The Captain’s ridiculously failed attempt to seduce her had only managed to ensure Alison would start laughing every time she saw him, and blush to the tips of her ears when she accidentally bumped into Thivo. She did her best to avoid the First Officer, which proved to be rather easy since he was avoiding her as well, but she used every excuse to see Ark as often as she could. He didn’t mind, at first, but once he realized it was impossible to have any sort of serious conversation with her, he turned into the grumpiest man on The Hesperia. Mischievous as she was, Allie had made it her mission to let his grumpiness reach the highest levels before mellowing up to him, lifting herself on her tiptoes, and placing a quick kiss on his pouty lips. That always did the trick.
“Human women are the strangest creatures in the Universe,” was the mantra Allie would hear Ark mumble under his breath.
Three days had passed since the sex slaves disaster, as Allie called it. She was still hanging around with Shirin, but the Second Officer refused to reveal what she was working on for the Captain. The suspense was killing Alison! Fortunately, Kimmy and Skippy kept her busy, and she’d also resumed the hobbies she used to have on Old Earth. Painting in oil was one of them, and even though the materials she managed to manifest weren’t exactly what she needed, she made them work. Now, besides the bedroom and the bathroom, her quarters also had a workshop where she spent hours painting and writing in her journal. When she got bored of these two activities, she manifested music blasting through the walls, and tried to dance to it, which proved to be quite impossible. The Unxendi music had nothing in common with her favorite pop songs. At best, she could sway back and forth on the soft, etheric tones, or shake all she had while singing at the top of her lungs the songs she could remember. She had never had the best singing voice, but she also didn’t care whether anyone could hear her. They could kiss her sexy, bouncy booty if they didn’t like it.
Three days, and Allie was dying of curiosity. What would Ark’s next step be? Would Shirin actually come up with a valid idea? By now, Allie had figured out the Unxendi had no clue how dating worked for her species. They could read and research for as long as they wanted. It would still be useless. They lacked the understanding of the information they found, and she had no intention of helping Shirin, nor Ark. She was having too much fun. However, when someone from the House Keeping Staff knocked on her door after lunch and delivered a fancy package, Alison pouted in disappointment.
“Damn it. She figured it out.”
She placed it on her bed and started unwrapping it. The second he heard the sound of torn wrapping paper, Skippy jumped to his short, fluffy feet, blinked his constant sleepiness away, and ran to see whether there was something new to munch on. Soon, he was all tangled up in silk ribbons and pulling at a corner of the box with his sharp teeth to claim it as his new bed.
“Shoo! Bad Skippy! It’s not yours, let go.”
Allie grabbed Skippy and threw him on the pillows, then removed the last of the wrapping paper to reveal the most amazing evening dress she had ever seen. It made sense. Such a long and deep box could only contain a gown. She carefully took it out and held it in front of her to study it in the tall mirror.
“I’ll be damned…”
Gray, shiny silk, delicate straps, and hundreds of small stones covering the chest and half of the skirt… They could only be diamonds. On the other hand, the silk might not have been silk, and the diamonds might not have been diamonds, but they surely resembled the fabric and stones found on Old Earth. The skirt had a long cut on the left leg, and Allie was sure it would leave nothing to the imagination.
“What’s he up to?”
She spun in delight, and studied every inch of the noble garment.
“I can’t even imagine the shoes that could work with this. Sandals, maybe?”
Her taste in fashion was good, but not that good. The beauty of the dress overwhelmed her and turned her mind blank when she tried to come up with ideas of shoes, lingerie, and accessories which might go with it. Just as she was thinking there was no way she could manifest something to do it justice, a second knock on the door made her pulse race.
Another member of the House Keeping Staff presented her with a slightly smaller box. Fortunately, Skippy was too busy with the first box to pay attention to the new one. It wasn’t as impressive as the long, large one, anyway, so he didn’t make a move when Allie unwrapped it.
“Oh, wow!”
