Mated to the Warriors(39)

Dare used the S-Gen to summon a clean uniform and put it on. He was due on the flight deck in less than an hour. I was sending his unit to scout the enemy base that had been reported on the fifth planet’s moon in the system. If the reports were true, the Hive was expanding their territory again. Which was bad news for everyone.

Dressed and ready, Dare stopped before me and placed his hand on my shoulder. “Look, Zane, you need to talk to her more. She lost her parents when she was young. Her brother was a weakling and a parasite, and the men of her world took advantage of her submissive nature. They used her. The master she trusted to care for her used her up like a selfish child and hurt her, badly.”

“This is exactly why I can’t let her see my baser side. If she’s this fearful of me now, imagine what it would be like if she knew the truth.”

Dare slowly shook his head. “You’re pushing her away and she’s doing the same. Both of you are stubborn. Perhaps you should trust in the matching protocols. Maybe she wants you just as you are.”

I looked from Dare’s pleading gaze to the beautiful and very fragile female in my bed. “Doubtful,” I grumbled. She wouldn’t want me if she knew the truth of my ways. “She has told me none of her secrets—about these men.” I spat out the last word as if it were distasteful. Anyone who used a woman as Dare described was not a real man.

“You haven’t asked.” Dare slapped me on the shoulder and turned to leave me alone with my mate, but I felt the need to warn him.

“Prince Nial is going out on patrol with you.”

Dare rolled his eyes. “Again? Seriously, Zane, when are you going to send that spoiled little playboy home?”

“Explain yourself.” I knew my shoulders had stiffened up, but Dare was throwing caution to the wind this day, speaking his mind about more than just our mate.

“He’s reckless, Zane. He takes too many chances. It’s like he thinks he’s invisible to the Hive. I’ve had to cover his ass more than once.”

I chuckled. Yes, my cousin, Prince Nial, was all that and more. “He’s young, Dare. Were we not invincible once as well?”

Dare shrugged. “Don’t blame me if he gets his ass killed.”

“Noted.” Dare left me alone with my bride and I stared down at her with hunger for her touch gnawing at me from the inside.

I thought about taking off my clothing and climbing in beside her, but she would startle when she woke, and that beautiful pink blush would make its way from her chest to her delicate face. I knew, because I’d already tried it, more than once. If I wanted to fuck her, she would let me, and she’d be hot and wild and responsive in my arms. When we were done, and I’d wrung every drop of pleasure from her body, she would turn away from me and get dressed, claim she needed to be in class.

Dare had arranged for her to work with the young ones on board the ship. She had transformed them, bringing songs and games from Earth to our children. The little ones loved her as I did, and her eyes glowed with happiness when she was surrounded by their youth and innocence.

When I watched her with them in the surveillance room, my heart actually hurt, as if she’d stabbed me with a knife and left the blade embedded. I watched her often, feeling like a foolish stalker and not her chosen match.

I definitely needed expert help.

Decision made, I gently shook Hannah’s shoulder and woke my bride. I watched her move, studying the soft lines of her curves, enjoying her grace as she dressed. Once she was covered, I took her to the transporter station. Captain Hendry and his bride were expecting us. Anne was human, from Earth. Hendry was her matched mate. If anyone could help me figure out what to do with Hannah, it was he.

In the transporter station, I took Hannah’s hand and led her up to the transportation platform. She spun around, looking at the floor.

“Where are the little circles?”

“There are no circles.” She was talking nonsense, but her confused look was so beautiful, I couldn’t resist stealing a kiss. When I was done with her, she was panting, and I could smell her arousal, feel it burn her up through our link, but she pulled out of my arms and turned in a circle, looking from the floor to the ceiling and back again. Over and over. “Hannah, hold still so we can initiate the transport.”

“But where are the circles? How am I supposed to know where to stand?”

“My mate, there are no circles.”

“But, isn’t it like Star Trek? You know, stand in the circles and ‘Beam me up, Scotty’?” Her pulse raced and I could feel her unease.

I stepped closer and pulled her against my chest, wrapping my arms around her to hold her in place. I used my hand to hold her cheek over my heart. “Hush, mate. There are no circles on the floor. Just hold still. I’ve got you.” I nodded at the transport engineer and felt the odd wrenching and twisting for a few moments that meant we were traveling from my battleship to Captain Hendry’s smaller cruiser.