Vol’s an honorable man, I think to Bradley. The Dominars are here to help, and if you interfere or cause a war, it could doom us all!
“Jillian?”
“Three, sir!” I call out.
What’s the matter with you, Wexler? This is Stockholm syndrome! They’re inside your head!
I’d love to point out the irony of what he said, but Vol’s fourth swing leaves me crying out from the torment. Then I wonder, is Bradley right? Has Vol warped my mind? He’s been conditioning me, for sure—by making me stronger, by teaching me about the universe. I don’t think that’s the same thing.
I swear, I’m fine! You don’t know Vol like I do. Just hear him out at the summit, and if you’re not satisfied, you can launch an attack afterward.
It’s not that simple! This might be our only shot and—Wait a second. If you’re so close to Vol, did you tell him I contacted you?
Vol continues to flog me, moving between my pussy, breasts, and ass. I keep counting, though for the life of me I don’t know how.
No! Not a word.
Why not? If you trust him, why not say something?
That’s a good question. It echoes in my mind.
“One more, pet. Then we’re done.”
“Yes, sir,” I mumble.
I don’t know why, Bradley. I just didn’t. I wish I had an answer for him, and for myself.
The lashes smack hard across my ass, but I’m beyond the pain right now. I’m sure I’ll feel the aftereffects later, but for now my mind is racing. Why didn’t I tell Vol? Deep down, do I really not trust him? Can I love someone I don’t fully trust? I don’t know if that’s possible.
The audience at Hidden Jewel applauds as Vol helps me down and removes the Yckjer clamps. My head swirls, dizzy from being upside down and so much more. My skin burns and my nipples throb, but all I can think about is my conversation with Bradley. Did he mean to stoke my insecurities about Vol, or is that because I still feel them? Waving to the crowd, Vol guides me out of the temple, my body aching with every step.
“That was very impressive,” he says as we make for a tram. “You showed great discipline.”
“Thank you, sir.” I should be proud, but instead I feel a tremor in my stomach.
“No, really,” he continues. “I don’t know many pets who could take such a punishment and carry on two conversations at once.”
A surge of acid rises at the back of my throat.
“What?” I choke.
Vol grabs my arm and pulls me onto a tram. “I know what was going on back there. You’ve been lying to me, Jillian. And now you’re going to explain to me why.”
Chapter Nineteen
Jillian
If Vol expects me to shrink back in fear and defer to his authority as master, he’s in for a rude surprise. “Are you fucking serious?” I snap. “Have you been reading my thoughts?”
Wearing Gloa’s dress is bad enough—having my privacy stripped away completely, I don’t know if I can accept that. Discipline and rules I can abide, but what goes on inside my own head should never be violated. Is that too much to ask?
Vol shakes his head. “I haven’t been reading them, no,” he says, not raising his voice. “I’m the one you’ve been talking to. Not Bradley.”
My stomach falls inside my gut, like I swallowed an anvil. “What?”
Sighing, he explains, “I pretended to be him. There’s no plan to rescue you at the summit. The humans haven’t hacked or reverse-engineered any Dominar technology. Did you really think they could? That’s laughable, Jillian.”
Blinking tears out of my eyes, I stare down at my feet. Maybe I should feel like an idiot for really thinking it was Bradley, but that’s not why I’m crying. “You tricked me. I thought Dominars didn’t resort to that.”
“It was a test, Jillian.”
“It was a fucking trick!” I shout. “You put me in an impossible position. You set me up, you asshole!”
“Watch yourself, human,” Vol snarls. “Call it a trick if you want, but all you had to do was tell me the truth. If you trusted me, that shouldn’t have been hard. If you had accepted that Dominar rule is inevitable, the decision would have been easy. Instead, you’ve kept a secret from me for weeks, because you don’t really trust me, and you haven’t fully submitted.”
Rising to my feet with balled fists, I march right up to him. “How can you say that? You heard what I said. I stood up for you! I begged for him to give you a chance because I believe in you!”
He nods. “That’s true, you did. I appreciate that, but it just happened now. You’ve had ample time to come clean. I understand why you didn’t, but I hoped that tonight would be different.”
