His Human Slave (Zandian Masters 1)

“Are you afraid, slave?”

Her little tongue darted out to moisten her lips, which had cracked. “Yes, my lord.”

Finally, the truth. “Good. Learn to please me and we will get along well enough.”

“Why am I here?” she croaked.

He glanced at Daneth. “You told her nothing?”

Daneth shrugged. “I thought it best to minimize my interaction with her, as she will be yours to mold and shape.”

Stars, he didn’t have any interest in molding or shaping any being, much less a human slave. But he supposed Daneth’s caution made sense. He would be her master; he would have to be the one to train her to his liking.

He heaved an exasperated sigh. “You’re here for breeding.”

Her eyes flew wide and she stopped breathing for a moment. Real alarm flitted across her face. Her throat worked to swallow. “I’m not a breeder.”

Her lack of deference when she spoke annoyed him. He was used to being treated with the utmost respect by all those around him. “The choice is not yours,” he snapped.

Daneth picked up his irritation. “She may require some correction, my lord, but I’m certain she will learn quickly. She was not house-trained by the Ocretions, so her manners require refinement.” Of course he wanted this to work, since it was his idea.

Zander released her and crossed his arms once more. “What makes you so certain?”

“Her brain activity is very high for a human. She’s intelligent. We already know she has excellent genes.”

“I’m not a breeder,?

? she repeated. “I wasn’t trained for sex. I’m a virgin.”

A virgin. Veck. That was the last thing he needed. He already had concerns about his cock fitting into a being so small.

He waved an impatient hand. “Cease the prattle. Do not speak unless you are invited to do so.”

She shifted in agitation. “There’s been some kind of mistake.”

He definitely didn’t have time for this. He jerked his horns toward the cage Daneth had installed in his room for her. “Put her in the cage. I’ll breed her later.”

At the mention of a cage, she spun and tried to make a dash for the door. He didn’t know where she thought she’d go, considering he had guards at every door in the pod, and the only exit was in an airship.

He caught her around the waist and yanked her back against his body. “Enough,” he growled in her ear. Looking to Daneth, he asked, “How do they recommend punishing her?”

“A beating with the flat of your hand on her buttocks should suffice for minor infractions, my lord.”

He sat on his sleepdisk and flipped her face down across his thighs, bringing his hand down on her bare bottom.

She inhaled sharply and tightened her cheeks.

He didn’t use his full strength, even though it was just his open hand. She was female, and human—he didn’t want to cause her real harm, only to quell the rebellion in her. He slapped her upturned backside over and over again, watching as her pale skin turned an enchanting shade of pink.

She squirmed and kicked her legs until he caught her ankles and fastened the cuff clips together. That impeded the kicking.

He resumed the steady beating, wondering how much it would take until she broke. She held her breath then let it out in little gasps and cries. Each time they came out, they sounded more plaintive, but she hadn’t yet begun to weep. Humans were emotional creatures, or so he’d heard. Far more emotional than his species. They cried when wounded.

He stopped paddling her and wrapped a fist in her hair to lift her head. Her face was red, but her eyes were dry.

“She’s not crying,” he said to Daneth. It came out like an accusation. Well, this whole scheme was Daneth’s doing, so he should prevent it from being so difficult. “Don’t they cry when they’re in pain?”

“Yes, well, her vitals indicate stress.”