by Sue Lyndon
He would also finally take a mate and start a family, and as the time to select a suitable female approached, he found himself aching for feminine companionship. Having achieved the rank of admiral, the highest possible rank of protector, he would have his pick from any unmated female on his home world. A seven-day mating ceremony was planned for his arrival, during which time the wealthiest and most powerful Varishan families would present their daughters for his choosing.
In his younger days, the thought of being honored with a mating ceremony had appealed to him and even driven him to become one of the most respected protectors of his time. Now the thought of being in the spotlight darkened his spirits. He sometimes wished he’d taken a mate long ago so he didn’t have to endure the public ceremony.
After spending much of his life fighting to protect Varishan territories, he wanted to settle down in his lakeside home atop the Mohanna Mountains as soon as possible. His grandfather had gifted the household and all the servants to him after he’d attained the rank of admiral, and he had always planned to make the mountains his permanent home. He would raise sons and daughters in the secluded residence, and he hoped their laughter along with the sweetness of his mate would help calm the storm in his heart.
He’d spent more than half of his life battling aliens, such as the humans, who dared to venture too close to Varishan territories. Many of the aliens weren’t as easily conquered as the humans, and he’d taken thousands of lives during his reign as admiral. He’d also lost many protectors during battle, and he longed for a more peaceful existence.
He reached the transporter room and strode inside, his gaze immediately falling upon a petite female form huddled in a corner. She sat with her knees drawn up in front of her, hugging them to her chest and peering at him with wide, fearful eyes.
Blue eyes. Like the skies of Varishema. It had been so long since he’d seen the skies of his home world that he paused in the center of the room and stared at the pretty female, awestruck by her delicate beauty.
He dismissed the other protectors from the room, and his heart thumped against his ribcage once they were finally alone. His fingertips tingled with the urge to stroke her smooth, pale flesh.
“Welcome to the Zurrina, little human. Please stand up,” he said, speaking in perfect English. Like all protectors, he had learned the tongues of the aliens they battled, including the humans. Her eyes widened further, betraying her surprise over his usage of her language.
“You speak English?” Her voice trembled. Tears trickled down her cheeks, and to his shock, he had the sudden impulse to wipe them way. But no, that couldn’t be right.
There was a hardness inside him, and he had never experienced the desire to coddle another, not even a crying female. The stress of his admiralship must be affecting him. Yes, it was good he would retire soon.
“All Varishan protectors speak English,” he replied. Her lack of knowledge about his kind revealed she hadn’t held a command position on the Constantina. Few human females did, but some of those taken hadn’t been surprised to hear the Varishans speak English.
He wondered if this human female would be as feisty as the last one taken, the one he’d gifted to his lieutenant during their last fleet patrol. The human known as Nola had escaped from her mate’s quarters on several occasions and caused an uproar on the ship. Cavvik had taken the young protector aside and explained that females often needed discipline and guidance, occasionally with a firm hand applied to their bare backsides, and ever since then Nola’s behavior was much improved.
His cock throbbed at the thought of taking this female over his knee. Would she squirm and look over her shoulder at him with those pleading blue eyes? Would she promise to be good and submit to his desires?
She shrank deeper into the corner, as if sensing his thoughts. Or perhaps she noticed the hardness pressed against the front of his pants. He fought the urge to adjust himself and stalked closer to her. Crossing his arms, he stood above her and donned his sternest look, feeling sullen over the task set before him.
Which protector would he gift her to? Galok? Nimu? Terul?
Keep her. Tame her. Make her yours.
Dark, primal needs whispered in the back of his mind. Keep her.
He wanted to pick her up and cradle her in his arms, to feel her flesh pressing against his. Desire heated his blood and his muscles tensed.
Temptation rose and the urge to carry her back to his quarters became all consuming. By the Blessed One, he needed her. He ached to feel her body beneath his as he pounded into her tightness. And she would be tight, untouched. A virgin. All the females the Varishans took from the Constantina were as innocent as the holy sisters on his home world.
Inhaling a deep breath, a shudder ran through him at her faint feminine scent. As expected, he detected no hint of another male. Keep her.
“Stand up, human. I won’t ask again.”
She rose to her feet, but leaned against the wall, her whole body shaking. She wrapped her arms around herself and her lower lip trembled. A pang of pity for the girl resounded in his chest, and he ground his teeth together until the tender emotion passed.
“Tell me your name.”
“My name is Lia.” She looked around the transporter room, her gaze desperate as if searching for an escape. But there was nowhere to go. All the freedoms she’d known on the Constantina were no more. She was his prisoner, and soon she would become the mate of one of his protectors.
Again, the thought of passing this particular female over to another male left him hot with rage. His nostrils flared and he growled, unsettled by the realization of his jealousy, the possessiveness he felt for the female known as Lia. He shouldn’t want to bury his face in her golden locks and inhale her scent more deeply, but he wanted to do that and so much more.
