by Lynnea Lee
“Stand back and turn around. Give me a little show.”
Sarah backed up and gave a little twirl, giggling at how silly but fun it felt.
“Looks better on you than on me. I should have you model all my clothes.”
Sarah imagined the tank top on his tall, muscular frame and silently disagreed. Then she had an idea, and she jumped on it before she could change her mind.
“I think it would look better on the floor.” She smiled coyly, biting her bottom lip. She rubbed her palms against her body from her waist up to her breasts. She pushed her breasts together, giving them a squeeze. That earned her a low growl from Kean. She danced sensually, moving her body to an imagined song as she lifted the hem higher. Maintaining eye contact with Kean on the screen, she dragged a finger up the inside of her thighs, inching her way to the junction.
“Fuck, yes! Sit back on the bed and spread your legs for me. I want to watch you touch yourself. Can’t think of a better way to spend time between meetings.”
She obeyed, pulling the tank off and spreading her legs. She had wanted to just tease him by taking the top off, but this was good too.
But when she looked at the screen, Kean was focused on something else, and his face darkened.
“Fuck.” The screen turned black, and Sarah was left staring at the panel, confused.
Chapter 15
Kean stood abruptly, knocking his chair to the floor, and headed for the door.
“What about our meeting? The merchant is just arriving now.” Zharor eyed him questioningly. His behavior must be confusing indeed.
Deciding honesty was the best option, he replied, “I can’t take it. I think Sarah got into my Euphora stash. I didn’t think to hide it.”
Zharor paled. “I will take the meeting for you. I will offer him our regular prices.”
Kean nodded once and left. He imagined finding Sarah on his bed, unresponsive, and ran as fast as his legs could carry him. The drawer had been open, and from the angle of the camera, he wasn’t able to count the doses. The capsules held Tallean strength doses, and a human female as small and fragile as Sarah might not wake.
He should have removed them from the room, but it hadn’t crossed his mind. He thought of the human he had once spent time with and how she was intent on ruining her life with his wares. That couldn’t happen with Sarah. He wouldn’t allow it.
Kean slapped his palm on the door’s control panel and cursed at how slowly it opened. He charged through his living area and into the bedroom. Sarah sat at the desk with a glass of amberberry wine, a confused look on her face. She’d pulled on one of his tank tops again. He ran to her, pulled her up to standing, took the wine out of her hand, and looked her in the eyes. Her eyes were normal, not dilated. He pressed her to his chest.
“What’s going on? As much as I enjoy being smashed to your chest, this is kind of strange.”
He walked with her, still pressed to his chest, to the open drawer, and counted six doses. She hadn’t taken any. He sat on the bed, still silent, and pulled her down into his lap. Sarah leaned on him and looked up with wide eyes.
“I thought you took one of the doses. It’s a Tallean strength dose, and you are still weak and malnourished. I was afraid I would find you unconscious on the bed.” He continued to hold her, unable to release his arms.
“You were worried about me.” She traced along his cheek crease with a dainty finger. “I know the ones formulated for humans have a green band on them. But even if they had been human strength doses, I wouldn’t take one. There are times for that. But alone because I’m bored sounds like a drug problem. And that’s not me.” She laughed. “I had to convince myself it was okay to have some wine.”
The pounding in his chest refused to slow, and he continued to hold her. He never wanted to let her go, ever. And as he looked down at her face, Kean realized the truth. Sarah was it. Sarah was his mate.
Stars! He should have recognized it so much sooner.
She looked back at him but was frowning. “This has happened before,” she guessed. “I mean, with another female taking your Euphora. A human?” She narrowed her eyes at him, and a bitter scent drifted from her, signaling her displeasure.
“Yes,” he replied honestly. He didn’t want to talk to her about Victoria, but he didn’t want to lie to her either. Victoria had been a gift from a merchant, and Kean had been lonely and tried to incorporate her into his life. It hadn’t worked out.
“And where is she now?”
“I had to send her away.” Kean swallowed hard. Kean had left human strength doses available for her at all times, not realizing she had an addictive personality, and she had abused them. She had never learned to care for him, only his Euphora.
Distaste practically oozed out of Sarah’s pores now, and she pushed him away. Or attempted to, Kean was not about to let her go. She struggled harder.
“Calm, little one. What is wrong?”
“Nothing.” She took in a big breath and exhaled it slowly as if trying to calm herself. “I’m fine, really. I’m getting…getting claustrophobic, that’s all.” She forced herself to still in his arms, but he still felt the stiffness in her body.
Lies. “You are a bad liar. Do not lie to me, little one.”
Then, something snapped inside her, like it had yesterday after the incident with Rax, and she shoved at him hard. “Or what? You’ll get rid of me too?” Her voice was full of bitterness. “You sent her away? Or did you just throw her out after you got bored of her? When are you going to get bored of me?”
Bored of Sarah? Never!
“Look at me, Sarah.” He forced her to look at him, though she tried to avoid his gaze. “I would never send you away. You are different. You are mine, and I’m not letting you go.”
“I bet you say that to all your other females,” she bit back.
