Chapter Nine
Dressed in the new, pristine white bodysuit and matching tail she had been given to wear, Lucy knelt at Taryn’s feet and stared in awe at the Taar-Breckian warrior who’d just entered the room. His height and breadth alone were intimidating, but it was the intense annoyance on his face that really scared Lucy. He looked as though he was ready to tear someone apart with his bare hands. He might have been handsome once, but now his face was a ruin, marked with hideous scars that amplified the severity of his appearance. The man was a stark reminder that Taar-Breckian warriors led an existence that could be brutal at times.
“It is good to see you, Allik,” Taryn greeted the other man warmly.
Allik. So, this was the man who’d rescued the baby from the shuttle. Lucy found it hard to imagine such a tiny infant in the hands of this enormous brute. The poor child must have been terrified. Lucy was certainly unnerved to be in the same room as him. Her fear of this man was made even worse by the fact he seemed to be studying her quite carefully.
“I see you’ve noticed my pet.” Even though Taryn’s words held obvious pride, Lucy bristled when he referred to her that way. “Her name is Lucy. She makes a very pretty kitten, don’t you think?”
The redness in Lucy’s cheeks deepened. In the moments when she and Taryn were alone, she could cope with being his pet. Although it was not exactly how she’d imagined it would be, she could handle submitting to him when it was just the two of them. But, being put on show like this before another man was different. Knowing that the tight outfit she wore put her entire body on display, she shifted restlessly. As she moved, she was given an uncomfortable reminder that there was a huge plug lodged in her ass to attach the lush white tail to her body.
Biting her bottom lip, she bowed her head. She had no idea how she was supposed to behave in this situation. Needing reassurance, she rubbed her face against Taryn’s leg and he smiled down at her. As he returned his attention to his friend, she took a deep breath and resolved to maintain her poise.
“Tell me about your mate,” Taryn said to Allik. “Are you pleased with her?”
“She is interesting,” the other man replied, the ghost of a smile playing on his lips. “I like her.”
Lucy felt Taryn’s hand on her head as he gently ran his fingers through her hair and she hoped it was his way of silently assuring her that he was also pleased with his match. She knew that he enjoyed her body and that he was protective of her but, if he had feelings beyond that, he kept them to himself. She found it frustrating. It was too soon for declarations of love, she knew that, but it would be nice if he found her appealing as a person and not just as a plaything.
“Allik is the man I told you about, pet,” Taryn said, breaking into her thoughts, “the one who is going to look after your friend Victoria.”
Lucy’s eyes immediately widened, and she studied the man in front of her again. He was so dark, so utterly forbidding, she couldn’t picture him with any woman, let alone her spirited friend. Victoria would never submit to a man like this and she had a feeling he would not stand for a woman challenging him. She flinched as he returned her stare and shifted her focus to look at the floor instead. It was as though he’d heard what she was thinking. Had the word monster actually screamed from her mind? She hoped not.
“You will be able to see Victoria when you are settled on Taar-Breck,” Taryn said, bringing her attention back to him. “Would you like that?”
“Yes.” Lucy spoke quietly, hoping that if she kept her voice low, her nervousness would not be so apparent. Suddenly, Taryn’s hand fisted in her hair. His grip was tight, almost painful, and she let out a little whine. He pulled her head back, forcing her to look up at him. Lucy squealed, surprised that she was being treated so roughly. It was humiliating to be handled this way in front of another man, but she saw the disappointment on Taryn’s face and knew that she’d upset him. In dismay, she rocked from side to side, her cheeks reddening as tears welled in her eyes. She knew what it was that he wanted, and she needed to give it to him. “Yes, Master, I would like that.”
“Good girl.” Taryn patted her head affectionately.
Lucy could not prevent a pathetic mewling noise from escaping her. Embarrassed, she nuzzled her cheek against his leg once more, craving the sense of security that came from being so close to him.
“You wanted to see me,” Allik said, seeming keen to get down to business as quickly as possible.
“Yes, take a seat.”
Lucy had to stifle a groan. The last thing she wanted was for this man to make himself comfortable. The sooner he was out of here, the better, as far as she was concerned. With a sinking heart, she watched as first Allik and then Taryn settled themselves down on the chairs, built extra-large to accommodate the imposing physiques of the Taar-Breckian male. She fought against outwardly cringing as Taryn pointed wordlessly to the space between his feet. Something was going on here that she couldn’t quite understand. From her limited experience of him, she realized Taryn was not the easiest of men but, right now, it felt as though he was being particularly hard on her.
Not wanting to show any disrespect in front of his colleague, she crawled across the floor and took up her position, kneeling between his legs. She shot a glance at Allik, who seemed to be lost in his thoughts and not paying attention. That was a relief. Submitting to Taryn privately was something she was already coming to terms with. She hadn’t minded doing as he commanded in front of Delina either. Acting in this subservient manner in the presence of another man, however, was about a mile outside of her comfort zone.
