Chapter Four
I try not to dwell on how screwed I am, but there’s not much else for me to do, half-naked in the prison cell. I could focus on how much my feet hurt, standing on the cold metal floor, but that’s not much better. There’s no escape, and I have no idea what’s going to happen next. Every time I think about asking Kest for more information, I open my mouth to shout, but no words come out. My ass still throbs from the harsh spanking, and earning myself another sounds like a bad idea.
For now.
My mind continues to betray me; every so often I rub my tormented cheeks, embracing the burn. At least it’s not as bad as the jolt from the force field. That just plain hurt—nothing pleasant about it. I’ve been tempted to test it again, because if it wasn’t active I could get out, but I doubt Kest has turned it off. The fact that I can’t even see it is infuriating, though.
Of course, should I somehow succeed in returning to Earth, I’m going to be in more trouble than when I left: Thorpe will have no doubt buried my findings about his malfeasance, convinced everyone I’m crazy, and opened a lawsuit for defamation. It won’t help that following our meeting I disappeared, literally from the face of the Earth, and two of his men were killed.
I’d almost be better off if I never returned. But I have to go home, don’t I? Wherever we’re going, it’s not going to be any place for a human. As dangerous as it will be, I have to try to get home.
That means escaping from Kest. I have to try something. If I can surprise Kest and grab his weapon, I can get the upper hand, and maybe force him to tell me how to control the ship.
It’s worth a shot.
When Kest returns to my cell, he moves so quickly and quietly that I don’t hear him. I cover myself again, immediately, and turn my body to the side, protect my modesty. Twisting my neck, I keep my eyes on him, waiting for my moment.
Here goes…
“Haley, I’m going to let you out of here. I want you to promise to behave.”
“I will,” I lie.
Kest sighs. “Haley, I’m not kidding with you now. If you couldn’t handle Thorpe’s men, you definitely can’t handle me.”
“I understand,” I growl, my fists clenching. “I swear.”
Kest’s eyebrows narrow angrily, his lips pressing together in a sneer. “All right.”
After a second, the field in front of me shimmers. As soon as it stops, my fist rockets forward in a perfect uppercut, catching Kest square in the nose. He rears back, stumbles, and hits the floor.
For a second, I don’t believe it. I leap on top of him, hands still balled in fists, but Kest’s eyes are closed and he’s not moving.
“Kest?”
He doesn’t stir, and I almost worry that he’s dead. I need him alive, after all.
Maybe I never expected this plan to work in the first place, because I never actually laid out the next stage. What am I supposed to do now?
Reaching down to Kest’s waist, I feel around his belt, looking for the weapon he used on Thorpe’s men, but I don’t find it. I’m about to unbuckle it to look closer when Kest’s eyes open. He grins and grabs me by the neck.
“Trying to get into my pants, Haley? What did you think you were going to find?”
He was pretending! I realize, as panic takes hold of me. No no no!
He rises to his feet without letting me go, lifting me into the air. Frantic to escape, I pound his arm with my fists, but it’s like punching steel.
Kest sets me down and lets go, but only long enough for me to breathe. I inhale deeply, rage swelling in my chest. Embarrassment, too—I’m such a moron. I should have known he was faking.
Once I’ve recovered a little, Kest spins me around and grabs my arm, pulling it to bend me over. Two quick smacks to my ass make me squeal and try to break free, but it’s no use. I’m still moaning when he grabs my blouse and pulls it off, over my head. My bra comes next, and just like that I’m fully exposed.
My heart pounds in my chest as I try to cover myself, and the crotch of Kest’s pants rises high. He studies me calmly, raking his eyes over my gentle curves and pale skin. Then he grabs my shoulder and drags me back to the table where I’d been bound before.
“No!” I growl, trying to fight him off, but he’s too strong. In one graceful move he sweeps his other arm under me and scoops me off the floor, sitting me down on the cold, smooth surface. I shiver, more from fear than anything else.
A panel opens next to me, and Kest pulls out a series of metal rings that somehow float in the air; though they start off all looking identical in size and shape, they immediately start to change. Some grow bigger and wider, while others shrink.
“What are those for?” I ask, my voice shaking.