Ark had chosen sandals for her. High-heeled, strappy, silvery, and covered in the same diamond-like stones as the dress. She cocked an eyebrow and put them on. They were perfect. Now, for the dress. Before removing her blue jeans and T-shirt, she smiled to herself, crossed her arms over her chest, and waited. Sure enough, a third knock on the door followed.
“Thought so.”
The next box was even smaller, and it contained the most exquisite set of lingerie. She had owned one Christian Lacroix piece and a couple of Agent Provocateur sets back on Earth, but they were nothing like the lacy bra and the tiny panties she was currently holding with extreme care. She felt like if she pulled at them in the wrong way, they would rip. The bra was so delicate that she couldn’t imagine how it could ever hold her big, heavy breasts.
“Shirin, darling, I don’t know what Cosmopolitan articles you’ve read, but you nailed it.”
A fourth knock on the door startled her. She hadn’t expected another present, but then again… it wasn’t like she had any adequate accessories. This time, the box was so small that it fit in her palm. It contained a pair of delicate earrings, and Allie had to agree Ark knew his stuff. Either he, or Shirin. The whole outfit was so impressive that wearing more than just a pair of tiny diamond earrings would have ruined it.
She bit her lip, waited for ten minutes, then decided it was safe to go take a scented bath. Skippy happily followed her into the bathroom and took his favorite spot on the sink, from where he could supervise the entire endeavor he was so unused to and curious about. Watching Allie bathe was one of the most exciting activities his new life on board of a spaceship provided.
“Don’t you think it’s strange?” she addressed the fluff ball while playing with soap bubbles. “Why send four presents separately, but in the span of less than an hour? Why not send them all at once?” She laughed. “He found a strategy that works, but he has no patience to take his time with it.”
She wondered what would happen next. Some sort of party or ball? Maybe a romantic dinner? She could easily imagine the bar turned into a luxurious restaurant, and them being the only ones in the room. They would occupy the round table closest to the large window through which they could watch the dance of colors as The Hesperia rushed through hyperspace. The weird Unxendi music would play softly, enveloping them in peace and warmth. She would feel safe. Yes, as she let her body sink and relax under the hot water and shimmery bubbles, Alison knew she’d feel safe with Arkvar if only he managed to show real understanding of who she was and where she came from.
He had said they were twin flames. Allie vaguely remembered reading some articles about twin flames, but the only thing she had understood then was that a twin flame was more important and had a bigger impact than a soul mate. Apparently, a person could have more soul mates in the span of his or her life, but just one twin flame. While soul mates appeared in someone’s life to teach them a lesson and help them gain experience and evolve, a twin flame was that forever person to whom one felt completely connected on the spirit level. In truth, it was all too complicated for Alison. She had to admit she hadn’t done her homework. The concept of twin flames had never been very popular on Earth. In literature, for instance, especially romance novels, soul mates were the main focus, and the idea of twin flames was almost non-existent.
“Details,” Allie whispered as she got out of the hot water and grabbed a big, fluffy towel.
For now, there was no reason to worry about differences between twin flames and soul mates. None of that mattered. She smiled to herself in the mirror, took a couple of deep breaths, and decided it was time to relax and simply enjoy the moment. Ark had sent her some impressive gifts, and she knew he had prepared something very special. All she had to do was make herself pretty, get dressed, and wait for all the good stuff to come to her. For the first time in her life, Alison felt like she didn’t have to struggle to get what she wanted. The feeling of ease and excitement that came with this realization took her by surprise and enveloped her whole being. As she applied her makeup, she started laughing with joy.
“This is good,” she told herself. “This is very good. And why not? I deserve all of it. I deserve pretty dresses, I deserve being pampered, and the ability to manifest pretty much anything I can think of… It’s time to stop questioning all these changes and just take things as they are.”