Does he really understand? Because I’m not sure I do. I knew when he first contacted me as Bradley that I should have said something, that I’d be betraying him if I didn’t. If I felt—and still feel—that I trust him, and believe in the Dominars, then he’s right, I should have spoken up.
“I’m sorry,” I say. “But I had no idea what to do. How was I supposed to know what was right? I don’t think you’ve ever been asked to betray your species for someone you barely know, have you? You’ve never had to make decisions for your entire species before! Maybe then you’d know it isn’t exactly easy!”
“No, it isn’t,” Vol agrees. “But I know you’ve learned to trust me. I know you care about me, just as I care about you. The decision to just be honest with me should have been easy. Telling the truth might not always be easy, but it’s never wrong.”
“Next time, it will be,” I sneer. “Don’t worry.”
“Oh, I won’t, pet. I’m teaching you a lesson you won’t soon forget. Remove your dress, now.”
“Yes, sir.” Trying to suppress my grief and anger, I strip quickly, happy to throw off the dress he loves so much. As soon as I do, Vol activates my telerings, locking my arms behind my back, spreading my legs apart and bending me over at the neck.
I know Vol’s not going to simply spank me. He has something else in mind, but I’m not sure what. Whatever it is, I almost want it to be excruciating—I’d rather drown in physical agony than dwell on how he betrayed me. Maybe I’m a fool, falling for a goddamn alien. Thinking about it will only make me more miserable.
From his satchel he retrieves a long, thick butt plug, one I’ve never seen before. After a second, its black surface begins to glisten.
“Jillian, do you know what makes this toy special?” he asks, stepping around me and lining the plug up to my tight hole. Nothing I can see makes it seem especially different than other he’s used in the past, but knowing Dominar technology, that doesn’t mean much.
“No, sir,” I mumble, relaxing my body as he presses the plug against my bud. As the toy slides inside, I feel a strange tingling from the oily lubricant.
Oh, shit. This is definitely different, I realize, tensing my body. My hands close into fists and I jerk hard against my restraints, giving in to my flight instinct. Whatever is about to happen, I can already tell it won’t be good, and I need to escape.
“It’s coated with mylsa sap,” Vol continues. “Unlike most oils, it has a special property: it reacts to your body’s heat, breaking down in a slow, endothermic chemical reaction. When in contact with most species’ skin, it produces a distinct stinging sensation until the reactant is fully consumed.”
Oh, fuck.
I can feel it already: a mild burn inside that’s growing more and more intense. My instinct is to clench, to try to expel the intrusion causing this awful sensation, but my efforts are in vain, and only make the pain worse. My heart thuds, struck by pure panic.
“Please, sir!” I wail, shaking against my bonds. “Please take it out! It hurts!” My channel feels like the inside of an uncontrolled nuclear reactor, the heat rising at an alarming rate. I shake my ass, as if that could dislodge the plug, but I know it won’t. Overwhelming fear makes me desperate to try something—anything—to relieve the horrid sensation. I wish I could stop strugg
ling and just tolerate the pain, but I can’t—and that upsets me as much as the pain itself. It’s like I haven’t learned a thing since I met Vol—all the discipline I thought I’d gained counts for nothing.
“No. You’re going to suffer through this as punishment for lying.”
How can he be so merciless? Can’t he see that I feel terrible, that I’m beyond remorseful? Does he have any idea how much this sap hurts? I can feel the sticky substance coating my inner walls, like a ring of fire. Sweat drips down my forehead, stinging my eyes, and my knees wobble, trying to keep me upright. How long is this supposed to last? What if it could be hours?
“I’m sorry, Vol! Please, I can’t—”
Vol takes out another large plug from his satchel and inserts it into my mouth. I struggle like crazy for a second, terrified that this plug has the same substance on it, but after a little while I realize it’s just a gag. Still, it’s incredibly long and wide, filling my mouth and pressing down on my tongue. It takes all my will and training to keep from coughing and trying to spit it out. The base expands around my lips and attaches to my face, ensuring I can’t make a sound. I try breathing deeply through my nose to calm myself, but it’s not enough to distract myself from all the pain and discomfort.
