Claimed by the Zandian (Zandian Brides 6)

I’m already ready to explode.

The cot rocks against the wall, striking it with each savage thrust.

“Now, Zina,” Tarek grunts.

“What? Oh!”

He thrusts in deep and stays, his hot seed filling me.

My muscles clench and pulse around his large purple cock, milking the rainbow-hued cum in a glorious release.

Tarek nuzzles my neck. “I love you, Zina. I’m sorry I had my head shoved so far up my ass I couldn’t accept that.”

I breathe in his scent, cling to his strong arms. “I love you, too, Tarek,” I breathe. “You’re the only male for me.”

Epilogue

Tarek

“The lights on the ship go blink-blink-blink, blink-blink-blink, blink-blink-blink, the lights on the ship go blink-blink-blink, all through the sky!” In a training dome annex, a chorus of little voices sing, led by the sweetest voice of all—the one belonging to my mate.

I enter the room, a smile on my face.

I don’t need to see to know how beautiful she is, standing in a circle of tiny halflings with her belly swollen with our child.

Zina opened a preschool where she, a few other humans, and two elderly Zandian females care for the young of the community, teaching them a blend of human and Zandian culture.

She and her friend Abbi have been working to collect the human songs and stories that have been passed down through the generations, many of them originating way back on Earth, before the Ocretions overtook the planet and gathered all the humans as their slaves.

She’s truly gifted at managing the young, who are one hundred times more emotional and irrational than adult humans, even with their Zandian genes. She encourages, cuddles and redirects, somehow keeping the entire group not just in order, but happy and thriving.

And I laugh every time I remember my sweet mate attempting to learn navigation, when her true calling is so obviously here.

I walk up behind her and put my arms around her, settling my palms over her firm, swollen belly.

The children giggle.

“Say hi to Warrior Tarek.”

“Hi, Warrior Tarek,” they all call out in a chorus, followed by more giggles.

Zina turns her face up to mine, and I steal a quick kiss. My sensors register the chips of my Zandian crystal in her nose and earlobes, marking her as my mate.

Yes, it’s true. I’m officially mated now—something I never believed would happen. When I returned from the spysat mission, I asked for King Zander’s dispensation to mate Zina and he granted it.

“All right, class, your parents will be here any moment. Please go to your cubby and collect your belongings and then come back and sit on the rug.”

Miraculously, they all obey her, even the tiniest ones.

I shake my head in wonder. “I don’t know how you do it. You are truly a gift to Zandia.”

I sense her smile, her warmth even before I note the feedback from sensors. But that’s not unusual. Sometimes I sense the love pouring from her, filling my chest with warmth. It’s like my lack of sight allows me to sense things no one else can.

And I wouldn’t give that up for the world.

“Come on, we’ll be late,” I tug Zina’s hand. We have a check-up with Dr. Daneth today for the baby. Even though I’ve resigned myself to whatever may happen with our young, I’m still on edge. My fear of losing Zina the way my father lost my mother keeps me up at night, even though Dr. Daneth promises medical advances would never allow that scenario to happen.

“All right, I have to run, do you have it from here?” Zina asks one of Zandian elders. The ancient female nods with a serene smile. There are so few elders left in our society, but those who remain find the most glory in our species’ return to our planet and our newest halfling generation.