by Lynnea Lee
Grabbing Ashe’s tiny hand, he led the way out of the cargo hold. He led her quickly down one corridor after another, having memorized the plans to the most common ships used by Dominion forces. They ran into trouble once, but Zey was quick on the draw, and both officers were dispatched before they could sound the alarm. They made another turn, and finally, the ship’s shuttle bay opened up in welcome.
Soon they were aboard one of the shuttles and hurtling headlong towards a small green planet in the dangerous outskirts of Dominion space.
With the worst of the danger behind them, Zey took stock of their situation. He recognized the planet on the shuttle view screen immediately. Covered mostly in forest in the temperate regions and thick jungle near the equator, Vosthea had three main ports. The ship they just escaped from orbited one geosynchronously.
It was commonly used by outlaws as the last stop before pushing into more thoroughly patrol Dominion territory. Despite technically being under Dominion rule, the planet was lawless, and the Dominion representative held little sway. The unscrupulous band of thieves and pirates that called the planet home were too lawless to surrender their freedom, and the planet lacked valuable resources to make a fight worthwhile. So, the Dominion just let it be.
The only reason a Dominion vessel would stop at such a location was if the Captain had dealings with one or more of the locals. Nothing shocking, Zey knew Ulrek to be corrupt. He wondered what business Ulrek had here.
They needed anonymity. He set a path to the largest port, hit the auto-pilot, and turned his full attention back to the tiny human female sharing the shuttle cabin.
She was still flushed and glowing from their daring run through the enemy ship, a victorious smile plastered on her face. Heat from her body caused the scent of her sweat and natural perfume to fill the small chamber. Zeylum inhaled deeply and was nearly knocked to his knees by a sense of emergency. The need to claim her, take her, was overwhelming.
In the Tallean species, arousal and the compulsion for sexual release was the natural reaction after a fight—a vestige from their warrior past. Violence activated a primal memory from the times when fighting was the only way to win and claim a mate.
Fights between males for females were still common occurrences, but it rarely resulted in a mate claiming now. Modern females needed more from their mates than raw power, and they no longer went to the winner of a physical fight automatically. But the need for release still seized his control. A grin spread across his face.
His grin was infectious, and Ashe found herself grinning right back, the violence she just witnessed pushed to the back of her mind. Wow, he was gorgeous when he smiled. With his elongated canines prominently displayed, he looked sexy and dangerous.
“We did it!” Ashe held her hand up for a high five, realizing too late that Zey probably had no idea what she wanted. But before she could pull back, Zey grabbed her outstretched arm and pulled her to him. She hit his chiseled chest, his heat infusing her.
“Did I play the part of a damsel in distress well or what?” Did her voice come out too breathy? Was it ever hot in here!
“You were brilliant, little one! You didn’t need to actually touch him, though.” His face darkened a titch.
Was that a hint of jealousy?
“Trust me, he ain’t the man I want to touch!”
“Really? And who do you want to touch?”
He took a prowling step towards her, and Ashe swallowed hard in anticipation. The light from the shuttle ceiling hit his eyes from an angle, making it flash. It reminded her of a predator. She back away feeling small, prey like. His tongue darted out to wet his bottom lip. The sharp point of his canine created small indents at each lower corner.
Shuddering with nervous excitement, she backed away. It was obvious that his species were predators, built to hunt and chase. Would he chase if she ran? But stuck in the tiny shuttle, she had nowhere to go.
Her back hit the metal walls of the shuttle, but he continued to close in on her, stripping his tank top off in the process. Ashe found herself face to face with his impressive chest. Short dark hair, almost like fur, formed a downward arrow, leading her eyes past washboards abs to his navel. Below his navel, a narrow strip of hair trailed down into his waistband. Aliens have happy trails, who knew? Now it was her turn to bite her lip. She wondered what other similarities and differences hid under the waistband. She was about to find out very soon.
Zey’s hands dropped to her hips, and with little effort at all, he lifted her up and pressed her against the shuttle wall. Beautiful, mesmerizing green eyes met hers. He was so close that she felt his breath on her skin. His head dipped, and she tilted her head up, parting her lips for a kiss. But instead, he pulled her close and buried his face into the crook of her neck, inhaling deeply as if trying to memorize her scent.
Maybe Talleans didn’t kiss lips to lips? In the darkness of the night cycle in the cargo hold, he had explored her body plenty with his hands. His mouth had also silently nipped, licked, and even peppered her skin with little bites while she held her breath and her tongue, afraid to make a noise in the crowded hold and give away their game. She was not an exhibitionist and was glad he had not pushed from more. But not once did he explore her mouth with his. Maybe this sniffing and nuzzling with the nose and jaws was their version of a kiss. It was very intimate and enjoyable, and Ashe decided she really liked it.
Setting her on her feet, he slid down her body to kneel in front of her. He shoved her pants off easily and lifted one of her legs up onto his shoulder. He took a moment to look at the junction of her thighs, and Ashe was glad that she had splurged to have most of the hair there lasered off, leaving only a small triangular patch.
