Bound at the Ball (Siren Publishing Allure)

by Lea Barrymire

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  Rella wiped Marena’s forehead for the hundredth time, cooing softly to her sister in hopes of giving some comfort. The fever was fierce and wasn’t reacting to medicines normally used to lower the body’s temperature. Her sister’s eyes slowly opened to reveal bloodshot orbs. Her gaze was pain hazed and not fully there. For hours, Marena had been floating in a semiconscious, illness-induced stupor. Rella and Bana had stayed with her in shifts, bathing her with cool cloths and administering medication. They now waited for the healer to arrive after their father had decided it was time to summon someone more capable than the females.

  The band on Rella’s arm snagged her shirt, drawing her attention to it again. The lights had long stopped flashing on it, but the foreboding that its weight carried hadn’t diminished. She’d spent all night bouncing her worries from her sister to the consequences of her abrupt escape from the gathering. Even when Bana had taken her watches over Marena, sleep hadn’t come for Rella. She’d tossed and turned, terrified that Sabar, or worse, would come storming into the house to pull her out for punishment.

  The question on her mind wasn’t about if something would happen, it was what would happen when he came for her. Would he wait to find out her reasoning or just haul her out to the magistrate for a public flogging? Would he even want her back after the punishment? Had she ruined her chance with him? Why did it matter to her that he might walk away from her?

  “Rella?” Bana’s voice pulled her from the whirlwind of unanswered questions. She turned to find her sister looking at her with stark terror shining in her wide eyes.

  “What is it? What’s wrong?”

  “The manservant of Warrior Sabar is here, insisting that he see you.”

  It was happening. All her questions were going to be answered shortly and she’d reap the consequences of her actions. Fear and resignation flowed through her, spiking her heart rate. She climbed to her feet, checked Marena one last time and turned toward the door. Sliding suddenly sweaty palms down her skirt helped soothe away a little of her nervousness. She wasn’t hopeful to get out trouble, but she did hope that because the servant came and requested an audience instead of barging in with warriors that she might not be in too deep.

  “I’m ready. Is he in the library?”

  “You better hurry.” Bana’s face twisted in hatred. “I can’t wait to see what happens to you. Now, go see to your fate.”

  With a bow, Rella left the room. She knew that her sister wouldn’t stand with her or protect her in any way. With a sigh of resignation, she walked into the room where she’d spent hours of every day going through her school books. It was a fitting place to learn of her punishment and what consequences she had reaped. At least she didn’t see any towering males waiting on her. The withered man sitting at the table seemed harmless enough.

  “Good evening, sir. I’m Rella. How may I help you?” She was surprised to only hear a small shake to her voice. She bowed her head, waiting for his response.

  “Girl, you are in more trouble than you can fathom. Bring the oldest female in your house to me at once.” His voice was clear and menacing. She’d expected a fatherly tone or a raspy edge.

  She jerked at the anger in his words, but did as he bade without another word. Turning quickly, she ran through the house until she found Bana sitting in the same place Rella had been, tending to Marena.

  “You need to come with me. He’s requesting the oldest female, but Marena is too sick.”

  Bana turned slowly. “Fine. Give me a moment and I will be right with you.”

  “Fine, whatever. Just hurry.”

  Rella bound through the house again determined to do something right. She entered the library again and settled into a submissive posture before addressing the man again. “Sir. My sister Bana will be with us shortly. My older sister is ill. Could I get you something to drink?”

  She could hear his scoff from across the room. She tried not to tense, tried to keep the irritation from showing in her body language. Who was this male to come in her home and act as such?

  “No. A drink is not necessary.”

  Rella fidgeted a little when he didn’t yell at her. He actually looked similar to her father. White fluffy hair topped his head. Wrinkles bunched at the corners of his mouth and eyes. His shoulders were hunched forward, but he carried an air of strength. His clothes were typical for a warrior’s servant, cream-colored cloth made into a tunic and trousers. Nothing carrying Sabar’s mark could be seen, but that didn’t surprise her. He didn’t seem the type to having his mark flashed around by his people.

