Hannah held the sheet about her like a cape, gripping the front of it in a tight hold, clearly modest. While it was crucial she protect the sight of her naked body from others, I would teach her that there was no modesty between mates. Her body was mine and my chosen second, Dare, awaited us in my quarters. Together, we would share our new mate and give her pleasure whenever and however we chose. She had much to learn and I looked forward to teaching her. I knew Dare was ready as well.
She was not born of Prillon Prime. Hannah, with her long mane of dark hair and equally dark eyes, was the antithesis of the average golden bride from my home world. She was so small, petite, and curvy! A bride of her unusual beauty would stand out and be a target under any circumstances. But she was also the bride of a commander, which would put her in even more danger. Hannah would not be able to hide among the masses. Once her claiming was complete, the color of her collar would match mine and Dare’s. They were a deep blood red, as were all the collars of my family line. Should she choose, her collar could easily be hidden beneath a high-necked garment, but unless she was wrapped completely in cloth,
her dramatic coloring would ensure that she would be noticed.
My knuckles turned white against the box I held. My mother had not thought this matching through. She was thinking of love and grandchildren, not the tactical aspects of war. Nor did she know of my more basic desires. Yes, Prillon warriors were known for their virility, but mine took a turn toward the extreme. I could not become too attached to this female. I could not unleash my full lust upon her, not without hurting her tiny body.
Before I’d held my small-sized mate in my arms, I had not worried about my ability to keep her safe—from me or my enemies. Nor had I concerned myself with the possibility of my own death. I had scoffed at the idea of Prillon Prime’s code for mated warriors, the code of honor that demanded we name a second of our family line for our mates, another warrior to care for and protect her, to ensure her safety and well-being should the primary mate be killed.
It was only now, as my small female trembled in my arms, all soft curves and wide, innocent eyes, that I recognized the value of naming a second. As warriors, death was commonplace, especially on the front. Hannah needed protection, yet as a commander, I would be forced to be away from her often, to take risks that others would not. I would be forced to leave her side more often than I liked. I could not personally assure her safety at all times. My second, Dare, would be there for her in my absence. If something should befall me, my role as Hannah’s primary mate, the father for any children we made, would fall to Dare.
The idea of her body swelling with my child made me ever more eager to rut in her pussy like a hungry animal. I would have to be careful with her, test her limits slowly. My more dominant traits would surely scare her. I wanted her to want me, not attempt to flee on the first transport vessel to the Prillon home world to request a new mate. Possessive instincts I’d never known rushed through me, clearing my mind and heart of all confusion.
Hannah Johnson was mine, and I would do anything I had to do to convince her to accept my claim, even if that meant hiding my true self. Even with Dare to protect her, I knew I should give her up. Mating a commander was risky business, especially me, but how could I walk away? One glimpse at her and I’d known. She was my mate. She was mine. No one else would have her but Dare. When I watched her come, when I saw her slick arousal slip out around the medical probes, when I smelled the sweet scent of it, there was no going back. I wanted her bound to my table in my secret room on level seventeen, naked, with her nipples clamped and her pussy stuffed with a vibrating dildo. There she would learn the true meaning behind the word obey.
I wanted to taste her, lick her, fuck her, and fill her with my seed in every tight hole while she called me master.
That would not happen. It couldn’t happen if I were to keep her. The connection was too powerful to deny. When she slipped the collar about her neck, our bonding had begun. I felt her lingering pleasure, the pulsing hints of arousal that continued to course through her veins. She’d liked the pleasure, yet disliked how it had been wrought. That had been from a testing probe, not my mouth or my fingers or my cock. If she’d disliked a simple spanking and a medical test, then she would certainly hate being forced into true submission.
I’d disliked her exam as well, but for a completely different reason. I did not want the doctor to see her pleasure. I settled with being content knowing she was healthy, easily aroused and ripe for breeding. Mordin had confirmed she found pleasure in having her ass and pussy filled at the same time, a requirement for a Prillon bride. Just a little training and she’d be ready to take both Dare and me together. The claiming could not occur until then.
In the meantime, we could fuck her and train her. It was our duty to teach her about being claimed by two men; I knew Earth custom did not allow it. That alone was enough. Based on the way she resisted the medical examination, I was expecting her to resist Dare, to resist the idea of a second mate. That was why he had been instructed to wait in my quarters. If she could not handle my second, she would never be able to accept my true desires.
Her response to her second mate would be apparent soon enough. And when the door slid shut behind us and we were finally within the privacy of my own rooms, Dare was an unknown no longer. He stood from the long chaise placed in front of the wall of display monitors that currently showed a vista of space.
I looked around the room quickly. These were new quarters, and the ship’s crew had moved mine and Dare’s belongings into our new, mated quarters when Hannah arrived. There was a full lounging area with a chaise, two large reclining chairs, and a long couch. The walls were draped with soft fabrics meant to soften the austere look of the ship’s hard, blank walls. Unlike in the single males’ quarters, the walls were decorated with images of my home world’s mountains and famous landmarks. A full-sized S-Gen unit was in the corner of the sleeping area, close to a bed that was three times larger than anything I’d slept in before.
Big enough for three. The dark red blankets were the color of our family line, and placed on the bed out of respect for the next generation that would be created there.
My gaze travelled to my second, but Dare only had eyes for Hannah. She had noticed him on our entry, but when I set her gently on her feet she did not speak to him, but moved to stand in front of the glass, seeing space, I assumed, for the first time. As she stared, the sheet slipped off her shoulders to reveal her pale skin and the long line of her neck. Dark hair curved over one shoulder and the back of the collar was visible.
Dare glanced at me and I nodded once. I heard him sigh, relieved. The collar about Hannah’s neck proved she was well, but also gave us authority over her body for the next thirty days. Now that she had accepted the claiming period, she belonged to us, at least for a few weeks. It was our job to convince her to stay forever.
Perhaps it had been fortuitous that Harbart and the prince had come to the med station. While she might not have realized it, she’d placed the collar about her neck as a sign of trust in me. She knew, subconsciously through our bond, that I would keep her safe from the vile court elder.
I lifted the box for Dare to see, then placed it on the dining table. Dare’s eyes widened at the sight of it just before he reached down and adjusted himself in his pants. The idea of training our mate was as arousing for him as it was for me.
“It’s so beautiful,” she murmured.
I’d seen the vista my entire life and saw nothing unusual about it. I could understand her awe, but she would have the rest of her life to look.
“Hannah.”
When she didn’t turn, I repeated, “Hannah.”
Dare cleared his throat.
“I want you to meet Dare, your second mate.”
As I’d anticipated, she spun on her heel and looked between me and Dare. “My second mate? I’m sorry, I’m confused.” A deep V formed in her smooth brow.
Dare stepped toward her, bowed his head to show her his deepest respect, then met her gaze. “I’m Dare, Zane’s named second, Hannah.”
She looked up at my friend and distant cousin, the long line of her neck visible. How I wanted to kiss along that length, taste her skin there, feel the fast thrumming of her pulse. I could see the blood frantically pulsing through her veins from across the room.
“You said… second mate?”
Dare spoke before I did.