Of course, there was still the problem of what would happen once they reached the Council and the Captain’s superiors would be faced with the fact that he had broken the rules and brought a Terran female with him, but those were worries for some other time. After all, Allie had no way to influence the outcome of Ark’s decisions, so there was no point in even thinking about it. It was strange how surrendering her own fate, life and future to someone else, to aliens, didn’t feel quite as threatening as Allie might have thought just about two weeks ago. Back on Old Earth, relinquishing control would have driven her insane with fear and insecurities, but here, on board of an alien spaceship which was taking her to God knew where, giving up control felt like sweet relief. She didn’t have to worry about anything. She only had to be.
Approximately one hour later in Terran time, Alison was ready for whatever was to come. She sheer adrenaline and excitement coursing through her body were enough to make her shake with impatience. There was no way she could stand still and wait. However, she didn’t want to contact Ark telepathically, either. She paced the room frantically, only stopping to scratch Skippy between the ears. She had managed to convince Kimmy to give her a break this one time, and the Kidem had actually listened to her. The scarf-like alien creature was currently lounging in the box Skippy had claimed as his new home, but left behind to enjoy his ear scratching. When the fluff ball saw what Kimmy was doing behind his back. He forgot all about Allie’s magical fingers and attacked the Kidem with his sharp, tiny teeth. Allie rolled her eyes and let them be.
When it finally came, the soft knock on the door startled her and sent a nauseating rush of nervousness right to her core. She wiped her sweaty palms on the bed sheets before opening the door. There was no way she’d risk ruining the dress.
“Captain,” she whispered.
The complete sentence she had prepared to greet him vanished into thin air. Her vocal chords refused to form any other words.
“Alison.” He acknowledged her simply.
There was something about him. His strong features, his straight, rigid posture… Usually, he was so goofy and laid-back, but now the look in his dark blue eyes was demanding, and his crisp black uniform made him look more imposing than ever.
Allie didn’t have time to analyze the changes in his demeanor. Ark produced a satin scarf from his pocket, and when he held it up and ordered her to turn around and close her eyes, Allie understood it was a blindfold. His voice was deep and husky. Despite her better judgment, all she could do was follow his lead as she swallowed hard and did her best to control the rush of a whole new spectrum of emotions she had never experienced before.
“Oh, you’re serious about this,” she said softly, as he tied the blindfold around her head.
Her remark was met with silence. When she felt his warm hand press against her lower back, she started walking in the direction he was imposing. A thousand thoughts ran through her mind, but her own excitement and curiosity to see what he had prepared for her were so overwhelming that she couldn’t voice any of them.
They walked for what felt like forever, and when they finally reached their destination and Ark opened the door for her, Allie was more aroused than she’d ever thought possible. Other than keeping his palm on her back, he hadn’t touched her. He hadn’t said anything, nor tried to enter her personal space. So, why was she dripping wet with desire? Because she was unable to see, all her other senses were on high alert. The second she stepped into the room, she could tell it was much smaller than the one he’d taken her to the first time he’d tried to woo her. It was also darker, warmer, and smelled of leather rather than incense.
He closed the door behind them, and Allie smiled thinking it was time to remove the blindfold. She felt him step up behind her, and she knew his tall, muscular frame was towering over her. She gasped when instead of removing the satin scarf, Ark pressed his palms on her shoulders and pushed her to her knees.
“What the…”
Her hands flew to get rid of the offending scarf, but Ark was quick to catch her wrists, bend them behind her back, and secure them with what felt like cuffs.
“Arkvar, I’m not sure I like this… What are you doing?”
She struggled to keep calm and reassure herself she was safe. She was his twin flame, right? He wouldn’t do anything to hurt her.
“You’ll like it soon enough.”
He spoke in that low, purely masculine voice which made Allie’s core throb against her will. She opened her mouth to say something, but the wind was knocked out of her when he roughly pushed her to the floor. At least, the floor seemed to be covered in something soft and pleasant to the touch. Gladly, it didn’t hurt when she found herself face-first in a pillow that smelled like crisp leather. With her hands cuffed behind her back and Ark holding her down, it was hard for Allie to move. She would’ve fought him, but she had no clue about what was happening and whether it was a good idea to start kicking him with her legs and elbows. This still had a chance to go in a surprisingly desirable direction, right?