  She heard Bana coming through the kitchen and sucked in a breath to calm her nerves. Whatever was going to happen would occur with or without her consent. She needed to be strong and just accept the consequences.

  “Sir.” Bana bowed low when she entered the room. “My sister tells me you’d like to speak with me?”

  “Yes. I am Tannard, head servant in Warrior Sabar’s dwelling. You are the female in charge of this girl?”

  “She is my sister, and at the moment I am the eldest female of the house, so yes, she is my charge.”

  “Good. Then you can prepare her, pack her things, and ready her for transport.”

  “Prepare her how? I’m not quite sure I understand.”

  “She is to be punished when master gets home, but until that time she is to be coated in Linax oil and placed in the same restraints she wore last night.”

  Rella gasped and looked up, glancing between her sister and Tannard. She couldn’t help it. Linax oil? The substance that had been diluted by water during her ritual bathing a few nights prior? The straight oil had been so bad that her sisters had worn gloves while pouring it into the water. How much worse would it be to have the oil directly on her skin? She backpedaled toward the doorway.

  The slap was so unexpected she clamped her hand over her cheek before she could stop the motion. Her gaze jerked to Bana’s face, and she was surprised at the glee there.

  “You will stand and show appropriate deference to this man. He is in charge of your new household even if you don’t wear the medallion yet. You will not disgrace our family, or your mate, by behaving this way.”

  Rella lowered her head and closed her eyes, willing herself to behave. Anger and disbelief tried to bunch her shoulders but she made them relax. There was no way out of her punishment and no way she would give Bana or Tannard another reason to hurt her. “Yes, Bana. My apologies for my behavior.”

  “I will take her and prepare her. It may take me some time as I am the only female here right now. Could I pack her items and have them sent after you leave? I would assume she won’t be needing anything personal until this time tomorrow?”

  “That would be fine. I do have duties to attend to, and would like to get some sleep this night. I would greatly appreciate you handling her belongings later.”

  Bana’s hand clamped on Rella’s upper arm. She was yanked through the doorway and rushed toward the bathing room. Rella’s mind was blank, spinning around the pain to come. Linax oil hadn’t been known to kill anyone if rubbed directly on the skin, but it had driven people into a long, unending sleep. Terror had sucked all of the fight right out of her. Even the rough treatment by her sister couldn’t drag her from the swirling vacant thoughts.

  “Strip, Rella, and stand here. I need to find Nopot. He will have to put the oil on you because I don’t have the stomach for it.” Bana turned and stomped from the room without a backward look. Rella’s anger spiked. How could her own sister feel nothing about torturing her? Even after the venomous words she assumed that Bana would feel something for her. Straight Linax oil would likely drive her insane. If she made it through the day she’d never be the same. But she obeyed without an argument, pulling off her dress and dropping it to the floor.

  It only took a moment for Bana to return with the eunuch. She watched her sister bustle around the room, gathering a cloth and a jar of the dreaded oil, a small grin on her lips. A s
hiver coursed down her back. Perhaps she did deserve this, but having her sister so accepting of the torture was too much.

  You are not to blame for this. Bana forced you home. She sighed. True enough, but that didn’t explain away her reasoning for not fighting her sister’s actions. Why hadn’t she told Bana the truth and made her listen? Why hadn’t she gone to Sabar? The answer was complex, but fear was at the center of it all. She feared Sabar’s reaction to her running away. Would he hate her now? Would he treat her like males normally treat females? She couldn’t face him and see anger in his eyes.

  So now she stood, naked, in front of her sister, awaiting a fate almost worse than death. A shiver ran down her spine. What if she ran again? She could outrun her sister easily enough and Tannard was old. Nopot wouldn’t be so easy to avoid, though. He was muscular and would obey her sister’s commands. Even if she tried to run, where would she go? She didn’t have any friends that would harbor her if she ran from her mate and family. Could she hide out in the mountains? She glanced down at the cuff around her upper arm. She was pretty sure it was a tracking device. Any attempt to run further would only get her in more trouble when she was found.