“Lia.” An erotic thrill raced through him when he said her name. He imagined himself pushing her sweater off one shoulder and nibbling on her smooth flesh. Perhaps he would bite down hard once, just for the satisfaction of making her struggle and cry out, only to capture her wrists and subdue her in the next moment.
“Please, send me back to the Constantina. I don’t want to be here.”
He encroached on her space and loomed over her, needing to feel the waves of heat emanating from her small form. The stiffness between his legs hardened to steel, throbbing thick and long. But it was more than physical attraction that had him going rock hard. Something in her eyes called to him and beckoned him to claim her, care for her, and protect her for the rest of his days.
Her breath came in quick puffs and her pulse point throbbed on her neck, enticing him to tilt her head to the side in order to trail kisses from the soft spot behind her ear all the way down to her collarbone, and lower yet. Despite the urge, he refrained from touching her. Later, he would touch her all over.
If he decided to claim her.
“You will not be returned to the Constantina, Lia.”
Beneath the fear, a fire ignited in her gaze, and she stood taller in a challenging posture, though the top of her head didn’t quite reach his shoulders.
“Is this how you end a battle each time you fight the humans? You steal a female and torture her? Murder her? I’m the forty-sixth woman taken from the Constantina by your people. Forty-six of us, gone. Am I to die like all the others?”
“The other forty-five human females are well cared for and on the planet Varishema and other Varishan territories, where they have mated with respected protectors.”
“I don’t understand.” Her voice shook and he longed to sweep her up in his arms, longed to hold her until the shaking ceased. She incited a tenderness inside him that he’d all but given up hope he still possessed.
“Reffa,” he said, cursing in his own tongue. He gave her a hard look and she shrank against the wall. It was fortunate he’d dismissed the other protectors from the transporter room. He didn’t want those under his command to witness his weakness for a human girl.
“So al
l those women, they aren’t really dead?”
“Of course not,” he snapped. “Varishans do not harm women and children. Had we destroyed the Constantina during this battle, we would’ve only slain your males.”
Some of the fear left her eyes, and her trembling lessened. “Why have I been taken?”
“Your captain ventured too close to our territories, yet again. It is the duty of all Varishan protectors to keep their settlements safe. When a violation occurs, we claim reparations. Sometimes we take supplies from our enemies, but in the case of humans and other compatible species, we take females.”
She shuddered. “But we haven’t threatened anyone. We’re just traveling through space, trying to find a planet to settle on. We have never attacked you without provocation.”
“The Constantina is emitting pollutants that are contaminating the atmospheres above some of our nearby colonies. That is provocation enough. We gave Captain Renard, and the captains before him, maps indicating which areas must be avoided. We only attack the Constantina when the ship intentionally veers off course and threatens our territories.”
“I don’t believe you.” Her voice rose to an inappropriate level. “You’re lying! It’s bullshit! Do you think I am stupid enough to believe such a story?”
“The Varishan who claims you as a mate will not tolerate such a disrespectful tone. Watch your tongue, or you will sorely regret your behavior, Lia. Females who use vulgar language are dealt with firmly where I come from.”
“Fuck you, and fuck every last fucking Varishan protector. Is that fucking vulgar enough for you?” She put her hands on her hips and lifted her eyebrows. “I demand to be sent back to the Constantina.”
He tensed and grabbed her upper arms, bringing her out from the wall and flush against his body. Though she’d raised his ire, his cock still throbbed with a fierce need for her. In fact, the brave way she’d challenged him only heightened his desire for her. Ah, what a pleasure it would be to tame her.
She infuriated him with her stubbornness; her refusal to believe the reason his people attacked the Constantina. As he peered into her eyes, he came to a firm decision.
This little human belonged to him.
“You will be punished for your language, Lia. I warned you to watch your tongue.”
She scoffed. “I knew it. I knew you were planning to torture me. Filthy, warmongering Varishans.” She pushed back and tried to kick his shin, but he pressed his body more firmly against hers, shoving his hardness against her stomach. Gasping, she peered up at him, the fire in her eyes burning bright despite her obvious fear.
“You misunderstand, Lia. There will be no torture. I’ve already told you we don’t harm our females. The worst punishment you can expect is the sting of a leather strap on your bare bottom. As most of the human females who have come before you have discovered, Varishan males will not hesitate to discipline their mates, and I know for a fact that your mate, Admiral Cavvik, will expect your absolute obedience.”
“My mate?” She gave a crazed laugh, thrashed about in his arms, then stilled and glared at him with intense, blazing eyes. “And when do I get the privilege of meeting this admiral I’m supposed to mate with?”
He stroked errant strands of golden hair behind her ears, delighting in the shudder that rippled through her body when his fingertips grazed the softness of her neck. “You already have, Lia.”
All the color drained from her face. She gulped. “You?”
“Yes, naughty human.” He held her out by her shoulders, his gaze sweeping up and down her body. “I have decided to claim you as mine.”
