Kept by Luna Voss

Chapter Eight

Melyta

“It’s early,” I grumble, turning over on the bed. “Let me sleep in a little longer.”

“We have to get up,” my mate tells me gently. “Korva is waiting for us.”

I put a pillow over my face. “He can wait a little longer.”

Barion moves the pillow. “No, he can’t. Now get your ass out of bed before I have to spank it.”

I take as long as I can to obey, inching out from under the covers. The truth is, I’m still glowing from the way Barion dominated me last night. There’s something that just makes me feel so secure, so loved, that he can be so firm with me, and still be affectionate at the same time. That he can put me over his knee, spank me and have his way, and then we can go to bed together as loving partners. It truly makes me feel like his Fated Mate, like there’s nothing I could do to shatter the bond we have between us.

Not that I would try, of course. But his loving corrections give me the space to be myself, even when I’m grumpy. Or when I don’t want to get out of bed.

Barion chuckles as he watches me. “Okay, Melyta. I’m going to count to three. If you’re not out of bed by the time I finish, you’re going to get a spanking.”

That gets me moving. My ass is still sore from the night before, and I really don’t need it spanked again. I hop onto the floor, landing right in front of the suitcase I packed last night as Barion’s cum trickled down my thighs.

“I’m going to go make sure Jenyta is up,” he tells me. “Meet you downstairs?”

* * *

Barion

I’m in a good mood. Maybe I shouldn’t be, considering Sarizor basically just dismissed me as his underboss, but you know what? Fuck Sarizor. I’m literally going to kill him. What do I care with that old piece of shit thinks?

I don’t. His time is up. It’s my time now. Mine and Melyta’s.

Besides, I haven’t been on a vacation in… actually, I’m not sure I’ve ever been on vacation. Not a real one. Not with my mate.

“You look sexy,” I say to Melyta as she comes down the stairs in this pretty, short little dress. “I’m already looking forward to fucking you in that later.”

“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that,” Jenyta groans, right behind her.

I laugh, even more so when I see the look of embarrassment on Melyta’s face. Oops. Didn’t see Jenyta there.

Jenyta looks nervous as Korva’s car pulls up. “You said it’s a friend of yours who’s driving us?” she whispers to Melyta.

My mate nods. “Korva is great,” she tells her friend. “He’s the one who helped rescue you.”

Jenyta bites her lip, and if anything, she looks even more awkward when Korva exits the car to help us with our bags.

“I’m very glad to see you up and walking,” says Korva, walking up to her with a genuine smile. “I know you’ve had a tough time, and I’m sorry. I hope we can show you a better side of the Vostra from now on.”

Jenyta scoffs as though she doubts it, but I can’t help but notice the way her eyes linger on him as he lifts her bag into the trunk. Korva always did have a way with the ladies. Better than me, anyway.

As we drive to the spaceport, I see Jenyta looking out the window wistfully.

“I’m going to miss this city,” she sighs. “I didn’t think I would, but I already do.”

“You might be able to come back,” Melyta says. “Barion and I are planning to—”

She falls silent as I give her a look. We may be in trusted company, but right now, my plan to overthrow Sarizor is for her ears only. It’s too dangerous to share with anyone else until we have something solid.

“Well,” Melyta amends herself, “you might be able to come back someday. You never know.”

“He was nice,” Jenyta says to my mate as we board the spaceship together. “Korva, I mean. Not like most of the Vostra guys I’m used to seeing.”

“Korva is exactly like most of the Vostra guys you’re used to seeing,” Melyta laughs. “He just happens to be on our side.”

“The voyage is about two days,” announces the pilot, a gruff, grey-whiskered man Korva knows through his contacts with the human mob. “And Gerbbbexai IX is a subject planet just like this one, so nobody’s gonna give a bunch of Voorians a hard time for not being on suppressants. Y’all ever been there before?”

“I have,” I tell him. “Nice, relaxing spot for a vacation.”

“Vacation?” says the human man, squinting. “I thought you were headed out on business.”

“Nope. Just pleasure. I trust we can count on your discretion?”

“You don’t have to worry about old Frank,” says Korva, breaking in and throwing his arm around the pilot. “His people don’t want a thing to do with our business, do they, Frank?”

“Nope,” says Frank, shaking his head. “I just fly the ship. Fly the ship, and keep my mouth shut.”

We give Korva a big thank you and he drives off from the private airstrip.

“Ready to go whenever you are,” I say to Frank. “And there’s a big tip waiting for you when we get there.”

“That won’t be necessary,” replies the pilot, shaking his head. “I owe Korva a favor. Wouldn’t be much of a favor if I let you pay me.”

The ship is small, but comfortable, with two cabins and a lounge area. Not quite a yacht, but still nice enough for me to feel like we’re traveling in style. I’ll admit, I take pleasure in that. There’s a certain baseline level of comfort I want Melyta to know she can expect when she’s with me. My woman deserves to have nice things.

The three of us sit in the lounge area as we take off, the two women glancing excitedly at each other every couple of seconds. I have to say, their enthusiasm is contagious. I know that neither one of them has flown on a spaceship before, and this must feel like a very big deal.

“Oh my god!” Jenyta practically shrieks as the engine starts to hum. “Oh my god, it’s happening!”

Both of them gasp as our ship lifts off, and I see Melyta squeezing her friend’s hand. I watch from my seat, absolutely charmed.

“Wait until we go into hyperspace,” I tell Melyta, walking up behind her to rub her shoulders. “If you think this is cool.”

She stares out the window, as though she couldn’t imagine anything ever being cooler than this. “Look!” she exclaims. “That’s Dalax City. Look how small it is! Look how small the buildings are!”

I just smile, stroking her hair happily as both women watch the city shrink below us. Then we break through the atmosphere, and their jaws drop as we emerge into the vastness of space.

“I’ve always seen pictures of what Tarsheb 8 looks like from up here, but I couldn’t have imagined…” Melyta breaks off, staring at the shrinking planet in wonder.

“It’s amazing,” Jenyta breathes, equally captivated.

“We’re going to be entering hyperspace in just a minute,” the pilot’s voice crackles over the intercom. “Then it’s a straight 47-hour shot to Gerbbbexai IX.”

“Watch this,” I whisper to Melyta, squeezing her shoulders. “Just watch.”

Outside the window, the twinkling stars shudder, and then extrude into thin, glowing lines as the ship jumps into hyperspace. Melyta gasps, leaning closer to the window.

“I can’t believe it,” she whispers, seemingly to herself. “I’m in space. I’m in fucking space!”