Chapter Sixteen
They walked from the women’s residence to the next corner and down a tree-lined street to his home. The outside was the same white stone façade as the other buildings in town, his with swirls of steel blue and without the columns and scrollwork like the capital center. They entered through a gated courtyard with a landscape of colorful trees, low-lying shrubs, and blooming flowers to make the cold stone more inviting. Maggie didn’t think she’d ever get used to blue bushes and fuchsia bark on the trees, but she did spy what looked like a rose bush with normal deep-red buds, at least from her earthling perspective.
She stopped and studied it, finding the petals as soft as the Earth version, which made her wonder if the fragrance was similar, too. While bending to inhale, something landed with a thud and a loud wail in the flower bed at her feet.
Startled, she jumped back, bumping into Roth as she eyed the golden-furred, blue-eyed creature staring up at her. When it let out another mournful wail, she flinched. It was huge, weighing at least fifty pounds, and after flicking its tail back and forth a few times, it began to rub up against her legs.
“Is that a cat?”
“It’s a purrada.” Roth bent and scooped it up in his arms, hefting it easily. Apparently familiar with him, the big ball of fur raised its chin for a scratch, purring as loudly as any contented Earth tabby would.
“It sounds like a cat.” Tentatively, she reached out to pet it then stopped suddenly and stared from the animal to the man holding it. “Wait, isn’t that what you’ve been calling me?”
“Meet Precious. She belongs to the mated couple who reside on the floor below me. She’s sweet, but when thwarted, has razor-sharp claws.”
She arched her brow at him, not appreciating the analogy.
He grinned. “She’s also soft, golden, and enjoys being petted, and if you stroke the right spot, she purrs. Listen.” He fell silent, and the loud, rumbling sound was very distinct. “She’s a lot like someone else I know.”
“I do not purr. And I don’t look at all like that cat.” She crossed her arms and eyed the large furball. “She’s fat. Are you saying I’m fat?”
Chuckling softly, he dropped the animal, who landed on her feet. She promptly glanced back at Maggie with an affronted look, and with her tail swishing high in the air, walked away.
“Poor purrada, you’ve insulted her. Neither of you is fat. She’s of average size, and you, my mate, would do well to eat more.”
He caught her hand in his and pulled her along the walkway, his long strides making her hurry to keep up.
“What’s the rush?” she asked breathlessly, “I wanted to ask about the garden.” But he didn’t slow as he led her beneath an archway, also stone, and through the unlocked front door. The last surprised her, so she forgot her other questions. “You don’t lock your doors?”
“What would be the need?” he replied. The hand, riding low on her back, guided her into a lift. “Four,” he said, low.
“Pardon?”
“The lift is voice activated, mate.”
“Programmed to yours, only?” Maggie asked pointedly.
“No,” he replied glancing down at her with a hint of a smile.
She wrinkled her nose. “You aren’t worried someone will break in and steal from you?”
“For what purpose?”
“Hunger, poverty, addiction, perhaps?”
His soft expression turned quickly, appalled. “We have none of that. By the Maker, what kind of world do you come from?”
“One in conflict, and in desperate straits.”
“No doubt, if that is what you must deal with.”
“You don’t have poor, struggling, or homeless?” She gaped when he shook his head. “How, in such a large city?”
“We take care of our own. Everyone works and contributes to make it happen.”
“What about crime? Have you no theft? No citizens coveting their neighbor’s stuff?”
“That does not occur when everyone has what they need. As for crime, you’ve seen firsthand we have intrigue, treasonous plots, and rebellions, although fortunately, that type of thing is rare. Most disputes are minor and easily settled. Although there has been an increase in misconduct since our population has increased recently.”
An unwelcome flush suffused her cheeks. “You can’t blame that on us, not when you started it by snatching us in the first place.”
The lift doors opened into a large foyer and living space beyond. It reminded her of a luxury condo back on Earth. “Yours is the only residence on this floor?”