  New resolve straightened her spine and allowed the first deep breath she’d taken since Tannard had arrived. She was strong. If this was the punishment that her mate had designed for her, she’d make it through it.

  “Do not fight Nopot. I’m going to have him apply the thinnest layer of oil that he can, but if you struggle I will have him restrain you and coat you.”

  “Yes, Bana.”

  A strange look crossed her sister’s face. Whatever it was that caused the look didn’t hold for long. Quickly the normal cool mask covered her sister’s face once again. Bana nodded absently at the male before walking to the doorway and watching, blank-faced.

  The first swipe of the oiled cloth over her back made her stiffen, but when nothing happened, she relaxed. Her skin started to warm after a few moments as her sister worked down her body. Her back, arms and legs were done in minutes. Nopot came around in front of her and dabbed more oil on the cloth before reaching out again. “Hold your arms out so I can get them fully, please.”

  Rella obeyed, closing her eyes to the slow burn now covering her back. The heat had been pleasant in the beginning, warm and heavy. Now her skin felt like she was standing too close to a fire, and she clenched her jaws to keep from making noise. She couldn’t concentrate on the touch of the cloth. Her ass and legs started to burn as well, sending signals to her brain to move, run, anything. When something touched her breasts, the air whooshed from her lungs. Her nipples immediately puckered and an ache so strong slithered to her pussy that she almost collapsed. Her eyes shot open and she stared down at her aching breasts.

  “Done. Now, stand still while I put your belt and bracelets on.” Nopot’s voice was soft with compassion. “I will try to be quick.”

  Invisible flames licked every inch of her skin. The feeling wasn’t quite pain, but it was uncomfortable and promised to turn to something much worse. She felt too warm, too sensitive, too everything. The first metallic snick on her wrist sent a jolt of molten heat to her core. The slight brush of her sister’s clothing against her skin stirred a need so violent she cried out. The second bracelet burned her skin enough that she stepped back.

  “Stand still. I am almost done,” he whispered.

  Nodding her understanding, she stood as still as she could. Her ankles were wrapped in chilly metal moments later. At least those didn’t create any new need in her already throbbing body. She couldn’t seem to pull a full breath into her lungs. Short gasps sounded loudly in her ears, echoing back to her in the otherwise silent room. Her heartbeat quickened, pooling in her breasts and pussy. The warmth that had felt heavy in her belly was now a clawing, tearing flame. She could feel her clit and labia swelling, rubbing erotically against each other.

  When the eunuch wrapped the beaded belt around her hips, Rella nearly fell. Rough fingers touching her skin and the knowledge that a string of small torture was a heartbeat from being threaded between her pussy lips made her head swim. You will not show weakness. She hoped her admonishment would keep her legs beneath her and her body upright.

  Cool, round hell slid between her wet folds and came to rest against her clit. She tried to keep the moan from her lips but failed miserably. Her body took the slick slide of those beads as an invitation to rush toward an orgasm. Blood pounded in her ears, her nipples contracted painfully, and her legs turned to jelly. She could feel the tightening in her belly as her clit throbbed.

  “Nopot, leave. Rella, you will not come. Do you hear me? You will not give in to the pleasure.” Bana growled as she approached. Her hand clamped cruelly around Rella’s upper arm. “Move. You need to be on your way before you wake Marena with your noise.”

  Rella stumbled next to her sister, barely aware of her surroundings. The burning need was so powerful she couldn’t keep her mind from it for long. Her body knew what it wanted, needed. Nerves sent information to her brain to prepare her for a release, sensitizing her skin, contracting muscles she’d only recently discovered, fuzzing her thoughts.

  “Tannard, she is ready for you to take her. I will gather her belongings and have them delivered soon.”

  Rella stopped walking when Bana yanked on her arm. They stood facing the servant, but she couldn’t focus on anything but the inferno burning through her veins. Even standing in front of a man naked couldn’t bring her thoughts together enough to care. Fire, pain, need. Those were the only things she could feel.

