Chapter Ten
The rest of the journey to Taar-Breck passed largely in a haze of ecstasy as Taryn and Lucy spent the time, shut away together in his quarters. Over the two weeks, Taryn taught Lucy things about her body she hadn’t realized were possible. In turn, she did her best to please him by showing her willingness to obey his every command. For the most part she’d found it easy to settle into the relationship because there was something about Taryn she genuinely liked, and he seemed to feel the same way about her. Yet, there were still some doubts niggling at the back of her mind.
Lucy enjoyed the physical closeness they shared, the fact that their bodies seemed to be in synch, but she hated the emotional distance that remained between them. There was a gap that she doubted would ever be filled. Where she was openly affectionate, Taryn was more reserved. She knew that the Taar-Breckians were not a demonstrative race, but sometimes she wondered whether they experienced feelings at all. If Taryn did, then he certainly never let her know what they were. The fact that he expected her to address him as ‘Master’ didn’t help matters either. She must have called him that a thousand times by now, but it just didn’t sit right with her.
As they waited to disembark from the shuttle that had carried them down to the surface from the transport ship, Lucy blushed self-consciously. She could feel the eyes of the other passengers on her. She wasn’t sure whether it was because she was human that they were staring, or if it was the tight bodysuit and tail that captured their interest. Either way, the scrutiny made her uncomfortable and she wondered whether it would always be like this for her on Taar-Breck. Would she ever be seen as anything other than an oddity among the tall, slender females who inhabited this planet?
When the doors to the shuttle opened and Taryn led her down the walkway to where a large vehicle sat waiting, Lucy was struck immediately by how vibrant the colors around her were. The sky was clear, an almost purple blue color, and the buildings were a pristine white that seemed to shimmer in the intense brightness. Everything was clean and the people around her moved with an air of efficiency. This was a busy, well-ordered place and she decided instantly that she liked it.
Enjoying the feeling of the sun on her face, she followed Taryn to the vehicle where his driver was just getting out. As the driver opened the door for them, she stepped past Taryn and tried to get in first. Taryn put a hand on her arm to stop her.
“You’re forgetting yourself, kitten.”
Lucy’s brows furrowed in confusion as she looked up at him. He moved past her and slid into the back seat. Her heart sank as he pointed to the space between his feet. With a sigh, she climbed into the vehicle and knelt on the floor, her cheeks reddening with humiliation as the driver closed the door and moved around to the front.
The cruiser took off so smoothly, she wouldn’t have noticed they weren’t moving if it wasn’t for the changing scenery outside the window. Taryn leaned back in his seat and she became acutely aware of the power imbalance between them. He was so confident, secure in his own position, while she was kneeling awkwardly before him.
“That was a long journey, pet,” he told her. “I need something to help me unwind.”
Lucy blinked her eyes in confusion, but his meaning became clearer as he unfastened his pants, freeing his hardened cock. Lucy looked over her shoulder to where the driver sat. There was no way she could do what Taryn wanted in front of another man, even if he did have his back to them. Looking Taryn in the eye, she shook her head slowly.
“Are you refusing me?” He sat forward and put his hand under her chin, tilting it upward so she couldn’t avoid his eyes. “You understand what the consequences for disobedience will be?”
Lucy knew that her refusal to do as he wished, especially when there was another man present, would not go unpunished, but she couldn’t bring herself to lean forward and take his cock into her mouth. Eyes filling with tears, she shook her head once more.
“I can’t,” she whispered.
“Very well, then.”
Taryn’s response was immediate. He pulled her up from the floor and tossed her onto the seat next to him. Opening her bodysuit so wide her pussy and anus were exposed, he grasped the end of the plug that was holding her tail in place and pulled it from her bottom. She yelped, more in surprise than pain.
“Lift your knees to your chest and hold your legs apart,” he instructed her tersely.
Watching him with wary eyes, Lucy did as he commanded. Although this was deeply humiliating, she knew the consequences of disobeying him again would be severe. Her eyes widened as she saw him doubling over the tail and striking his palm with it, testing its effectiveness. This particular tail was soft and silky on the outside, but it was stiffened with a thin wire of some sort, so it could be curled upward. Realizing that he intended to use it to punish her, a shiver of dread slid down her spine. On her bottom, it wouldn’t have much impact but where he clearly planned to use it, well, that was another matter.
