Zentara Bound: M/M Alien Romance: The Zentara Mates Series, #2

By Zia Quinn

After being kidnapped by an alien race called the Ghovik, Parker Reid is battered and bruised and awaiting his turn on the auction block on Bengus-6. He's been separated from his friends, and his friend Harry never made it to Bengus-6 at all—he was whisked off in a shuttle by one of the Ghovik. Desperate to find his friends and escape the slave market, Parker is drawn to a tall, blue alien with a mane of blue hair. He's dark, dangerous, and so hot Parker can't look away. And he can't suppress his powerful desire—or the strange pull that draws him to the alien with a potent, irresistible force.

 

Zhor, the big, blue-skinned Zentaran captain of the pirate spaceship Corsair, has just received word of a disabled freighter ripe for scavenging. But as he passes the slave market on the way to his ship, he feels an inexplicable desire for a pathetic human about to be auctioned off. He tries to ignore it, but he can't walk away. The pull is too strong. So he buys the poor creature to keep him safe, thinking he can simply set him free.

 

But he didn't plan on the new slave technology—a control tag that compels the slave to fulfill his master's every unspoken desire. The word rhuza enters Zhor's mind, the Zentaran belief in two soulpieces finding each other. But there is no such thing as rhuzas. There's only the control tag. And Zhor can't deny the strength of his desire. The only thing he can do is get the human off his ship as soon as they land.

 

Too bad Parker has been voted onto the crew, has located one of his friends, and has discovered a cargo aboard the freighter that changes their entire mission from a simple salvage job to something that could get them all killed…

 

Reader note: contains gay Sci-Fi Romance, alpha aliens, and a happily ever after

• Language: English
• Publisher: Wolf Hill Publishing
• Release date: Jul 29, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223079712

Book preview

PROLOGUE

Parker Reid’s heart pounded as he gazed around in terror at the cold, dim interior of the alien spaceship. The small area reeked of the tall, black-furred creatures who’d kidnapped him and his five friends from the woods on the Oregon coast.

The creatures had them lined up along one curved black wall. None of them dared move; they only glanced at each other, wide-eyed.

Parker’s voice cracked as he spoke. Where are you taking us?

The creatures didn’t respond. One of them bound Parker’s hands in front of him with thick metal cuffs. The thing was inhumanly strong. It clamped a metal collar around Parker’s neck and threw him to the floor.

He watched uselessly as the creatures collared and cuffed his friends. They didn’t chain them up, which was at least something. Parker gazed around looking for a way out.

A good haul. The creature’s voice was a low, gravelly rumble. Six Humans at once.

Very fortunate, another replied.

The captain will be pleased.

The foul-smelling creatures move about the area, making some kind of preparations, but Parker wasn’t seeing any way out.

Then the creatures blinked out of sight.

They simply vanished. As if by magic.

Parker glanced around in confusion. How are they doing that?

I don’t know. His friend Will tried to raise his large, stocky form off the floor with his hands clamped together in the metal cuffs. But we should make a run for it.

If any of them were strong enough—and ballsy enough—to break out, it was Will.

But he didn’t get a chance to try. A loud whirring sound surrounded them as the ship’s engines powered up. Wide windows materialized in the curved black walls, giving them a view of the wooded clearing outside.

Parker’s stomach lurched as the ship started to rise through the trees.

Holy crap, we’re taking off. Michael’s soft voice trembled as he spoke. He was an artist, the sensitive type. Parker could only imagine how terrified he must be.

Parker moved toward the window, his friends close behind. The ground fell away so fast he thought he might be sick. Then they were rushing through thick white clouds, going straight up.

Miles, please tell me this is one of your pranks, Simon said.

Miles had micro-dosed them all with psilocybin at the company’s team-building retreat last summer, which had been hilarious.

This was not that.

It’s not me, Miles whispered. I think I’m going to be sick.

The ship started to shake, shuddering as if it were about to break up. Parker and his friends fell into each other, unable to keep their balance in the turbulence.