Kest doesn’t bother to answer; instead, the rings separate into halves, and then fly toward me. The smaller rings reconnect around my wrists and ankles, while the larger ones seal around my neck and waist.
“Oh, God,” I mumble, pulling at them, trying to take them off. “What are these?”
“Stand up,” Kest orders, but I’m too transfixed on the devices to notice. “I said, stand up!” he repeats.
This time I feel a tug from the rings around my wrists, yanking me off the table.
Holy shit.
“Do as I say, Haley, or your restraints will do it for you.”
“Fuck you,” I snarl, despite the wave of need coursing through my veins. My pussy practically drips, I’m so wet.
My hands fly upward, pulled by the cuffs, and my legs spread apart, forced to move. I try to twist around, but the rings around my neck and body remain perfectly still.
“How?” I say, still fighting.
“Our society is so far beyond yours, Haley. Especially in terms of technology,” Kest explains. Another series of rings rise up and begin to dance in the air, swirling around one another in intricate patterns. “Impressed?”
“I guess.”
Kest shakes his head. “Don’t be. This is nothing. My people have existed for millions of years. We’ve explored and conquered the galaxy. We can create as easily as we can destroy.”
He moves a hand over my body as he speaks, grazing my breasts. I can’t help quivering at his touch, or wishing for more.
“Binding you with telerings is easy,” Kest continues, and suddenly my arms pull downward, behind my back, meeting in the middle until my wrists are joined. He hooks a finger under my chin and lifts my head up until I’m forced to look into his eyes. “Teaching you to behave is going to be much harder.”
Wrenching my chin away, I try to don a dignified expression, but my nakedness makes it difficult. The rings pull my arms back up over my head, and I can’t help feeling like a damned puppet.
Kest walks in a circle around me, taking in my body. I blush, fighting against the telerings, but to no avail. Finally, Kest stops.
“Considering you physically attacked me, I don’t think a simple spanking will suffice.”
A storage compartment opens to reveal a series of long rods, reminding me of a pool cue rack. He picks one up and waves it in the air. It’s made of a grainy material that looks a lot like wood, yet it bends easily without breaking.
“This is a keera stick, Haley. Genetically engineered to be flexible but strong.” Kest bangs the cane against his palm, making a loud thwap, then bends it until it’s shaped like a horseshoe. As soon as he lets go, the wood swings back into a single, straight line. “Nearly unbreakable,” he adds. “But we can certainly try.”
The telerings urge me to turn in place, then bend me over until my hands grip the table. My ass sticks out in the air in the perfect position for Kest to swat it with the stick.
“Please, I’m sorry!” I sputter, recalling the spanking, and how much it had hurt. “I had to try to escape, please understand!”
Kest nods, swinging the stick through the air. “I do, but I need you to understand that I can’t let you off the hook for being disobedient. Otherwise, how will you learn?”
I want to ask him, isn’t my fear enough? My body quakes at the prospect of being disciplined again so quickly after the first time. I’ve forgotten none of the pain of that first experience. Yet, I already know the answer to such a question.
“Please don’t,” I whine, hoping he might relent. “I’ll be good, I promise!”
Kest taps my bottom with the stick; every touch of its hard tip raises my heartbeat. “Be careful, pet. It wouldn’t be wise to make a promise you can’t keep.”
Cringing, I steady myself against the coming pain, and yelp when I feel the cool wood brush my skin. Kest grunts a wicked laugh. I’m tempted to curse him out when the first real stroke registers like a volcanic eruption. The keera stick’s length catches both of my cheeks, and immediately I feel welts rising up and radiating heat.
My scream sounds like something animal, a horrific wail. The pain from the caning is so much worse than the spanking. Though Kest’s hand delivered plenty of harsh smacks, the punishment was spread out on every stroke. The cane, on the other hand, targets an acute line each time, making the sensation far more excruciating. I feel as though I can separate in my perception the throb of each individual line. I thrash my body back and forth, trying to escape the damned telerings, but their hold is unbreakable.
“Oh, God,” I groan, hoping beyond hope that the punishment I’ve endured is sufficient. Yet, I know it’s not: Kest has made no motion to put down the keera stick, and the grim look on his face offers no warmth at all. “Please, no more.”
