Chapter Nineteen

Steele

By the time Raven and Trinity landed, Bruno had raised his head a couple of times and looked around to see that Zaya was nearby. Satisfied that she was safe, he relaxed and went back to sleep. I could hear my prisoner groaning in the distance outside and decided to question him. I found him sitting in the snow while his horse had dug away more snow so that he could graze.

"Who are you? Why did you come here?"

"Dan Franklin. I was just passing through, and this barking, aggressive dog came at us. I shot him before he spooked my horse."

"Where did you get those clothes?"

Franklin shrugged, apparently not willing to tell me.

"I'll tell you where you got them. That is a Mesaarkan mercenary uniform. The only place you would've gotten that was from a Mesaarkan. Which means you were working for them. And the dog you shot belongs to my mate." I gritted the last. I so wanted to punch him for hurting Zaya's dog and making her cry. Franklin was lucky I was able to save Bruno. I still wanted to fuck him up.

"I think you were looking for the female who lives at this ranch to capture her and sell her to the Saarks. Now, if you cooperate, you might avoid going to Penta Prison. Believe me, you don't want to go there."

"I don't know what you mean. I've never heard of Penta Prison."

"It's the prison world with no guards and no rules. Gangs run it. You will be transported there and dropped off to fend for yourself. Survival of the fittest."

I didn't continue because I heard the whine of a hover transport in the distance. I also knew if I stayed in his presence much longer, I was going to hurt him. The bastard had come here to kidnap my mate to sell to the Mesaarkans. I backed away and waited for Raven and Trinity to land.

I had already filled them in on what he had done.

"How is Zaya?" asked Raven.

"She was pretty shaken that he shot her dog, but I think the nanites are going to fix the damage. It's a good thing you got here when you did. I was thinking about disposing of this refuse. But he might have some information for us if you can get it out of him. He's wearing one of the Saark mercenary uniforms."

Raven grinned. "We'll take care of him. Go be with your mate."

When I got back to the house, there was a stew simmering on the cooker. Bruno looked up and wagged his tail while lying on his bed. Zaya was not in the room, but I heard the shower running in our bathroom. I decided to join her. She had left the door open, an apparent invitation.

"Hey Zaya, want some company?"

"I would love yours," she invited.

I went inside and quickly shed my clothes. Stepping inside the shower behind her, I wrapped her in my arms and pulled her against me. Kissing her neck, I cupped one of her breasts in one hand and her mons in the other.

She hummed, melting against me, and reached up to caress my head. "I missed you." She sighed as I rubbed circles around her clit and teased her nipple between my thumb and forefinger.

"I missed you, too, Zaya."

"Show me. Put me against the wall and fuck me." She turned around to face me; I gripped her waist and lifted her against the wall. As I leaned into her, she put her hands on my shoulders and opened her legs, wrapping them around my waist as I slid my cock into her.

Zaya rewarded me with a cry of pleasure and pressed her lips to mine. I plundered her mouth with my tongue and plunged my cock in and out of her wet heat, loving the sweet bliss of her inner walls hugging my every stroke. She seemed to urge me on with moans and cries of delight while digging her heels into my buttocks. Breeding my beloved mate filled me with profound joy.

We went hard and fast as we both seemed to need that.

Zaya

I had been thinking about my reunion with Steele for a couple of days before that intruder arrived and shot poor Bruno. Every time I imagined how we would come together, my clit throbbed, aching for that stimulation of fucking him, the feel of him in my arms, his hard muscular chest pressing and rubbing my tits.

But I also knew that I gave Steele as much pleasure as I received with our joining. Now I understood why he didn't come for me as soon as he learned we'd been matched. The great joy we found in being together would become our greatest agony if one of us were left without the other.

The moment he made his presence known as I showered, I could hardly wait the few seconds it took him to strip and have him inside me. Steele, my Steele! Not only did I crave him physically, I craved him emotionally—to share a meal, a task, or a beautiful day. Sharing my life with him made everything better. The thought of going back to my life before Steele was paralyzing now that I knew the difference.

It was so much more than the sweet pleasure of his body pressed to mine and his hard cock driving into me and caressing my inner walls and my g-spot. We also shared a spiritual connection that both enhanced and transcended our physical connection.

I savored the feel of him both with my mind and body as he took me to orgasm for the third time when he finally poured his essence deep inside me. My whole body tensed as the first contraction of orgasm seized me. It was pure ecstasy.

The fizzy sensation of the nanites that came with his semen was an additional benefit. They would keep me strong and healthy for many years to come.

A wave of love overwhelmed me as we came down from our sexual bliss. "Steele, Steele, I love you—so much," I crooned, kissing and caressing his handsome face.

"You are my heart, sweet Zaya," he murmured, holding me close, still inside me as a gentle mist swirled over us.

We were completely into each other, and in the moment, just then, nothing else seemed to matter.

Bruno was on his feet, wagging his bushy tail, when Steele and I returned to the kitchen after our shower. I went to him, gave him a gentle hug, and petted him, thrilled to see him on his feet. When I finished fussing over him, he walked to the door with just a slight limp. I followed him and let him out while Steele checked on our stew.

"Do you think the nanites you gave Bruno for his wound will extend his life like you said the ones you give me will extend mine?"

"They will. Once they colonize the host, they will replicate to maintain it in optimum condition."

Smiling happily, I got out tableware and poured mugs of tea while Steele filled our bowls from the pot on the cooker and brought them to the table. These were simple things. What made them special was doing them together.

Although I couldn't see into the future, I could visualize building a future with Steele as my mate and the father of our children. No doubt there would be challenges ahead, but we would face them together.

A few days later, we learned that Dan Franklin was part of a gang working for the Mesaarkans. He named some of his associates to avoid going to the prison planet. Franklin went to prison on Earth for a few years. Unfortunately for him, he didn't know how to get to any of the Mesaarkan bases, or he might have avoided prison altogether. It serves him right for trying to kill Bruno.