“Aw, don’t ask her that, Gorde. If she lies, we’ll have to punish her, and I was just enjoying how soft and sweet she feels against my skin.”
I tug her down between us so we can sandwich her in. “Right.” I fix her with a stern look. “We won’t accept lies.”
“No, Master.” The answer is automatic, but I see intelligence behind her eyes. King Zander and the others who have taken human brides have already proven how greatly underestimated humans are by the rest of the galaxy.
While they may not be as physically strong and their psyches have suffered from generations of slavery, they have untapped intelligence and talent.
“Have you been sterilized, little human?” I lift her hair from her neck to taste her skin.
She stiffens again. “No, Master.” Her voice sounds choked. “My contraceptive hormones were recently discontinued.”
I push up to lean on my hand instead of elbow. “So you’re capable of breeding?”
Her gaze is wary, but she gives a single nod.
I throw a triumphant glance Benn’s way, but he appears as wary as our slave.
“Humans make good breeders for our species,” I remind him.
He sits up and scoots off the sleeping platform, as if physical distance from me and the slave will save him from discussing this with me. “I’m well aware,” he says mildly.
I want to knock his teeth out, but to appease him, I say, “It doesn’t mean we can’t keep looking for a Zandian.” Immediately, I wish I hadn’t spoken in front of Danica. Or had used Zandian, which few in the galaxy understand.
She’s gone wooden.
“No offense to you, at all,” I say. “I’m certain you’d make an excellent breeder for us.”
Her nostrils flare, but she says nothing.
Benn gives voice to what she’s probably thinking. “She didn’t ask to be our breeder.”
This is where I should tell her she’s not obligated to breed with either one of us.
I notice Benn’s not in a hurry to tell her, either.
Both of us are first class bastards.
Chapter 4
Benn
My comm hums and flashes, awakening me. The human—Danica—sleeps, her lashes fluttering against her cheeks. I see her pulse in her neck, the way her chest rises and falls. Is she dreaming, the way we Zandians do?
The comm flashes again, so I get up, my mind switching fast into military mode. “Captain.” I stride away from the sleeping platform so I don’t wake her.
Captain Rok’s face flashes in front of me. “I need you and Gorde to divert to Hectan-3. There’s a potential Zandian there.”
I lean forward. “Female?” My heart pounds with a mixture of excitement and concern. I glance back at Danica. Yesterday, finding a female Zandian for myself was the only thing I wanted in the universe. Today—
He raises a hand, gives a short bark of laughter. “Male. If you leave now, you can be there in under an hour. Take shield precautions; there are Ocretion ships in the area. Talk to Raxx for on-planet advice.”
“Understood. Send me the exact coordinates.” I hesitate and my face feels hot. “Ah, we—acquired a female.” I clear my throat. “A human.”
Now he’s the one who steps forward, raises his voice. “Where?” A muscle tigthens in his jaw. “Safely?”
“Aurelia Minor. Her owner–former owner,” I correct, “wasn’t aware of her value.” Something twists in my chest at the thought of her pretty eyes, the way they widened in fear at the auction, and I shake my head. “Believe me, we know how to keep a low profile.”
He presses his lips together. “We can’t delay on the rescue mission. Taking her with you—will it be a problem?”