I lingered in the narrow hallway, trying to compose myself before facing my mate. I didn’t have any shoes except for the boots I’d worn with my uniform, which would have totally ruined the cool, elegant look I was going for, so my feet were bare. I told myself the shiver that ran down my spine was due to the cold stone floor.
I put my shoulders back and marched the few steps alone then stood in front of his door for a moment, anxiety warring with arousal. My new mate may have been an arrogant prick, but he was a gorgeous hunk of male. And despite what I’d said last night, he knew exactly what he was doing when it came to fucking.
I knocked softly.
“Come in.”
The deep timbre of his voice sent a delicious thrill through me. I opened the door.
“Stop.”
He sat in one of the chairs by the window, silhouetted by glowing crystals scattered all around the room. Tonight he wore more conventional garb, pants and a shirt covering that gorgeous muscled chest. I stared at him in surprise. Unlike everyone else I’d seen since I arrived on this planet, he was dressed all in black. It set off the warm bronze color of his skin to perfection.
His long, dark hair was slicked back. Light and shadow played over the chiseled planes of his face, the strong square jaw, the black eyes boring into me. He looked like the wickedly handsome nobleman in a Regency novel, ready to seduce the virgin. I swallowed. I may not be a virgin, but I’m a sucker for wickedly handsome.
“Take off your gown.”
“What?” My response was more out of surprise than defiance.
“Take it off. Leave it outside the door. In the future, when you enter my chambers, you will be naked. And you’ll stay that way until you’re dismissed.”
“Dismissed? Who died and made you king?” The childish retort left my lips before I had a chance to think. Shit. That was about the dumbest thing I’d ever said. Not only did it immediately piss him off, but according to the high priest, his father was near death, and the guy in front of me soon would be king.
Before I had time to mutter an apology, he’d risen from the chair. Two long strides put him in front of me. “Take. Off. The. Gown.”
I took one look at his clenched jaw, untied the golden cord around my waist and slipped the gown off my shoulder, letting it drop to the floor. He gave my body an insolent once-over and turned away.
“Naxian mates must learn to obey. Your disobedience will be punished. After we dine.” He headed for a table by the window, set for an intimate dinner for two, and pulled out a chair. “Come. Sit down.”
The rat bastard was going to make me sit through dinner stark naked, knowing I’d be getting more and more anxious about the punishment he had in store for me. Well, I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of letting him see he’d gotten to me.
I took my seat as graciously as if I was guest of honor at a state banquet. “Thank you, my…” I stopped. What was I supposed to call him? My lord? Your Highness? It didn’t seem right to go around saying “Hey, babe.”
There was only one way to find out. “How does a Naxian female address her mate?”
His eyebrows rose. “Concerning yourself with protocol? I didn’t think a species as barbaric as yours would be able to grasp the nuances of civilized behavior.”
Ditto.
For once, I was able to keep from blurting out my first thought. Instead I went for cool reason with a touch of insolence. “Barbaric? Human males don’t use physical punishment to control the behavior of their mates. Nor do they require total and unthinking obedience from them.”
He refused to rise to the bait. “Perhaps they should. Relationships function far more smoothly when the participants have well-defined roles.”
“Exactly what I’d expect to hear from someone who gets to decide what those roles are and then enforce them.”
He gave me a faint smile. “Fortunately, in this case, I do get to make those decisions. As for your earlier question, you may address me as ‘my lord’ or ‘sir’ or simply, ‘master.’”
Master? Like hell I would. Aya had been calling me “my lady,” so I’d settle for “my lord.” At least I could hang on to the illusion of equality.
“Very well, my lord.” I tried to keep the sarcasm out of my voice, but I saw that golden flash of anger in his dark eyes. I had a feeling whatever punishment he was planning just got jacked up a notch.
The prince served us himself, taking a crystal carafe from the side table and pouring me an amber-colored liquid. He waited till I’d had a sip before filling his own goblet.
It was some sort of potent liqueur. Sweet and fruity, with a fiery kick that blazed a trail down my throat to my belly. It seemed my mate was planning to use every trick of seduction in the book to get me to yield to him, including trying to get me hammered. I took another sip. “This is excellent.”
He kept me in a state of suspense, making small talk over dinner as though we were casual acquaintances seated side by side at a formal event. Somehow, I managed to hold up my end of the conversation, though I can’t remember a thing I said.
The meal was excellent. Several courses, including a savory roast flavored with unusual herbs. Nerves wouldn’t let me eat more than a bite or two of each dish. For dessert, he put a large bowl of juicy yellow wedges in front of me. I recognized them immediately.
“Rana fruit. Thank you, my lord.” I glanced at his plate. “You’re not having any?”
“It is customary for only the female to partake of rana fruit.”
It could have been true. Or it could have been another attempt on his part to control me. The damn fruit was delicious but also highly intoxicating. I remembered the fit of giggles I’d had, as well as the lecherous fantasies about him as he carried me through the jungle. The high priest said it was an aphrodisiac as well. I figured serving it to me was part of his plan to have me begging him to fuck me and I vowed it would never happen.