As they rose above the clouds, the sky began to darken. Parker could barely breathe. He felt glued to the floor, as if he weighed a thousand pounds and had an elephant sitting on his chest. A red sheen began flickering over the outer surface of the windows as they broke through the Earth’s atmosphere.

Then suddenly, it was over. The ship stopped shaking. The elephant on his chest disappeared. Everything was still and quiet.

There was nothing out the windows but darkness.

Darkness and the white pinpricks of stars.

They were in space.

Oh my God, Parker muttered as he got to his feet. At the other end of the window, the Earth hung suspended in the darkness, blue and green and swirled with white clouds, growing smaller as they watched.

No one said a word.

As they changed course, the gray moon appeared beside the Earth, rapidly becoming as small as a pebbles behind them.

Where the hell are we going? Will took a step toward Parker, then he jerked back like a dog at the end of a leash. He cried out in pain and fell to his knees, grasping his collar with his cuffed hands.

One of the creature’s deep voices came to them from seemingly out of nowhere, a deep invisible rumble. Cease moving. Cease speaking.

Parker looked around, but he couldn’t find the source of the voice.

Will let go of the collar, suddenly freed from whatever it had been doing to him. He fell to his side, gasping for breath like a dying man.

Will! Are you OK? Miles dropped down beside him, then he, too, cried out and clutched his collar, gasping for breath.

Cease moving! Cease speaking! Do not make us punish you again!

Parker glanced at his friends. None of them moved except to gaze nervously at each other in silence. Then the attack on Miles ended, and he lay still, his long red hair in disarray as he caught his breath.

Prepare for hyperjump, one of the creatures said in its gravelly, invisible voice. Sector gru-4-9-36, subsector hra-hra-256 by hra-tru-625 by pri-tru-16.

Preparing for jump.

Execute jump.

Executing jump.

Parker’s chest felt tight and his ears popped as the ship made a strange noise. Then the sensation disappeared.

So had the Earth. It was just…gone.

Jump complete.

Parker and his friends gazed nervously at each other. Miles sat up and pushed his hair out of his face. He wrapped his arms around his knees and kept his eyes down on the floor. Parker wanted to go him, but he was too afraid of whatever the hell the collars were doing to them.

Status of the captives? one of the creatures asked.

They all appear healthy, another replied. They will make perfect breeding slaves.

The large one will breed many healthy new slaves.

Parker glanced around at his friends. Breeding slaves?

Miles nudged Harry’s leg. How can we understand their language? he whispered.

Harry glared at him. Really? That’s what stands out to you in all this?

I mean, it doesn’t seem realistic.

But you can suspend disbelief for invisible alien bigfoots with spaceships.

The ship suddenly lurched to one side and started to shake. Parker fell to his side on the floor, his friends tumbling and sliding into him.

Something flew past the window.

Another ship.

Remain still, the unseen creatures ordered. We are under attack by the ISF. We must evade capture.

What the hell is the ISF? Miles asked.

Parker shrugged and shook his head. Do you think they’re trying to rescue us?

Who would even know we’re here? Harry said.

Maybe this ISF knows the bigfoots are trafficking slaves. Maybe they’re like the intergalactic FBI. Parker knew it was stupid as soon as he said it, but he was desperate to stay positive.

Or maybe they want a cut of the action, Harry replied.

The ship continued to shake. Parker tried to get his balance, then noticed something on the other side of the ship.

An image began to flicker on and off.

A few moments later, he realized what it was. The aliens flying the ship were flickering in and out of sight. Whatever their invisibility tech was, it was breaking down.

A moment later, they became fully visible and stayed that way.

Several of the black furry creatures stood at controls that seemed to hover in the air. Others sat at mechanical controls like those in a plane. The way they darted around in panic was not at all reassuring.

Parker’s breath caught as a massive ship appeared outside the big windows beside them. It was so enormous he couldn’t see it all.

Bright beams of light began shooting at them.

The black-furred aliens shouted orders and looked even more frantic. Some of them seemed to be returning fire. Others just stared motionless at the ship outside.

They’re gonna kill us, Michael cried out.