“Yes, I’ll give you a full tour, later, after we have our discussion about your involvement in the recent treasonous plot.”
Maggie skidded to a halt. “Wait, you lured me here to punish me?”
“I hardly lured you, mate. I took you by the hand, and we walked.”
She scowled, not liking him much at the moment. “I dispute the charge of treason since it is an act against the government or state you’ve pledged your allegiance to, something Primaria is not.”
He crossed his arms over his broad chest and stared at her, eyes narrowed with annoyance. “You are more stubborn than any female I know. We’ve been over this. You belonged to Primaria from the moment we took control of your ship. And, there is the matter of taking the Prima. Treason also occurs with an attempt on the sovereign’s life.”
“Kanei reported the Princep is doing well. Besides, he wasn’t our sovereign. And I thought you said he wasn’t the king.”
While pinching the bridge of his nose, he let out a heavy sigh, before continuing. “As my mate, you belong to me; as such, I am responsible for addressing your wrongdoing.”
“What if I don’t accept your right to do so?”
He leveled a narrow-eyed gaze on her. “You can stand there bearing my mark and challenge my right?”
“I didn’t bear your mark at the time. Jarlan said it wasn’t on me in the med-bay.”
“Maggie,” he growled.
She threw up her hands, also frustrated. “We were captives, yet you fault us for doing what was necessary to regain our freedom and exercise our right to self-determination.”
“You are Primarian citizens now, Maggie, and are subject to our laws and penalties. And I think we’ve addressed your rights as a female before.”
“We didn’t give consent, so we can’t be held accountable.”
“Irrelevant. Female consent is not required here, only her male’s, which brings us full circle. Even before we became mates, you came under my authority, and beyond that subject to Primarian rule.”
“You are right in one respect. We’re talking in circles and won’t ever see eye to eye on this.”
“Therefore, we should save our breath. Treason aside, we will carry out the sentence for the other charges, and be done with it.”
“What other charges?”
His eyes flew wide in disbelief. “Your group stole weapons, assaulted several warriors, planted explosives that risked lives, left the planet without clearance, stole a ship that had been commandeered by me, thereby the state, and kidnapped the Prima. Those are the major crimes; shall I begin listing the minor ones?”
“I was involved in only a few of those acts. I didn’t know about the explosives until after the fact.”
“And thank the Maker for that, many were injured. But you were directly involved in stealing the Odyssey. You cannot deny that.”
“Reacquiring something that belongs to me isn’t stealing.”
He drew in an irritated breath and released it. “You knew the rules, Maggie.”
“How could I? I’ve been here a matter of weeks.”
“You attended the orientation classes, didn’t you? I was told all of you did.”
Mirroring his stance, she crossed her arms over her chest and glared up at him. “I was not myself and was too distracted to retain most of what was said.”
He studied her a moment. As he did so, the tension eased from his face.
“I’m sure you were; the effects of the bonding and the separation sickness were already upon you by then. But you knew your ship was claimed, and ignorance of the law is not an excuse, I’m afraid.”
Catching her wrist with his long fingers, he pulled her across an open living space and down a hallway. At the end, a set of wide double doors were thrown open to a large bedroom. Once inside, he closed them firmly.
Maggie glanced around, noting the dark masculine colors and the bed set off in a corner on an elevated platform. Half and again wider than any king size she’d seen at home, made it the focal point of the room.
As she took in the rest of his spacious bedroom, she noticed an odd-looking contraption in the opposite corner. It had padded rods, hinged pieces, and foot pedals. A cross between a stair-climber one would find at the gym and a medieval piece of torture equipment—although, to some, herself included, they could be one and the same. Something made her think its purpose wasn’t for exercise.
With the sweep of an arm, he indicated she should head over to it. She shook her head. “I don’t think so.”
“Maggie…”
“Wouldn’t you rather have sex and forget all this talk of crimes and punishment?”
“Oh, we’ll be having sex, there is no question about that, but we need to take care of this business first.” He angled his head toward the corner, saying without words for her to get on with it.