Other females? Was that what this was about? “I have no other females, little one. You are the only one, and I do not need any other.” Kean wanted to admit that she was his mate. But he was unsure how she would react. He understood that humans dated before they made life promises to each other.
Sarah didn’t look like she believed him.
“Victoria only spent time with me because of my Euphora. I knew this, but I was lonely, so I ignored it. She was a gift from a merchant and already had a habit of getting into her previous owner’s stash. If I hadn’t sent her away, she would have drowned herself in Euphora. By the end, I had to hide every pod from her, and she hated me for it.”
His mate shifted in his lap, and the stiffness in her body relaxed.
“I do not make a habit of acquiring humans and then sending them away.”
“You better not.”
She was so small of helpless in his lap, but her words were full of threat.
“I wouldn’t dare. I do not wish to have a knife in my back.” He squeezed her arm and sent her a droll look.
“You are not Gadrek,” Sarah said, finally relaxing. “I haven’t had many owners, but I can honestly say that you are the best.”
Kean frowned at her, not liking the fact that she thought of him as her owner. She was his. But he was not her owner, and she was not his slave. He was hers, too, if she would have him.
“You are not a slave. There are no slaves in my compound.” He swallowed hard before continuing, “You have no obligation to share sex with me.” What if Sarah had only submitted to him this morning because she felt she was required to? The idea settled into a lump in his stomach.
Her cheeked redden lightly. “But what if I enjoyed what we did this morning?”
“Did you?”
She looked down at her hands, twisting her fingers together awkwardly. “Yes,” she whispered.
He tilted her chin up and buried his face into the side of her neck. He nuzzled her, nipping and kissing at the skin there. When he pulled away, her eyes were closed, and her face looked peaceful.
She opened her ey
es, a content smile still on her face. “Thank you for clearing things up. This time, it was me who jumped to conclusions. I’m not complaining about you being here with me, and it sure beats being alone. But don’t you have meetings to attend?”
He did. But he didn’t want to leave his mate’s side.
“I hate meetings.”
Sarah giggled on his lap. “You sound almost human. At least they aren’t Monday meetings.”
He didn’t understand what she meant. “I prefer to be here with you.”
“You can take me with you.” She looked hopeful.
He recalled the frightened look on her face when she’d witnessed him dealing with the traitor. “No, you should not watch me work.”
“I understand now why you did what you did. I won’t judge you for what you have to do. I get it. If I want the safety of living with you, here in the compound you built, I have to respect what it is built on.” She looked so sincere.
But the thought of her turning away from him because of his work was too much to bear. Sarah was human, and she would not form a mating bond back. She could leave him. Kean’s hands tightened around her arm.
“You are my mate, Sarah. I can’t risk you leaving me.” He had wanted to wait to tell her, but the words tumbled out desperately.
Stars! What if he went insane from an unfulfilled mating bond? Kean didn’t trust himself not to hunt her down and keep her with him forever if she left him. He would be her jailor. A sinking feeling weighed down his stomach. What if everything they said about him was true? That he was ruthless and wicked?
Soren, the merchant who had once owned a good chunk of Vosthea, had lost his fated mate when she ran off with their child. The female was Tallean, and despite having formed a mating bond back, she still left him, disgusted by the things her mate did. He had tumbled further down into depravity afterward.
The rumor was that Soren had latched onto a human who bore an uncanny resemblance to his lost Tallean mate, calling her by his mate’s name and pretending their child was simply away at school. Eventually, this human mate substitute had tried to kill him, telling him that if she’d really been his mate, she would have left as well.
Kean knew he would become a monster if Sarah left him. Very few Tallean lost their mates and survived.
“Mate?” Sarah looked at him, confusion plain on her face. “I don’t understand. That’s not possible. I’m just some girl you picked up from your enemy.”
Kean growled. “The mating bond knows. You are mine. And I would not survive if you left me. I don’t want you to hate me for what I do. I’ve seen the look of fear on your face once when you saw me working. I won’t risk it again.”
He got up to leave. If he didn’t head back to the meetings now, his whole day would be bust.
“Stop, Kean.” Sarah ran to the door and latched onto his arm before he could go.
There was no way she was going to get trapped in this room again. She’d been trapped in Gadrek’s room for months. If Kean was telling her the truth and he was truly her mate, then she was going to stand her ground.
Sarah knew it was not uncommon for Tallean businessmen, especially ones with higher status, to bring females into meetings and negotiations. It was a status symbol, much the same way Kean had had her on his lap at the party. Before she’d hacked off her own hair, she’d sat in on many boring meetings with Gadrek.
She’d sat opposite many other females; some had been the male’s favorite slave, others had been their mates, and some had been temporary lovers. Some of the women had been there only as decorations, while others had been there as advisors. Others, such as herself, had not wanted to be there at all.
But Sarah wanted to be there with Kean. She didn’t understand why, but it felt crucial that she be a part of his life and not just some pet who stayed in his room waiting for him to return every evening.
“I won’t judge you, I promise. And if you are really my mate, then shouldn’t I know the details of what you do? I can’t be with someone who won’t share their whole life with me. If you plan on doing that, then consider our relationship over before it starts.”
