Zandian Pet (Zandian Masters 7)

Talia looked over and narrowed her eyes. “What’s on your mind, Tara?”

“Nothing,” she answered, too quickly.

Talia dropped the gown she’d been holding and climbed up on the hoverdisk. “You’re lying. I know we don’t know each other that well, and we’re still getting reacquainted, but I know something happened while you were on the training pod, and you’ve been moping ever since. Was it something with Erick?”

Her face flushed, but she looked away. “No.”

It wasn’t. Not really. Except that was the part that bothered her the most. She’d thought cutting Erick out of her life would help her find her way onto a different path, but instead she just felt like a hole had been blown right through the center of her body. A giant gap remained, and it was a wonder she was still able to walk and talk. To breathe and eat.

“What did he do? Did he get too dominant? I can’t tell if Zandian males are always so aggressive or if it’s just breeding season. Or if it’s the fact that they haven’t seen a female in so long.”

Her heart had picked up speed, despite her resistance to the topic. “Is Tomis dominant?”

Talia snorted. “Mmm hmm. Especially when it comes to protecting me.” She mimicked his deep voice, “I’m your master. When I give you an order, you obey.”

Mina giggled. “And what happens if you don’t?” She shouldn’t ask that question. She really shouldn’t. Except she really wanted to know.

“He punishes me.” Talia waggled her eyebrows. “And he’s damn good at it.”

No, she didn’t want to know. This was her sister, after all. Oh hell. Weren’t sisters supposed to share about their sex lives?

“Erick’s dominant, too,” she admitted, then immediately wanted to cram the words back into her mouth.

Talia waited for her to say something else.

“I like it. A lot. But I’m having a hard time reconciling it all with what I did before.”

“You weren’t a house slave, were you?”

“You know I wasn’t.”

Talia slipped a hand over hers. “I’m sorry. That’s one thing I was spared.”

Tears burned her eyes, but she didn’t want them. How had she gone from having no shame while she was a pet, to being crippled by it? Was it Erick who brought on the shame?

She’d associated it with him.

But it wasn’t.

He’d never judged her. He’d been the one who had noticed she didn’t feel comfortable here on this pod. Had tried to help her find a place on Zandian Freedom.

How had she forgotten that?

“Erick...Erick found me in an intergalactic brothel. He planned to get me out, but I ended up stealing his Zandian crystal and using it to bust out on my own.” She smiled, a bit of her former courage, the sense of power she’d had returning.

Talia laughed. “That must’ve been hard for his male ego.”

“A bit, but he took it like a champion.” She turned and sat cross-legged, facing her sister. “Here’s my situation. I like him—a lot. He definitely likes me. But…” She couldn’t finish, because it sounded too lame to say out loud. But he reminds me too much of the place I met him? That wasn’t even true. She’d been empowered, even as a slave back at Prium’s and Dorhock’s. It wasn’t until she came to the palatial pod that she lost her strength. It was fear of her father’s judgement. Or her sister’s. Or other beings on the pod.

“But what?” Talia prompted.

“I don’t even know. Actually, I think I just figured it out.” She scrambled off the bed.

“Good. Figured what out?”

“Erick accepts who I was and what I’ve been. But I guess I didn’t. Or I didn’t believe anyone here would. So I tried to push him away. I know. It doesn’t make any sense.” She walked to the door but stopped when some being tapped on it.

Bayla’s holograph projected into the room. “Is Tara in there? Your father is trying to kill her mate in the Great Hall. Come quickly!”