His Human Slave (Zandian Masters 1)

may want to hate him, but he wasn’t all bad. She heard the clink of a tray being set on the floating table beside the sleeping platform. She ignored it.

“You may eat.”

So imperious. A good slave would sit up and thank him for giving her food despite her punishment.

She wasn’t a good slave. She wondered whether he would keep her. Yes his anger indicated he cared, but had he been pushed too far? The imagined loss of her position here, the thought of being sent back to the agrifarm came like a stab in the chest, even with her mother there. She didn’t want to go.

Maybe she should beg. She should act more grateful, more slavey.

What would her life be here if she stayed? If she had his child?

She drifted to a semi-dream state, exhausted from the pain and angst, thinking about babies.

She would have his baby.

The knowledge came to her, as clear as the light through one of his crystals. More than one child.

It brought tears to her eyes. She rarely received information about her own life, and this particular piece of information felt precious, especially considering the ragged state of their relationship. She also hadn’t expected the flood of joy she would experience over having a baby. She’d never thought about what it would feel like to bring a child into the world, had only been angry about the non-consensual plan to breed her.

She reached for more information about the child. Was it a boy? Or a girl?

Boy.

Would she raise it? Would she be its mother, or would Zander take the child from her? Would he be done with her once he had a child?

No.

She felt certain she would raise it. It was her baby. Her perfect halfling with green eyes and dark olive skin with a hint of purple. Beautiful in every way—a fat happy gurgling smiling cooing baby doing all the things that a perfect healthy baby should do. Her chest filled with so much love. It banished the grief of Zander’s punishment and anger with her. She slipped into deeper sleep, peace settling around her like a blanket.

“My lord?”

She startled awake. Was someone else in the room?

No, Daneth’s hologram hovered in mid-air. “Take a look at these data files.”

“What’s the subject?”

“Lium set up security recordings around the pod this solar cycle. I think you’ll find these interesting.”

Zander made a grumbling sound in his throat.

“These are the only two files of their kind. There is no other evidence of wrongdoing,” Daneth said.

“This is my chamber.”

She stilled. That was Gunt’s voice.

“I should get back to Prince Zander.”

And hers. She rolled over and opened her eyes, cringing to see the hologram of herself and Gunt standing in his chamber doorway. It unsettled her to see herself projected there, the fear and discomfort of the moment returning full force.

“I could help you around here. Protect you from the rest of them. Maybe even help you escape.”

“Oh sure. And all I have to do is what? Suck your cock?”

“Not all. But yes. That’s a start.”

“No thanks.”