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More Stormy Night Books by Sue Lyndon
Claiming Their Maiden
Despite growing up as a nearly friendless orphan, Amelia had managed to carve out a meager existence. Then, without warning, Amelia found herself falsely accused of a terrible crime and forced to flee for her life into the vast, dangerous forest outside her village. Alone, terrified, and pursued by both man and beast, the end seemed near for Amelia… until she fell from a tree into the arms of a towering hulk of a man and fainted in panic.
She is pleasantly surprised to awaken in a warm, soft bed in an ancient castle deep in the forest, and she is even more surprised when she learns that her rescuer, Trent, and his brother, Gavin, are the lords of this castle, but the truly shocking revelation comes when the barbarian brothers inform her that she has been promised to them by the Goddess and that she is to be their wife.
Like all men of their kind, Trent and Gavin were born as twin brothers, and the magic of their people will bind them forever to their chosen mate. With the promise of the Goddess backed up by fierce desire for the beautiful Amelia, both brothers are delighted to claim this unspoiled maiden as their own. The brothers are fully prepared to teach their new bride obedience, and they know that nothing will impart that lesson better than a good, hard spanking on her bare bottom.
Amelia wants to hate Trent and Gavin with every fiber of her being, but their firm discipline is coupled with kindness, concern, and a deep and powerful love that she never imagined she would experience from any man, let alone two great warriors who are both so handsome it nearly takes her breath away. Though it fills her with shame, when the time comes for them to claim their beautiful new wife—each in turn and then both at once—she cannot help but yearn to be taken long and hard.
Hanna’s Awakening
Hanna longs for a life outside her tightknit Amish community, and as her nineteenth birthday approaches she finally works up the courage to leave her home for good. Her first taste of the outside world comes courtesy of an English neighbor, Ben Foster, who gives her a job and a place to stay. He also gives her butterflies in her stomach and some very improper thoughts that she doesn’t quite understand.
The moment Hanna shows up at his cabin and shyly asks for help, Ben finds that ignoring her sweet feminine presence isn’t possible when she’s suddenly wearing form-fitting clothing and sleeping under his roof. In spite of his growing passions Ben does his best to make Hanna feel welcome in his home. After she disobeys him during a trip to town, however, she does something unexpected—she comes to him and pleads to be punished. The act of chastising her changes the nature of their relationship, and when Ben asks Hanna to think of him as her daddy things take a passionate turn.
Hanna blossoms under Ben’s attentions. She’s never experienced such love and care, and she softens inside every time he calls her his baby girl. Though it leaves her blushing bright red with shame, being undressed and bathed sets Hanna on fire in a way she has never felt before. Her daddy can also be firm when it is needed, and Hanna soon learns that naughty girls get their bare bottoms soundly spanked.
Even as she tries to enjoy every second with him, Hanna knows that her future with Ben is uncertain. They’re both running away from their past, and Hanna has always planned to run far, far away. Are their paths only meant to cross for a short time, or will they discover a new road to walk together?
The Girl, the Doctor, and the Texas Ranger
After witnessing a car crash outside his ranch house, Dr. Daniel Anderson rushes to help the girl behind the wheel. He carries her inside and tends to her wounds, all the while wondering what brought her out this far in the middle of the night. The young woman soon breaks down and confesses that her name is Emily an
d she's on the run from the police after fighting back against a vindictive cop who tried to take advantage of her.
Daniel and his brother Trevor, a Texas Ranger, feel protective of Emily and offer to keep her safe and help clear her name. They agree to let her stay on the ranch, and in return she promises to help out with chores and obey their rules. The prospect of real consequences if she misbehaves is exciting to Emily, and when she shyly approaches Daniel with this confession, he decides to give her a taste of his discipline. He takes her over his knee and spanks her bare bottom, and the love she feels as he cradles her in his arms afterwards is unlike anything she's ever experienced. She quickly discovers that Trevor is almost as strict as his older brother, and just as loving.
Though she is twenty-years old, Emily becomes their sweet little girl. Daniel and Trevor delight in buying her cute frilly dresses, taking care of all her needs, and disciplining her when she's been naughty. She thrives under their attentions and falls hopelessly in love with both brothers. It isn't long before they claim her, first each on his own and then both at once. Trevor is confident he'll have her name cleared in no time, but once he does, will Emily have to leave the men who've changed her life and stolen her heart, or can she stay their little girl forever?
Becoming Little Lexie
As Alexa’s husband helps her recover from a car accident, she begins to crave his nurturing side more and more. William’s firm but loving bedside manner makes her all warm and tingly inside, and she finds that she loves feeling like a little girl being taken care of by her daddy. But how can she tell him what she has discovered?
William is stunned when his wife finally confesses what’s been bothering her, but he’s eager to step into the role of her daddy. More than eager, in fact. Soon he’s giving her long, thorough bubble baths, reading her bedtime stories, dressing her in cute dresses and drop seat pajamas, and even giving her spankings on her bare bottom when she’s been naughty.