“I hear you found the infant,” Taryn said, and Lucy sat up a little straighter, eager for news of the child.
“Yes, but I do not know if it can be saved.”
Lucy felt a wave of anxiety washing over her. She wanted to ask questions, to find out who was caring for the child, what they thought their chances of survival were. She suspected, though, that she was supposed to remain silent unless specifically asked to speak.
“You did all that you could. You found her and brought her back. It is in the hands of the medics,” Taryn said dispassionately before changing the subject. “So, tell me your preliminary findings.”
That was it? Lucy glared at one man and then the other, amazed that they could dismiss the topic of the child’s wellbeing so easily. She couldn’t understand how they could speak about such a tiny, helpless child with such a lack of emotion. She wanted to stand up and yell at them but, of course, she didn’t for fear of incurring a punishment. Instead, she sat there and tried to silently project her intense displeasure. Fortunately, as they were now getting down to business, neither man noticed she was fuming. Taryn would no doubt redden her bottom just for casting dark looks at him and his friend.
As the two men talked about fighter ships and laser cannons, Lucy tried to let the sound of their words just wash over her. She didn’t want to hear about such things. More than anything, she wanted to block out the memory of what she’d seen on that shuttle. Unfortunately, it wasn’t easy to shut it all out. She couldn’t help but release a little sob. Seeming to understand her distress, Taryn stroked behind her ear. Instinctively, she leaned in toward him, resting her head against his leg for comfort.
As Commander Rossingham joined their conversation by audio link, she found herself more and more interested in their conversation. The men speculated about whether their enemies, some alien race she had never even heard of, had set up a base on Earth. They implied that there was some sort of collusion between their enemy and her people. Frankly, it wouldn’t surprise her if the High Council was involved in some plot against their allies from Taar-Breck.
“That is what I suspected,” Lucy heard Rossingham say. She thought he sounded saddened rather than angered by Allik’s report on the shuttle attack. “Well, thank you for the information, Allik. I will send a team to look into it. Now, on another matter, has Miss Walton told you anything about my mate’s sister?”
Lucy looked at Allik, as desperate to hear the answer as Commander Rossingham seemed to be. She didn’t know whether Victoria had some knowledge of Elizabeth’s whereabouts that she hadn’t shared with her.
“Not yet, sir,” Allik replied.
“Well, if she does tell you anything useful, contact me immediately. My mate is anxious for news.”
Lucy felt the weight of sadness pressing down on her. Nobody had heard anything from Elizabeth Chatterton since the night of her sister’s arrest several weeks ago, and the chances that something awful had happened to her seemed to increase with each passing day. Lucy was so caught up in her thoughts about her friend, she barely noticed Allik leaving the room. When he was gone, Taryn pulled her up to sit on his lap.
“Allik made you uncomfortable?” he asked her.
Lucy could not fault his perceptiveness.
“A little.”
“He might look frightening, but he is a good man,” Taryn said. “His scars were honorably won.”
“I’m sure they were.” Lucy’s lips set in a firm line as she thought about the other man and the way she had behaved in front of him.
“It is not his scars that bother you?”
If she was honest, Lucy would have to admit that she found Allik’s appearance off-putting, but that was not the main thing that was upsetting her.
“No,” she replied, pouting a little because Taryn clearly didn’t understand what she was unhappy about. “I didn’t like meeting him while I’m dressed like this.”
Taryn nodded as though he understood.
“I knew you would be uncomfortable,” he admitted, “but, believe me, it is important that you learn to demonstrate your submission in front of others. Soon, you will be called upon to submit to me under far more difficult circumstances and I will expect complete obedience.”
Lucy really didn’t understand. If a situation arose where he needed her to obey him absolutely, all he had to do was explain it to her in advance and she would do all that she could to comply with his demands. Surely, there was no need to demonstrate his mastery over her in front of his friends?
“But…” she began.
“But, nothing,” Taryn said as he lifted her by the waist and set her down on the floor. “It is not for you to question me.”
Lucy let out an indignant snort and folded her arms in front of her, adopting a defiant pose.
“Asshole,” she mumbled under her breath.
Evidently, she wasn’t quiet enough if the dark disapproval that passed across Taryn’s face was anything to go by.
“I can see that a lesson is required,” Taryn said. “Go and wait for me in the bedroom.”
Thoughts of protest crossed her mind briefly but, actually, Lucy wanted him to punish her. She had no idea why, but she thought it might help her. From the moment she’d woken up in Taryn’s bed, she’d felt on edge. Perhaps a thorough spanking was just what she needed to settle her. Nodding to signal her compliance, she padded off to the bedroom.