“I don’t suppose I have a choice.”
“Certainly, you can walk to the corner and mount the mate’s helper under your own power, or I can carry you.”
“That isn’t what I meant.”
“I know that.”
She scowled up at him, arms still crossed, one foot now tapping.
“So stubborn,” he sighed as he bent and tossed her over his shoulder.
“Wait, don’t I get a safe word or a white flag? Something?”
“Why is it when you’re about to be punished, I have a hard time understanding much of what you say?”
Her breath caught in her throat as the simple word sent both dread and excitement washing over her, making her tingle everywhere, especially all the places between her knees and her waist. Dear heavens.
Effortlessly, he toted her across the room and set her on her feet in front of the strange device. Up close, it resembled an old-fashioned valet stand for hanging clothes she’d seen once in a museum.
She spun around, placing her hands beseechingly on his chest. “You could make my penance ironing. Trust me, I’ve read about that, and it really would be punishment.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Maggie. But you won’t bargain your way out of this or future punishments. You’re getting spanked, plain and simple. Now, strip off your gown while I fetch what I need.”
The last time, he’d taken off her clothes. To do so herself made it seem like she was agreeable, that this was voluntary.
“Do you have a problem with your hearing?”
Her face angled to his as she met his gaze. “No, why?”
His hand came up to rest along her jaw, his thumb beneath her chin. “I wanted to check before I added more to your swat tally. I tire of repeating myself, mate.” Gazing down at her intently, he waited for her to comply.
What did she do now? Resist, knowing he could subdue her? Call the police and report him for being an overbearing ass? She could imagine their reaction: horse laughter and high-fiving Roth for being a dominant jerk like themselves.
“Don’t add stalling and more defiance to what you already have coming,” he warned softly.
“This is unfair. You’ve convicted me without a trial.”
“You’d rather let the council of twelve decide your fate, rather than someone who cares about you and has vowed to protect you?”
“Spanking an adult woman is barbaric, not to mention humiliating.”
“It is our way. Accept it, you’ll be forgiven, and when it’s done, we move forward.”
“I hate you,” she muttered, as he continued to gaze down at her with his penetrating stare.
“No, you don’t, and when you think back on this, you’ll see you are making more of a fuss over it than is necessary. You add to your stress by challenging me.”
Another idea popped into her head, except she discarded it quickly. Stomping her foot and throwing a tantrum was a childish reaction and discounted her claims of only moments ago that she was an adult. And besides, since he was intent on giving her a child’s punishment as if it was common place, she doubted it would sway Roth.
He cleared his throat, indicating his patience was waning.
“Fine,” she snapped, although it was anything but. She pulled her dress over her head, leaving her bare in front of him once again, with him fully dressed.
“Step up on the platform.”
She twisted and glanced dubiously at the alien contraption.
“Trust me. It will make what you have coming easier to take.”
Not liking the sound of that, she retreated a step; unfortunately, it brought her up against him.
“Do as I say, Maggie,” he directed evenly, his hands resting lightly on her hips.
“But, Roth—”
One hand moving to her lower right cheek accompanied his low growl of, “Now, mate.”
A tantrum was looking better by the minute.
“You’ve been over my knee before and survived. This stalling is simply putting off the inevitable.”
She’d been spanked, yes, except being over his knee was far more intimate and a lot less scary than being strapped to a cold, unyielding frame. Plus, while over his knee, he had used his hand, and hadn’t left to fetch what he needed. She didn’t want to think about what that could be.
The hand on her bottom applying a firm squeeze gave her incentive to step forward. Tentatively, she put one foot then the other on the foot pedals. He moved once she did, snapping cuffs around her wrists and thighs the next moment, but she didn’t make it easy, squirming and resisting the entire time.
“Stop it,” he growled. When she didn’t, he landed a stinging swat on each cheek. She yelped. And while she did, he hooked her wrists to the rings on her thighs and added a strap at the waist.
