by Lynnea Lee
“Good idea, thanks.”
Zey sat in silent thought after the communication ended. It made so much sense now why Ulrek was on Vosthea meeting with Kean. Kean was deserted by the Dominion, left to die while his brother wasted away. Ulrek believed the Dominion plans to sabotage his next mission creating a martyr for the public to rally behind, the same as they did to his father. Two males, each betrayed by the common antagonist they once served, have enough in common to form a working alliance. A resourceful and well-connected captain such as Ulrek turning against the Dominion was big news indeed.
New knowledge in hand, he now understood Ulrek’s drive to collect his bounty. But it did not excuse the cretin’s treatment of Ashe on Vosthea. He had tried to rape her. He dared put his hands on his female. Worse was when he had cradled her into his arms as if she belonged to him. Zey seethed with the memory. Turncoat or not, he knew that if they ever met again, Ulrek was a dead male.
A ping drew his attention to his PPC device. It was Tanith’s report. The number of heat signatures matched the number of personnel on board. The Dominion turncoat had not snuck onto the ship after all. Zey breathed a sigh of relief.
The next morning, Ashe bid Sophie a tearful farewell. She hugged her friend tightly, trying not to cry but failed. They hadn’t known each other long, but they’d bonded closely during their time together, two women torn from their planet, from everything they had ever known, and thrown into the wild unpredictability of galactic life. Zey had assured her that they would keep in contact with the Second Chance. And once Sophie had her own PPC or comm unit, she would be able to send private transmissions without going through the ship’s communication system.
She watched as the crew of the Second Chance boarded the ship one by one. The crew was all human except for Grissom, who elected to stay aboard for two missions to help translate any written transmission as well as serve as a cultural liaison. He understood that he was taking a severe pay cut as well as a sizable risk but assured that the opportunity to experience another culture was worth it.
Trenton walked up the gangplank last, giving them a final salute, and disappeared into the belly of the ship. The gangplank retracted, and the hatch slid shut, locking with a solid metallic clunk. The Second Chance was off on their first mission: the delivery of a PPC device filled with sensitive data and research to New Rhea. It didn’t pay much, but New Rhea was a hotbed for mercenaries looking for missions.
When the hangar’s door finally closed, Zeylum stood on a table and made the announcement that he planned on going into hiding for a while. He and Ashe would leave on his personal shuttle while Calix would take the Defiant and drop the crew off at the compound, or wherever they planned on taking their well-earned vacation. Sidas and Moira planned on joining Zey and Ashe eventually at their little hideaway but wanted to give the two some private time together first. It was their honeymoon, after all.
Two of the crew, Arus and Vore, chose to stay on Reka 5 for the duration. At first, their choice was a mystery. There was nothing on Reka 5 for these two males. Zey had expected them, Vore especially, to run off to a larger settlement with plenty of pleasure houses. The two males were known to revel in the delights of the flesh, even for Talleans. It wasn’t until he heard them talking animatedly about some of the displaced human females that the reason finally clicked into place.
“Those two better not go about breaking any hearts.” Ashe huffed. “I can’t believe they plan on taking advantage of emotionally fragile women. Those ladies just survived an ordeal!”
“I believe you were in a worse situation when we first met, little one,” Zey crooned. “So, tell me, were you emotionally fragile? Did I take advantage of you?”
Since he put it that way, maybe some of the ladies would enjoy the attention. The two males were definitely good looking enough. And Arus could probably woo a few women just through his cooking alone.
They were alone in the hangar now. Zey had moved his personal shuttle out of the Defiant’s shuttle bay before Calix left with the rest of the crew. Unlike the standard-issue shuttles aboard the Dominion ships, his personal shuttle was capable of deep space travel.
“So, did I take advantage of you?” he asked again.
“I think we took advantage of each other.”
“I’m glad I made a deal with you, little one.”
“Me too, Zey.” She snuggled in close as he wrapped his arms around her from behind. “Me too.”
He nuzzled at her neck as he always did, and Ashe tilted her head to expose her throat to him.
“Do you think Trenton and his crew will be alright?” Ashe was worried about her feisty redheaded friend.
“Trenton is intelligent and strong-willed. All of you humans are. The Dominion made a mistake taking you as slaves. You saw the number of humans here at Reka 5. They are all escapees. There is another race the Dominion has been using as slaves for centuries, the Fietes, but you have not seen them as they are extinct everywhere except in the Dominion’s inner reaches and their mines. They are bred and kept solely as slaves and workers. They are none too bright and seem happy just to take orders. Occasionally, one escapes and makes it to the outer colony. But the number of escaped humans living in the outer colonies in the past few years alone probably outnumber the total amount of Fietes escapees in the last century.”
