Zandian Pet (Zandian Masters 7)

~.~

Erick.

That was her Zandian’s name. Master Erick. The prince held him in esteem. That knowledge shouldn’t send little wings of excitement flapping in her chest, but it did. She’d known he was a worthy male, even though he’d turned part beast in the cell with her.

She’d never dreamed he’d be here, but then, she hadn’t realized almost every Zandian still alive either lived on Prince Zander’s pod or visited it weekly for the crystal baths. She’d been treated to one when she’d arrived the previous planet rotation, and now felt like a completely different being.

But she felt like a different being in many ways. Like a being she didn’t even recognize.

Her sister, Talia, reached under the table and gripped her hand. “It’s hard to re-integrate, I know,” she murmured.

Relief poured through her as she squeezed her sister’s hand gratefully. It was almost easier that Talia hardly remembered her. Her younger sister had either lost her memory when their ship crashed during their escape, or had blocked out her past as a protective mechanism. Either way, she had only rediscovered their father and fellow Zandians three planet rotations ago. Even speaking Zandian sometimes challenged her.

Talia was right. After planning her escape for fifteen years, Mina found her new freedom almost more difficult than slavery. She didn’t know how to be a presentable member of Zandian society. She acted a part without a script. The only being who knew what she’d been before her arrival was Erick.

And, for some reason, that bonded her to him even more.

She hadn’t told her father she’d been used as a sex pet—it would’ve killed him. Instead, she’d made up the story about being a house-slave to Durhock.

She’d been afraid Erick would out her, but he hadn’t. Of course, he probably wasn’t in a hurry to tell her father what he’d done with her at Prium’s. He’d followed her lead, and pretended they hadn’t met, after a quick recovery from his obvious initial shock of seeing her

. His gape had gone unnoticed, since nearly everyone on the pod had reacted the same way. It turned out, there were only three Zandian females alive. At least females of mating age. Her sister, Talia, who already had a mate, and Eslyn, a quasi-prisoner who was being punished by Prince Zander for helping to kidnap Talia.

Her punishment had just been announced by Zander before dinner. He’d assigned her to be reconditioned into Zandian society by three of his warriors. They’d escorted her out, the dark promise of punishment burning in their expressions.

Mina had found the idea of the conditioning arousing—especially considering it would come from not one male, but three—but hadn’t been able to imagine any male touching her except Erick.

She’d wondered—had it just been because he was Zandian that he’d aroused such a passion in her? But despite the constant deluge of eager attention she’d received from nearly every male in the palatial pod since her arrival, she’d only been able to think of him.

And now, here he was, sitting across from her, radiating tension and hunger and something else. Anger?

While one part of her brain reasoned he had no cause to be angry with her, the other sped off imagining how he might condition her. Would he shove her to her knees and feed her his cock again? Or bend her over and whip her ass before fucking it roughly?

She squeezed her thighs together, arousal building in her core. It was wrong to think of being used that way. She wasn’t a pet anymore.

She stole a glance at Erick.

He paused, mid-bite, his eyes locking onto hers. A frown marred his features, but there was no mistaking the tilt of his horns in her direction. Whatever was running through his mind, he wanted her.

He and most of the males in the room. Which was nothing new for her. The new was being in a position to accept or refuse their advances. Hell, she was in the position to look around the palatial pod and choose for herself. Pluck out a partner for pleasure, if she desired.

And, strangely, she did desire. Erick had awoken a side of herself she hadn’t known existed. Maybe it was breeding season, maybe the crystal bath she’d had, but her body thrummed with an overwhelming need, an ache only one male could slake.

Kicking off her shoe, she sought his leg with her bare toes. She knew she’d found the right limb by the way his hand jerked at his food and his brows lowered. She inched her foot higher, following the inside of his calf to his thigh.

“I have a question,” Talia piped up beside her, directing her attention to their father. “Why does everyone still refer to Prince Zander as prince, when his father is dead?”

“I will claim the title when I reclaim our planet,” Zander answered from the head of the table, making Talia blush.

So he hoped to retake Zandia. Interesting.

“Although I suppose it is confusing now that we have a new prince in the palace.” He turned a loving gaze on the bundle in his human mate’s arms.

Lamira shifted their tiny half-breed, and a dozen servants surged forward, offering to hold the tiny new prince. From what Mina had seen, that infant would never pass a single moment out of some being’s arms. The entire pod lived and breathed for their newest royal.

Even Eslyn’s children seemed highly revered, despite the fact that their fathers were in the dungeons below. In addition to the three warriors who took charge of Eslyn, the young had dozens of other Zandian adults eager to step in as guardians and teachers.

Mina’s foot arrived at the apex of Erick’s thighs, and her toes wiggled along his hard length, trapped against one thigh.