Claimed by the Zandian (Zandian Brides 6)

“A human.” He turns to his companions and says something in a language I don’t understand.

“The other one?” He taps Enya.

“Let us go.” My voice is strangely firm.

“You are runaways from a slave auction.” He regards me and his grip does not loosen. “You are either escaped slaves, or avenging warriors.” He looks me up and down. “And I tend to doubt that you are the latter.” A small smile twists on his gray lips. “Although you come close.”

“Check her code. And do it fast.”

“Keep your head down.” The first one slides the cloak from Enya’s head, and the two of them block her body from view as they check the numbers tattooed onto her delicate neck. I assume they want to keep this sudden bounty to themselves, but I’m curious about their strangely respectful touch—if you can count their demands and inspection as respectful. Still, there’s something oddly gentle about it—

“It’s a match. Stars, we need to get her the veck out of here.” His tone is urgent.

“You’re coming with us.” The first warrior flips Enya’s hood back up over her face and scoops her up into his arms. “Keep your face hidden.”

“No!” she screeches.

He growls. “Look, we’re not going to hurt you, all right? You just need to stay quiet or we all die.”

My mind races. Mauk are less violent than other species, certainly better than the ones who were bidding on her.

“Enya… go with them,” I implore her. “It’s better than… what’s here.” I look around the room, the vast expanse of misery, and my eyesight begins to go black. “And I can’t…” I suck in air. “Help… any… more.”

I fall to my knees. “Don’t worry about me.”

“I won’t go without her. I won’t!” Enya’s voice quivers and rises to a scream and the first one slaps a hand over her mouth.

“Veck, she’s loud.”

“Take the other one too.”

“Of course. We never leave a human behind.”

Chapter 3

Tarek

“Mission complete, get us out of here—immediately,” Captain Drayk orders as he and Zane board the craft. I can’t see them, but my sensors pick up the forms of the two warriors, each carrying a small human female.

I turn my attention to the controls and set the instruments for take-off.

“Strap in for take-off,” I say mechanically.

“No time, just go,” my captain barks, so I pull up on the controls and the ship shoots straight up. As the craft lurches, Drayk loses his hold on the female, or perhaps she fought her way out of his grip. Either way, her small body skitters across the craft and collides with me. My sensors register her size and shape. She seems to be a full-grown female, although quite small in size.

My arm instantly bands around her waist, and I pull her against me for stability. “Easy, there. I have you.” The words come automatically and surprise me. I’m not one to interact much with females. I’m defective, and therefore unmatable. In addition, my size and normally gruff manner frightens off females of almost all species.

Her body is soft, her scent pleasing, though tinged with blood and fear. It inexplicably makes my pulse quicken.

Any moment now and she will register my size and sightlessness and scream to be set free.

I hear her breath catch. To my shock and surprise, her fingers reach up and brush my horns.

Ah, veck. I shift in my seat as my dick and both horns simultaneously stiffen. If she had any idea what that does to a Zandian male, she would keep her fingers far, far away from my horns.

“You’re not a Mauk,” she says with surprise.

Ah. Drayk and Zane went in disguised as the Mauk species.