“So they wanted to domesticate us like they did the Fietes? I think not! Do you think the Dominion will continue to raid Earth? Ulrek said his next mission is another slave run, but he’s certain it will be sabotaged.” The idea of the Dominion pillaging her home enraged her.
Their conversation was cut short by the pinging of the hangar’s comm system announcing a delivery to one very surprised Ashley of Earth. An expectant smile curled Zey’s lips as he moved to open the hangar’s door.
“Since you seem to have trouble spending my credits, I took the liberty to do some shopping for you. As much as I love these cut-off shorts on you, you can’t live in them forever!”
Epilogue
Ashe leaned back into the pillows and brought her arm up to shield her eyes. How dare the sun interrupt her sleep! The day was probably well on its way to mid-morning, and she really should get up. The smell of breakfast, eggs collected from the nests that dotted their mountainside, teased her nose, but even the aroma of cooking food was not enough to rouse her. She pulled a corner of the blanket over her face, reveling in the smell of Zey still lingering in the blanket. The silky sheets and comforter felt divine on her bare skin.
Just ten more minutes!
This was the life. The little unnamed moon that Zeylum, Calix, and Sidas had chosen to be their private refuge was a veritable paradise. It was summer on the moon, and the days were bright and cheery. The vegetation was lush, and the animals were mostly small peaceful grazers. Even the largest predators in the area were the size of an overgrown house cat.
Instead of flying insects, the plants were pollinated by small, winged mammals and bird-like creatures similar to bats and hummingbirds on earth. The topsoil was kept aerated by small vole-like animals rather than worms and beetles. Good thing too, because Ashe was glad if she never saw the giant insects of Vosthea ever again.
The hideout, ingeniously dug out of the side of the mountain, was retrofitted with modern technologies and luxuries while still making use of the area’s natural resources. The sleeping and common areas had large bright windows to capture the sunlight. From outside, the windows appeared to be a part of the mountainside, keeping the den camouflaged. A nearby waterfall provided a renewable power source.
The common area of the hideout had several oversized couches, so deep that they might as well be beds, arranged in a semi-circle to face the large screen of an entertainment system on the wall. The common room also had an electric fireplace that rivaled the real thing, even gave off the faint smell of burning wood. The cave also boasted three sleeping areas with private bathrooms, a small gym, and a kitchen.
; Without the constant excitement of running for their lives, Ashe was at first afraid that the relationship between Zey and herself would prove to be a mistake. But after a few days, she knew that there wasn’t another person in the entire universe she would rather spend the rest of her life with.
Their daily strolls in the woods were just as enjoyable without the constant fear of being hunted by stalkers. Their soaks in the tub were better than dunks in a river. The baths, complete with foot rubs, sometimes led to tickling, which always led to Zey pulling her over to straddle him in the water. Their home-cooked meals definitely outranked nutrition bars. And though their supplies were limited—Sidas and Moira had planned on arriving after a few days with extra food and supplies—they still managed some pretty decent meals.
And of course, they had lots of amazing, mind-numbing, toe-curling sex. Everywhere. In the woods, in the bath, in the bed, in front of the fireplace, on the couch, on the counter, on the floor. No surface was safe from their passion.
There was a commotion outside the room, but since Zey didn’t call, she ignored it, intent on enjoying the mid-morning sun. Something depressed the mattress and crawled under the sheet. It took a moment for Ashe to figure out why it felt different. Whoever was in bed with her was much too light to be Zey! Her eyes popped open as a long, lean body snuggled up soft and warm against her.
“Moira!” Ashe’s arms came up to cover her bare chest, but Moira didn’t seem to even notice her nudity.
“Good morning, sleepyhead. Zey said you were getting too lazy to even get up for breakfast, but you really should get up, Sidas and I brought some treats!”
Ashe tried to push herself up from the tangle of sheets, blankets, and feminine limbs but failed.
“On second thought,” Moira continued, “maybe you had the right idea after all. This is so warm and comfy!”
“So much for sending Moira in to wake her up.” Zey’s voice came from the doorway. He walked into the room and started pulling at the blankets, destroying the perfectly comfortable formation. “Come on, little one, breakfast is ready, and Sidas brought us some treats for afterward. An Earth delicacy.”
“The trader called it chalk-a-let,” Sidas called. “It’s supposed to be well received by females.”
That got Ashe up and out of bed in a heartbeat. Chocolate? How she missed chocolate! Since her abduction from Earth, she thought that she would never have the chance to experience that particularly sinful food again. Throwing on a satiny robe, she rushed into the bathroom to quickly go through her morning routine.
“Forget breakfast! Give me the chocolate!” she said as she headed out to the common area.