Starting at her stomach, Zey nipped and nibbled his way down towards his prize. A sudden thought jarred rudely into her mind, what if their women were hairless there, would he be disgusted by her little patch? Suddenly embarrassed, Ashe pushed at his head and tried to close her legs, but he kept her leg over his shoulder.
A low growl of protest rumbled from his throat. “Keep your legs open,” he demanded.
His voice turned her legs to jelly, and Ashe whimpered when his hot breath caressed over her sex, and he began to explore her folds with his tongue. Her knees felt weak, and she struggled to stay upright on one leg. Big, strong hands reached up, spanning across her rib cage to pin her to the wall.
His tongue found her clit, and he worked it, being careful not to nick her with his sharp teeth. Two thick fingers found her opening, and he pressed in as she hissed and tossed her head back. He licked and suckled as he fucked her with his fingers until she felt as if the world was going to explode. Her fingers tightened in his thick hair, and small strangled sobs sounded from her lips.
“Wrap around me, little one,” he ordered as he stood and lifted her onto his body. Her mind numb with rapture, Ashe obeyed without thought, wrapping her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck.
Zey couldn’t wait any longer. He needed to be inside her now. He tore open the front of his pants, freeing his hard cock from the tight confines. Lining himself up, he pushed in. She gasped, and he tensed.
“Am I hurting you?” His voice sounded strained, even to his own ear. It was killing him to take it slow with her.
She shook her head and managed a breathy, “It’s been a while, just let me get used to you. I want this.”
He stilled and nuzzled the side of her face until her body relaxed a little. But when he pulled out, the friction was too much, and he sank into her depth again with a feral snarl. Zey started a demanding rhythm. When her body started to slip, he lifted her legs higher around his body and pressed her harder against the wall.
The new angle had him striking a sweet spot inside her that made her clamp down and pant with need. He closed his eyes and bit his lip, trying to hold on a little longer. She felt so good! So warm and tight. Regaining control of himself, he continued his relentless invasion of her
body.
Her rapid breathing halted with a quick intake of breath, and her whole body seized up, her pussy clenching around him like a fist. She screamed her release as a hard shudder ran through her. The sound was glorious, a signal of triumph to Zey’s ear. His own shout thundered in the small craft as he shoved into her once more and spurted his hot seed into her body. He held her tightly to his chest and pressed his face into her neck again, his body still reeling, and his mind still in shattered fragments.
After a while, her voice pierced the silence. “Wow.”
Zey chuckled softly and lowered her to the ground. She was unsteady on her feet, so he guided her to a seat. She was adorable. So sweet and defenseless, yet still strong and brave. He brushed a sweaty strand of hair off her face and leaned down to place his forehead on hers.
This female was dangerous. His life was a perilous one; it kept him on his toes, required him to be quick-witted. His ship’s medic, Sidas, had a mate who lived aboard the Defiant. She helped out in the medical bay and kept the inventory updated. But Zeylum was the captain of the infamous mercenary ship, Defiant. The welfare of the entire crew rests on his shoulder. A level head was paramount, and distractions fatal.
If there ever was a fatal distraction, it was staring him in the face now. This cute little human was it. He tried to shake off the sentiment.
“You have to swear to me that you will obey me without question the moment we set foot on Vosthea.”
“I already said yes. What the hell else do you want from me?”
She had every reason to be irritated. Zey had explained that a free human would look suspicious on Vosthea, so while in the port, she would need to play the part of his slave to avoid drawing attention. She had agreed originally, understanding the need. But as he explained in detail how she was expected to behave, her face clouded up with outrage.
She could handle calling him Master or sitting on the ground next to his chair. And she could even deal with not speaking unless spoken to and being cuffed if she forgot. Though, he promised her that he’d make a show of it and wouldn’t actually hit her. Also, slaves were expected to carry their owner’s packs and supplies. The straw that broke the camel’s back was when he explained that it was common for slave owners to rent their female slaves out for sex and that she should not be surprised or act offended if anyone approached them for this reason.
He would never allow it. Just the idea of it angered him, and he knew it would be hard for him to play the role and not rip out a male’s throat just for suggesting it. But he was committed to keeping her from harm, and if that included playing a role, then he was going to be the best damn actor he could be. Despite her misgivings, she had agreed to go along with the sham. But the look in her eyes was sharp enough to kill.
Zey sighed and raised his hands in the universal sign of surrender. “I’ll do everything I can to keep you safe, but you need to help me by doing your part.”
“Alright, I understand.” Then, with a barely hidden smirk, she bit her lip, her look turned sultry, and she purred in a sexy voice that went straight to his groin, “Anything you want, Master.”
Stars! A distraction indeed.
Chapter 4
Despite being early afternoon, the tavern’s dingy dining hall was scattered with suspicious-looking patrons nursing glasses of foul-smelling booze. Ashe crinkled her nose at the stench. Zey kept a firm grip on her forearm and tugged her behind him as he moved purposefully to join a group playing a game of knives. They watched a few games silently. Ashe could almost hear the gears ticking in his head as he sized up the competition.
One of the players, a male who went by the nickname Brawn, was obviously more talented than the rest, and he seemed to pride himself on this fact. Ashe peered up at the large stranger through her lashes. He was burly to the point of looking like a bear. Not quite as tall as Zey, but thicker by far and heavily muscled. He held a small knife in his hand.
