Chapter Fourteen
There was not another living soul for miles around. Victoria sat on the verdant grass and enjoyed the incredible stillness while Allik stood by the water’s edge, seemingly deep in thought. The countryside was vast and empty, its beauty greater than anything Victoria had seen before. There had been gardens back on Earth, but no fields or forests like they had here. Even though she’d been on Taar-Breck for a week now, Victoria was still in total awe of the vibrant colors of the landscape.
It was a welcome change to get out of the city for a while. After spending the last few days being shown around by Allik, she had started to tire of the constant noise and bustle. Although everyone she’d met had been scrupulously polite to her, even friendly in some cases, she’d been overwhelmed by the sheer number of people everywhere they went. There was no respite from it, except when they were back at the apartment. Being there was not exactly fun for her either. She had little to keep herself occupied in Allik’s ultra high-tech home, which seemed to look after itself. Even their meals arrived without much input on their part. They simply ordered what they wanted and it was delivered to a hatch in the kitchen via some unseen channel.
It was strange that she felt so utterly useless. Back in New Cambridge, she’d done very little and it hadn’t bothered her anywhere near as much as her idleness did now. It was probably because of her time on the military transport ship when she’d felt as though she was part of something bigger. She’d made an important contribution for the first time in her life. Now, she was worried about slipping back into the role she’d always fulfilled so beautifully despite her reluctance, the one of being decorative but useless.
Of course, there was one important factor that had given her some sense of satisfaction with her life. She had Allik now and being with him helped to calm her restlessness. They had been getting along well and since they’d returned to her homeland, she had managed not to earn a single spanking. That was just as well, really. One of the first places Allik had shown her was the training room on the ground floor of their building where naughty mates were punished if they stepped too far out of line. She really didn’t want to end up being taken there to be disciplined where there was no guarantee of privacy.
“Right, come on.”
She looked up as Allik loomed over her and wondered how a man of his size could be so stealthy. “Are we going back already?” She tried not to sound whiny, but they’d only been there for a few minutes and she really liked the tranquility.
“No, but I didn’t bring you all the way out here just so you could sit around sunning yourself.”
An expectant smile formed on Victoria’s lips. “So, what did you bring me out here for?”
“To teach you to drive.”
“Oh.” Victoria felt a flutter of nerves in her stomach. She had asked Allik to teach her how to drive his cruiser but a part of her had thought he would never actually get around to it.
“That is, if you still want to learn.”
Victoria detected a slight note of challenge in his voice. She raised her chin and looked him straight in the eye. She might have her doubts, but there was no way she was going to let him know it.
“Of course I do,” she said in what she hoped was a decisive tone.
She took the hand that Allik held out to her and let him help her to her feet. He led her over to his cruiser and opened the door for her. Victoria got inside and settled herself into the driver’s seat. It was surprisingly comfortable and, given how much taller than her Allik was, it seemed to fit her frame well.
“Touch nothing until I tell you to.” Allik gave her a stern warning glance that wasn’t really necessary. As if she was going to try to drive this thing without his help.
Allik moved around and got into the other side of the vehicle. Victoria stared at the instrument panel in front of her. It seemed to be relatively straightforward. She’d watched Allik operating the vehicle and, as long as she didn’t have to take the thing too high into the air, she reckoned she’d be alright.
“Okay,” Allik said, shifting in his seat. Victoria glanced at him and arched a shapely brow. Either the passenger seat was not comfortable or he was as anxious about this as she was. The thought that this big, brave warrior might be experiencing some level of fear about teaching her to drive amused her. Allik cleared his throat in what sounded like an effort to dispel his nerves and pointed toward the control panel. “The red button switches the engine on and off.”
“The red one,” Victoria repeated to confirm that she had heard him.
“Motion is controlled using the metal panel.” He reached over and tapped the part of the dashboard he was referring to. “You place your hand over the panel and press your fingertips down. To speed up, apply more pressure. The harder you push down, the faster we will go. If you want to go left or right, shift your hand like this.”
He demonstrated what he meant by tilting his hand to one side and then the other. He stared at Victoria as though waiting for her to respond.
“Okay.” Victoria tried to keep the quiver out of her voice. “What about stopping?”
“Ease your hand off the panel, but be careful. The quicker you remove it, the faster we’ll stop.” Allik looked at her and a thoughtful frown formed on his brow. “Perhaps you should put your safety belt on.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Victoria huffed but she reached for the straps of the safety harness anyway. Having to buckle up irritated her because she hadn’t once seen Allik doing it. As she’d already learned, though, it was one rule for him and another for her when it came to safety.
“There is nothing you can crash into out here but once we return to the city, you will need to take more care.”
He was going to let her drive in the city? That surprised Victoria and scared her. There was so much traffic on the streets. Allik clearly recognized the look of trepidation on her face.
“The vehicle is programmed to avoid collisions,” he told her. “All will be well.”