“Haley, what if you had knocked me out successfully?” he asks, stepping into my field of view. “How do you know I wouldn’t have died? Do you think I’m incapable of being injured?”
I don’t answer at first, but then I see him raise the stick. “I don’t know!” I blurt out.
“Correct. You do not. I’m willing to forgive your lapse in judgment, but not without a well-deserved punishment.”
I squeeze a few tears from my eyes and sniff as I nod in agreement. Though I try to prepare for the rest of the caning, I can’t convince myself it will be anything other than pure torture.
The next four strokes all hurt just as bad as the first, each finding untouched flesh to bruise. Kest works his way down my ass with the cane, pausing between each swing and giving me a moment to recover. Though I’m grateful for the short reprieves, I spend them dreading the next stroke, rather than dealing with the current pain. Were Kest not reminding me to breathe, I may not have.
“It’s too much!” I plead. “I’ve learned my lesson, I swear!”
“Almost, pet.”
I groan, angering at Kest. If he can’t tell by now that I won’t try to escape again, what’s it going to take? This is insanity!
“Remember, Haley: I will never truly hurt you. This pain is meant to teach you, not cause you harm. You will be okay in my care, and when you learn how to behave, the training will stop.”
I nod, trying to believe him. The roaring agony emanating from my rear doesn’t make it easy.
“Are you ready to finish?” he asks, his voice soft and calm.
Inhaling deeply and pushing the air back out, hoping it will take away some of the pain with it, I reply, “Yes.”
Finally, he swings low, catching my bottom just above the thighs. I howl and writhe, overwhelmed by the pain. However, Kest immediately drops the cane and pats my back. I remember to breathe, and after a moment I start to recover, feeling the cool air passing over my throbbing sex. As he kisses my forehead tenderly, I wish Kest would tongue my clit, quelling the pain and bringing me the release I need.
However, instead, a new pair of telerings fly toward me and seal around my thighs. Then they yank my body backward and down until I’m on my knees, hands held firmly behind my back. With my fingers, I can almost touch the bruises on my ass, but I can’t quite reach.
“Tell me why I punished you,” says Kest, pacing back and forth in front of me. He’s so tall, I can’t see anything above his waist without craning my neck fully.
I look up at him, blinking away a tear. “Because I attacked you.”
He nods. “Why else?”
“I don’t know,” I reply, still too mired in agony to think straight.
Kest crouches down until I can look him in the eye. “You lied to me, Haley. You said you weren’t going to try anything.”
“I’m sorry.”
“In your position, I understand the impulse. That’s why I’m not punishing you worse. Next time, I will.”
Of that, I had no doubt.
“Also, Haley. I knew you were lying. Just like I know you’re aroused. Biometric sensors are everywhere. They’re monitoring your heart rate, your brainwaves—everything. I know what you’re going to do, probably before you know yourself.”
Bullshit.
“Disbelief. That’s fine. If you want to learn the hard way, I’m happy to keep disciplining you. I let you get in that punch because I figured you wouldn’t just take my word. You’re incredibly obstinate for a human, Haley. I’m going to have to train it out of you.”
Train it out of me?
Everything about his little lecture drives my body crazy—getting ‘trained” shouldn’t sound so appealing, but my pussy is soaked.
Suddenly, I don’t feel the iron grip of the telerings, even though they’re still on.
“Stand up.”
I do as ordered, rising to my feet.
Kest gives my ass a squeeze, causing the ache to flare, but I let the pain swirl through me. His hand drifts to my pussy and two fingers hook inside, probing my drenched chasm.
“You’re going to be very receptive to my lessons, clearly.”
I shut my eyes and bite my lip, clenching hard on his fingers. Kest must feel it, because he withdraws them quickly, then lifts his digits to his nose.
He grins. “Human female of breeding age, fully aroused. Perfect specimen.”
I moan, wanting to feel him inside me again. When I glance down at his pants, the tent in his crotch stands tall.
