by Renee Rose
"You should sleep, beautiful."
She hardly noticed him easing out of her, covering her with blankets and kissing her forehead. Already she'd slipped into a restful sleep.
6
Paal patrolled the corridors of the palatial pod. He’d docked it in Aurelian airspace but he couldn’t stop the itchy feeling they weren’t safe. Every incoming transmission had his teeth on edge.
Since the docking the night before of two battleships from the training pod carrying the humans not fit for battle, all had been quiet. He’d had no word from Prince Zander or Master Seke, but they’d gone dark on purpose. If all had gone as planned, they were already in battle.
A communication buzzed through the unit it in his collar. “Ronan requesting permission to dock.” The message had been received throughout the galaxy for any and all Zandians who desired protection to seek refuge on the pod. To avoid any foreign ships docking, he’d set up a meet location on Aurelia and sent Ronan to run transport.
“Permission granted. How many on board?”
“Twenty-two.”
Twenty-two. Damn. It would require some logistics to find them all places to stay. Maybe he could hand this off to the princess. She would be the hostess in Prince Zander's absence, right?
He found the females in the Great Hall, where the majority of the pod's occupants had naturally gravitated since the strike. He searched out Leti first, his breath catching, as always, at her beauty. The way she’d met him the night before—open, giving, vulnerable—exactly as he’d always dreamed his female would be—didn’t just make his shaft hard, but filled his chest with warmth.
The females looked over at him and he cleared his throat. "The first arrivals of Zandian refugees are docking. Twenty-two of them. I, uh, wondered if you wished to be in charge of their placement on the pod?" The shift in roles and responsibilities was awkward, at best. The humans from the pod had been given shared servants quarters, except for Lily and Cambry, who, as Zandian mates, were honored.
Lamira stood, but appeared unsure. Of course—no Zandian who hadn't already been acquainted with her would accept a human as their hostess and leader. Humans were enslaved throughout the galaxy. They were considered lesser beings.
Lady Taramina and the princess's mother stood as well. "Yes, we'll figure it out," Lady Mina said.
His gaze wandered to take in his female again. Her lips quirked at him—so vecking sexy. "Good. I'll have them sent in here, then." He spoke into his collar to give the order and a few moments later, two servants arrived with the group of newcomers.
"Paal! Son, how are you?"
His body went rigid at the sound of his mother's voice. Oh vecking hell.
He should've expected her. Why had he not predicted this?
Because she was the one Zandian he never thought would come running back.
He ground his teeth. "Hello, Mother."
Leti and the other females watched the interaction with obvious interest, which only compounded his annoyance. His self-absorbed mother should not be able to still get under his skin after all these years, but she had an uncanny knack for it. Jaw clenched, he stepped forward to offer each of his cheeks for her kisses.
"You didn't think your current mate could provide you protection?"
"I preferred the protection of my son. Your name was relayed as the commander of the pod, and I dropped everything to come."
Right. Or she’d decided to jump ship to something brighter and shinier once again.
As if his mother ever dropped anything for him. No, things must have gone south with her current mate and she was trolling for a new one. Too bad for her she was long past breeding age, or she'd have the pick of every Zandian warrior after the war. Assuming there were any left.
The other Zandians—mostly of the older generation, like his mother, had also entered, taking in the room with varying degrees of appreciation.
Diplomacy wasn't his strong suit, but he recognized Lamira's position was awkward at best, and foisting the bulk of this problem on her hadn't been fair. He cleared his throat.
"Welcome, Zandians. You will be safe here. I wish to introduce you to Princess Lamira, Prince Zander's mate and the mother of little Prince Zander," he waved his hand at the infant in Lamira's arms.
Lamira drew herself up and offered a regal curtsy. "Welcome, Zandians," she echoed his words. "I will speak to the servants to find accommodations for all of you. We hope this war will be short and decisive, but of course, we cannot know how long it will go on. Keeping the last of the species safe on this pod was Prince Zander's most fervent wish, so thank you for placing yourselves under his protection."
It was well-spoken, and the Zandians appeared to receive it politely. Word of Zander's mating to a human had probably already reached them prior to their arrival.
He stepped away, this time avoiding eye contact with his lovely female. Having his mother close put him in too sour a mood to wish to interact with any being.
"Master, wait," Leti jogged after him.
No. He didn't want to talk to her. Not now. Especially not with his mother watching. It wasn't her fault, but seeing his mother scraped his every nerve raw. He didn't turn, just waved his hand to shoo her away.
It was strange, but without turning, without her saying a word, he knew his dismissiveness hurt his little female.
Great, now he was turning into his mother—abandoning those he should be caring for.
But even being able to see his folly, he couldn't make himself undo it. Couldn't stop, and call her back. Couldn't change his emotional state to want to be around a female in that moment.
All he could do was walk away. And the faster the better.
All the air whooshed out of Leti.
Had Paal found her so inferior he didn’t wish his mother to know about their relationship? She’d been careful to call him Master—so he could’ve introduced her as his slave. But maybe even taking a human slave was considered beneath Zandian warriors—what did she know?
