His Human Vessel (Zandian Masters 5)

Zander nodded, once. “You have my utmost sympathy.”

He scowled and looked out the window into the smoggy Ocretion sky. “These humans...are infuriating.”

“Yes.”

He whirled, checking to see if Zander was laughing at him. “You probably find it amusing how much I’ve lost control of the situation.”

Zander shook his head. “You haven’t lost control. You only feel that way because she aroused your emotions.”

Among other things.

“I never experienced such levels of anger, jealousy, or frustration before Lamira. Perhaps this is what it is to mate. Or do you think it’s more pronounced with humans?”

“I don’t know,” Daneth muttered and pounded the window with his fist.

“It’s hard to remember without Zandian females around.”

Zander considered him. “I, too, pushed Lamira away when I thought I couldn’t trust her. But it was a mistake. She bent my trust to protect her life. As an enslaved species, they’ve learned to do whatever they must do to stay alive. You must bear that in mind when you measure Bayla’s behavior.”

“I do. I have. I see my mistakes. I should have considered her feelings. Or inquired about them. I suppose I’m not used to beings with such intense emotions.”

“Do you wish her to go?”

He felt as though Zander had picked him up by the throat, an invisible fist squeezing his trachea. Of course he didn’t vecking want her to go. She was his female. His beautiful, precious, soft, sexy human. But she’d petitioned Zander for permission. She wanted to leave him. And she deserved her freedom, especially after he’d been so hard on her. He hadn’t meant to mistreat her, but he sure as hell had.

“Let her go,” he choked out, though he thought the words would stop his very heart.

Zander raised a brow. “Are you certain?”

He forced his head into a stiff nod.

“All right. I’ll give my permission for her to leave with Rok and Lundric. They will make sure she’s safe on the pod,” he assured him, as if Zander knew Daneth’s mind had already flown to what would happen to her there.

He walked back to his lab, his body an empty shell as if every organ had been removed.

Bayla...gone.

Why did that seem even worse than his life’s work being ruined? Than the end of the Zandian species?

Bayla belonged to him. With him.

But he had to let her go. He cared enough about his lovely female to give her freedom. Especially if she’d asked for it. He would never impose his will on her again. If she didn’t want him to be her master anymore, it wasn’t for him to insist.

He entered his lab and shut the door, leaning against it and closing his eyes.

He’d survive.

Somehow.

Chapter Ten

Bayla didn’t know which was worse—choosing to leave Daneth or hearing that he’d given his permission for it. For some reason, she’d thought he might fight to keep her. She’d imagined that even though he was angry, he still had feelings for her. But maybe she’d equated lust with love. Simply because she’d once inspired desire didn’t mean he cared.

She had no personal belongings but brought along the clothing that had been allotted to her since her arrival on the palatial pod. Rok pointed at an empty seat on his ship and told her to buckle up. She stuffed the small bundle of clothing under her seat and snapped her harness in place. The moment they left the dock, her eyes watered.

Which was stupid. Why would she cry over leaving a male who didn’t give a shooting star about her?

Lily sat beside Rok in the copilot’s chair, but, once they were flying, turned and gave her a sympathetic look. “I never conceived. I don’t know if I can. They shot me full of hormones to prevent pregnancy.”