He carried her to the cage. “Open cage.” The voice-activated door swung open. When he tried to slide her through the entryway, she thrashed even harder, striking her head against the pale rock-wood bars, which were as hard as marble. She grunted in pain, and he drew back, not wanting her to hurt herself more.

She stopped her fighting, panting and warily watching him with narrowed eyes.

Veck.

If she were a student of his, there to seek his training, he would impart the lesson until she learned it, never bending, never deviating from his plan. But she wasn’t. She wasn’t truly a slave. She was Leora. Honored mother of the prince’s mate. Lovely, proud human, who held herself with the dignity of a queen. His Leora.

He sighed, knowing he’d lost the battle. Probably had lost it before they’d even begun this training.

He walked away from the cave and over to the sleepdisk and lowered his beautiful, naked slave onto the mattress. She curled up on her side in a defensive position. If he were a wise male, he would leave her now. Leave the chamber, let her settle on her own.

But it seemed his wisdom had been blown out of the chamber when he’d witnessed Leora’s climax because he lay beside her and curled his larger frame around hers, noting how perfectly she fit, notched against him, her trembling body soft, the citrusy scent of her hair soothing his frayed nerves like a drug. He wrapped a beefy arm around her waist and tugged her closer.

“Sleep, Leora. Tomorrow, we’ll discuss your resistance.”

He wasn’t sure whether to log it as a success or failure that she did not even tense at the threat. Her breath slowed and became easy, and within a few moments, the female who had just overtaken his life dropped into sleep.

His cock throbbed, pressed against her bare ass, the heat from her punishment searing even through his leggings. This was his penance. Suffering her constant presence, her nudity, witnessing her explosive orgasms, taking care of her vulnerable human body, would punish him for the liberties he took with her. He would pay in blue balls and a petrified cock. Which he could only reason he deserved beyond measure.

Chapter Three

Lamira rubbed her belly, swollen below her newly pierced belly button. She was naked and on her knees, as Zander required when he entered his chamber, but her huge purple-skinned mate didn’t even look at her when he entered. He’d been ignoring her since their return to his pod the previous planet rotation.

It was better than being banished from his chamber, as he’d done when she’d refused to tell him the truth about her psychic abilities. Sort of. Still, suffering his continued silence made her chest ache.

“Zander—”

He held up his hand. “Do not speak unless spoken to.”

She nibbled her lip. So they were back to this. After he’d taken her as his mate, pierced and adorned her with Zandian crystals, after he’d admitted his love for her, now he was back to treating her like nothing more than a breeding slave.

She tried to build a wall against the pain lancing her heart. Should she fight him? Insist he communicate with her?

But no. Zander retreated when something bothered him. If she pushed, she only risked him sending her farther away. Only, there was one question she couldn’t hold back. “Have you taken my mother from me?” she croaked.

“No.” He didn’t turn to face her, giving her his back as he stripped out of his clothes.

&nbs

p; “Where is she?”

“I’ve given her to Seke for punishment and obedience training.”

Lamira sucked in her breath, shocked. Every cell in her body went on alert, protectiveness for her mother overriding her concern for her own well-being. “My lord—”

“Do not speak.” His voice lashed like a whip.

Tears gathered in the corners of her eyes, but she blinked them back, her mind turning over what he’d said. Punishment and obedience training. Her mother could handle that, if anyone could. She had managed to make their lives as slaves as easy as possible on the agrifarm, teaching Lamira how to blend in, keep her head down and her rebel heart well hidden. Seke would be a kind and humane master compared to the foremen and directors of the agrifarm. Besides, Seke cared for her mother. Everyone had noticed. He took special care with her—with little chivalrous acts like escorting her through the halls, opening doors. He always had an eye on her, standing silent in the shadows, his large presence more comforting than any guard’s.

“Go to sleep, Lamira.” Zander sounded weary. He still hadn’t looked at her, or even faced her, moving about the chamber with heavy purpose as he readied for bed.

She rose to her feet and padded to the sleepdisk, curling up on her side.

Zander voice-commanded the lights off and lay down without touching her, just as he’d done the night before. This time, she couldn’t hold back the tears. Daneth said the pregnancy made her more emotional, and it seemed to be true, although she’d always cried easily when it came to Zander. He’d turned her inside out from the day he sent Daneth to purchase her.

“Why won’t you just punish me, Zander?”

He flipped over and lunged for her, covering her mouth with his hand, her body with his long, muscled one. Despite the violence of the move, the anger behind it, her body responded to his nearness, to his touch.

Tags: Renee Rose Zandian Masters Science Fiction
Source: readsnovelonline.net