“Move, pet,” Vol says as the tram stops at our destination. “We’re going home.”
Please, not like this, I think, hoping my nanites are transmitting. If so, he’s not listening. The telerings urge me to move, leaving behind my dress as I march, naked, into the docking bay. Every step is pure torture, as the shifting plug irritates and spreads the burning chemicals. I almost wish he’d make me move faster, to get where we’re going already, but the rings pause after each advance, giving me time to experience the fresh agony of the sap. Making matters worse, of course, are the other Dominars watching us as we go by. Normally they might not pay much attention, but my complete nudity and obvious distress draw quick glances, sadistic laughs, and long leers. Has Vol told them about the mylsa sap—has he gathered them along our path so they can witness my suffering?
Ignore them, I tell myself, trying to look straight forward. Still, I can’t help wondering if they’ve ever experienced this kind of pain, or if they can imagine it. How can they be so cruel that they’d enjoy seeing me like this? I’d be glad that Vol doesn’t seem to be having fun, if he wasn’t the one doing this to me in the first place.
As we board a shuttle to take us back to Redeemer, the reaction in my ass gets steadily more painful, like someone’s turning up the voltage. I wish I knew how long it will last; I can’t even ask, thanks to the gag. Tears drip from my squeezed shut eyes and wet the rim of my gag; I’d like to hang my head so they can fall, but my telering collar doesn’t allow it. The drops cool against my face in the cold air of the shuttle, freezing me at one end while I burn at the other. All I can do is grunt and squeal, trying not to move.
When I do open my eyes, I see Vol’s reflection in the shuttle windows. He watches me the entire time, saying nothing, though. Though he keeps his face a passive mask, his hard cock strains against his pants. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that this turns him on.
When we finally reach my quarters on his ship, the stinging is somehow still getting worse, and it takes all my fortitude not to break down in tears. My entire backside burns like crazy, and there’s nothing I can do to make it stop. Maybe I could get used to it, if the sensation would stop getting stronger. Or, perhaps if Vol left me alone I could mentally start to process the pain, but knowing there’s more to come keeps me in limbo.
What relief I receive from not having to walk any further quickly evaporates as Vol bends me over and begins spanking me with his bare hands. My cheeks are still sensitive from the flogging at Hidden Jewel, making even the light slaps sting harshly. At this rate, it won’t be long before my ass hurts as much on the outside as it does on the inside. I look down at my breasts, thankful that at least one part of me isn’t bound or being punished right now.
After only a few warmup slaps, Vol starts a long, slow series of hard smacks, ensuring that I can’t avoid feeling the full brunt of each one. He works one cheek at a time, then he switches to the other, spanking them until my cries reach a high-pitched squeal. Of course, only I can really hear them, thanks to the gag. The taste of alien rubber thick on my tongue and the mylsa sap in my ass make it clear there’s no part of me Vol doesn’t own. He can make me experience anything, anywhere, at any time. At another time, the thought might excite me, but now it only elicits dread. What if this sap isn’t even the most painful substance he could have used? And I still don’t know how long it will last—is it going to be hours, or even days?
As mad as I am at Vol for inflicting such cruelty, I’m furious at myself. On top of everything, I may have failed my entire species—the main reason why I’m here. Instead of proving to Vol that I could be trusted, I’ve provided him a source of serious doubt. If I’m supposed to be representing humanity, what does that tell him? What if everything I’ve done has shaped the way Vol and all the Dominars see humans? For all I know, I may have just struck a serious blow to the way the Dominars will treat us as they take over. What if they are harsher, stricter, and prone to disbelieving us all because of me? Vol could decide that all humans should have nanite implants so they can be monitored at all times.
Stop it, Jillian, I tell myself. You don’t know any of this shit for sure.