Well, fuck him.
Two could play at this game. And she knew how fast he’d crumble if she turned her attentions to the other warriors in the pod. How convenient that the very three she’d flirted with were the ones chosen to remain behind.
Except flirting with them felt about as enticing as dropping a brick on her bare foot. She wanted Paal. Wanted things to be the way they’d been since the attack. She’d let down her guard and he’d met her there. It had been soft and easy. She’d felt honored by him and honored to be at his side.
Damn. She should’ve known heartache was the only consequence to getting emotionally involved.
Zander walked through the galactacarrier where warriors—human and Zandian alike— stood alert, prepared for battle. He cleared his throat. “I am grateful to each and every being on this carrier, and to those with Master Rok. So much is at stake for us now. For the Zandians—our home planet. The only source of Zandian crystal in the galaxy. The only place our bodies receive the full nourishment they require. That planet is our birthright. The Finn took it from us unjustly. They killed our families and wiped out most of our species and tomorrow—” he paused, looking around at all of them. “Tomorrow we make them pay.”
A cheer went up.
“I have waited, as most of you have, for this planet rotation. Our time to exact revenge. To take back what belongs to us. Our numbers may be small, but we are fierce! We have trained, and invested. We have the best fleet currency can buy. And we have the aid of the bravest humans in the galaxy!”
A slightly less enthusiastic shout went around.
“Tomorrow you fight by our side, and for that, I will ensure you have a safe place on Zandia. I will provide you protection against Ocretion slave traders. On Zandia, you will be able to settle, make a home. You will never have your children or parents or family ripped from your arms again. You will be treated fairly, with the decency and honor Zandians are known for.”
A few humans nodded their heads.
Another cheer.
“Thank you. Get some rest, all of you. I need you at your best tomorrow.”
Paal kept himself in the control room of the pod for most of the following planet rotation. He’d sent a coded communique to Prince Zander saying that they were safely docked, but otherwise communication with the troops had been cut off for everyone’s safety.
He waited until long after dark to return to his chamber. If he was honest, he'd admit he was avoiding Leti, but it was easier to tell himself his job required him to work through the night.
He opened the door to his chamber and walked softly in the dark. Leti sat up and peered in his direction. Apparently humans couldn't see in the dark. "Paal?"
"Yes, it's me. Go back to sleep."
She laid back down but didn't close her eyes. When he shucked his clothes and joined her in the sleepdisk, she ducked her head under the covers, crawling down over his shaft.
Even though his cock instantly turned harder than Zandian crystal, he grasped her hair and pulled her head back before she could apply that temptress mouth to his malehood.
"Did I say you could suck it, female?"
"May I, Master?" she purred.
It annoyed him. He wanted a genuine reaction from her like he’d had the night before. Why was she always trying to seduce him?
He threw off the covers, pulled her across his lap and landed several hard smacks on her ass.
She had the audacity to giggle.
"Little human, if I want something from you, I'll take it. I don't need you to offer it. I thought you understood, but it seems you require another lesson."
She waggled her ass on his lap, her soft skin brushing over his throbbing cock.
He smacked her ass again. "Up."
She crawled off him and he stood from the sleepdisk, picking up his sword belt from the dressing table. He grasped her wrists and looped it around them, then pulled until she stumbled off the hovering bed.
He dragged her to a place where he had a hook on the wall for his sword and pulled her up until he could drop the buckle over the hook. She turned in a circle, body stretched up until she balanced on her tiptoes.
“Now that’s a lovely sight.”
Because he felt completely unforgiving, he sought the animal hide strap out of the implement box. She still sported a few marks from the last whipping he gave her, which ought to inspire his mercy, but it had the opposite effect. It excited him. Power rushed through his veins.
“Turn and face the wall, beautiful. You know I want access to that ass of yours.”
He supposed if Leti had appeared frightened or cowed he would back down. But his female always seemed to relish his punishments, which made him all he more eager to deliver them. He started with light strokes, slapping the leather strap across her ass, loving the way she tightened her round globes and released them, the way she danced around and put herself right back into position.
Such a good little slave. He ought to be kinder. Instead he channeled all his irritation that had been buzzing through him since his mother’s arrival, all his annoyance at Leti’s sex pet act, all the stress of bearing the responsibility for the future of their species, into reddening her ass. He striped the lower half of her cheeks down to where ass met thigh. When he stroked the backs of her legs, she cried out with a different timber. “Ow! Master, please.”
He recognized the difference—he’d crossed the line from painful pleasure into something more challenging. But still, he vecking loved hearing her beg, so he whipped her there again, And once more.
Then, to force himself to slow down, he stepped in and grabbed one of her heated cheeks, squeezing and kneading the plump flesh. “I like it when you make those hurty little sounds.”
She made another sound—half whimper half moan.
He reached around the front of her hips to cup her mons.
So vecking wet.
His little female always got wet when he punished her. Victory roared through him. “Turn around,” he commanded, his voice rough.