“Helper, position five,” he murmured near her ear.
“What?” She twisted her head around to see him.
“You’ll see in a moment. Face front.”
There was a whirring noise as the rods and arms began to move.
“Roth,” she cried, as the pedals on which she stood separated and moved back.
“It’s okay,” he murmured, stroking one hand along her spine. “You’re perfectly safe.”
She didn’t have the capacity to comment on the irony of his statement, too busy being reconfigured mechanically into an alternate position with her feet spread wide apart and her upper body bent forward at an angle. Her weight was supported by a padded bar running vertically along the center line of her body, leaving her ass jutting up and out in the perfect pose for a spanking. The moving and lurid positioning wasn’t the most surprising part that came a second later.
“Low speed,” Roth ordered, and the voice-activated machine instantly responded. Something moved between her thighs and slid length-wise between her pussy lips. It was smooth and rounded, and came to life, vibrating along every inch of her slit from clit to already-weeping entrance.
“Ohmigod,” she gasped as the buzzing sent tingles through to her belly and beyond to her breasts, hardening her nipples instantly into stiff peaks.
His head dropped to her shoulder. “I’ll be right back.”
“No, don’t go!”
Both hands slid around her waist, warm and reassuring, moving up and over the flat of her belly, coming to rest beneath her swollen, and at this angle, dangling breasts. His thumbs swept out and ran lightly over her nipples as he placed a trail of soft kisses along her shoulder. Using his chin, he moved her hair out of the way then kissed his way up her neck to her ear, where he nipped gently.
“I wouldn’t ever leave you while bound, purrada. I’m only going to the other side of the room to get something. Ten seconds, no more. Promise.”
“Okay,” she breathed, lost in the amalgamation of sensations from her bound limbs, the heat of his body against her back, his warm breath on her skin, and the thumbs that flicked lightly over the aching tips of her breasts. She didn’t include the vibrations steadily buzzing her clit because on low, it wasn’t fast enough to bring her over the edge, and it was becoming quickly frustrating.
It took half the time he promised before he was crouching in front of her, a wide leather strap in his hand.
“Roth…”
His free hand slid across her cheek and into her hair, firmly pulling her head back and meeting her gaze. “You’ll receive five strokes, which is a small fraction of what the council would have ordered. Twenty is the least I’ve ever known them to assign.”
Gazing back at him, she whispered, “I don’t think I can do this.”
“You can; you have before.”
“That was different.”
“How so?”
“You didn’t use a strap, and you sort of just…did it.”
“The charges against you are serious, Maggie. I must attest that your behavior was addressed with sufficient severity. It is my fervent hope that a repeat of this offense, or anything remotely like it, will be deterred. Do you understand?”
When she read determination but also concern on his handsome face, she nodded. It wasn’t that she had changed her mind, or agreed with the charges. Hell, no. However, with the low-speed vibration continuing unabated on her clit, his proximity, the tips of his fingers gliding over her skin, and even the thought of the leather biting into her bare ass, all combined to make her tremble with need. She felt her desire full force, the evidence of which was trickling down her inner thigh.
Dipping his head, he kissed her. She heard something hit the floor and knew it was the strap when both his hands returned to her breasts, flicking the nipples lightly, before he caught them between his thumb and forefinger, and rolled them slowly. She let out a whimper, enjoying the way he played with her body. Her whimper of need, turned into one of disappointment when he released one nipple. But he tugged on the other and gave her the more she wanted, when he slid his hand between her spread thighs, bypassing the tormentor that was driving her wild and moved to her entrance, a long, thick finger gliding inside aided by her slickness.
“You’re drenched, Maggie,” he uttered huskily against her mouth. “I told you the helper would make this easier to take.”
“I can’t wait anymore, Roth, I’m going to come.”
“Not yet,” he denied, adding another finger, and sliding in deeper. “I have one other surprise before we get started.”
She groaned, as his fingers slipped out.
