The Demon Master's Wife (Fantasy, Space Opera, Science Fiction Romance) (FORCED TO SERVE) (37 page)

“Fine,” Synar said. “Make yourself useful then and have Issa Onin put in lockdown until Ania wakes up. Peace Keeper Looren and I will explain this fouled up situation to the Peace Alliance together. I suppose Malachi will have to be present as well for them to believe we would do something so horrendous. We may be hiring our services out as mercenaries if the Peace Alliance doesn’t want to work with us anymore.”

Gwen pressed the com link again. “Engineering—this is Commander Jet. Chiang, are you there? I need you in the Captain’s quarters—the real ones. Come as soon as you can and come alone. We need discretion.”

“On my way,” he answered. “Gwen—I mean, Commander—Lieutenant Zade’s mother is on the supply ship as a passenger. Were you aware she was leaving?”

“No, I was not,” Gwen said, biting her lip. “Zade suspected there was an issue and is on his way there. I’m sure he will have that under control soon. Thanks for letting me know. I need you here as soon as you can make the walk.”

“Leaving engineering now,” Chiang answered.

Gwen sighed heavily as she released the com link again, imagining the headache Zade was probably going to get from dealing with his strong-minded parent. She suddenly had a sincere appreciation that her mother never left Earth. It already bothered her to know it was about time for her father’s regular visit, which he scheduled on her birthday every other year. At least he didn’t stay long when he came.

She looked back at Synar, who was sitting at his desk staring at the blank desk unit monitor.

“Can I get you anything? I can have the food staff bring you something to eat or drink,” she said. “Or something from medical? I never take anything other than stimulants or sleep aids myself, but I know they have herbals to soothe emotions as well.”

Turning his head, Synar looked at his first mate, one hand hovering over her weapon holster and the other running through her short hair until it was standing on end. It struck him as ironic to be one of the few creatures this fierce female felt compelled to nurture. She’d been doing that to him since she’d come onboard.

“Zade is a lucky bastard to have chosen you for a mate,” Synar told her, wanting to laugh at the flush climbing her face.

Gwen’s eyes widened at the compliment. It was the most personal thing Synar had ever said to her.

“Not sure how to answer that, Synar,” Gwen said honestly. “Thanks—I guess. So is that a ‘no’ to the food and drink offer?”

Synar laughed. He didn’t want to, didn’t feel like it, but figured he must look worse than he felt for Gwen to keep pressing to help him. Then he felt a strange ripple in the air as he looked at her, and Gwen clutched her mid-section and fell to her knees.

The ecstasy of the vibration was as exquisite as it was unexpected. And familiar—her relief about how familiar it was amplified her pleasure. Gwen met Synar’s questioning gaze with her own shocked one.

“It’s Zade. He just sent me a really strong bonding vibration,” she said, writhing as her body paid the homage required with wave after wave of orgasmic release.

It was so powerful and swift-acting, Gwen hadn’t been able to fight it off. She closed her eyes and bit her lip to keep from calling out.

Synar stood and rushed over, only to have Gwen hold up a hand. “No. Don’t touch me. Turn around please, Synar. I’m having trouble maintaining decorum here.”

Gwen watched her superior turn, and then she closed her eyes tighter, moaning despite her resolve to bear what was happening silently.

Why are you doing this, Dorian?
The plea seemed to rip from her brain to travel where it needed to go.

Made a mistake
, she heard in her head.
Sweet joy. Ship . . .surprised me . . .need help

Then there was nothing and the pleasure was gone.

“Synar—quickly, I need a hand up,” Gwen demanded.

He turned back quickly and lifted a weaving Gwen to her feet in one pull. Holding her up with his grip and one hand on her arm, Synar studied her face.

Gwen ripped away from him instantly and smacked the com.

“Dispatch—this is Commander Jet. Stop the supply ship. Don’t let it leave,” she demanded. “I think Lieutenant Zade is still on it.”