Kest catches me looking as he unzips his jumpsuit, freeing his massive cock. Proportional to his seven-foot frame and godlike physique, his member looks so huge it could break me in half. I don’t take my eyes off it for a second, not sure whether I want to feel it plunge deep into my core, or if it might be too painful. I’ve had lovers before, some of whom boasted an impressive manhood, but nothing like Kest’s.
What if it’s too much? What if it’s too painful?
“You want me,” Kest states.
“I think so,” I reply.
“You’re not sure?”
“I’m worried,” I say, feeling my cheeks flush.
“Say ‘sir’ when you address your master. Worried about what?”
I guess there’s no point in lying. “That you might be too big.”
He grins. “You’ll be fine, I promise.”
“Yes, sir,” I say, trying to ignore the pulse of excitement the words cause to pass through me.
Then Kest is kissing me, his soft lips pressed hard to mine. He grabs my sides in his powerful hands, lifting me in the air so our heads are level. Despite the discipline he’s doled out, I feel safe in his iron grip, and hungry for his affection, wrapping my arms and legs around his body. His breath doesn’t taste like any flavor I know, but it is cool and minty in a pleasant, soothing way. My insides practically melt as I kiss him back, so hot for him I feel high, like I’m swimming in his heat. I feel in the intensity of his kiss a well of unrequited desire and a palpable relief.
He’s lonely, I realize. How long has it been since he’s had a mate? An alien living on Earth; who knows how long it’s been since he’s found someone.
Rigid and thick, his cock presses against my skin, throbbing for a chance to penetrate, but Kest seems in no hurry. He nibbles at my earlobe, sucking it between his lips before planting a trail of kisses down my neck.
He thumbs my nipples, feeling their hardness. He lifts me higher to kiss each breast, sucking on them until my body quakes, desperate to come. When I grab onto his shoulders, he lets go and spanks my ass, the mild pain keeping me on the edge of bliss. Everything he does with his hands and tongue turns me to putty, hungering for more.
“Tell me you want my cock,” he whispers in my ear.
I shudder, too enraptured to think. The telerings around my wrists haul upward, suspending my hands in the air and making it easy for Kest to keep spanking me. It doesn’t even feel as though I’m being punished this time; the slaps only add to my bliss, making every other sensation even sharper. Every touch of his lips or sight of his cock adds to my need.
“Say it, pet.”
“I want… your cock,” I mumble, pussy clenching in anticipation.
“Louder,” Kest commands, tracing a single finger over my sopping lips.
“I want your cock.”
“Sir.”
“I want your cock, sir!” I scream, twisting against my bonds, unable to stand the teasing. “Please, sir! I want your cock!”
Kest smiles, and then I feel his rock-hard rod stretching my taut inner walls. It’s impossibly thick and long, and I groan from somewhere deep in my chest. Hanging by my arms before him, I look down to see the ripples in his muscular chest. Kest lifts me by my thighs, and the telerings around my ankles rise and spread apart, opening me up to him. Kest pants blissfully, watching me closely as he drives his cock inside, slowly but steadily. Looking into my eyes, he sees the pain in my expression dissolve into pleasure when he bottoms out. He smiles brightly when he recognizes my enjoyment, and I sigh in relief as well, happy to have taken in his rod without suffering. Encouraged by my reaction, he pumps slowly at first, letting me get used to his immense size, but then thrusts like a machine out of control. His rhythm is so fast I scream, swimming in ecstasy.
“Oh God oh God oh God,” I shout.
As he plows me, Kest doesn’t forget the slaps to my ass or the soft bites on my breasts—but when he starts to rub my clit while thrusting even faster, I lose all sense of myself, blitzed by euphoria more intense than any I’ve ever experienced. If not for the telerings holding me aloft, I’d probably collapse. Sweat drips down my body as I come, my own scream echoing in my ears. By the time I’m finished I’ve lost my voice, throat raw.
Kest’s seed drips from my pussy, and he groans happily. “You enjoy that, pet?” he asks.
I nod, trying to gather myself enough to respond. “Yes… sir.”
“Good. I did too.” He puts his cock back in his suit and zips up. “I wasn’t sure about you before, but I am now, Haley.” He kisses my forehead and pulls me tight against him. “From here on in, you belong to me.”