by Renee Rose
She stares at me for a long minute. “Why did you take me?” Her voice is skeptical. “At such great personal risk.” She looks around the craft. “And with such priceless tech. Your planet must find me valuable in some way.”
Veck. She’s right, of course. And I don’t want to lie. But I also want her to trust me and my species more before I ask for her willingness to help.
I pause to find the right words to convince her. “Our planet needs humans.” I eye her carefully, gauging her response. “Our species is nearly extinct. Only a handful of females remain alive. But we’ve found human females to be the next closest match for mating.”
She stiffens. “I am not a breeding slave.”
“No, no, no. That came out wrong. Humans aren’t slaves on Zandia. Zandians on our planet take humans as mates.”
Her blue eyes grow round. She swallows. “You want me as your mate?”
I don’t know why I hesitate. I should have answered no immediately. But I don’t. Maybe it’s the way she’s looking at me—like the idea is not repulsive to her. Maybe it’s because the idea has been appealing to me since the moment I first saw her image in the advertisement for the auction.
But I can’t. She’s for Zandia not for me.
“No.” I drop my gaze. “Not mine. On Zandia, humans have some choices about their existence. Yes, they require a Zandian guardian or mate, but they are not slaves.”
“Oh.” She’s silent. “You could be lying.”
I nod. “I could. I’m not. I can show you holos of humans on Zandia.”
“Those could be phony.”
I shrug. “Listen, Kailani. You and I both know I could put you into a cage and resell you like that.” I snap my fingers.
When she winces, I feel like an asshole. “But I’m not going to. I’m taking you to my planet where you will be welcomed and treated far better than you would be by any other species.”
She studies me.
“Every human on Zandia requires a sponsor. Someone who takes responsibility for seeing that they fit into Zandian society. I’m your master for now, and I need you to understand two things. One, I have superior power over you. Second, I won’t use it to hurt you.”
“You just spanked me.” Her voice is reproachful, and she shifts on my lap.
I stroke the top of her buttocks and the side of her thigh to soothe her. “You attacked me,” I remind her. “There are consequences.” I bring my other hand to lightly cup her bare breast, brushing my thumb across it.
She swallows. “That wasn’t very generous.”
“No?” My lips quirk.
She rolls her hips on my lap, her breath quickening. “Y-you could have just asked me nicely to not attack you again.”
I laugh. “That isn’t in the warrior handbook.”
I like her sense of humor because it brings out my own. This, too, is a new development for me: As Zandians, we are stiff and duty-minded. But the presence of human females on our planet has allowed even the bachelors, like me, to develop previously untapped regions of our personality.
“Did it hurt that much? Let me see.” I flip her back over, easily handling her weight. I do want to check on her soft bottom and see if she needs soothing lotion, but truth be told, I’m eager to run my fingers over her body, to show her the rewards of submission.
The cuffs hit the side of my calf. I reach down to remove them and toss the shining bonds aside. She’s far more docile now, and I don’t want to bind her any more than necessary.
I brush my fingertips over her ass. “Nice and pink. You’ll feel it later but just a bit.” I don’t know that from actual experience—I’ve never spanked a female before—but I’ve heard it said. The males in my species marvel at the wonder and beauty of the human female buttocks.
I rest my palm on her taut ass. “Just so you remember, this is what I’ll do next time you claw me with your sharp nails or try to knock me down.”
“But not if I try to grab your own sword and slice your arms off?” Her voice is teasingly hopeful. And then veck if she doesn’t stick her ass up towards me, further into my palm, as if asking for another spank.
I hesitate. I’ve punished her; the thing is over. Except it clearly isn’t. My cock hasn’t received the message. And I scent the unmistakable arousal from between her thighs.
My little warrior liked what I did. And I think she wants more. This is the way Zandians have learned to master human females on my planet. Not through the cruel methods used by the Ocretions on their slave species but with sexual dominance. Light punishment in their erogenous zones. We bond them to us, and that bond becomes unbreakable on both sides.