Her patience and self-control went out all Herperian windows and right into hyperspace when Allie felt Ark gently pull up her skirt to reveal her round, mostly bare bum.
“Okay, what’s happening? Arkvar, it’s time to drop the act and just tell me what you intend to do. This stopped being interesting or funny a long time ago.”
She wanted to add that if he refused to tell her, she’d start kicking and thrashing, but a sharp smack to her left cheek replaced the words with a shocked yelp. He hadn’t even used his palm, but something thin and leathery, like a belt or a whip.
“What the hell?!” She cried in her head. “No, no, no. Shirin, what in God’s name did you read?”
The second lick of the leathery torture instrument against her tender skin was so painful that she couldn’t even scream. Her mouth opened in a surprised “oh”, but not a sound came out.
Suddenly, clarity flooded her mind, and Alison realized if she didn’t do something drastic, Ark would keep spanking her out of some stupid misunderstanding she couldn’t even try to imagine right now. It only took a fraction of a second for her to let down all her walls and allow him to read her thoughts. Through sheer will, she reached him telepathically and pushed her complete refusal to partake in whatever he thought he was doing in his head. The effect was immediate.
Ark dropped the whip, rearranged her dress, then quickly removed the cuffs and blindfold.
“I’m so sorry. I’m so, so terribly sorry. You have no idea. I thought… I honestly thought you’d like this.”
Allie pushed herself back to her feet, refusing his help. Her hands flew to her temples as she finally got the chance to look around the room and take in everything that was crammed in there.
The centerpiece was a four-poster covered in black satin sheets. The sole purpose of all the walls and cabinets was to display a ridiculous array of whips, handcuffs, blindfolds, ball gags, dildos, vibrators, anal plugs, and many other sex toys and BDSM accessories Allie didn’t even recognize.
“Shirin said…” Ark tried again. “No, forget about it. I read the books myself. I thought this was what you wanted. What all the females on Old Terra wanted.”
He motioned to a weird device hanging from the ceiling. It was made of sturdy straps, and Allie eventually identified it as a sex swing. She ran her hands through her perfect blonde curls, then all over her face, not caring she was ruining her makeup. Rubbing her eyes and massaging her temples helped her relax and think.
“What the hell did you guys read? What is this? Some sort of torture room?”
“A playroom. It’s supposed to be a playroom.”
“Why would you…? I don’t… I don’t even. I’m sorry, I’m at a loss for words. The sex slaves were something, but this… this… My butt hurts so bad!” She rubbed at the sore skin through her dress, unsuccessfully trying to alleviate the pain. “Why on anything that is holy would you ever think I’d like to be spanked?”
“Fifty… Fifty Shades of Grey. It’s one of your favorite books, right?”
Allie’s blue eyes grew wider than ever before. She stared at him like he was from another galaxy, which he was, so… the comparison wasn’t really a stretch. For a few seconds, she didn’t know how to react. She wasn’t sure whether she wanted to punch him, scream at him, or grab the whip, pull his pants down, and give him a taste of his own fifty-shades-of-fucked medicine. Eventually, she settled for laughing her head off.
For the second time in the short span of three days, Allie doubled back and held her tummy as she laughed so hard that the entire Hesperia could probably hear her.
Needless to say, that made Ark blush an angry hue of ink blue up to the tips of his ears. He cleared his throat, dug his hands into the pockets of his uniform, and awkwardly waited for Allie to get it out of her system. His second attempt at showing his twin flame he was the right mate for her had obviously failed. Even more epically than the first one. For the life of him, however, he couldn’t understand why. He had read the books himself. The entire trilogy. Fifty Shades of Grey, Fifty Shades Darker, and Fifty Shades Freed. Shirin had even managed to find the two movies made after the first books, and he had watched them together with her and Thivo. The playroom was the result of the ideas and suggestions the three of them had found in the movies and books. He knew for a fact that Alison had read the trilogy at least twice, so her current reaction was beyond him.
“I’m sorry,” she said between shallow breaths, “This is just fifty shades of silly.”