Her fears were brought to life as the first blow fell on her exposed pussy. It stung, but there was also intense pleasure as the fluffy fibers of the tail dragged along her sensitive slit. She gasped for air and only then did she realize she’d been holding her breath in anticipation of what was to come. With the second strike, she felt her clitoris began to pulse. This was sensual torture of the most exquisite kind. Pleasure followed pain, confusing her senses.
Lucy’s cheeks reddened as her heart pounded furiously. Her hardened nipples strained against the fabric of the bodysuit, the pressure only increasing her arousal. She did everything she could to remain still and quiet, embarrassed by the presence of the driver. The thought occurred to her that Taryn seemed to be harder on her when there were others around, but she had no time to consider why that might be as he struck her once more. She tried to hold back but could not prevent moans and whimpers from escaping her lips. Maintaining her position as best she could, she writhed beneath the lash of the silken whip as Taryn struck her again and again.
Her head thrashed from side to side as her need for release became almost unbearable. As the little noises she was making became more desperate, Taryn threw aside the implement of her erotic torment and ran a finger along her hot, wet flesh, sending a shudder right to her core. He plunged two fingers inside her and fucked her with them, taking his time, drawing out every ounce of arousal her body could produce. Lucy raised her hips, trying to take control, to pull him deeper into her quivering body. He pressed her down with a palm on her belly.
“You enjoyed getting your pussy spanked,” Taryn observed.
There was no point denying it. Lucy offered a long, low moan of desire in response. Just as the first spasms of pleasure gripped her womb, Taryn abruptly withdrew his hand. He quickly closed the bodysuit, picked her up, and deposited her on the floor to kneel at his feet once more. She couldn’t smother a groan of disappointment.
“Bad little kitties don’t get to come,” he told her. “Remember that in the future.”
Sliding back from the brink of ecstasy, Lucy nodded and bowed her head. She hated coming so close to achieving a climax and being denied. As she shifted from side to side to try to alleviate her suffering, she knew that this was one lesson she would definitely heed. Being left unfulfilled was as bad as any spanking. She never wanted to be brought to the peak of pleasure, only to be hurled into a pit of despair again. From now on, she would do as she was told, no matter how unpalatable she found it.
* * *
Taryn could see the expression of awe on Lucy’s face as he helped her out of the vehicle and she saw the building where he lived for the first time. He supposed, to her eyes, it was pretty impressive. The apartment block, like so many of the buildings on the street was hewn from the rock face of an enormous mountain range. There was only one major settlement on the planet and the city stood out, a shimmering beacon of white, as a testament to how far their civilization had advanced.
He took her by the hand and led her into the building that would now be her home. With every step they took, her gasps of delight seemed to grow louder.
“Something pleases you, pet?” he asked.
“It’s so beautiful,” Lucy gushed. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Taryn thought about the drab, cobbled streets of New Cambridge and nodded his head. It was not just the architecture she would find different here. The values of his society were not the same as those of the humans. Yes, Taar-Breckian women submitted to their men, but they were not kept under harsh restrictions. They were free to educate themselves, to associate with each other whenever and wherever they chose, without fear of arrest. They weren’t subject to the control of a male guardian and could pick their own mate. If a woman on Taar-Breck wanted to leave her mate, she could petition the ruling family for permission to sever the bond. In cases of cruelty or neglect, the requests were usually granted.
Suddenly Taryn felt a stab of anxiety, a feeling he was wholly unfamiliar with. He looked down at Lucy and wondered how he could live without her by his side. Before he’d even met her, he felt a strong draw toward her and, over the past two weeks, a strong attachment had formed. He just wasn’t sure whether she felt the same way. If she thought his treatment of her was too harsh, would she seek permission to leave him? He knew that every punishment he’d dished out had been for her own good, but did she see it that way? He couldn’t be sure, and that uncertainty scared him more than he would ever care to admit. There had to be something he could do to reassure himself.
“Now that we are here, you may begin to plan a marriage ceremony,” he told Lucy as they took the elevator up to his apartment.
“Really?” Lucy’s face lit up in a way that he was sure was a sign she wanted to be with him.
“Yes, I’m afraid I know nothing of such things, so I will leave it to you,” he said. “Perhaps one of your friends will help you.”