“Commander, the bay doors are open and the supply ship is almost through them. I can’t stop it now without damaging everyone onboard and our ship,” the engineer answered.

Synar moved to the com. “This is the Captain. If you can’t stop the cursed ship, you better find a way to track it. I don’t want it lost. You got that?”

“Yes, sir,” dispatch answered.

Gwen leaned against the wall. “I’m pretty sure Zade is on that ship, Synar. He—he—Oh God. I’m going to be sick.”

She ran to the bathroom and barely made it in time. Wave after wave of dizziness hit her, as she was violently ill.

Synar opened his door to the brisk knock and pointed to Issa when he saw the male there.

“Chiang, we need to put the ambassador in a lockdown room. Ask security to put a guard on her. First call medical. Commander Jet is sick.”

Chiang headed to the bed and then caught sight of Gwen kneeling on the floor in the bathroom being ill. Her energy signature reached out to him. Her distress was tangible to his senses.

“What’s wrong with her?” Chiang asked

Scanning Gwen and seeing the energy cord from Zade, Chiang swore and ran past his shocked captain to get to her. It was the first time he’d ever not followed through on one of Synar’s orders, but if Gwen didn’t do the right things, mental instability would be the result. They’d have to lock her up to restrain her.

“Gwen—whatever you do don’t fight the claiming,” Chiang said, brushing back her hair. “An energy cord from the Siren’s call is still in the process of attaching itself to your second chakra. What is Zade thinking? It’s no wonder you are ill. When the pleasure comes, just let it happen. You must trust me. We have to protect your mind from the change.”

“Zade’s on the supply ship. I heard him talking to me in my head. Something is wrong,” she whispered. “He’s in trouble.”

Chiang dropped to his knees. “Dorian is trying to establish a Siren mating bond so you can find him,” he said, suddenly understanding. “Think of him. Think only of him. Make the link and just allow him to do what he is doing.”

“I’m afraid,” she said, clutching Chiang’s hand. “I don’t think I’m ready for this.”

Chiang gripped her hand tightly. “Of all the males you will ever meet, Dorian Zade is the most trustworthy and has the best intentions towards you. He would give his life for you without a thought. Will you do the same for him? This is what the cord is asking of you. You’re sick because you resist belonging to him.”

Gwen shook. Her arms and legs, her hips, everything in her trembled. But her one predominant thought was that she had to be with Dorian or die.

“Yes. Okay. Raging fires of Helios, I burn for him even now. If he was here—I wouldn’t care who was watching. I don’t want to feel like this about any male, but what the hell.”

“I know,” Chiang said softly, truly understanding how hard this would be on Gwen’s nature. “I know this seems very invasive. It should improve once the cord is created. I read the first time the cord attaches is always the worst.”

“It wasn’t like this the first time Zade claimed me,” Gwen said bitterly. “I would have remembered it being like this.”

“That’s because Zade was holding back then, not wanting the claiming to be permanent without your consent probably. But it’s obvious he’s not holding back this time. He must be in real trouble to send this to you with such force,” Chiang said, wiping the sweat off her face. “Siren mating rituals can last over a week.”

Suddenly her body was wracked with the fierce passion sweeping through her, heedless of the two wrong males who observed it and her release. She turned her head and cried out, unable to be silent.

When that finally passed, she opened her eyes to see Synar and Chiang both looking at her. Knowing they witnessed her weakness, she started crying.

“Why would Zade have to do this sexual thing though? I don’t understand. Why?” she demanded.

Then of its own accord her spirit reached out to his and she saw him lying face down on the ship, hands bound behind him. He wasn’t moving. Sarinnea slumped in a seat nearby, not moving either.

“I see him. His hands are bound behind him. They took him by force. They took them both—Dorian and Sarinnea. Why did they take them?” Gwen demanded, her voice rising in panic.

Her mind cleared and her body felt relieved. “Don’t just sit there, Chiang. Help me up. Whatever it was has passed now,” Gwen demanded.

