in his grip.
“Let go of her,” Ro said sharply.
Gylik shoved his shock stick at Ro and pressed the trigger.
The pain was instantaneous, sending him to his knees. He grit his teeth, praying he would not lose consciousness.
Tessa’s fear sliced through him, and he clenched his fists as he struggled upright. “My…apologies,” he ground out, and Gylik stepped back. “I spoke harshly. Please release the human. She does not need the control collar or the chains. She knows better than to run.”
Gylik turned towards Tessa, but Ro held up his hands. “Please, Monitor. Do not strike my property. The key to training a human is swift punishment—when merited. She was performing her task adequately when you arrived. In order to train her, I cannot harm her unfairly. She does not understand our language or our ways, so consistency key.”
With a hiss, Gylik sheathed the weapon, and Nyek released Tessa. Ro gripped Tessa’s neck, squeezing gently as he urged her back to her hands and knees. Her panic hit him like a punch to the gut, and she started to shake. G
ods, what he’d give to be able to comfort her. Hiding the gentle brush of his thumb under her hair, he tried to soothe, even as he roughened his voice. “Harder,” he said, then gestured to the rag in her hands.
Another slap to Tessa’s ass made her return to her work with vigor, and the Sypians nodded. Nyek walked all around Tessa, leering at her nakedness, and Ro wanted to cut the male’s eyes from his head for the lewd thoughts the Sypian was not bothering to hide.
Straightening, Ro gestured to the cushion along the wall. “May I offer you refreshment?”
“No. We must continue our patrol. The Supreme Ruler merely wished to know how the human was performing.” Nyek bent and sniffed Tessa, and she cowered, trying to move towards Ro.
“Human.” Ro wrapped his fingers around a chunk of Tessa’s hair and pulled, forcing her head up to meet his gaze. His back to the Sypians, he tried to let her see the pain in his eyes at having to treat her so cruelly. Punctuating his command by holding up his hand in a universal gesture of “stay,” he released her and followed the two monitors out past the black curtain.
“Please thank the Supreme Ruler for the opportunity to purchase the human,” Ro said as he bowed to the two males. “She was worth the credits.”
They merely nodded before climbing on their speedsters. Dust churned in the air as they peeled out, and Ro tried to sense Tessa. Fuck. She had cut herself off from him somehow.
He rushed back inside, and his heart seized as he saw the tears streaming down Tessa’s pale cheeks. Her eyes were still lowered, and Nyak had left fresh bruises on her arm.
“I am sorry.” His voice cracked, and he ached to hold her, but she flinched away from him.
“What was that all about?” Curling her arms around her naked body, she didn’t move—didn’t try to rise or even cover herself.
Ro cursed, then strode into the bedroom to retrieve a blanket from the bed. When he returned, he knelt next to her. “Please, little one. Trust me. I will not harm you. That was…an act. Necessary only when the monitors come. They must believe you are my property or they will take you away from me.”