Claimed by the Zandian Read online

  Despite my panic at being separated from Enya, I can tell she means well. That she’s earnest.

  I nod. “Thank you.”

  There is much to be grateful for here—my life, my safety, being on a planet where I will have some semblance of freedom—for the first time in my life.

  Yet without Enya in my arms, I feel so empty.

  What does her mother look like? Will Enya forget me immediately?

  I’m sure she won’t. She can’t!

  What if she never needs me again? How can she be doing this big thing without me at her side? My life feels suddenly meaningless. All those years as a slave, I was strong to protect the younger ones. To help them stay alive, stay safe. One by one, the younger ones were taken from my care, but I still had Enya. She was my family. My everything.

  Tears drip down my face.

  To make matters worse, the image of the strong blind Zandian comes to mind… the wonderful ways he touched me. I don’t know why I feel like I need him, in particular, but I do.

  Maybe it was some biological response to bonding with a new captor, but I did form an attachment to him.

  And the things he did to my body… I’ve never experienced pleasure that way before. But he seemed to regret what we did.

  Abbi clears her throat. “Are you all right?”

  I stick up my chin. “I’m fine.” And I will be. I just have to power through. How many humans would kill to be in my place? It’s stupid to whine about things that are wonderful. I’ll see Enya again very soon, and things will be… fine. “Tell me more about Zandia.”

  Chapter 6

  Zina

  “I have to punish you now.” The great blind navigator holds me between his knees, tugging the bodice of my dress down to expose my breasts. He leans forward and suckles the nipple as he pinches and twists the other one. “You’ve been a naughty human and I’m your master. It will be my duty to keep you in line.

  “H-how will you do that, Master?”

  “With my whip and my tongue.” He snaps a whip in front of my face, but I’m not afraid, I’m excited. “Now take off your clothes, little human. It’s time for your punishment.”

  I hurriedly tug off my beautiful Zandian dress and stand naked before my new master.

  “Hands against the wall.”

  I hurry to obey, pressing my hands to the wall and pushing my ass out for his punishment.

  He whips me, the sting of his strap stirring me into a frenzy, until I’m panting and begging for more.

  Then he picks me up and lays me on his desk and spreads my legs…

  I lie face down on my cot and work my fingers between my legs until I moan into the soft pillow and come. My hips buck over my hand as the release comes accompanied by hot panting and a groan.

  Ridiculous.

  I can’t believe I’m fantasizing about that male.

  It’s a sign of how spacious my life is here on Zandia that I even have the privacy, time and sexual drive to masturbate. In all my years on Ocretia, I rarely pleasured myself or even thought about it. Now it’s a morning ritual.

  And always to thoughts of him.

  Still flushed with my release, I climb out of bed. My room is simple and austere, but still one hundred times better than the conditions I lived in on Ocretia. I have my own room! I’ve been fed the most delicious foods! And I haven’t had to work—yet. So far, I’ve just been allowed to acclimate and shadow others in various occupations. And then they say I may choose where I want to work.

  Life would be perfect if only I could see Enya. In real life, I mean. I did get to see her on a brief holo call, after I started raising a fuss about needing to know she was safe.

  She was.

  She didn’t say much, though. Just confirmed that she was with her biological mother and everything was fine.

  I should be able to move on and start a new life. I don’t know why I feel so damn lost, though.

  Tarek

  I stand in my washtube with my dick in my hand, jerking it like I want to pull it off.

  All I can think about is Zina, the delicate human whom I got to hold and pleasure on the ship. Never in a thousand star-trips did I imagine I’d find myself taking charge of a human female.

  Being the one to administer her punishment. To teach her our ways.

  Females avoid me. I’m grotesque to them with my sightless eyes and my enormous size. I’m gruff and grouchy, probably frightening.

  Yet this one clung to me from the beginning. For some unknown reason, she chose me as the Zandian she trusts. And that makes me want to fill that role for her.

  But I can’t. The king would never grant me permission to mate. And I’m not willing to humiliate myself by asking.

  My blindness has humiliated me since the day I was born.