  “Very good.” Tannard stepped forward, looking up and down her body. Even with her burning from the inside out she could feel the blush color her cheeks. The look of disgust that pinched his lips was enough to make her look away.

  He snapped his fingers in front of her nose and huffed loudly when she jerked her gaze back. She watched him turn his back on her, like she was a whipped dog that wouldn’t disobey. He shuffled toward the door, mumbling under his breath, “Come, girl. We’re wasting time. If nothing else, you will learn obedience. What master saw in you is beyond me. If we were still on the home planet you’d be staked out in the sun for days for your behavior.”

  She thought for an instant to be stubborn and not move, but she couldn’t take anything else on top of the Linax oil. With a sigh of resignation, she trooped after him, wincing with each movement as the pussy beads rubbed against her already-engorged clit. If she survived this, she was going to hurt Sabar. There was nothing that would save him from her fury once she had the oil washed off her skin. Death was looking better with each passing moment.

  Chapter 10

  The ride to Sabar’s dwelling was torture. Pure and simple. She’d been instructed to sit on a towel so her “disgraceful juices” didn’t stain the seat, and then was completely ignored. Through the mounting pain she’d listened to Tannard talk to someone. She guessed it was Sabar from the tone of voice the old man had used. He’d told the person on the other end of the conversation that she’d agreed to come and that he would take care of everything. She wondered, with the small piece of her brain not focused on the discomfort, what that meant.

  Every bump, dip, and shake of the vehicle had a twofold effect on Rella. First was the spike of awareness and painful arousal. The beads rode against her clit, but instead of giving her pleasure, she felt like shards of glass were placed against her swollen flesh. No longer was the heat pleasant or even uncomfortable, it was searing in its intensity. She tried to swallow the gasps, but she knew some escaped her parched lips. Secondly, as she dealt with all of that, the movements shifted her on the seat. Her skin was so sensitive that it felt like she sat on a bed of needles.

  By the time they stopped in front of a moderately sized home, tears were streaming down her face, dripping off her chin and wetting her chest. She understood the reasoning for a punishment. Her behavior required it. But even for the warrior class, this was above and beyond. She sucked in gulps of air, trying
to slow her pounding heart and to get a grip on her body. It rebelled, forcing a moan from her lips. She barely noted the door opening and a harsh hand gripping her arm.

  “You will enter the house and walk to your new room. I will place a towel on the floor and you will kneel until Master feels ready to deal with you. I will be checking on you and if I find you in any other position, I’ll whip you. Do you understand?” The harshness of the words was made worse by the lack of emotion in Tannard’s voice. Like he felt none of this was out of the ordinary. Perhaps she’d been fooled by Sabar. Maybe this was exactly the way he ran his house.

  When he shook her arm, she nodded her understanding. She stumbled behind him, forcing her feet to move. If she fell, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to climb to her feet again, and she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing her crawl. The house was cool as they walked through it.

  All too quickly they entered a large room and she was yanked to a halt. Without another word, he placed a large towel on the floor and pointed to it. She sank to her knees as instructed and sucked in a breath as the fire blazed when her legs touched the floor.

  “Do not move from there.” He said nothing else before turning and walking sedately from the room. He left the door open and disappeared down the hallway.

  Rella closed her eyes and concentrated on breathing. Slow breath in, slow breath out. Over and over again she talked herself into pulling in a large lungful of air instead of panting. Time trickled by, and slowly the burn took over every sense she had other than the slow breaths she took.

  An eternity slunk by while she burned. She could swear she could smell her skin frying, crisping under the oil. Her breasts ached from remaining puckered so long. Her pussy and clit were so swollen she had to separate her legs to accommodate the pressure. Her arm muscles shook with the effort to keep them away from her body. Her mind focused on nothing and everything. Single thoughts started and fluttered away on a wave of pain. Her tears eventually dried up, and the salt added another layer to her discomfort.