“Penetration level one,” he ordered aloud.
As her brain flashed on what that meant, the smooth vibrating entity on her clit extended and curved, moving right up inside her. Roth’s fingers, slid along its length, as if checking the fit then he hummed in approval before giving one last command. “Up speed.”
The helper responded, the vibrations instantly increasing in velocity.
A primal cry came unbidden to her lips as her entire pelvic region lit up with sensation.
“Perfect,” he hummed with approval as he eased away. His hand lingered, gliding across her mound and along her hip as he moved behind her. “You’re gorgeous this way, Maggie. Your skin is flushed, the blue of your eyes is dark with passion, and your flawless breasts are swollen, the rosy tips distended with need. All of this beauty, plus the sweet nectar of your arousal glistening on your thighs, is mine, mate, and makes my cock hard and ready to drive into you.”
“Do it, Roth, please.”
“Very soon,” he murmured as he stood, and moved behind the contraption, behind her. His hand rubbed over her bottom, when he added, “After your punishment.”
The same hand that caused her skin to tingle from its caresses made it burn with a fiery sting as his open palm came down swiftly on the crest of one cheek. The sound had barely abated before another swat landed on the other side with equal intensity. He rubbed again for a moment, before repeating the spanks on the fullness of the lower curves.
Each smack increased the contact with the tormentor buzzing inexorably between her legs.
“You said five,” she breathed in protest.
“This is a warm-up, little one. My hand will heat your skin and stir your blood to make you ready for the strap.”
Shifting to her side, he leaned into her, his thigh against her hip. One big hand riding low on her back pressed more firmly as she writhed within her bindings. But she had nowhere to go as he delivered a dozen firm swats, in an upward motion along the entire fullness of her ass.
Her skin was hot and tingling more than her pussy when he was through. She suspected that wouldn’t be the case for long as he murmured, “Up speed,” once more.
Panting for air, she barely heard the length of leather whoosh through the air as he let the strap fly. In that next instant, the true punishment had finally begun.
A sharp crack preceded a swath of stinging fire across her backside. She jerked forward, sending the buzzing vibe firmly against her clit and up inside her wet passage. While trying to ease away because it was too much, another lash landed. This spurred her forward again as she emitted a groan of both pleasure and pain, and she couldn’t tell which one she needed to stop more.
And so it continued, in a give-and-take motion, with sizzling pleasure-infused pain as the strap fell in another unrelenting stroke, and scorching pain-filled pleasure as the unrelenting sensation on her pussy made her ready to explode.
She almost did on the fourth stroke, calling out his name as she canted her hips, seeking more and less at the same time. As the fifth landed across both cheeks simultaneously, her reality shattered, and she came apart.
“Helper…angle forward,” he growled as he dropped the strap and moved in behind her. Frenzied fingers removed the vibrating rod an instant before he drove into her. His possession of her still-clenching, convulsing sheath sent her from one orgasm directly into another.
She felt everything, his lips on her spine, his hands curling around her hips, her breasts bouncing with every thrust of his cock. He built it once more while plunging in long, hard, breathtaking strokes until the third blissful release was upon her. His fingers flexed on her skin as he pumped deep—once, twice, and a final time—before he tensed behind and over top of her then shouted his completion.
Mindless and exquisitely numb, she hung there, restrained by the cuffs as much as his weight along her back. What else could she do?
His mouth moved before the rest of him did. “Neutral position.”
With a few whirrs and pops, she was standing upright and a little light-headed as he undid her wrists and thighs, and released the strap at her waist. Her legs were like jelly and if not for the support of his strong arms, would have slithered to the floor. He lifted her with an arm beneath her knees and curled along her upper back, cradling her as he carried her to the big bed.
Once he’d settled her under the soft bedding, he followed her in. And as he rolled her onto her side, spooning against her back, his strength and warmth surrounding her, she forgot everything, except the sated state she was in, and the cumulative effect of days and nights without truly resting, and drifted off to sleep.