“Oh, yes, I can ask Victoria.” A frown formed on Lucy’s face.
“What is it, pet?”
“Victoria hasn’t seen me like this.”
“Don’t worry,” Taryn said, “she will soon. Allik has a home in this building. It will not be long before we can arrange a visit.”
He studied Lucy’s face for a reaction but could not determine if she was happy about the prospect of seeing her friend or not. Perhaps she was worried about what Victoria might say about her taking on the role of his pet. By all accounts, Allik’s mate was a feisty one, with strong opinions and that caused him some concern. Lucy was clearly unsettled, and he didn’t want her friend stoking the fires of discontentment. He was going to have to keep a very close watch on his little pet and deal with any hints of rebellion as they arose.
* * *
As she walked around the spacious living area in Taryn’s apartment, Lucy couldn’t help but feel a jolt of disappointment. Sure, it was beautifully furnished and the views out over the city were spectacular, but it was all kind of familiar. She’d expected to arrive at his home to find a new and exciting world, something completely unlike the one she’d left behind. Sadly, this was just the same as some of the more modern homes in New Cambridge, the sort of place a member of the High Council might live in. There were a few minor differences, of course. The dining table was low as the Taar-Breckian custom was to sit on the floor to eat. There were also food delivery hatches where their meals would arrive via chutes concealed within the building’s walls. The furniture was bigger than Lucy was used to, the chairs clearly built to accommodate the larger size of the Taar-Breckian people. Everything else was the same as you would find on Earth.
“You look displeased,” Taryn commented.
“Not displeased,” Lucy said carefully, in case he took offense, “just surprised. I can’t believe it’s so much like home.”
Taryn raised an eyebrow as though he thought it was strange that she imagined they would live differently.
“Our basic needs are the same,” he said. “We must sit, eat, sleep, wash, just as you do.”
“I suppose,” Lucy conceded. “It’s just that I didn’t think the style would be so similar.”
“We have been in direct contact with humankind for more than two centuries now and we observed your species for hundreds of years before that. Over time, we adopted many of your more practical solutions for living, just as we introduced you to some of our technologies. We also preserved many of the books and works of art your people did not care to save, and we have brought animals here to thrive while you humans allowed them to die out.”
Was that a rebuke? If it was, it certainly wasn’t fair to level it at her. Even if Lucy had been in a position to do anything about those issues, they’d occurred long before she was born. She wanted to respond but knew, by now, that holding her tongue was a far safer option.
“May I see my room now?” Lucy asked.
Taryn had told her that she would have her own space to sleep in and that the room would be modeled on her bedroom back in New Cambridge. It seemed odd to her that he didn’t intend to share a space with her. After all, they’d been cooped up together in his quarters on the transport ship for two weeks and there had been little friction between them. In fact, they had got on very well together.
“You may,” Taryn said and gestured for her to follow him down a long corridor that led off from the living room.
When they got to the far end of the hallway, Taryn pushed open a door and gestured for Lucy to go inside. She gasped as she stepped into the room. It wasn’t exactly like her old bedroom, but it was close. The walls were painted pink and there was a matching carpet on the floor. There was a large wooden bed dominating the space. A wardrobe sat off to one side and there was a very comfortable-looking sofa with floral throw pillows. At the foot of the bed was a trunk, much like the one she’d had at home. As her eyes scanned the room, they landed on one item she definitely hadn’t possessed. The hairs at the back of her neck stood on end. In the corner of this prettily decorated, very girly room was a small metal cage with thick bars. It shook in sharp contrast to the femininity of the décor. Mouth falling open in shock, she looked to Taryn.
“Well, pet?” he asked, his eyes gleaming with amusement, presumably at the expression on her face. “What do you think of your new home?”
With words eluding her, Lucy simply shrugged. What was there to say? She’d asked to be his pet, but she’d never entertained the prospect of being put in a cage. Afraid to ask what its purpose was, she smiled broadly to cover her growing sense of anxiety. Raising herself onto her tiptoes, she placed a kiss on Taryn’s cheek.
“I love it. Thank you, Master.”
“Good girl.” Taryn looked surprised. “Well, I have work to attend to, so I’ll leave you to settle in.”
As he left the room, Lucy went and sat on the bed. This was it. Home sweet home. Her eyes dragged back over to the little metal cage in the corner. The question was, what sort of home was it going to be?