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Tanin

H ow was a male supposed to think when his gaze was filled with the long, soft thighs of a beautiful female whose pretty cunt was right there? With very little trouble, he could spread those legs and feast on her sweetness.

But he couldn’t. Not here. Not now.

Not ever, he reminded himself firmly.

He was still angry at himself for being so weak as to allow her to join his crew. He knew better than that. A soft, warm, sensual female like her should be sheltered and adored. Worshipped like the delight she was. His ship was no place for her.

But he’d given in so easily after seeing her beating a bigger and stronger male with such thorough devastation. How could he resist that sight? And now that he’d given his word, he couldn’t turn back. Not when he saw how happy it made her.

Not when he saw how righteous and furious she became on his behalf. Stomping into this room with all the fury of an avenging warrior. Prepared to stand up to whatever authority might threaten him. Which was all they could do – threaten.

Unlike the others on his crew, Tanin still used his original ID. The others could not. The crimes they’d been flagged for on Rik-Vane weren’t the kind of things that could be ignored. They weren’t just thieves or drug dealers. Well, they did do those things, but that was just a result of living on Rik-Vane, it wasn’t the real problem.

Their ID’s were all hot. All marked. If they were ever caught, they’d be sent to the deepest, darkest hole in the universe and never allowed to see the light of day again. They had all killed their old names, their old lives, when they agreed to follow Tanin. He’d purchased them the best new identities credz could buy, and with them a clean slate. Something that would allow them freedom and a chance at life off Rik-Vane.

All of them, except for himself.

Tanin’s ID didn’t have any marks on it. He had no flags on his record. Not because he was any better of a male than his crew.

He’d just never gotten caught.

So, sitting there, in front of a highly ranked peacekeeper, his only protection a soft little female he dearly wanted to fuck, he felt no fear at all. They could tear apart his history and record and they would find nothing. The others might not be able to sponsor the females, but he could. Tanin, with his spotless record, owner of a respectable business, had a sterling past. Officially, anyway.

Ikvar had nothing. He could do nothing but grumble and be mad. Garnet and Goldie had clearly won their argument with him, so he couldn’t force them away from him.

Part of Tanin would love to see him try though.

Ikvar’s tail was lashing. A clear sign of his anger. What they all couldn’t see was that Tanin’s tail was doing the same.

The appendage was laying down in a simple curl on the floor. It appeared perfectly still. But the sharp tip, behind one of the legs of his chair, was sweeping back and forth. The hard, pointed stinger at the end scratching at the floor below. He dearly wanted to drive it into the keeper’s eye for even daring to think he could take what was Tanin’s.

For both Garnet and Goldie belonged to him. They were his crew now, which meant they were his to claim and provide for and protect.

It was too late and if anyone tried to take Garnet from him now, they’d learn very quickly how he managed to keep his hands bloody and his record clean.

Those were such dangerous thoughts. He couldn’t let himself become this possessive of her. But like the request for them to join his crew, he knew it was a battle he was destined to lose. How could a male resist the obvious interest burning in her gaze as she stared at him like he was a morsel she dearly wanted to taste?

“A humble delivery male?” Ikvar sneered, sitting back.

Tanin put his hands back down, one of them caressing Garnet’s calf as he did. It was a quick movement, but it made her jolt, eyes darkening in approval. Sweet female. He was a dumbass, but she was precious.

“You will be watched,” Ikvar said, growling the threat. “The standard for humans leaving their planet is a check in every tenday for ten visits. You will have no less than twenty, and they will be random, so you will not know when they might happen or when they’ll stop.”

“Excessive, but if it helps you sleep at night, go ahead,” Tanin said, thoroughly distracted by the way that Garnet was using the toe of her shoe to rub along his knee. It was not sexual at all – except it was because it was tempting him in closer, promising more if he wished it.

“If we don’t hear from the females within half a day of the message being sent, I will send my warriors to check on them in person.”

“They have a standing invitation to come onto my ship,” he promised, not even looking at the obnoxious male any longer. He was totally distracted by Garnet and the way she was starting to part her thighs. Thanks to those shorts of hers, he already had a great view of her skin, but he couldn’t get tired of it. She wasn’t opening them fully though. Teasing him as she leaned back on her hands, like she might be opening herself to him. Making space for his head so he could tongue that needy cunt.