Yet, I can’t help it; this whole situation is the outcome of failing to imagine the consequences of my actions—much like Vol’s scar. Is that the lesson he’s trying to teach me? If so, I’d like to think I’m receiving it, loud and clear. The way my ass throbs, I imagine I’ll be experiencing reminders of this lesson for days.
“Stand up straight,” he says once he’s made sure every inch of my ass has felt the slap of his palm. He retrieves a keera stick from a cabinet full of toys and disciplinary implements, then sets to work on my chest. “Let’s even things out a bit.”
I stare straight up, not wanting to face him while he canes my breasts. He begins with light taps, aiming straight at my nipples, which are still sore from the clamps back at the temple; every time Vol taps them with the stick, curls of pain shoot through my upper body. Once he’s made them harden, he begins swatting my breasts hard, focusing on one at a time. He switches positions, making sure to smack the stick from above and below, and from both sides, until my chest aches with each tremor. My legs shake and fresh tears drip down my face. Though I’m glad to have him leave my poor ass alone for a while, this isn’t much of an improvement. At least the stick isn’t covered in mylsa sap.
“You probably will think it’s bullshit, but this is bringing me suffering too,” Vol says, focusing on my nipples with soft but rapid taps.
He’s right. That is bullshit.
“I mean it, pet. I didn’t want to have to do this. I told you I had something planned for after the temple, remember? It was either going to be a celebration, or this. We were going to feast on delicacies from around the galaxy, drink the finest liquor, and fuck like animals, then do it all over again. Instead of a night of well-earned hedonism, it’s punishment and suffering. You’ve done well to endure this ordeal, and for that I give you credit. You’re forgiven, Jillian. But this isn’t over just yet.” I hope Vol can read the response in my eyes: Fuck off, asshole. He sets aside the keera stick and takes off his pants. His cock rises straight upward, but he wears an expression of grim determination, rather than lust.
“Brace yourself, pet. This is going to be very unpleasant.”
I nod, summoning up all the strength I can. Then Vol reaches for the plug in my ass. As soon as he touches it I howl into my gag, struggling with instinctive desperation. My ass burns like molten metal as Vol pulls the plug, steadily drawing it out. As glad as I am to have it out, the movement spread the mylsa sap, exacerbating its torturous effect.
Then Vol does the unthinkable: he plunges his massive cock deep in my ass. Is he crazy, or does the mylsa
sap have no effect on him?
“This isn’t a punishment I ever wanted to use on you, pet. This may not pain me physically, but it does hurt,” he says, beginning to thrust. “I want you to know that.”
Not as much as it hurts me, I think, hoping he can hear.
Vol quickly falls into an upbeat rhythm, plowing me with his massive shaft. He holds me by my chest, squeezing my breasts and rubbing my aching nipples. His cock feels impossibly long and thick, driving the sap in even deeper—something I didn’t think possible. The burn starts again fresh, and I find myself moaning mournfully into my gag. It’s hard to imagine this torment ever ending, and I don’t know how to make things right between Vol, myself, and the rest of the world. With every beat of my heart, every throb and ache and sting, I accept that this can’t possibly get any worse.
Remembering my experience in the temple, I focus on the pain, losing myself in it. Mentally, I force it into a box. I’m in the box with it, and I can’t get rid of it, but I can stay in another corner. The feeling of his cock thrusting into me is powerful enough for me to bring it forth in my consciousness. I can enjoy being filled by him and leave the rest to the side.
Staying in this strange state of bliss, I find myself nearing the brink of an orgasm. My first instinct is to ask Vol for permission to come, but at this point, I don’t care. Does he have any idea I’ve somehow found a way to enjoy this? If not, I’m not feeling inclined to tell him. After everything he’s put me through, I’m going to take whatever he’s intent on giving me—whether that’s pain or pleasure.
I let loose the pressure building in my core and come hard, shuddering as ecstasy washes away my pain. Maybe I’m more disciplined than Vol thinks, because all the agony fades into a dull throb as pleasure soothes my body. Even though I can feel the sting of the mylsa sap—it hasn’t worn off—I hum and thrust my hips, wanting Vol’s steely rod to fill me full of his seed.
His Human Conquest Page 14