The game he was playing reminded Ashe of darts, but instead of being stationary, the target zoomed across the wall on a length of track that was roughly six feet long.
During each turn, the target moved quickly to the left, and then back, and the player had until the target returned to the original position to throw his three knives. Only the knife on the highest scoring target stayed on the board, the other two were removed. Then the second opponent did the same. This repeated four times, the two opponents taking turns on being the first to throw. The points scored by each contestant were tallied up at the end to determine the winner.
The bear won every game except for one, which ended in a draw; both players scored the highest points possible. His aim was incredible. Zey was planning on challenging him? Ashe hoped he knew what he was doing.
“If you’ve got no credits, what do you have to bet on?”
Zey shrugged. “All I have is my blaster.”
“Don’t need one,” he drawled, patting his own sidearm. The big guy’s eyes fell on Ashe. “What about the rest of the afternoon with that pretty slave you’ve got there? She looks good enough to eat,” he guffawed.
The goons surrounding them all nodded and sniggered their agreement. A few licked their chops and leered lewdly at Ashe. She kept her eyes downcast and tried to control her emotions. Remember, they could smell fear, she reminded herself.
“She’s mighty tasty,” Zey agreed. “But if you want me to bet a round with her, I want at least 300 credits if I win.”
Brawn cracked a toothy grin. “Done!” He was confident that he was going to win.
What? He actually agreed to the bet? Ashe was furious. “I don’t fucking think so, buddy!”
Ashe immediately regretted her outburst. The look Zey gave her was terrifying. This wasn’t the gentle man she had gotten to know in the hold. He reached a big hand out and grabbed her roughly by the hair, and dragged her in front of him. Her heart pounded in her chest.
“I don’t think you have much of a choice, sweetheart. Now shut the fuck up before I put you over my knee and blister your ass.”
She managed a small, squeaky, “Yes, Master.” It wasn’t difficult to get back into her role, especially held by the hair with her feet barely touching the ground.
“Good girl.” He released her hair and placed his fingers against the bruise on her cheek from the guard the night they met. He held still for just as second then gave it two light taps. The arrogant prick was trying to make it seem as though he had given her the bruise! And it seemed like the audience bought it.
A sense of betrayal gripped her. She knew he was playing a role, but to bet her services was too much. And with him being so rough, she almost believed it was real. The image of him breaking the guard’s neck flashed in her mind, and tendrils of fear crept through her body. How well did she really know him? She knew he was a criminal. He had killed three in front of her eyes. Was using her body as a tool to benefit himself really beyond him?
The smell of fear practically poured off her body, lending credibility to their roles. But Zey knew that at this moment, Ashe was truly and honestly terrified of him. He played this role well; it was one he had played before. The scent was delicious, but he didn’t want to be the source of her fear. He gripped her by the upper arm and ran his thumb in comforting strokes on her inner arm, hidden from view. He hoped she understood that his words and actions were all a show.
His anger was real, though. She needed to trust him to keep her safe. He promised her back on the shuttle to keep her from harm, and he intended to keep that promise. Zey had made a good sum of credits in his younger days playing knives, enough to buy his first ship.
He saw during the tied game that his opponent didn’t use any advanced techniques to deny the other player his points. This was going to be an easy win. Being one of the best on this backwaters port didn’t mean much. Compared to Zey, Brawn was a rookie. Zey had challenged better players and won. He just hoped that no one in this surly group recognized him.
The game started normally enough. Brawn offered the newcomer the right to throw first in the first round. Zey scored the highest possible points. The sound of Ashe releasing the breath she had been holding reached his ears. Brawn also scored top points. The second and third round was pretty much the same—matching points for both players. By the end of the third round, Ashe looked ready to bolt, and Zeylum wanted more than anything to take the worry off her face.
Brawn took his turn first in the final round, once again hitting the highest scoring target. Time to bring out the big guns.
Zeylum’s first knife dug into the board at an angle right next to the knife Brawn left on the board. Moments later, Zey threw his second knife. As it neared the board, the rotation he put into the throw caused the knife to turn so that the tip faced backward. The butt of the second knife hit the first, causing it to pry Brawn’s knife out of the board. All three knives fell to the floor. A collective gasp echoed in the room, which was suddenly as quiet as a crypt.
Zey’s last knife found its mark at the center of the target. He had won. The audience broke into a cacophony of rowdy cheering and fists thumping on tables. It seemed the match had garnered more attention than Zey would have liked. So much for getting in and getting out; they were being as subtle as a sledgehammer.
Brawn took a moment to pick his jaw off the ground.
“That was amazing! I’m not even angry about losing the bet. You deserve this win. But please, you’ve got to teach me how to do that!”
Zeylum needed to get hold of a comm unit and some supplies quickly before the vendors closed, but he knew the advantage of having someone like Brawn in his debt. So, he stayed a short while to teach Brawn his trick. Brawn was a quick study, and after just a few attempts, he managed to replicate the skill.
“Best three hundred credit, I’d ever lost,” he said, beaming.