She quickly wrapped her legs around my waist, jerking hard and flipping me onto the bed beside her. Another hard move and she’d rolled on top of me, straddling my waist and pressing her hands to my chest. She smiled down at me, twitching one shoulder. “Everyone deserves to die happy, even the guilty.”
She was faster than I’d given her credit for—and stronger. I reached up and grasped her waist, my large hands spanning across her belly. “I agree.”
I lifted her up and tossed her to one side, where she landed on her belly. Before she could push up, I’d flipped on top of her and pinned her down, my hands flattening hers over her head. She bucked against me, but I avoided the sharp movement of her head. I pressed my own head to the side of hers to keep her from trying to head butt me again. “Why do you fight me?”
Her breathing was heavy, and she wiggled beneath me. “I’m used to being on top.”
Her struggling made my cock ache as it strained against the leather of my battle kilt. “I’m sure you are, but you’ve never been with a Vandar Raas before, have you?”
She huffed out a breath. “You’re still a male. You aren’t so different from the rest.”
“We’ll see.” I nipped at her neck, and she yelped, thrashing beneath me. I released her hands and sat back, allowing her to turn onto her back.
She put a hand to the flesh I’d bitten and glared at me. “Do Vandar like to mark their conquests or something?”
I glanced at the smooth flesh of her breasts, imagining dark swirls curling across it. “If I mark you, you will know.”
Her eyes flashed but then dropped to my marks. “Are those your mating marks?”
Her comment reminded me that she’d studied up on my people to better infiltrate us and assassinate me. I stood and backed away from her. “You do not need to worry yourself about those.”
“I know humans have gotten them. Word reached the empire about Raas Kratos’ mate.”
“She is his Raisa,” I said, folding my arms over my chest. “And she is with child.”
Alana sat up, leaning back on her hands. “And you don’t think you risk that by screwing me?”
She clearly hadn’t learned enough about the Vandar. “Just because I fuck you doesn’t mean you would become heavy with child. Only a Vandar’s true mate can take his mating marks or become pregnant.”
She eyebrows lifted. “So, you have to find your one fated mate or you can’t have children? That’s rough.”
“Rough?”
She shrugged. “What if you fall for someone who never takes your marks?” She studied me. “And what about me? You said I’d never leave this ship or your bed. Does that mean you’ll never take a Vandar mate? That you’re stuck with me even if I never get your marks or get knocked up?”
I hadn’t thought beyond my instinct to protect her and keep her from the vengeful grasp of Corvak and keep her knowledge out of the hands of the empire, but she was right. If I claimed her as my war prize, I would have to give her up one day or live with the reality of never having a legacy. Unless she ended up taking my marks, which I knew was possible for a human but doubtful for a trained assassin who associated sex with murder.
I eyed the dark-haired beauty on the bed, her muscles tensed as if ready to battle me again. Could this imperial spy possibly be my one true mate? It seemed impossible.
She must have read the expression on my face because she shook her head slowly, her shoulders sagging. “I appreciate you trying to help me, but I’m never going to get your marks or become your one and only. It’s nothing personal, but I’m not wired for true love or fate or any of that crap. It may work for your people but it’s never going to happen with me.”
Even though she was probably right, hearing her state it so baldly made anger flare in my belly. I strode to her until I loomed over her on the bed. “You would rather I put you out an airlock?”
“Maybe you should,” she whispered. “It’s not like I don’t deserve it.”
My throat tightened. She would rather be killed than be my mate? I growled low, cursing my bad luck. Kratos had taken a female who’d been shy and scared and eager to please him. I’d taken a female who had been tasked to kill me and did not believe in any of the truths my people held dear. So far, being Raas was not what I’d imaged it to be.
I dragged a hand across my brow, kneading the furrowed flesh. I’d already promised to protect her and keep her secrets. There was only one way to do that and keep my officers from being suspicious. If I wanted to keep my horde and keep the female from being executed, there was no other choice.
“It does not matter.” I turned from her. “I offered you protection, and a Vandar Raas does not go back on his word.”
“Even if it means you’re stuck with a woman who will never be your true mate? Come on, there has to be another way.”
“There is not,” I snapped, then pushed down the bitter taste of regret and took long steps toward the door. “It is done.”
Chapter Nineteen
Bron
The clatter of my footsteps echoed on the iron walkway as I stormed to my command deck. Raiders clicked their heels together as they passed but I barely glanced at them, grunting in acknowledgement as I barreled through the ship.
What had I done? Had I gone mad?
I scraped a hand through my hair and thought back to my days as majak. If Kratos had come to me with