Or his hips, so he could thrust inside, fucking her until the table hit the wall and she was screaming for him. He bet she made such pretty screams.

Ikvar slammed his fist down on the table, making the females jump. Tanin turned his eyes to him, silently condemning the dramatic action.

“They are not your mate,” Ikvar reminded him with a snarl. “You are their sponsor, and only their sponsor.”

Tanin was unimpressed. “Are we done here? I have another job to get to on my list.”

Ikvar’s three eyes narrowed, annoyed, but Tanin could see Garnet trying to stifle a giggle. Tanin needed to put some space between them before he did something really stupid. Like take her up on her silent offer and destroy her only clothes in his efforts to get to her sweet center.

Ikvar was angry, but he had no further reason to question them. He did take his time finishing all the logistical tasks to get them ready to leave though.

Tanin was responsible for getting the females combots so that they could contact Ikvar themselves if necessary. Tanin was given two tendays to reach a station or planet to purchase the device or Ikvar would send his warriors to retrieve the females. Furthermore, Tanin would have to provide video proof within that same time period that he had procured everything the females would need, or Ikvar would send his warriors. If Ikvar contacted them and Tanin could not or would not produce the females and let them speak to him privately, he’d send warriors. If Ikvar thought either female was being harmed, taken advantage of, or neglected, he’d send warriors. There were a lot of warnings and all of them ended in the promise of warriors.

On one hand, Tanin was impressed at the levels they were willing to go to protect them. On the other, it was rather insulting because he knew no other sponsor was treated this way. Yet, he couldn’t even blame the male’s caution. Tanin knew he didn’t deserve them either.

But here was where they wanted to be. And damn if his crew didn’t enjoy their presence. There was just something lighter, happier in the air in the ship with them there. An inherent quality that females brought to a home or den, he figured.

When Tanin asked for something to treat subspace sickness, Ikvar actually gave it to him without any guff. Which was not really surprising, considering his obvious concern for them. However, the medicine came with a plethora of questions about his generator and shields and condemnations that he’d let them get so old and fall into such disrepair and didn’t he know if the crystals powering the generator died while he was in subspace, he could end up trapped there for eternity?

It was all very dramatic and annoying. But he got the medicine at the end of the lecture, and that’s all he really wanted.

With that and promises of warriors at his doors if the females so much as sneezed too hard and got a nosebleed, they were finally released to return to his ship. Tanin was trailing behind Garnet and Goldie, keeping an eye on them as they looked over the case full of pills. Taking one per day was the treatment for subspace sickness and it would alleviate the symptoms so long as they were in subspace. Goldie especially seemed interested.

Tanin would have to talk to Alred about setting her up with healing lessons. He was sure he could sign her up for a subnet course in the subject. Or steal the curriculum of one if they had to. She was already trained in healing animals. It wouldn’t be that much of a jump for her to start healing other species.

They were his crew now, and as much as it was their job to follow his orders, it was his job to help them bring out their full potential. Goldie had a lot thanks to her previous training.

And Garnet…

She sent him a grin over her sister’s shoulder as they were stepping back onto the Humility.

Garnet was just trouble.

“I have to go to the bridge,” he told them, manually closing the stowage bay door. “Sway and I will get us away from them. We’ll have another five days before we can jump again. We’re going to a space station where we can sell those gems, upgrade the ship’s shields, and buy you two new clothes.”

“I’ll get back to work then, boss man,” Garnet beamed.

“I’ll help,” Goldie piped up happily. She waved the pill case around. “After I put these in the medbay. I might start in there actually.”

“Go ahead,” Tanin agreed, pleased. She seemed to be drawn to the room on her own. That was even better for him. Just more proof that he should set her up with lessons. “I’ll contact you if I have a job for either of you. Until then, as you were.”

“Yes, captain!” Goldie smiled, putting her hand to her forehead for some odd reason.

“You got it, boss,” Garnet said, giving him a little smile. One that held promises he could in no way allow himself to indulge.

Ikvar was an ass, but he wasn’t wrong. They were his charges. He was their sponsor. He couldn’t let their relationship get complicated by introducing sex into it.

No matter how much he wanted to.