“Any kind of de-limbing situation,” I deadpan, “is absolutely off limits.” And then I give her one more spank.
“Hmm.” She wiggles. “Even if it’s just one finger?” She parts her thighs just slightly. “Surely one finger doesn’t do you much good.”
I spank her again, a nice sharp slap, low on her buttocks. “Perhaps you don’t understand the power of just one finger, Kailani? Let me show you what just one finger can do.”
I push her right leg gently. “Spread wider, please.” I help her shift her legs, so they’re parted, the right one dangling slightly off my lap. Her pussy is dewy with moisture and the most delicate, provocative aroma. “Stars, little warrior.”
Right now, she doesn’t seem to mind the nickname. She hums slightly to herself, a low note.
I should not be doing this. Discipline is one thing, sexual contact is another. She’s not my mate, and I’m not her master. I shouldn’t be claiming her this way. I shouldn’t even be thinking about her like this.
But I’m not going to stop. I stroke her hair with my left hand and slide the right one up her inner thigh. “Never underestimate the power of one thick digit.”
As I speak, I glide my fingertip very slowly up her skin. “Sometimes it’s the singular thing that can cause a climactic reaction.”
She gasps and murmurs something and tries to wiggle closer to my hand.
I spank her again, hard, and hold her in place. “Stay where I put you,” I tell her firmly.
She stops moving, so I touch her thigh again.
Her pussy is wetter than before, and she moans. “Khrys?” She grabs my leg, but this time it’s a full-fingered hold. She’s not trying to get away. It’s more like she’s anchoring herself to me. I like it.
I wonder if she’s ever had an orgasm in her strange, difficult life. I don’t care if this is wrong: I want to give her pleasure right now.
“Has any being ever touched you...like this?” I run my fingers so softly over her pussy that there’s barely contact. Made you feel good?”
“No.” Her voice is breathy. “I don’t... I’ve never. They gave me hormone shots to ensure I wouldn’t want to…” She lapses off. “But they must have worn off by now.”
“Just relax into me.” I stroke the small of her back. “Let the sensation grow.”
She releases her muscles and sinks into my lap. “What are you going to do?”
I brush her labia softly. “This.” I rub her soft, wet skin over and over. “And this.” I work my way up and down her body. “A little of this.”
She’s breathing harder now. “Khrys…”
“And maybe, if you’re very good...this.” I tap her clit with my index finger.
Chapter 4
Kailani
When he spanked me, I was enraged—and then the feeling changed to something else. My whole body is on fire, little sparks darting and dancing along my nerves, all of the sensation culminating between my thighs. My ass tingles in a way that is undeniably pleasurable, and it begins to drive a need in my body for something more.
I’ve never felt this way before, and I don’t want it to end. “Please.” I push my hips upward to seek his magical finger. “Do it again.”
He laughs. “This?”
Then he brushes my skin and rubs in that one little spot, the locus of my energy.
“Shh,” he soothes me, stroking my thighs. “This is just the start.”
My breath comes faster, and I squeeze my eyes shut to focus on the feeling. My body seems to know how to do this; I’ve spread my legs and tilted myself, so he can have better access.
“You see how just one finger can be quite...appealing?” He strokes me again, over and over. “Here...and here, too?”
Now he drives his finger deep into my cleft, teasing and touching, and my belly ignites.
I wail out my pleasure, squeezing my muscles as contractions of pure joy flow through and over me. It doesn’t end; the sensation grows and swells, and when it culminates in a powerful burst of light, I almost pass out.
When I float back into my body and open my eyes, I’m sitting on his lap, my head on his shoulder, my arms wrapped tightly around him, as far as I can reach. His strong purple arms encircle me, and his breath is warm on my hair.
I stir. “Khrys?” I clear my throat. My bottom is a little tingly from the spanking, but that’s mostly faded. The predominant sensation now is one of lingering pleasure and deep relaxation, the kind I’ve never known. It’s fantastic. In fact, I already want to do it again.
