The Demon Master's Wife (Fantasy, Space Opera, Science Fiction Romance) (FORCED TO SERVE) (10 page)

“You are purposely misreading their acceptance, Dorian Zade. Do not cloud your mind with illusion. They
are
concerned for their crew member,” Ania said harshly. “They’re just afraid of you and afraid for what you might do to their commander if they speak the truth to you.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Dorian said. “I would never harm Gwen. She is my mate.”

“Dorian, you have already harmed her and yet feel no remorse for having done so,” Ania said firmly, holding open the door of his room, unable to keep from noticing even it was much larger than where Synar chose to spend his nights.

She pulled her attention back from the room size to Dorian.

“When you took away Gwen’s choice to choose you or not, you put her warrior spirit at risk. Without that spirit, Gwen will no longer be the creature who drew you. Take care with this one. She is half Thelorian. She will die rather than give in to you or her human needs,” Ania warned.

“Gwen is safe with me. You have my vow,” Dorian said bitterly, carrying her to his bed and laying her gently on it.

“I hope you are sincere in your thoughts because your body is sending a different message about your feelings for her,” Ania said, closing the door behind her. “I will be outside and waiting. One hour—no more.”

The door closed and Dorian fought every urge he had to not to lock it behind Ania to keep her out. As protective as she was being though, Ania would talk Synar into throwing him into a locked cell. Not that being imprisoned would keep him from Gwen, but it would make them both suffer longer. At least this way, they would have something while he figured out how to soothe her anger.

Dorian turned back to see Gwen lying on his bed as he had longed for her to be all last night. After medical had released him, he’d roamed his room like an animal in a cage. Now he was at least temporarily at peace to have her near him.

Removing his clothes, he climbed in beside her. He would not undress her completely this first time. Ania had not allowed time for proper rituals of any sort.

Gwen immediately rolled towards his warmth, seeking his body. She raised a hand and swept it through his hair, making Dorian tremble in her arms, sighing with relief for them both.

“I am here for you, sweet joy,” Dorian whispered. “I do not wish for you to suffer because of me.”

He unbuttoned what he could of Gwen’s clothing, kissing every inch of skin he exposed. Kissing was such a lovely thing. He had missed it as much as everything else he had not been doing. To do it now with Gwen was bliss.

“Dorian,” Gwen called, stilling his mouth on her stomach and his trek down lower as he pushed her uniform pants down over her hips.

“Yes,” Dorian said, lifting his head and smiling when he saw her eyes were still closed.

“Is this a dream we are sharing?” she asked.

Dorian pressed his face to stomach, willing himself to answer in the way Ania expected. He kissed her abdomen once more to stall just a moment longer.

“Yes,” Dorian said finally, his voice rough with longing. “It’s a dream, sweet joy. Just a wonderful dream of us together at last.”

“Good,” Gwen said. “Then I can enjoy this without guilt. I’ve wanted you for a long time. You’re so pretty for a male.”

Dorian snorted against her fragrant skin, his lips curving into a smile against her belly.

Guilt. She felt guilty for wanting him.

Well, at least it wasn’t the outright hate many humans were capable of expressing. Dorian supposed he should be grateful based on what Ania said.

“Yes my sweet one, enjoy our dream all you want. You won’t even remember we did this when you wake up, but you’re going to feel a lot better, at least for a short while.”

She arched against his mouth as he laved her stomach wetly with his tongue, searching her body for its secrets. It wasn’t long before they were both flying on the waves of her release. Dorian kissed the insides of her thighs and then forced himself to crawl up her body.

“You were worth waiting for—I knew you would be,” Dorian whispered, kissing his way back up her body, sending gentle vibrations through her, enjoying the echo she returned to him.

When he fastened Gwen’s clothes back into place, his hands trembled in reluctance. He wanted a full bonding, but he also wanted her conscious for it. He would never take her against her will.

“Dorian,” Gwen called, reaching up and pulling him down to her by his long hair.

Dorian knelt over her, marveling at her aggressive actions even in sleep. The urge to take her, truly take her swept over him. He wanted inside Gwen Jet, wanted to make her his—and please her. He wanted so much to make her happy to be with him. It was the cruelest punishment to not be able to do it when she was under him and obviously wanting it on a subconscious level.

“Dorian,” Gwen whispered, running a hand over his hair again.

“Yes—I am here Gwen,” Dorian said, his voice rough and strained. “I am here. What do you need?”

“You,” Gwen said. “Just you—but why do you have to be such a controlling bastard?”

Dorian couldn’t help his appalled reaction to her sleepy swearing at him. He laid his face against Gwen’s neck and laughed, feeling her arms encircle him and hold him, her hands tangling in his hair and keeping him in place on top of her body as she hugged him tightly to her.

Dorian was shocked by her embrace. In it was affection. That was what she felt for him and that he felt for her.

The urge to bond left as suddenly as it had come and in its place was something more unfathomable. He wanted to cherish her, to tell her how wonderful she was, how nice it was to be held by her.

Shades of Kellnor, Dorian thought. He badly wanted Gwen to want him back. He wanted it more than he’d ever wanted anything he could remember desiring.

“You have enthralled me without even answering my call,” Dorian whispered in awe.

Releasing his vibrations carefully this time, Dorian sent both pleasure and relaxation into Gwen. This time with her gentle climactic release her arms fell away from him and her head rolled to the side.

Dorian made himself pull his still unsated body off Gwen’s before he was tempted again to strip away the clothing that separated them.

Standing, he dressed in his uniform, preparing for duty. When he was clothed once more, he opened the door to find Ania sitting stoically in the hall. She rose from her position as guard.

Leaving the door open, Dorian walked back to the bed and lifted a now contented Gwen into his arms. She burrowed into his arms and put one around his neck, causing him to sigh with contentment himself. If only such an ease between them could be real.