Sidas threw her a bar of milk chocolate, some fancy European brand she didn’t recognize, as she took a seat at the table. She caught it and opened it, inhaling the tantalizing aroma as she unwrapped the foil. She broke a piece off and popped it into her mouth, letting it slowly melt on her tongue. Her eyes rolled back, and she hummed with pleasure. “Better than sex!” Her mouth was still sticky with chocolate, and the words came out mumbled.
Zey’s eyes narrowed at her. The other male guffawed and choked on the eggs he was eating.
“Looks like you might need some pointers on how to please your female,” Sidas said.
Zey punched him in the arm then sat down next to her with two platters of eggs and fried hashed tubers. It was the closest they could get to hash browns. Their first morning at the hideout, Ashe casually mentioned that she would give her eyeteeth for a greasy breakfast of bacon and eggs. Zey had asked her a bunch of questions about this Earth-style meal, and the next day he had surprised her with eggs, hash browns, and toast with a fruity preserve. He had promised her he would find a bacon substitute eventually. Maybe breakfast was a good idea, after all. They ate as Sidas updated them of new events.
“So the Dominion sent Ulrek out on another slave run despite the fiasco the last run turned out to be.”
“Do you think he’s going to be alright?” Ashe asked. “I mean, he truly believed that his next mission would be his last.”
Zey frowned. “Why? Are you worried for him?” A tinge of possessive anger colored his voice.
Before Ashe could reply, Moira snorted and waved his question away with a flick of her wrist. “You males always get so possessive and illogical. Ashe is right. Ulrek honestly believes the Dominion planned to kill him off for their own gain.”
“The alliance sent a ship to tail him, to see if they could bail him out. It left the compound two cycles ago,” Sidas said, surprising them all.
“Why the fuck would they do that?” Zey turned to his long-time friend and gritted his teeth. “Let the male die. He hurt my Ashe.”
Sidas shrugged.
“Ulrek is one of the Dominion’s most experienced captains, which means he must have either truly believed their brainwashing, or he knew how to game the system. I’m betting on the latter. If the alliance bails him out, he will owe us a debt. Besides, he is privy to a lot of Dominion intelligence. He’s highly ranked, and if what he says is true, they expected him to bring their secrets to an early grave, so they didn’t keep much from him. Except for the plan of his demise.”
Zey digested his friend’s words, but before he could reply, Moira interrupted, “This is supposed to be a vacation. Let’s not worry about that right now. Ashe and I are going for a swim in the pool. You two coming?”
Zey turned to the two females. While they were talking, Ashe and Moira had donned their Tallean swimwear, which was no more than their birthday suits. They stood by the door with their backsides facing the males. Ashe caught Zey’s eyes and winked at him.
Within moments, both males were stripping off their clothes. Grinning, they both took a step towards their respective females. Moira and Ashe exchanged a glance, and then as one, they ran out the door. Ashe slapped the door panel on her way out, causing the door to slam shut on the two males. A round of giggles sounded from the other side of the door. By the time the door opened again, both females were gone. Zey grinned at his companion, and they both stalked down the path to the pool at the bottom of the falls.
They found the two floating lazily, the sun gleaming off their wet skin. Zey licked his lips and slipped into the water, making a beeline for Ashe. He caught her from behind and pulled her close to his body.
“I’m surprised Moira convinced you to go swimming naked with the two of them around.”
“I figured, why should I be embarrassed when no one else is? I’m not on Earth anymore, and you know, when in Rome and all that.”
“Rome, is that something like a molehill?” he teased. He wrapped around her as they floated in the pristine water.
“Mmm, I love when you wrap around me from behind,” Ashe drawled languidly. “Reminds me of the first night in the hold when you held me against your body.”
“To keep you warm, of course.”
“Of course.” She pressed her head back to rest on his chest. “To keep me warm. Right.”
“Stars, you are so perfect, little one,” he whispered into her ears.
“So are you, Zey. Getting abducted was totally worth it.”
Ashe grinned, turning her head to look up at him, and he captured her lips in a human-style kiss, drinking her in. He would never get enough of her. Not in this life, or the next.
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Author’s Note
Dear Readers
Thank you so much for reading A Deal for Zeylum. I hope you enjoyed Ashe and Zeylum’s story as much as I did writing it! Getting my first book published and out into the kindle wilderness was a nerve wracking process indeed but I’m so glad that I bit the bullet and got it done. If you enjoyed the book and want to help out a new author, please consider leaving a review on Amazon and Goodreads. Your feedback gives me the reason to keep writing!
Book two is already in the works, so you won’t have to wait long for Arus’s story.
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XOXO
Lynnea Lee
Other Works
TALLEAN MERCENARIES
A Deal for Zeylum
A Chance for Arus
TALLEAN MATES SHORT STORIES
Some short stories are available through Readers’ Group only
Captain Bax’s Stowaway