* * *
Taryn stood at the bedroom door and watched Lucy as she shifted restlessly from side to side. He’d deliberately chosen not to give her instructions on how to present herself and he was pleasantly surprised to find her kneeling on the floor waiting for him, her head bowed. There was such beauty and grace in her posture, it seemed as though it came naturally to her.
“Stand up and remove your clothing,” he instructed. “You are to be bared for this punishment.”
Immediately, Lucy got to her feet. In her haste to obey, she almost overbalanced, but she quickly righted herself and began to take off her clothing. Because the bodysuit was molded so closely to her skin, she had to wiggle her way out of it. The result was a little dance that was no doubt unintentionally sexy as she swayed her hips to coax the fabric down over her luscious curves. For a moment, she lost her composure and cursed as she struggled to remove her clothes but, eventually, she won the battle.
As she picked up the bodysuit from the floor and put it neatly over a stool, Taryn opened the large trunk that sat at the end of the bed. He took out two sets of restraints and a wooden paddle that would remind her who was in charge without causing her any lasting harm. He knew just how to wield the implement to best effect. Carefully placing the cuffs that would bind his little pet’s limbs, he attached the restraints to the posts at the four corners of the bed. As he arranged things, he was aware of Lucy’s intense scrutiny. He turned to be met by her wide-eyed stare.
“Lie on the bed.” There was a clear note of command in his voice. In case she was in any doubt, he added, “Face down.”
Despite the tremulous quiver of her lips, he could tell she was excited by the prospect of being bound and spanked. Her eyes were wide and the little pulse at the base of her neck was throbbing. The rosy peaks of her nipples had stiffened and the color in her lips had deepened, just enough to betray her state of arousal.
Lucy turned and climbed up onto the bed. She lay, as instructed, on her stomach in the center and wriggled impatiently. Taryn stifled a chuckle. She was incredibly eager. He took two of the pillows and lifted her hips to place them beneath her so her bottom, still adorned with the fluffy white tail, presented an irresistible target. Then he pulled each of her legs out to the side and secured her ankles in the supple leather cuffs before moving on to bind her wrists. Satisfied that Lucy was going nowhere, he stepped back. Hearing her let out a breathy sigh, he couldn’t resist slipping his hand between her legs. Running his fingers along her feminine slit, he gathered some of the moisture that had pooled there. She was soaking wet. He held his glistening fingers out for her to see.
“It seems my little pet is looking forward to her punishment,” he said. “Perhaps she likes being bound and at my mercy. Is that so?”
“Yes.” There was a reluctance in Lucy’s voice as she admitted it.
Irritated by her continuing lack of deference, Taryn took hold of her tail and yanked it upward, causing her to yelp in shock.
“Yes, Master,” she quickly corrected herself.
“That’s more like it.” Taryn allowed himself a smile. She really did learn quickly. “Now, tell me why you think you’re being punished.”
She made cute little noises as she seemed to consider her response.
“Because I didn’t show you the proper respect,” she said. “I questioned you and called you something I shouldn’t have.”
“That’s right.” Taryn was pleased that she understood what she’d done wrong. He wanted her to reflect on her behavior and see that, at times, punishment was justified. “Now, how many strokes of the paddle do you think you deserve?”
“Er, five?”
Although she’d turned her face from him, Taryn was able to picture the grimace that must have accompanied that suggestion. She was definitely aiming low with that number.
“Let’s try ten and see if that teaches you some manners,” he said. “Now, I expect you to count each one.”
“Yes, Master,” Lucy agreed.
Taryn reached for the paddle and gave it an experimental swish through the air, getting a feel for the implement’s weight and judging how hard he would need to wield it to get his message across without causing any damage. He laid a hand on her back and she rocked her hips from side to side.
“Hold still, pet,” he warned her. “This may hurt.”
* * *
This may hurt? Who was he trying to kid? When the paddle struck her for the first time, Lucy felt as though her backside had burst into flames. The wooden board hit the left side of her bottom with a dull thud, but the pain that fanned out across her flesh was sharp. She emitted a yowl that, to her own ears, sounded inhuman. Her thoughts scrambled as she tried to get some sense of what she was actually feeling as the initial burn slowly faded to a delicious warmth.
Behind her, Taryn cleared his throat and reminded her that she was supposed to count out the strokes.
“One,” she hissed through gritted teeth.
“Would you like another?” Taryn asked, and she could just imagine the amused smirk on his face.
The word no popped into her mind but she knew better than to let it leave her lips. As soon as the pain had dissipated, she found herself growing impatient for the next blow to fall.
“Yes,” she said and then gasped as fingers pinched the fleshiest part of her bottom as a warning.