Better than being a breeding slave, Will shouted back.

One of the creatures left his controls and lunged for Harry. He grabbed him around the waist and darted off toward one of the walls of the ship.

Parker leaped for the creature. Put him down!

Harry kicked and punched at it, but a second later he stiffened, grabbing his collar and making horrible gasping sounds that made Parker’s guts churn.

Cease moving! the creature barked. The Interstellar Forces will not claim all my profits! It hit something on the wall, and a hatch opened to what looked like a cockpit. A shuttle of some kind? Or an escape pod?

The alien dragged Harry through the hatch and threw him onto the floor.

Then the hatch closed behind them.

CHAPTER ONE

Where is he taking Harry?

Miles was at Parker’s side, nearly crashing into him as the ship shuddered and rocked.

Parker shook his head. I don’t know. He squeezed his hands into fists to keep them from shaking and tried to draw courage from his friends’ faces. But no one had any to spare.

The beam of light from the huge ISF ship surrounded them completely, and a loud, whining roar made Parker’s head feel ready to explode. He clapped his hands to his ears, but it did no good.

What’s happening? Michael called out from behind him. Are they shooting at us?

Parker glanced out the window. Their smaller craft jostled and jerked as the ISF ship drew them closer with the beam of light. A large bay yawned open on the larger ship, and the light drew their tiny vessel toward it with inescapable strength, sucking them up like a vacuum.

Parker’s stomach lurched, and he braced himself against one of the smooth black walls as their entire ship was dragged inside.

As quickly as the roaring sound had begun, it was gone.

Everything was suddenly deathly still.

The bigfoots sat or stood at their controls, gazing at the tall black creature who appeared to be their captain.

Remain calm, it said. I shall negotiate with the ISF for our release and the release of our captives.

At the mention of the word negotiate, Parker saw his chance.

Negotiations. He put on his marketing manager smile and tried not to sound as if he was about to piss his pants. What an excellent idea.

He stepped toward the captain, offering his hand to shake. My name is Parker Reid. And I have an idea that’s just what you need.

The captain studied him dubiously, not shaking his hand. You have nothing to negotiate with, Human. Cease speaking.

Parker smiled. The tight, silent expression of the bigfoot captain was hard to read, but the creature hadn’t zapped him, and he hadn’t said no. Parker had piqued his curiosity.

Parker continued to smile at him.

What do you propose? it growled.

Let my friends go. Give them up to the ISF so they can be returned to Earth. In exchange, I’ll stay here. You can keep me, sell me, whatever you need.

His friends began shouting behind him.

No way, Parker!

That’s not gonna happen.

We’re not letting you do that.

The bigfoot captain studied him for another moment, then shook his head. No. We will not lose all our profits to the ISF.

"All your profits? You think they’ll let you keep any of your stolen goods? They’re just going to arrest you, maybe confiscate your ship. If you’re going to negotiate, you’ve gotta give them something. Give them the humans. Let them claim victory for their valiant rescue."

The captain seemed to consider Parker’s words.

Parker didn’t let him say no. In return, they let you and your crew go on your way. Tell them I’m part of your crew—maybe I’m your Human liaison down on Earth. So when they let you go, I go with you. Then you’ll still have one Human to sell. Which is a hundred percent more profit than zero humans.

The bigfoot thought about it a moment. You must want something besides the release of your friends. No Human is that selfless.

I want to know where your guy took my other friend in that shuttle.

Parker, you can’t do this, Simon said. This is madness. Just let the ISF arrest them and rescue us! Harry, too!

Parker ignored him. He wasn’t about to leave these furry bastards until they told him where they’d taken Harry.

Harry had been his best friend since the tenth grade. Parker couldn’t leave him out there, wherever the hell out there was.

The bigfoot captain gazed at Parker silently. Parker could see in his eyes that he was ready to buy. Time for the call to action.

Now, get rid of these cuffs and this collar, set me up by those controls, and I’m all yours.