“I don’t understand,” he tried again, timidly. “It was a bestseller. All human females loved it. You loved it so much, you read it twice. Shirin researched the concept of ‘book boyfriends’ thoroughly, and she concluded that all women who read romance had at least a dozen. Christian Grey came out on top.”
Allie caught his gaze. Her eyes were filled with mirth, and this time the situation was so ridiculous that no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t feel sympathy for him.
“The dress, the shoes… everything so sparkly and fancy… your A-hole attitude… You were pulling a Christian Grey on me.”
She laughed, took a couple of steps back to find something to lean her weight on, and yelped in pain when her red bum hit the edge of a table.
“Auch!”
“I… I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
The thought that he had done something which had made Allie uncomfortable was killing him inside. She was in pain because of him, and that was much worse than his wounded ego. Ark wanted to rush to her side, take her in his arms and soothe her, but she didn’t look like she wanted to be touched by him any time soon. He bit the inside of his lip and tried to keep it together. He had screwed up. Again. His twin flame would never want to have anything to do with him. She wouldn’t trust him a third time, that was for sure.
“It’s fine, don’t worry about it.”
“You’re in pain.”
She waved him off.
“Honestly, it was worth it. When you give me such a good laugh, it’s easy to forgive you.”
She smirked, then smoothed down her slightly crumpled dress and approached him seductively. As she stood in front of him, she lifted her head to look him straight in the eyes, and placed a small, tender hand on his big chest.
“Captain, I never wanted to be the one to give you this bad news, but I see no other way. It is time.”
Ark took a sharp intake of breath and steeled himself for what was to come.
“You know nothing about Old Earth. Or human women.” She sighed dramatically. Deep down, she hoped he could take a joke. Messing with him was too entertaining to refuse herself the unique opportunity. “It seems I have to do all the work. Are you ready for a real lesson in seduction?”
He gulped and nodded. This was no time to play Alpha and show stubbornness in doing things his way. Or, actually, the human way, but through his Unxendi perspective.
“Yes, Fifty Shades is one of my favorite books, and I’ve been known to have a fantasy or two about Christian Grey, but that doesn’t mean I’d ever want him for a boyfriend. If a guy made it his mission to stalk me like that, I’d restriction-order his ass in minutes.”
Ark wasn’t sure what “restriction-order one’s ass” meant, and he figured it was better not to find out. Ever. So, he kept silent.
“This is what we’re going to do…”
As the words left her lips, Allie let down her walls again. She went back to the romantic date she had imagined two hours before, while soaking in the hot tub, and made sure Ark could see every detail through her eyes. There was no way he would misunderstand a thing of what she was showing him when she offered him full access to her mind and emotions. The feelings of joy, attraction, and safety were the most important bits, so she lingered on them, allowing him to feel every rush of excitement and flutter of nervousness as if they were his. The effect was instantaneous.
Ark leaned in and captured her lips in a passionate, demanding kiss. She parted her lips to give him access, letting out a small moan which went straight to his cock. He grew so hard that it was impossible to hide his erection through his uniform pants, but since Allie was kissing him back just as fiercely, he realized he didn’t care if she saw just how much she aroused him. The sheer power she had on him was mind-blowing, and a little scary. No other woman had messed with his head and emotions like Allie did on a daily basis. For the first time, he was thankful for the walls she kept in place. If he had access to her thoughts constantly, he would be a lost man.
“Whoa there cowboy,” she pushed him away gently. “Patience is a virtue.”
He got a small glimpse of what a cowboy was before she raised her walls again, and the image left him confused. He didn’t dress like that. Why would she call him a cowboy? Also, why would a man ever herd cows?
“I believe you know what you have to do.” She cleared her throat and composed herself. “I’ll leave you to it. Now, please excuse me as I go tend to my sore backside.”
Her last words stabbed him right through the heart. Deep regret was painted all over his features.
“You’re adorable.”
She laughed, then pecked his cheek and walked out of the playroom, leaving him alone and hard as hell, surrounded by whips and dildos.