Victoria nodded. The look in his eyes was reassuring and she knew that he would not allow any harm to come to her. She reached forward and pushed the red button, which caused the engine to whirr to life. The cruiser lifted from the ground. It was fairy silent but she could feel the vehicle’s power as an intense vibration beneath her. It was exhilarating and frightening at the same time. The cruiser was like a wild beast waiting to be unleashed and Victoria was suddenly very afraid that she would not be able to tame it.
With a deep intake of breath, she pressed her hand down on the steering panel. The vehicle lurched forward more quickly than she’d expected and she instinctively pulled her hand off the controls. She was thrown forward as the cruiser shuddered violently to a stop. Wearing the safety harness now seemed like a very good idea and she was grateful that Allik had instructed her to put it on.
“Try again,” Allik said, apparently unruffled.
Once more, Victoria put her hand on the control panel. For the second time, they moved off too rapidly and she panicked. Her hand flew out and hit the red button. The vehicle halted abruptly and dropped to the ground with a sickening thud. Victoria was jolted in her seat. Heart racing, she fought back tears.
“I can’t do this,” she said helplessly. “I don’t know why I thought I could.”
Allik swiveled around in his seat and gave her a stern look. “You cannot give up so easily,” he said firmly.
“I can’t do it,” Victoria wailed, the tears breaking through now. “It’s too difficult.”
“Did you think you could suture a man’s wounds or restart a child’s heart?” he asked.
Victoria shook her head.
“Yet you did those things and you can do this,” he encouraged her. “Now, when you are ready, try again.”
“Okay.” Victoria was still unsure but she didn’t want to let Allik down. Not when he clearly had some faith in her. She put her hand back over the control panel and moved off, more smoothly this time. Within a few minutes, she started to relax, to enjoy herself even. Allik was right. She could do this.
* * *
By the time they got back to the city, Victoria was operating the cruiser with a lot more skill. With Allik by her side, she’d felt confident and his encouragement had made her feel as though she could accomplish anything she set her mind to. He’d been stern with her, issuing commands as though giving orders to one of his men at times, but there had also been words of reassurance and praise. She’d never known a man like Allik before. He could be such a strict disciplinarian but there was also a softer, more compassionate side. She was starting to think that life with him, here on Taar-Breck, would not be so bad.
Bringing the vehicle to a smooth stop outside the apartment building, she turned and looked at Allik, a massive grin on her face.
“So, how do I take us up to the docking bay?”
“You don’t,” he replied and Victoria could not prevent the disappointment from showing on her face. “Not yet, anyway. Flying is much trickier than driving. We will get out here and go in through the front door for a change.”
Victoria nodded. Without waiting for instruction, she switched the engine off and the vehicle lowered gently to its resting position. She tossed a cheeky smirk at Allik and got out of the cruiser. She stood on the sidewalk, waiting for him. When they were in a public space, she knew that she should allow him to take the lead.
“I have a surprise for you,” Allik said as they walked into the building.
“Oh?” Victoria looked at him expectantly. He had already surprised her once today with the driving lesson.
“I need to speak with Taryn later and he has requested that you accompany me.”
“To see Lucy?”
Allik nodded his confirmation. Victoria practically bounced as they walked across the vast atrium toward the elevators. This would be the first time that she had seen Lucy in almost a month and she was desperate to speak to her. She needed to know that this Lieutenant Taryn was treating her well. Lucy had always been incredibly soft-hearted. She was such a gentle soul and Victoria could hardly imagine her as the mate of a Taar-Breckian male. Of course, Allik was proof that not all alien men were insufferable in their demands for control. Perhaps Lucy had been taken by a warrior who was capable of yielding when necessary. The match had been arranged by their friend Caroline, after all, and she would not have set Lucy up with a man who would break her fragile spirit.
“Is there time for me to get changed first?” Victoria asked Allik as they stepped into the elevator. “I want to put on the new blue dress you bought me and do something with my hair.”
“You look acceptable as you are.”
Victoria fingered the linen fabric of her white dress and looked up at Allik with wide, beseeching eyes.
“Please, Allik,” she said as the elevator stopped and two Taar-Breckian women got in beside them. “It’s important to me.”
Allik looked as though he might refuse but then he shrugged his shoulders. “Very well, but you will need to be quick.”
Victoria stood on her tiptoes and kissed the side of his face. She knew that he was self-conscious about any public show of affection and that he didn’t like attention being drawn to his scars, but Victoria didn’t care. She shot a quick glance at the two women who were also traveling in the elevator. Neither of them was actually paying any notice to what she and Allik were doing. Perhaps his concern that everyone looked at him with either pity or revulsion was all in his head.
“Thank you,” she said.
It was silly, she knew but Lucy had known her all her life and would expect a certain standard. Victoria wasn’t as worried about wearing fine clothes as she’d been in New Cambridge but she didn’t want Lucy to think she’d changed. She knew that many things about her were different since she’d met Allik but she didn’t want her friend to feel she was not the same person. She just hoped that Lucy would not be disappointed in her.