She swiveled, revealing her perky breasts, stretched and lifted by her arms overhead.
He rolled another length of the strap around his fist to shorten it. “I wonder what sounds you’ll make when I whip these pretty little tits?”
She whimpered, her breath coming fast, eyes dilated. Her long hair fell over her shoulders. He brushed it back to get it out of the way. With a light flick, he slapped the strap over her right breast.
She whimpered.
“Mmm, that’s a good one. Let’s see if I can get another. Spread your legs wide, female.”
She stretched her long lean legs as wide as she could to still balance on the tips of her toes.
He brought the strap up between her legs, spanking her pussy.
“Master!” He loved the alarm in her voice.
“Does that hurt, beautiful?” he purred and slapped it up again.
“Yes! Ooh. It hurts.” She danced around, but he noticed she still returned to position, as if she wanted more.
His beautiful, sexy little human. Ack, he wasn’t going to last much longer. He needed to get his hands on her.
He whipped her left breast, then her pussy, then the right breast again.
“Please, Master,” she pleaded.
He growled and spun her around, dropping the strap. One hand cupped her soaking wet pussy as the other slapped her ass—hard.
Stars, it was so vecking satisfying to spank her ass. He spanked her hard and fast, his hand crashing down again and again as he rubbed her clit, then penetrated her with one finger.
She came the moment he pushed inside, arching up so her feet left the floor and she dangled from her wrists, a strangled scream reverberating in her throat.
He caught her around the waist to lift her wrists from the hook as he plunged his finger in and out of her while she came.
The moment she stopped, he propped her over the sleep disk and spanked some more, her ass turning rosy under his hand, though she only made soft crooning sounds.
“Now you will suck my cock, little one.”
He dragged her from the bed and arranged her on her knees at his feet, closing his eyes for the moment of impact.
A shudder ran through his large frame at the shock of her hot wet mouth engulfing the whole head of his malehood.
“That’s it, beautiful.” He pushed her head forward, forcing her to take him deep. “Show me what you’ve got.”
Like a good little slave, she swallowed him down, running her lush lips all the way to the root of his cock. She sucked hard as she pulled back, her tongue swirling over the underside.
One lick and his thighs were shaking.
He may pretend he possessed this little female, but in these moments, she owned him.
Maybe that’s what he’d been fighting the whole time.
“Take me again,” he rasped, his voice nearly unrecognizable. “Take me deep like that.”
She took him deep. She sucked him like her life depended on it, and sadly, there probably had been moments in her existence when it had. But he couldn’t think about that without wanting to go back in time and murder every vecking owner she’d ever had.
“Take it,” he growled, holding her head in place with a fist in her hair as he vecked her mouth. Her clever hands twisted around the base of his cock, tightening, squeezing, scraping her nails lightly over the underside of his balls.
“Vecking stars!” he shouted. “Vecking Zandian star, the source of our creation and fuel of our existence!”
He came down her throat and she took it, swallowing it with a readiness that humbled it.
“Good little female,” he crooned, picking her up after she’d licked him clean. He carried her to the sleepdisk. “You’re so vecking good at that. How could I possibly want to punish you for doing what you’ve been trained to do?” He asked the question al
oud, because she should know that he understood how wrong he was to hate that about her.
He settled them both on the mattress. She curled into his body, nestling her head on his shoulder and smoothing a slow circle over his pectorals. It didn’t strike him as seduction, but of an idle caress, and he vecking loved it.
He caught her hand and kissed it.
“Are you ashamed for your mother to know we’re together?” Her usually sultry voice faltered with insecurities and a hint of pain.
Damn. “No, it wasn’t about you. I hate my mother.”
“Why do you hate your mother?” Her question reached through the darkness and stung him out of his post-orgasmic bliss.
Something twisted deep in his gut. “I don’t hate her,” he started to say, but it wasn’t really true. He did hate her. Or he hated many things about her. He also loved her, but she hadn’t returned his love. Or at least that’s how it felt.
As he searched for an explanation, he landed on the grudge he’d harbored for the last sixteen solar cycles. “She left my father. Broke him, completely. And then he died when the Finn invaded. I guess I never forgave her for that.”
Leti returned to stroking her soft palm over his chest. She made a sympathetic sound in her throat.
“She always said I should be grateful because her leaving my father meant she and I were spared. We were off-planet. And I guess, in the end, she’s right. I wouldn’t be a member of Prince Zander’s Royal Guard if we’d stayed. My father was nothing more than a crystal miner.”
“Playing the what ifs is a fool’s game. You have to roll with what life brings you, that’s what I’ve learned.”
He pulled his little slave’s body closer against his. Veck, he was an idiot, having his pity party over losing his father when she’d been through far worse in her lifetime.
“Your resilience humbles me, little female. I don’t know why it also makes me want to break you.”
She silenced him with her fingertips over his lips. “Don’t.” She pressed a soft kiss to his neck. “Don’t question what you need to do with me and I won’t question why I enjoy it. All right?”