  I think of the feel of her taut nipples against my tongue, the scent of her arousal, and I come, streams of my rainbow-hued cum coloring the wall of the washtube. I hit the fill button to wash myself again.

  Veck.

  I need to forget about that fetching little human and focus on my work. The king invested a huge amount of resources into “fixing” me and I owe Zandia my best.

  Zina

  “Have you decided where you want to apprentice?” It’s the third planet rotation in a row Abbi has asked me, and I’m stressed about knowing the right answer. But at least I’m far more familiar with Zandia, after living here for two weeks now. It’s actually… amazing. To be more or less free for the first time in my life? Without the oppression of the Ocretions treating us like an inferior, disgusting species? I’ve never been in a situation where humans are treated with respect and trust, and I can’t quite believe it’s not a dream.

  “No. Where are we in relation to the dorms?” I gaze around, trying to orient myself.

  “So, Zina, this is the main square.” Abbi gestures to the left. “The dorms are around the corner. See, back there?” She points. “That’s the road that leads to the waterfall and crystal grotto. And that direction?” She points ahead. “Past the city you can’t see it now, but there’s the forest and the fields. Don’t go there alone, though. Vipns sometimes hunt there.”

  “Okay. I won’t.” No way to I want to encounter one of those wild beasts with their poisonous saliva and hair trigger attack impulse. “They sound repulsive.”

  “Oh, they are. Mirelle killed one once with a kick, but usually it takes a stunner or a weapon. She’s like a warrior, so she’s different.”

  “I see.” I shift on my bad leg. “Not my forte.”

  “Speaking of that… we need to go over that list of possible skills you want to learn.” Abbi taps her wrist comm. She just won’t give up. “Have you narrowed it down at all?”

  “No.” It’s hard to concentrate on my future, because just being here is a distraction. And worse, I’ve been here over two weeks now, and I just want to see Enya. I miss taking care of her. Holding her at night. Singing her songs to help her get through the nightmares.

  But there are no nightmares here.

  And when I ask about seeing her, I just get the brush-off.

  She’s still in transition. She’s being carefully monitored while she builds a bond with her mother again. They are so grateful to me, and Enya is happy, and don’t worry, you’ll see her again soon. It’s the decision of the doctor that it’s best to do the transition this way. Trust the process.

  It’s all very nebulous, and it’s driving me insane. I’m glad they’re taking such great care of Enya. But I miss her. Worry about her. Until I hold her, talk to her, I can’t focus on myself and my future.

  I peer down the first path, but only see fantastic metal domes and some hover cars.

  “It’s far away.”

  Abbi seems to know that I want a glimpse of the crystals. “We’ll visit the grotto in a few planet rotations.” Then she looks at her list on her comm. “So, how about med? You want to learn to be a medic?”

  I shudder. “No. Ugh.”

  “Yea
h, me too. Blood, no fun.” She taps her wrist. “How about ag? Like, plants and stuff?” She points to a nearby tree. “Look, that one’s pretty, with those puffy silver flowers. It’s called a Malak. I think the fruit are used for… something.” She waves her hand.

  The flowers are indeed lovely, puffy and fragile, swaying in the hot breeze. But then I envision fields of flowers and fruit. Bugs. Tools that… do things. “Not really.”

  “How are you with handheld tech?”

  I snort. “I was never allowed to use it, so… not so great. I mean, I can cipher really well and do mathematics. Master needs me to do that to manage the order schedules and budget for his household.” I shudder. “Needed, I mean. It’s hard to get used to the fact that he doesn’t own me anymore.”

  “It took me a solar cycle to stop looking over my shoulder when I heard noises at night.” Abbi tilts her head. “There’s a support group of humans that you can join. Some of us still have nightmares.” Her eyes are sad, despite her usual mood. “Acclimation doesn’t happen immediately.”

  “Okay.” I clear my throat, because talking about this isn’t fun. “So, yeah, I can cipher.”

  “Super. I’m sure that will come in handy no matter what. And you know, most humans come to us not knowing the first thing about ciphering! It’s okay. We teach everyone skills. It’s awesome.”