Chiang sighed and stood. “It has not passed. It has merely settled for the moment, probably because you allowed yourself to make the mental link. Chances are Zade passed out and didn’t finish. Can you still close your eyes and see him?”

Gwen closed her eyes and drew in a breath. “Yes. I see him.”

She opened her eyes to meet Chiang’s approving gaze.

“Good. Maybe we can use your link with him to track the supply ship and where it’s going. You are wise to answer the Siren’s call,” Chiang said.

“The crew wasn’t working for Conor, so why take Zade and Sarinnea?” Gwen asked.

Chiang shrugged. They turned to Synar who was standing in the doorway frowning in thought.

“Black market traders probably,” Synar said, answering with his intuition. “Many species will pay good money for Siren sex slaves. Dorian would bring a premium because he’s male.”

Gwen felt her blood boil at the thought of Dorian being a sex slave for anyone but her. “I’ll kill any female that touches him.”

Chiang walked out of the bathroom with her on his heels. He headed to the bed and lifted the still sleeping ambassador.

“Now you know what Dorian felt for you before,” Chiang said softly. “It will not be comfortable to bear the claiming without your mate to aid you, but you will survive. Meet me in medical as soon as you can. Synar, we might be able to use Ania and the demon.”

Gwen looked at Synar in alarm, who answered the question in her gaze with a shrug.

“We’ll just have to explain it as we go. Chiang will be told the whole truth,” Synar said.

“Tell me later. I took the damn job in engineering so I wouldn’t have to deal with drama,” Chiang said, walking to the door. “This Greggor has learned to enjoy his ignorance for as long as it lasts, which lately hasn’t been more than a few eye blinks.”

Chapter 31

Ania woke and saw Conor Synar sitting by her bed looking affectionately at her. That couldn’t be right, but evidently it was.

“Time to torture me?” Ania asked snidely, figuring her attitude didn’t matter if the newly converted demon had found his way back into his old body. “Because if you have anything else in mind, you need to prepare yourself for a fight. I’m your master.”

Ania knew she was too weak at the moment to stop him, but she would die trying. She also could have sworn she saw Liam lock the amulet inside the chest.

“Torture sounds delightful, but I’ve been holding on to this mellow mood and waiting forever for you to wake up just so I could thank you,” Malachi teased. “This body is not as masculine as many I’ve inhabited, but compared to being in a female, it’s wonderful. I can’t tell you how nice it is to have male bonding parts again. Those straps you females have to wear are awful, and your resentment of them is a constant annoyance to your energy.”

Ania breathed out a sigh and along with it a laugh. “Malachi—thank the creators it’s you. So Liam gave Conor’s body to you after all.”

“Oh, I think
gave
is a little too strong a term for the arrangement. Liam let me know for sure that he considers his brother’s body to still be his property, and that he considers me as his property too. Honestly, I don’t know what you see in the younger Synar. He’s so moody,” Malachi teased, picking up her hand. “It is good to genuinely touch you at last, Ania Looren. I thank you for making it possible. Now accept graciously before I have to hurt you.”

Her hand tightened on his, uncaring that he was a demon and that his form was not his true one. What mattered to her was that Malachi, as a being, seemed to care for her without reservations. At the moment, he was the only being who seemed to do so.

“You must thank the creators for this chance to live again,” she whispered. “I am glad for my part in it.”

“Yes, oh great enlightened teacher. I suppose you will instruct me about how to keep pleasing the great orchestrators of our fate,” Malachi added smartly, smirking at Ania’s earnest look.

Ania nodded against the pillow. “Yes—I believe that is my purpose in our connection.”

Malachi laughed. “You sure have a big job ahead of you. Demons are unredeemable, or so I’ve heard for more than a thousand years.”

“We’ll see how full of disrespect you are after a couple centuries of serving the Peace Alliance,” Ania said.

“Hear me well, child of my spirit—
I serve Ania Looren
,” Malachi whispered. “A fact which will not change for a long, long time. And when Ania Looren breathes her last breath, I will pass to her child.”