Breeder by Cara Bristol

stumbled, and upended the tart in front of an audience of two Alphas of the High Council and their betas. And now she’d been caught sleeping. “I did not mean to spill on Corren.” She wrung her hands.
    His chest rose and fell on a sigh. “You did nothing wrong. I intended for you to drop the tart. I just failed to anticipate it would land where it did.”
    Her jaw went the way of the pie. Corren frequently had caused her to blunder so he could punish her, but the Commander never had. When she had tripped over his foot, she’d assumed it was an accident on his part and clumsiness on hers. “Why?” The question burst out of her.
    His gaze lingered on her still-throbbing cheek. He touched the corner of her eye with a gentle finger and drew a line from her temple to her chin, lighting a trail of fire that continued to burn after he lowered his hand to his side.
    He twisted his mouth. “If you had spilled the tart, I could have ordered you to prepare another.”
    “B-But I didn’t have any more berries. I only picked enough for one tart.”
    A small smile touched his lips. “Then our guests would have been long gone by the time you finished, would they not?” He paused. “I did not want to share you with Marlix, Tarbek, or their betas.”
    A load lifted from her shoulders, leaving her giddy with euphoric relief. The instant she’d been informed she would be serving members of the High Council, she’d dreaded she would be offered for their use. While Tarbek had spared her little attention, she’d felt violated by Marlix’s and Urazi’s leers. She’d surmised as soon as dinner ended, the Alpha and his beta would pounce, an assumption verified by Veya’s compassionate glances. Why would he offer sympathy if she didn’t need it? Marlix, in particular, made her want to shrink inside herself. She feared him even more than Sival.
    “I regret you were victimized by my cowardice.” He brushed her cheek with his knuckles, bruised from striking Corren.
    He’d didn’t want to share her! He’d been trying to protect her. Her head whirled. “Not cowardice, Commander. Political diplomacy.”
    “You are kind.” Though he excelled at masking his emotion and he stood as tall and commanding as ever, an aura of defeat clung to him. She reached out and stroked his cheek. Roughened by the growth of beard, his skin bristled against her finger. Blue eyes blazed white. She yanked her hand away.
    A muscle twitched in his cheek. “Have you been impregnated?”
    A vacuum sucked the air from the room. Memories of their coupling filled the void. Pain, but mostly that odd tension, expectancy. Satisfaction and dissatisfaction both. A yearning. She shook her head. “I have not noticed any signs yet.”
    Again using a single finger, he traced her jaw before meandering an invisible path to her neck and collarbone. She did not understand why his nearness caused her belly to clench and her sex to grow wet and throb, only knew she wanted more , that more would somehow sate the hunger.
    But when she swayed toward him, he stepped out of reach, and fire froze to ice. “You may retire to your chamber.” He turned away.
    His rejection slapped her harder than Corren’s blow. The pressure of tears swelled in her face, and she prayed she could suppress them until she reached the privacy of her room. She rushed to the door.
    “But I hope you will remain.” Like pottery shattering on stone, he sounded rough and broken.
    “You want me to stay?” Blood rushed in her ears. She wasn’t sure she’d heard him.
    “Yes. But only if you choose. Do not remain because I am Alpha and I command it.” He executed a crisp and abrupt pivot. Muscles had tightened to close off his expression, making him appear hard, formidable, unapproachable, but a flicker in his gaze beseeched.
    Her mouth dried. “I want to.”
    “Be warned. I will take you. Like before.”
    “I want you to.”
    He closed the gap and captured her face between his palms. For the