  She’s so bright and cheerful again that I can’t help but smile.

  But even so, I peer around, trying to locate which building might house the royal family… and Enya. Would it be possible to sneak in and just check on her? Probably not a good idea. I’m still new here, and I don’t want to jeopardize my welcome.

  “How about combat? Flight school? Probably not.” Abbi checks those off without verifying, but that’s okay, because she’s absolutely correct. “No, you’d need a special background for that.”

  I try to focus. It won’t help to think about Enya. I have to trust that she’s fine. That her… real mother… is taking good care of her. I absolutely need a distraction.

  “Maybe weaving? Clothing design? Are you good at building things with your hands?”

  Terror rises up in me. “I’m good at taking care of children.” I blink hard. “That’s mostly what I’ve done, Abbi. Take care of the young, and Enya. And clean. I do a lot of cleaning at Master’s domicile.” A beat. “Did.”

  “Well, we can put you on cleaning crew, I guess.” Abby sounds uncertain. “But that’s just so, I mean, unrewarding. And it’s always temporary, until a being finds a more suitable career.”

  “I don’t mind.” I take a breath. “I guess I’m not good at much.”

  Abbi frowns at this, but it’s true.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I see two tall purple beings eyeing us. “Who are they?” I nudge Abby and step closer to her. Nervous.

  “Oh, looks like warriors, back from a mission.”

  “How can you be so casual about that?” I sneak another look and blush when one of them gives me a meaningful glance.

  “They probably think you’re pretty.” Abby giggles. “New human females always get a lot of attention. They want a mate.”

  “Wait, both of them? Not together?” I’m taken aback.

  But Abbi acts as if that’s normal. “Yes. There aren’t enough females for the warriors. Many Zandians mate in groups of two or three.”

  I look again. “They’d share me?”

  “If you said yes.” She tugs my sleeve. “They’re handsome.”

  I consider them. She’s right, although they can’t compare to my blind navigator.

  Not mine. Stupid.

  “What’s, I mean, Tarek. Do you know him?”

  “Tarek?” She turns to glance at me. “Sure, everyone knows about the blind navigator. He’s a legend around here. He was on your rescue ship, right?”

  “Yes.”

  I lick my lips. The two Zandians are still watching. I can feel their gaze, hot, on my skin. “He was… interesting.”

  “Yes?”

  I probably shouldn’t tell her what he did to me on the ship. “He was welcoming.” My face heats despite my best efforts not to blush. I cough and then turn even redder. “I mean, it’s… never mind.”

  “Welcoming?” She narrows her eyes, a smile playing around her mouth. “What exactly does that mean?”

  “Um, well… He took it upon himself to help me relax.”

  I so badly want to confide in someone about what happened, but I just don’t feel this is the right time. Also, would he get into trouble if anyone found out?

  “So, anyway, he was nice.” I take a breath. “He navigates without seeing. Pretty impressive.”

  “He’s got special skills. But I’m not sure I’d call him nice. He’s not mean. But he’s extremely gruff. Most new humans, and frankly, even the seasoned ones, are scared of him, especially because he’s so big.” She eyes me.

  “Well,” I find myself speaking before I know what I’m saying. “This is the only reason I’m asking. On the ship, it’s just that I was really interested in the nav equipment. It’s just… fascinating. So powerful. I love it, in fact. Maybe that, I mean, I could study that?”

  “Flight navigation?” She sounds surprised.

  I’m as surprised as she is. I’m angry at Tarek for not telling me about Enya. I want to rip his purple horns off. So, the fact that I’m actually asking to work with him? I don’t know why I said it. But the minute the words are out, I know it’s what I want right now.

  “Ah, yes. It’s been a secret passion of mine for solar cycles,” I lie. “I’ve just, you know, been so interested in it.”

  “And do you have experience in it at all?” She tilts her head. Frowns.