She knew it was cheap to play on his fears of his mate leaving to have her way. But for her mental sanity, she needed to get out of this room. He’d given her access to his PPC, and everything else in the room, but she still couldn’t help but think of it as a cage. Her months at Gadrek’s had ruined her perception of such things. It was a very comfortable and luxurious cage, but a cage all the same.
Consternation creased Kean’s brows. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, he finally conceded. “You may come along. I will call the dressmaker to bring you some clothes.”
He grabbed a light jacket from his closet and wrapped it around her shoulders. Then he picked up his PPC, took her hand, and they left for his meetings.
As they walked through the compound, the residents gave them questioning looks, and Sarah suddenly felt incredibly self-conscious. She was wearing his oversized clothes, and her hair was probably a mess. She was a far cry from the glamorous woman who had decorated his arms at the party.
They got to Kean’s office just as Zharor was finishing up with a merchant. The merchant looked questioningly at her as Kean pulled a large bean bag-like chair from the side of the room to behind his desk and sat her down. Zharor nodded at them, a look of relief on his face. Had he also believed that she’d gotten into Kean’s stash of Euphora?
Sarah settled down on the comfortable chair and opened the PPC to the language learning program she’d been studying earlier. It was time she learned how to read and write the language.
The merchant stayed to recap the meeting he had with Zharor, occasionally sending furtive glances her way. Sarah felt his gaze on her and looked up once to check his face. The merchant looked familiar, but he forced herself to focus on the program.
As the merchant stood to leave, he said to Kean, “Your female used to belong to Gadrek. She looks much healthier now with you.” Then he turned to Sarah. “You may not remember me, but I’ve seen you several times by Gadrek’s feet. You were malnourished and badly treated, and I offered to buy you off him more than once, but he refused. I’m glad you are still alive and in better hands.”
Then he left. That was why he’d looked familiar. Sarah had always thought the males sitting opposite them never took note of her. She’d just been decoration, and not even a particularly pretty decoration either. She wondered how many more recognized her.
Once they were alone, Zharor said, “I’m glad you hadn’t gotten into Kean’s Euphora. Maybe now that you are here, Kean can finally pay attention to his meetings.”
Chapter 16
Kean turned to Sarah and found her asleep in her seat with his PPC still opened on her lap. She now wore a simple but elegant dress that accentuated her form. It highlighted her delicate beauty. A stole on her shoulders kept her warm. Next to her was the package of clothing the dressmaker had left for her. He had asked the dressmaker for clothing that was comfortable but still presentable.
Many males who brought in their females dressed them up exquisitely as a way to show off their wealth. But Kean doubted Sarah would be comfortable encrusted in jewels. Besides, he didn’t need to show off his wealth; people knew. And he’d much rather Sarah be relaxed.
They’d found a pair of flats in her size, a difficulty since there weren’t many humans females on the planet with such small feet.
“Just one more negotiation today, and we’re done.” Zharor stretched, cracking his neck. “I thought we were done with all this years ago. I’m too old for this.”
“Too old for this? You’re the baby in this outfit.”
“I’m no baby; you’re just ancient.”
For someone in his position, Kean was not old. But he was no longer a young male, either. He should be settling down with his mate and raising offspring by now.
When they’d met, Zharor had been young and energetic, eager
to take on a galaxy. And though Kean had been only a few years older, he was already jaded and aged by the grief of the Dominion’s betrayal. They’d developed a brotherly kinship.
“In that case, I’m handing Gadrek’s territory to another old male. Ulrek should be arriving there soon, so there should be fewer issues coming to us.”
Zharor made a face. “I know he is your friend, and he did save your life the other day, but I still don’t like him.”
“You aren’t the only one. That male has collected many well-deserved enemies while he was with the Dominion.” It was the truth. Ulrek was not a good male. “But he is the only one I trust not to backstab me. And I need you here.”
A notice popped up on Kean’s screen. Their last visitor had arrived. He looked at the name on the screen, huffed out a breath, and tapped his claws on the floor in annoyance.
“I thought the same thing when I saw that name,” Zharor snorted.
They’d suspected Yris to be a Dominion spy. Yris owned a nearby bar, giving him many opportunities to listen in onto drunken conversations.
During the attack by the Dominion, the enemy had breached his stronghold much too easily, and Kean suspected that Yris had worked with someone living in this very compound to allow the troops in. That meant one or more persons here had betrayed him. Having not found the suspect yet, Kean had not called for this meeting. Yris had.
Kean wondered what the male was here for. He didn’t want to have to take care of the Dominion informer in front of Sarah. But since he was here, maybe it was time for Kean to find out who the traitors were.
Yris blustered in with a cloud of false reverence, congratulating Kean loudly on his defeat of the Dominion. It woke Sarah from her slumber. So much for aiming to get the information out of the crooked bar owner without waking his female. Sarah had wanted to watch him work, and she was about to witness him at his worst, again. However, she’d been correct about mates needing to share everything.
But before Kean could ask the male why he had called a meeting, all hell broke loose. The building shook violently as an explosion rocked the grounds. Moments later, two more explosions sounded.