Night of the Zandians (Zandian Brides 1)

“Right, and they’re in charge. Humans don’t make demands in this galaxy or any other. Or have you forgotten?”

Lily shrugs. “I’m saying I think you have options. If you don’t like those three, just show a little interest to another warrior and they’ll be fighting over you.”

“But either way, the story ends with me becoming a Zandian breeder. Getting claimed by not one, but multiple warriors for the purpose of continuing their species. Right?”

Lily puts a hand on my arm. “Zandians are honorable beings. They may be dominant and high-handed, but they’re reasonable. This generation has been without females for years now and they’re not used to humans. But believe me when I say that once the adjustment period is over, we’re very compatible.”

“And what if I don’t want to mate at all? With any of them?”

Lily nibbles her lip, regret swimming in her green eyes. “I don’t know. Humans aren’t slaves here, but we are their guests. I think it will be fall in line or leave.”

That’s what I was afraid of.

Considering I was sentenced to death by my former slave masters and the barcode on the back of my neck would give that information to any being in the galaxy who scanned me, leaving isn’t an option. Even if it was, I’d rather die now than go back to the agrifarm with the brutal slave masters. Which means spreading my legs for not one, but three huge horned aliens.

And I’d better hope to Mother Earth it takes them a long time to figure out there won’t be any Zandian babies coming out of this womb.

Because I don’t know what they’ll do to me then.

Ronan

I’m first in the washtube,” I holler the moment we finish our work, sprinting for the palatial pod.

“Ass,” Jax mutters. I hear his feet pounding behind me, but I have the advantage of a head start. Besides, I’m definitely the fastest.

I make it to our shared chamber and bolt straight for the washtube, not stopping to take off my clothes until I’m standing in the middle of it and the door is closing.

I laugh as Jax pulls off a boot and hurls it at the closed door.

I made it into a game, but my sense of urgency is real. We have to get cleaned up and find our female.

I saw all the vecking gazes on Riya when she and Lily walked by and I wanted to beat each and every warrior to a pulp for even thinking about taking our female.

You might say I have a competitive streak. Good thing my cousins share it. I heard Tarren growling beside me and Jax wore that cool, calculating look that means trouble for anyone who gets in our way.

The way I see it, we need to get Riya in our hoverdisk—sleeping quarters—whatever by the end of this planet rotation.

The trouble is, the dark-haired beauty with a knockout body has guarded eyes. She’s been damaged by males, so I’m sure as veck not going to force myself on her. I know Tarren and Jax wouldn’t either. Tarren sounded like he wanted to find and rip the heads off whichever beings forced themselves on her.

But there isn’t time to tread lightly, either. Teams need to be formed before King Zander makes his announcement. And the three of us know exactly nothing about winning over a female.

The washtube empties and I skip the drying phase, hitting the button to open the doors. “Your turn, beautiful.” I grin at Jax as he passes me to step in. “Be quick, we have a female to court.”

“You don’t even know what court means,” Tarren grumbles from his hoverdisk where he’s sat down to remove his boots.

“Neither do you.” I pad past him and pull on a fresh uniform in the crisp white of Zandia.

“So what’s your plan, Master Romance?”

“I say we go find Riya and offer her a tour of the palatial pod. She’s never been in it, right? She’s probably curious. It’s far more luxurious than the training pod she’s used to. Maybe she’d prefer to stay here.”

Tarren snorts. “You think it’s going to be that easy? She’ll just come to our chamber and stay?”

I grin. “I figure you and Jax will fill in the gaps of my plan.”

Jax also cuts his shower short and emerges from the washtube. Tarren takes his place.

“That sums up your strategy on most everything,” Jax observes drily, clearly having heard the entire conversation.