* * *
Allik stood by the door and watched as Victoria stripped off her dress and tossed it onto the bed. As she walked to the closet, he wondered if he would ever tire of that saucy little wiggle in her hips. It was so enticing that it was all he could do not to bend her over the bed and fuck her senseless. There was no time right now but a part of him did wonder if sinking his cock into her welcoming body might take the edge off his niggling concerns. Bringing Victoria to Taryn’s apartment was meant to be a special treat for her. She hadn’t seen her friend for several weeks and he knew that she missed her. What worried him was that Victoria didn’t yet know about Lucy’s new life as Taryn’s treasured pet. Allik was not sure how she was going to react but he suspected it would not be good.
As Victoria slipped the blue dress on over her head and let the slinky fabric slither down her body, he thought about how well the last week had gone. Since they’d arrived on Taar-Breck, the atmosphere between them was largely harmonious. Victoria had behaved impeccably but she had not had to face any real challenges. There was nothing to act out over and consequently, he hadn’t needed to put his foot down or administer any discipline. Although it was good that she had toed the line, there was also the worry that it meant she would forget that her actions could have consequences for her backside.
“Come here,” he ordered her. The look she gave him was one of surprise at the tone of command in his voice. She approached him slowly, a wary expression on her face. Her eyes grew impossibly wide as he opened the black case and laid it on the bed, revealing a row of pretty pink silicone butt plugs. “Bend over and place your hands on the bed.”
“Why?” she questioned him indignantly.
“Because you need to be reminded who’s in charge,” Allik said.
“I…”
“Victoria,” he cut her off, “do I need to spank you to persuade you to obey?”
Mouth turned down in a sign of her misery, Victoria shook her head.
“Then get into position,” Allik said. Her reluctance confirmed his thoughts that he had been going too easy on her these past few weeks. She might not like his commands, but he expected her to obey nonetheless and to trust that he was acting in her best interests.
Looking a little hurt, she turned and bent over the bed. When Allik flipped her skirt up around her waist, she huffed out a breath that told him she was unhappy with what was happening to her. Allik sighed. His intention was to reinforce her submissive state, not to make her feel as though she had done something wrong.
“This is not a punishment,” he explained as he took one of the larger plugs from the leather case. “It is to remind you of your place. Do you understand?”
“No.” Victoria turned and looked at him, an accusatory expression on her face. “I don’t know why you think I’m going to behave badly.”
“It’s not about that,” Allik said. “I want you to remember who you belong to, who sets the rules.”
Her eyes narrowed and she still didn’t look happy, but Victoria complied with his request.
Allik took a tube of gel from the case and spread a generous amount over the silicone plug. He put one hand on her lower back to hold her in place and pushed the tip of the well-lubricated plug against the rosy pucker of her anus. Her tight little hole still fought the penetration but, with a firmer push, the narrow tip slid inside her. The flared section met with greater resistance from the tight muscles of her anus.
“Ow, it hurts,” Victoria complained. “It’s too big.”
“You’ve taken more than this before now,” Allik told her. “Relax and it will just slip into your bottom.”
“Easy for you to say,” Victoria snapped. “Nobody’s ever tried to stick a log up your ass.”
Allik couldn’t help but laugh. He loved that her spirit could not be quelled. At times when she should be at her most defiant, she was often at her most fierce. As he pushed the plug forward until it was fully seated inside her, she let out a curse.
“You are begging for a spanking, young lady,” he warned her.
“I’m sorry.” She managed to sound contrite, although he suspected she was anything but. “Please don’t spank me, sir.”
Now, he knew her apology was not genuine. Whenever she called him sir, there was always an edge to her tone. Deciding to nip her attitude in the bud, he delivered a rapid succession of swats to her backside. After three hard smacks with his palm, her peachy flesh began to turn red. Victoria moaned and squirmed but as he continued to spank her, she began to make a more sincere apology.
“I’m sorry, Allik.” Her voice was wobbly, as though tears were threatening to fall.
“What are you sorry for?” Allik waited for her response, his hand poised to strike again if necessary.
“For being a bitch.”
Allik helped her to straighten up and gave her a moment to adjust to the sensation of having her bottom filled.
“You were being a little bratty, but you most certainly were not a bitch,” he admonished her. “I don’t want to hear you referring to yourself in those terms again.”
When she didn’t answer, he tilted her chin up so her eyes were forced to meet with his. There was a stray tear running down her cheek, which he gently wiped away. Victoria nodded.
“All better?” he asked as she sniffed away her tears and gave him a weak smile.
“Yes.”
“Then let’s go and see your friend.” Allik led her from the apartment, assured by the grimace on her face as she walked that she would be constantly aware of the plug’s humbling presence. “But remember, if you misbehave, you will be punished, and not with a gentle spanking.”
Satisfied that she had taken his warning on board, he directed her toward the elevator. This was going to be an interesting visit.