“She called me by name, told me she was glad it was only a dream, and then swore at me,” Dorian said, walking out of the door with her. “I hope that makes you happy.”

Ania laughed softly. “I warned you, Dorian. Looks like you will have to woo the warrior to win the female.”

“I have never wooed in my life,” he said bitterly. “I don’t know how.”

“Don’t be dense. You know I don’t mean human things. If you want this female to desire you back, you’re going to have to win her trust,” Ania said.

When she saw the misery her words caused, Ania made herself be honest.

“Dorian, I actually want this to happen for you. It would make me happy to know when I am gone that you will have this fierce this little warrior watching over you and keeping you in line.”

Dorian rolled his eyes as he carried Gwen into her room and placed her gently on the bed. “Your concern is for nothing. I will always take the best care of her that is possible. She is my mate, Ania.”

Ania rolled her eyes as she pointed to the door. When they were outside with the door closed behind them, Ania glared at Dorian as they walked away.

“Stop being a male Siren in heat and try to look at the situation like the enlightened being you are the rest of the time. The female you have chosen will always be more than just your mate, Dorian Zade. Gwen has a higher purpose in her life for which she was expressly created. She is also a female who will control her own destiny or die trying. I want you to train her to be Khalsa when I am gone. I do not need my full intuition to recognize Gwen is the next generation.”

“
Khalsa?
Gwen does not even respect her spiritual abilities nor value her intuition. How can she be trained in enlightened skills if she is unable to respect all she is?” Dorian demanded, incredulous at what Ania was asking of him.

“And who has taught her to respect her other skills? You know little of your mate’s true nature if you think so little of her talents,” Ania said, gritting her teeth at Dorian’s smirk.

“You doubt my judgment?” Ania challenged. “Fine—let me make you aware then. Gwen bore your claiming and rejected the Siren’s call enough to shoot you. She took defeat from me—a master Khalsa—in stride and never begged for mercy. I carry a demon, feared by all creatures, yet that female gave me her trust, which I will not break for you or Synar. I have begun her Khalsa training and will continue it as soon as she is rested. You will finish it after I am gone. Give me your vow for this in reparation and Gwen can collect the due you owe to me. Then you and I will be complete friends once more.”

“Fine. If Gwen is willing to train as Khalsa under my tutelage, I vow that it will be done as you ask,” Dorian said, thinking it was one vow he wouldn’t have to worry about keeping. In two years of serving with Gwen on the Liberator, he was confident that he knew his mate a lot better than Ania did in just a few weeks.

“Now it is my turn to speak truth. I see Synar’s energy on you this morning, Ania. And more than just his energy I am embarrassed to admit,” Dorian said reluctantly, trying to shift the topic of discussion away from him and Gwen.

“Yes, I wondered when you were going to notice. I bore half Gwen’s claiming for her last night. Synar benefitted indirectly from my good deed,” Ania said abruptly.

“Gwen asked you to take away my energy?” Dorian asked, his spirit hurting to think his mate would do such a thing. It was as bad as a physical rejection.

“No. Gwen was bearing her suffering as bravely as she could and asking no one for help. I offered because she was not willing to go to you. You do not have her trust, Dorian.”

“You don’t trust Synar, yet you naturally sought relief from the male you mated,” Dorian said logically.

“No—you are wrong. I would never have asked Synar because I do not wish him to get the wrong ideas about us. When I went to report your condition to him, it just happened. Now it’s over,” Ania said with a shrug, her shorter legs straining to keep up as Dorian strode through the ship without the weight of his precious cargo.

“I will refrain from the obvious comment I would like to make about it happening again,” Dorian said, looking sideways at her.

“Stop trying to change the topic of discussion. This is not about Synar and me. Gwen will fight me again tomorrow. When I knock her out, I will tell her it is part of her training. Eventually, she will figure out what we are doing, but hopefully she will have come to some acceptance of you by then. For a few days, we will spare her pride,” Ania said. “If I were you, I would apologize and begin to make amends by courting her.”

“
Courting her?
What does that mean?” Dorian asked.

“Didn’t you have two mates who were from Earth? Shades of Kellnor, Dorian, look it up. It means to ask her opinions on personal things concerning you or the two of you. Ask her to have dinner with you. Offer to spar with her for exercise. Find out what interests Gwen, and find a way to share those things. Did you never do this with your other mates?” Ania demanded, irritated at the blank look on his face.

“It’s been almost a century since I was intimate with a female,” Dorian said, defending himself. “And the other two females were not as willful nor as resistant to me.”

“Males can be so ignorant sometimes,” Ania said sarcastically, shaking her head and walking briskly in the direction of her room. “What were the creators thinking when they decided to make you?”

Dorian watched her walk away with narrowed eyes. “They probably thought at least one gender of every species needed a full capacity to be rational,” he called after her.

He just smiled when Ania ignored him and kept walking. Arguing with his teacher almost felt like old times.

Chapter 9

“Malachi, I command you to show yourself to me and do no harm,” Ania said to her reflection.

She didn’t even have to call a second time.

Malachi smiled broadly to see Ania sitting close to the mirrors as she met his gaze. “Greetings, host. How are things with you?”

“A greeting free of gloating, Malachi? Based on our previous discussions of your ownership of me, I’m sure you already know I spent last night with Synar,” Ania said softly. “I expected to hear that you told me it would happen.”

“Well, I did get some resonating benefits of those outstanding vibrations of Liam’s, but no—I am choosing not to scan your memories now that we are conversing regularly. I would prefer you to tell me what’s going on from your interpretation of the events. I’m sure it will be much more entertaining than seeing the naked truth of what happened. So how was it after all your time apart?” Malachi asked, smiling at her.