With a snort of displeasure, the captain waved a hand at one of his men, and it removed his collar and cuffs. A sick feeling twisted inside him as the bigfoots glared at him with dark, beady eyes. He had a sinking feeling that he’d just made the biggest mistake of his life.

The sound of the hatch opening made him turn. An armed squadron of soldiers rushed into the small ship, big, strange-looking weapons drawn while a commander shouted orders. Parker swallowed hard as the soldiers surrounded them.

On behalf of the ISF, one of them shouted, I am here to take custody of the crew and any prisoners you may have.

Parker gaped at the man. The soldier was Human.

The bigfoot captain rose, speaking in a voice that grated over Parker’s nerves. We have no prisoners. We are engaged in legitimate trade.

The soldier gazed at the bigfoot in disbelief. Trading Humans?

The bigfoot scoffed. They are passengers only. Your bumbling attempt at diplomacy has left them shaken. You will be reported to the commerce minister the moment you leave.

The ISF officer motioned to his men. Collect the Humans and place the captain and crew under arrest.

Wait. The bigfoot captain took a step forward. Perhaps we can find a solution that will benefit us both.

The ISF leader held up his hand to stop his men in their tracks. Go on.

Take the Humans. But leave my crew.

And why would I do that?

The bigfoot captain took another step closer. Rescuing four Humans? It would earn you much recognition, wouldn’t it, lieutenant? Perhaps even another set of bars on your shoulder.

The lieutenant gazed at him a moment. I already have the Humans, and a crew of slavers as well.

Then perhaps your goals are more…commercial, the bigfoot went on.

The officer’s gaze narrowed. Are you offering me a bribe?

Of course not. I’m merely suggesting an opening to our negotiations. Someone stands to make a good deal of money on the Humans. Why should it not be us?

A wave of fear washed over Parker as he watched their exchange. Was the ISF lieutenant on the take? How did a Human wind up here in the first place? Something was going on he couldn’t quite follow, but it was nothing good.

The silence seemed to stretch forever as the two leaders eyed each other.

Finally, the ISF officer motioned his men forward.

Take custody of the Humans and arrest the crew, he ordered. Then he turned to the bigfoot captain. Have your men stand down.

We will surrender. But that Human at the controls is not a passenger. He is one of my crew. He stays with us.

Parker’s blood began to pound. He swallowed hard. He couldn’t let them take him before the bigfoot captain told him where to find Harry.

The ISF soldiers began handcuffing the bigfoots with what looked like ribbons of light controlled by something on the soldiers’ arms.

Then one of the soldiers came for him.

This one wasn’t Human. He was thin and wrinkled, like a brown skeleton made of twigs, with big, round red eyes. Parker didn’t fight him as he cuffed Parker’s hands behind his back with twiglike fingers that were surprisingly strong.

A strange buzzing sensation began at Parker’s wrists. The soldier grabbed him by the shoulder and shoved him hard toward the hatch.

As he passed the bigfoot captain, he said. And my friend Harry? Where did your guy take him?

The captain turned to him as two soldiers handcuffed him with the glowing ribbons of light. A cruel smile curved his lips. I have no idea.

* * *

Zhor, captain of the Corsair, had been on Bengus-6 for weeks. He was getting antsy on this shithole on the ass-edge of the outer hub planets. And so were his men.

The crew loved a good shore leave. Particularly on Bengus-6, where whatever they wanted could be had—for a price. And given that Zhor was one of the savviest salvager captains working the outer hub, his men always had enough to pay whatever price was asked.

Usually.

Things had been rough lately.

The men were getting tired of taverns and brothels and opium joints and cage fights. Idle hands and all that. They wanted to get back to making money.

Hunkered down in a corner booth of the smoky, dimly lit gin hall, lost in his thoughts, Zhor took another sip of the overpriced swill. He was drunk. Drunk and heading toward maudlin.

He’d lost out on the last three ships they’d found, disabled out beyond the safety of the central hub planets. They usually had no trouble being the first ship to a job, and if not the first, then the most frightening. But losing out on three in a row?

It was that son of a bitch, Wora Kob. Barely out of diapers and