  “Uh, no, but whenever I was on a ship, even if I was totally petrified of where I was being taken, I couldn’t help but look at the consoles and think, wow, I’d like to do that some planet rotation. If I were, ah, free to choose.” I try to look serious. And innocent. And like I’ve been on a hundred ships. Which I haven’t.

  “Hmmm. I see.” She nods. Taps her comm.

  I warm to my topic. “Better than cleaning. It would really help me focus and adapt if I get the chance.”

  “Well, they do have a slot open for a nav trainee. But…” she trails off. “You need to have so many pre-reqs to even train. I mean, flight training, combat readiness. Advanced ciphering. Map reading. Programming. Space maps, asteroid belt practice. Just to start.”

  “I want to learn it.” I cut her off. “I’m willing to work hard.”

  She looks uncertain. “I can talk to the commander and see what he says? But, and don’t take this the wrong way, he’s going to say no. There are lots of flight crew vying for that position. They’re already expert fighters.”

  I swallow. “Got it.”

  “But it’s the first thing you’ve shown interest in, and that’s great, Zina. Just great! So, let’s just talk to the commander anyway. At least it gets you interacting with Zandians, and it will lead to more options and choices. Maybe he can suggest some more appropriate options for you.”

  “Thank you.” I smile at her. “That’s perfect.”

  “We can head over there right now, to the flight dome.” She points. “Just ten minutes that way.”

  “It’s okay that we just… walk around town? Unaccompanied? Do we need to register our destination with the masters, or…” I trail off, feeling stupid.

  Abbi touches my arm. “Zina, so long as we check in with Mistress Kaal, we can go anywhere.” Mistress Kaal is the elderly Zandian female dorm mother who is responsible for the humans in our dormitory.

  “I keep thinking I need to check in for duty.” I rub the barcode on the back of my neck. “To remind Enya to hide her hair and her face, and tell her how to keep her eyes down. And not to walk too fast. And…”

  A new feeling surges through me, and it takes a while to recognize it for what it is. “Oh, Mother Earth. Is this what it feels like to be free?”

  It’s awful
to be without Enya. Yet without the need to constantly keep her safe, I can focus on myself for the first time in my life.

  I drop my arms and then stretch them out, tentatively, then with more confidence. “I can do this if I want?” I check Abbi’s face, then twirl. “And this!” I burst into laughter. “I can do this!” I spin around and around. “Abbi, this is…”

  Whump. I connect with a solid hunk of something. “Ooof.”

  Strong hands grab me, a grip at once powerful but not painful. “Watch yourself, little human.”

  My bod pulses with adrenaline. It’s him. Tarek! I’d recognize that voice anywhere. And his touch… it’s like electricity on my bare arms.

  He notices it’s me at once, too. Even though he can’t see me. “Zina.” His voice is hoarse. “You’re out here?” He turns to Abbi. Back to me. “You’re well?”

  “As well as can be, considering they took Enya from me.”

  He hasn’t let go of me yet, and I don’t mind. I like it. He slides his hands down my arms to my own hands, and clasps them lightly. Lowers his voice. “I’ve been wondering about you.”

  “You could have found me if you wanted.” I step closer. So inappropriate, but I can’t resist. Curse internally at the plaintive, needy tone in my voice. “But you didn’t.”

  “I was on duty.” His voice gets cooler and he lets go of my hands. Steps back, like he just remembered I’m made of hot lava or something toxic.

  I sigh. But I can’t take my eyes off him. And his eyes are trained on me, even though I know he can’t see. I assume his brain sensors are feeding him information about me. I feel oddly naked, maybe more so than I’d feel in the presence of a fully sighted male.

  Tarek

  “Tarek, this is fortuitous.” Abbi steps to my shoulder. “Zina and I were just talking about what she wants to do. She’s interested in nav training.” Her voice is uncertain. “And I explained that those jobs are limited to pilots who have additional talents, or beings who’ve demonstrated undeniable skills?”

  “That is correct.” I nod in the female’s direction. “Only the best of the best are cleared to even try for nav training.” My body’s reacting to Zina’s presence—so different from its response to the other female. To any other female. My horns are thicker, my cock twitches.