“Master,” she added quickly.
A second blow fell and then the third, fourth, and fifth in rapid succession. Lucy shouted out each number and tried to keep her breathing steady. She did her best to relax her bottom, knowing that if she tensed it would be worse for her. With the sixth stroke of the paddle, she let out a low moan. Heat danced across her bottom and a pulse began to throb insistently between her widely parted legs.
“Six,” she groaned, burying her face in the mattress.
With her arms and legs bound, her limbs outstretched, she felt incredibly vulnerable. There was nowhere to hide from her response to the paddling she was receiving. Her arousal was fully on display and she had no way to escape from either the pain or the pleasure she was experiencing. She tried pushing her hips forward to press her pussy against the pillows but was unable to move enough to gain any relief from her frustration. She heard a sound from Taryn that she thought might be a chuckle and knew that her efforts to cope with her rampant desire were amusing him.
“Now, now, pet,” he said, his tone light, “no more squirming. If you’re a good girl, you’ll get a reward once the punishment is over.”
Making a supreme effort to hold still, Lucy waited for the paddle to fall once more. If there was any chance that Taryn would choose to alleviate her sensual suffering, then she would do whatever it took to please him.
“Seven,” she gasped as the next blow took her by surprise and then almost immediately afterward, “eight.”
“Just two more to go,” he confirmed. “You’re doing well, and your bottom is a very pretty shade of pink.”
Lucy would have thought it would be glowing crimson by now. It certainly felt as though there was a great deal of heat radiating from her derriere.
The next time the paddle fell, it struck across the full width of her bottom, making her shriek like a banshee. She wriggled her hips a little and tensed then unclenched her muscles to try to cope with the increasing discomfort. Each stroke felt just that bit more intense, adding another layer to the heady cocktail of pain and arousal she was experiencing.
“Nine,” she recited after a brief pause.
She blew out a breath just as the paddle landed for the final time. She yelped, and her fingers clawed at the bed, but she could not gain purchase on anything as she was bound so tightly.
“Ten,” Taryn said for her.
Lucy felt the bed dipping as Taryn climbed onto the mattress behind her. There was an unpleasant tugging sensation as he removed the tail from her bottom. She felt strangely bereft without the anal plug, but her forbidden channel was quickly filled once more as Taryn thrust his cock into her. Lucy shrieked, partly in surprise but also in discomfort as he seated himself fully inside her. The plug had been large, but it had not prepared her to be taken like this.
“Oh, my God!” she wailed. “It’s so big. It won’t fit.”
“It will,” Taryn assured her.
The sensation was so strange, so overwhelming, Lucy could not prevent herself from sobbing. As tears began to roll down her cheeks, it occurred to her that she hadn’t cried until now. The spanking had been painful, but she’d embraced that humiliation. Something about this was so much more humiliating. The tail was bad enough, but she’d started to get used to it. Having a man put his… his… penis inside her bottom was different. It was almost beyond endurance.
She winced as Taryn slid his cock out of her and back in for the first time. It hurt more than the plug did. As he began to fuck her bottom, she moaned and clutched at the air, trying to find something to grab onto.
Taryn’s hand slipped underneath her, and he took hold of her breast, rolling her nipple between his fingers. It distracted her from the discomfort she was experiencing, and she started to feel a familiar warmth at her feminine core. As his fingers trailed down to find that special spot between her legs, moisture began to seep from her pussy. She groaned as Taryn rubbed the pad of his fingertip over her clitoris, making teasing little circles. Suddenly all thoughts of discomfort dissolved as intense pleasure took hold of her. Bound and helpless, she gave herself over to sensation.
Behind her, Taryn’s breath hitched as his cock began to pulse inside of her. A moment later, he pulled out of her, a jet of warm semen spurting across her back. Her own need growing, she almost screamed in frustration as Taryn’s hands left her. Quickly untying her, he flipped her over onto her back. Before she knew what was happening, he dragged her forward and lifted her legs up over his shoulders. His mouth descended on her pussy and she tensed as his tongue slid inside her.
This was like nothing she’d ever known. It was too much yet she wanted more. Taryn held her fast as she struggled a little, trying to get away, or get closer—she wasn’t sure. He gorged on her pussy as though it was his last meal. His tongue curled up inside her, hitting a sensitive spot and making her scream in ecstasy. Her thighs tightened around his neck as her back arched up off the bed. With a wail she came again and again until he finally let her go. Collapsing in a boneless mass, she flung an arm over her face as though she could hide from the dawning realization that she would never get enough of this man.
Her heart pounding, body quivering, she welcomed Taryn’s embrace as he pulled her into his arms. Something had clicked into place for her. She had no idea why, but suddenly being here like this felt right. It was where she belonged.