My Master.
Isaak
Zara sprawled atop me, her body pliant and soft. Whether she knew it or not, she trusted me. No one would sleep so deeply otherwise. She was soft and warm, pliant and… sweet in my arms.
The fact made my chest ache with a strange longing I hadn’t felt in years, and I looked away from the beautiful, feisty female in my arms and stared at the dark ceiling, watched the ship’s lights blink on and off as it went about the business of traveling through space. For too long, I’d slept in this room alone. Stared up just as I was now but not seen it. Not seen anything around me but blood and Hive and what I was willing to risk to feel something.
I inhaled deeply. Zara did not smell like flowers or sweets. She smelled like me—and sex—and I found that extremely satisfying.
If I didn’t get ahold of myself, I’d be adorning her with more jewels than her tender flesh could hold.
Not that she’d allow my claim. Not yet. What we’d just shared was a start, showed it was possible but would take effort. Cajoling. Trust. I still had time.
“Proximity warning,” the auto-voice warned. “Automatic shielding activated. Proximity warning. Automatic shielding activated.”
What the—?
“Brace for impact in five, four, three—”
I wrapped my arm around Zara and grabbed the stabilizer bar above my head with the other. My feet I shoved into the padded side pockets built into the bed frame for just this purpose.
“What’s going on?” Zara blinked at me. Sleepy. Confused.
“Two, one—”
“Hold onto me,” I ordered. Thank the gods Zara didn’t ask questions, simply wrapped her arms and legs around my torso and clung.
“Impact.” The ship’s artificial intelligence sounded like a grumpy old space captain. I could have chosen from dozens of voices, but I didn’t want the soft sound of a female surrounding me when I was about to kill Hive or deal with people like Ulza.
The ship rocked and a loud explosion boomed through the ship, shaking everything. My body strained to hold both my weight and Zara’s as the ship tilted, flipping onto its side before righting itself.
“What the hell?” Zara looked at me as I gently dropped her back onto the bed as I stood.
“We’re under attack.” I tugged up my pants and shoved my cock within. If someone was coming after us, I didn’t want my ass hanging out.
“From who?”
I looked at her, at her creamy skin and silken hair and very human beauty, and I told her the truth. “I don’t know. Cerberus is probably angry you got away, but I doubt they’d come this far to get you back.” I spun on my heel and ran to the door. Motion behind me had me turning my head to find Zara climbing quickly out of bed as well. I stopped her with a held-up hand.
“No. Stay here.”
Another impact shook the ship, and I slapped my palm against the wall. I ran out into the corridor and headed straight for the pilot’s chair.
I wasn’t surprised when Zara sat her naked ass in the seat next to me. “I’m not staying back there. I can help.” She tucked her long hair behind her ear. “Tell me what to do.”
Fark. “Buckle those straps, so I don’t have to worry about you. And sit still.”
“Okay.” She reached for the straps, pulled them over her head and around her curves, the tight fit making her breasts jut out at a perfect angle. I didn’t miss the glitter of the gold rings and chain from the cockpit’s lights.
“Proximity alert. Automatic shielding at sixty percent.” The ship’s gruff voice barked at me as if I were an idiot for not moving faster.
Shirtless and my pants open in my own chair, I buckled the straps and punched a button to activate a set of pre-programmed evasive maneuvers that had outsmarted more than one Hive Scout ship in the past. Unless there were multiple ships attacking us, which was completely ridiculous in this sector of space, this should—
“Brace for impact in five, four, three, two, one…impact.”
Fark. The ship shuddered and another loud boom sounded.
Zara ducked her head instinctively although it would do nothing to protect her. “Who is shooting at us?”