Underneath me, his cock is rock hard. I reach down with one hand. “You didn’t get to—”
I want to have that feeling again. I want more. I want to learn all about this new part of life.
But he’s distant.
He gently separates himself from me and puts me down onto the bench beside him. “I should not have done that.”
“I don’t understand.” I blink at him.
He stands up and hands me the silver blanket. “I have extra garments in a storage bin. I’ll find some that fit you.”
“But don’t you want to...” —I tilt my shoulders— “...enjoy the pleasure as well?”
“It would not be appropriate.” His voice is stiff. Almost as stiff as the rod in his trousers. “I’m your temporary master—just until we reach Zandia.”
“And what happens then?”
He turns away and rummages in a cabinet then places a stack of folded clothing next to me with a fluid tube and some nutrition packs. “Please get yourself together, and then we’ll talk.”
The craft interior isn’t large, yet I feel alone over here on the bench while he sits at his flight console, staring out at the blackness around us. There are now stars visible, probably millions of light years away. Funny how he feels even more distant.
Well, it’s better than a migraine... Taking a deep breath, I put on the sleek trousers and jacket. The boots fit me like a dream. And definitely an improvement over the Kraa cell.
Still, I don’t know if I believe him about Zandia. I’m not sure he’s telling me the truth.
But the buzzing pleasure still coursing through my body takes the sting away from captivity under his rule. It’s a thousand times better than being owned by the Kraa or likely by any other master who would’ve bought me at auction.
I eye his broad back and shoulders. The thick horns on his head that seem to move and change depending on his feelings. I make a note to learn to read what those changes mean. What would it be like to be mated to a male like him? A male whose punishments are far more pleasurable than anything I ever endured before.
A shiver runs through my body, and my sex clenches at the idea of him claiming me fully. But he said he’s just my temporary master. I don’t know what that means, but I don’t like it. Something far less pleasurable may await me on Zandia, and I need to be prepared for whatever that is.
I open a food packet and eat it while I sip on a fluid tube.
A few seconds later, the barest licks of sensation trickle along my temple. Fear lurches in my gut.
“Khrys?” I stand, fingers shaky on the fluid tube. My voice is high.
“What is it?” He whirls, expression concerned.
I touch my forehead. “It’s starting again. I need the medicine.” I hope to stars he will give me the dose I need.
“Veck.” He shakes his head. “Forgive me, I forgot.”
The relief I feel at his instant response brings on a streak of gratitude. Maybe I can trust this warrior.
He turns to the console and taps then stands up and strides to a cabinet across from his flight seat. “I have your medicine supply here.” He pulls out the sleek container. “I’ll bring it to you. Sit down.”
The whisper of pain deepens, little pinpricks. I press my palm to the top of my head, a useless move. Adrenaline races through my body. “Please hurry.” My vision starts to blur. The stars outside the glass viewports, little dots of distant light, morph into blobs.
“Here.” He’s at my side. His hands are strong but so gentle as he touches my face. “How much?”
“Four drops.” I close my eyes.
The bitter taste has never been so welcome. As the liquid hits my tongue, the relief is almost instantaneous: First, the aroma of herb and earth shoots into my nostrils, and then the pulsing pain flickers and flashes out. Gone.
I close my eyes and take a deep breath, licking my lips, even though he didn’t spill. I swallow my own spit once, twice, to ensure that I’ve washed down every last remnant of the drug. When I look back, he’s staring at me, brow wrinkled. Behind his head, outside in the emptiness of space, the stars are back to usual.
“Better?” He screws the dropper cap back onto the bottle. His eyes remain trained on my face, checking me.
I nod. “Yes.”
He stows the glass bottle carefully into the case. “How does the medicine work?” He sits down beside me.
