“No. We can handle this. We can always sell her off if she gets difficult.” I cross my arms, trying to ignore the tiny stab of guilt in my chest. Of course, I’d make sure to find an owner who would treat her well, and not hurt her—
“Do what you need to, but get our Zandian home. Top priority.”
“Understood.” I end the transmission and gesture, excitement leaking into my voice. “Gorde.” He’s by the flight console, studying a digimap with glowing points.
“Orders? Where to?” He can always read my tone and body language. He flips his fingers and the map of places where we’ve found Zandians dissolves, showing our current location in the universe. “Who is it?”
“A male.” I don’t need to explain what kind—it’s the only kind we’re after.
He curses under his breath and stands up, eyes on me. “Captured or free?”
I shrug, check my comm for info. “Unclear. But there’s a prison there, so it doesn’t look good.”
He grimaces. “Not the perfect time.” He tilts his head to the sleep area. “But we’ll figure it out. She should be all right, yes? She doesn’t seem…overly traumatized.” The fond look on his face makes me roll my eyes.
We both fall silent for a few seconds. “She doesn’t,” I agree. “Although I have little experience with humans.” I don’t bring up the possibility of selling her, or getting rid of her to make our mission easier. It’s not because I’m second guessing it. It’s just that Gorde will go orbital if I do, and I need him focused.
“You mean no experience,” Gorde snorts. “Apart from talking once or twice to King Zander’s mate.”
I roll my eyes. “Like you’re any better?”
“She loved my experience last planet rotation.” He chuckles.
“She tolerated yours. It was mine that drove her crazy.” I punch his shoulder.
He laughs, then turns back to the map, where a soft ping highlights a flashing blue light. “That’s their loc?”
I nod. “What do you know about Hectan-3?” I glance over at Danica—still asleep, although now she’s shifted, and has one long, graceful arm over her head, covering her eyes. I smile and feel arousal grow, remembering those arms, and her gorgeous legs, wrapped around me.
If a human feels so good, I can’t even imagine how amazing it could be with an actual Zandian female. Although it’s interesting, because Zandian females, the few I’ve seen, don’t appear to have those luscious breasts and curvy hips—
“It’s not back there, I know that much.” Gorde’s voice interrupts my reverie. “Basic way station. Refueling for most common craft. Uninhabited, except for vendors, and miners—it can’t sustain civilization, but has lots of tin deposits. And the prison.” He raises his eyebrows, reading from the comm device. “Recently bought by the Ocretions from the Ta’ab for a sum not made public, but reputed to be 1.2 billion stein.”
I whistle. “Stars. Why do they want a prison on a barren outpost?”
He shrugs. “Smuggling would be my guess. In addition to acquiring prisoners and collecting bounty.”
“What is our Zandian doing there?” Unease makes me stand tense and clench my fists.
“Probably stuck in the prison. We’ll find out soon.”
“When we arrive, she’ll need to stay on the craft.” My blood boils at the thought of our vulnerable slave in the hands of the Ocretions. Not that she’s ours. And I still want a Zandian female. But I’m no monster. Veck, after one night of enjoying her body, watching her eyes light up with passion and pleasure, there’s no way I’m letting any other being hurt her.
“Without a doubt.” Gorde frowns. “Can we trust her?”
I shrug. “She needs a compelling reason to stay.” I frown, part of me wishing she’d stay simply because she wanted to. Because she wanted us. Just because it would make things easier, of course.
Gorde crosses his arms. “It’s best if she thinks, at least for a while longer…that she’s our slave.”
“Agreed. It’s the best way to keep her safe.”
He nods, his face taut. “I think…”
Whatever he was about to say is cut off as our human appears behind him, smelling of our mixed essences, an aroma that is as vecking enticing as anything I’ve ever experienced.
She blinks up at us, her long pale hair tousled around her perfect face, and I want to grab a handful of that silky heaven and tug her to my mouth, push her down to my cock, which is already straining at my flight pants.
I swallow hard. “Did you sleep?”