I watch as the small amber bottle nestles into the padding and shake my head. “They did something to my blood vessels in my head, the vessels feeding the brain. They constrict without the medicine, and it’s painful. The antidote is made from the pollen of a flower found on Dentron. The medicine widens the vessels, but it’s temporary.”
“And without the medicine, the headaches keep coming back?” He touches my forehead softly, then pulls his hand back. Frowns. “Will they ever go away?”
Fear wells up. “Maybe over time, my body would adjust back, who knows? But I can’t bear the pain to find out.”
I think about suffering that kind of excruciating pain for many solar cycles. “I’d rather throw myself into the vacuum of space.” My voice is fierce.
He starts like this surprises him. “Kailani, we have enough medicine for a while.” He pulls the bottle back out of the case and holds it up at an angle to see how much liquid remains. “There’s…” He pauses, clearly doing mental manipulations. “Veck. Only about ten more doses.” His face grows somber. “How did they make it?” He takes my hand.
“We’d need the pollen to start.” My body feels warm and tingly because he said we. We have enough medicine. I swallow hard and press his fingers against my own. “They mix it with a few other things, but the pollen is the main antidote. Once they ran low and gave me crushed heated pollen to eat, and it worked the same way although it took a lot longer and didn’t get rid of the headache entirely. But still, it was remarkably effective even alone.”
“And Dentron? Do you know much about it?” He does something on his wrist holo and pulls up a solar map. “It’s near us.” He sounds surprisingly pleased. “Within a half a planet rotation’s flight.”
“There’s a tribe there who aren’t technical, but they’re hostile. We’d need to avoid them. Apart from that, I don’t know much.”
“They couldn’t grow the plants on your planet?”
“No. I believe the environment wasn’t right. I don’t know much about ag, and they obviously didn’t share much with me. But from what I gleaned overhearing their conversations, that was the problem.” I try to remember every fact I committed to memory about the medicine. “But it probably wasn’t a big priority, either. Without that medicine...Khrys? I’m as good as dead.”
“Don’t talk that way.” His voice is
low and fierce. “Look at me. Kailani? I’m going to get it for you.”
“But when?” I shrug my shoulders. “After you take me to your amazing planet as a slave? I don’t have that long.”
“I told you, humans have good lives there. They aren’t slaves.” His voice rises with frustration, and he pulls his hand from mine. He stands and paces.
Then he sits back down and puts both hands on my face. “Listen. Here’s how you know you can trust me. We’ll go right now to Dentron for the pollen, and seeds and plants, and whatever we need to attempt to grow it on Zandia. We have the best ag experts there, I promise. The king’s mate is human and an expert in agriculture. She’s able to cultivate crops originally grown on Earth.”
His voice is so low and persuasive. Honey and steel mixed. His eyes flash purple for a second. He sounds so sincere. “A token of my honesty, Kailani.” He pauses. “I’ll give you control of everything we collect.” He twists to grab the case of medicine and hands it to me. “It’s yours, all right? Starting now.”
I snatch it from his hands and clutch it to my chest, my heart pounding.
“All right? Do you trust me now?”
I squeeze the case so hard my fingers hurt. I don’t trust him, but he just gave me the one gift I require for survival. The thing that my Kraa masters used to control me. He gave it freely. So I nod. ”Yes.” My breath comes fast and tight.
“Good. Listen, Kailani. The doctor on Zandia, Dr. Daneth, he’s skilled. It’s possible he can reverse the damage your owners did.” He adds hastily, looking at my expression, “If you want him to try.”
“I don’t,” I snap.
No more labs. Never again. I hate doctors.
He raises a hand. “On Zandia, we’ll make you enough medicine to last your entire life.”
“And all I have to do in return is…?” I raise my eyebrows.
Is it me or does he look slightly uncomfortable?
He clears his throat. “Become a contributing member of Zandian society.”
“How? By mating a Zandian?”
His horns thicken and tilt in my direction, making my pulse pick up speed. Do they show his interest? His attraction to me? I know he wants me—I saw that thick erection tenting his leggings and tunic before.