I took a bite of the rana fruit, swallowed, and smiled at him. “Delicious.”
Chapter Eight
He insisted I eat every last morsel. I did so almost defiantly, determined to show him I could resist its effects.
“Finished?”
I nodded.
“Then we will begin your first lesson in obedience.” He walked to the bed, sat down on the edge, and patted his thighs. “Come here and lie across my lap.”
I glanced around the room wildly, but there was nowhere to go. Besides, if I tried to run, he’d just drag me back. Better to give in and retain at least a little of my dignity.
“Every moment you delay will add to your punishment.”
I shot a malevolent look at him but managed to keep my mouth shut for once.
Those ten steps across the room might as well have been a mile. I preferred the way it had unfolded last night, when he’d grabbed me and yanked me over his lap. Making me come to him for punishment added humiliation to the riot of feelings warring inside me.
I stopped in front of him, but he didn’t move, so I awkwardly arranged myself bottom-up over his knees. He never said a word, simply let the tension build until I wanted to yell at him to get it over with already.
When his hand cracked down on my bottom, I changed my mind.
Last night, I’d been in shock when he spanked me. Tonight, I thought I knew what to expect. It would sting and burn, but I could handle a little pain.
He gave me another whack. I gasped and realized I was wrong. It hurt. Much worse than I remembered. I could feel the effect of the rana fruit. It may have been an aphrodisiac to Naxian females but it magnified all my senses. With every smack, the sting grew more harsh, the lick of fire on my bottom more fierce. I realized right away that my backside was still tender from his spanking last night. It took every ounce of willpower I had to lie there and take it.
My stoic silence seemed to goad him into spanking me even harder. I gritted my teeth against the searing pain…and then it happened. Just like last night. I was suddenly aware of his cock, thick a
nd hard. I could feel the heat of it even through his trousers. His hard palm cracked against my bare ass again, and a blast of heat rocked through me, all the way to my core.
I tried to concentrate on the harsh sting, the burning, but some primitive part of my brain kicked in, and all I could think about was how hot I’d gotten when he penetrated my ass with that smooth hard rod last night after spanking me. I didn’t even realize I’d ground myself against him until I heard that low rumbling deep in his throat. The one that made him sound like a savage beast ready to pounce.
He stopped spanking me, transferred me facedown onto the bed beside him, and stood up. “Reach back and spread your bottom cheeks. It’s time to wear your tail, little tamina.”
I thought having to present myself for punishment was humiliating, but this was so much worse. I rolled over to face him. “No.”
He moved so swiftly, I had no time to react. Yanking me back across his lap, spanking me over and over so hard it brought tears to my eyes. I bit back a cry of pain, and he stopped.
“You will apologize for your behavior, assume the position, and ask me to put in your tail – or I’ll take a paddle to you then strap you to the bench over there and insert it anyway.”
He waited for my response.
I glanced across the room where he’d pointed. Sure enough, a sturdy wooden bench with a padded top sat in the shadows against the far wall. I wasn’t sure, but it looked like there were leather straps attached to the four legs. I didn’t remember seeing it last night. Apparently, now that he had a mate, the prince had decided to spend some time redecorating his chamber today.
I could continue to be defiant and make my life here miserable, or I could swallow my pride and do as I was told. I hate to admit it, but the thought of spreading my bottom cheeks for him, yielding to his dominance, sent a shameful thrill coursing through my body.
“Forgive me, my lord. Please give me the tail.”
Oh, yeah. Fuck my ass with that thing again, my primitive brain screamed. That’s when I discovered my primitive brain was a slut.
He stood me on my feet and crossed his arms, waiting. Once again, I’d have to show my submission by voluntarily assuming the position he wanted.
I leaned forward, buried my face in the bed, and reached behind me, spreading myself apart for him with both hands. My ass cheeks were hot and stinging from the spanking. A decadent shiver shot through me at the sight I must be presenting.
Oh dear Goddess, I really was a slut. How could something so embarrassing be such a turn-on?
I heard footsteps and risked a peek. He’d gone across the room to rummage in a chest. The bastard left me in this position, just to show me he really was master. I wanted to jump up and tell him off.
But something stopped me.
In the past, I’d been the one in control. I led my class at the academy, achieved the rank of starship commander before any of my classmates, including all the men. The lovers I’d had up till now were gentle and kind, but I always felt something was missing. I never felt that wild rush, never had the sweaty, lust-driven coupling the heroines had in my romance novels.
Now, bent over the bed, spreading my freshly-spanked bottom cheeks and waiting for my dominant mate to slide that long, hard rod up my ass again, I was hotter than I’d ever been in my life.
“I’ve been naughty, and I’m being punished.” I murmured a phrase from one of the dirty novels I kept hidden in my quarters. One I read in secret, ashamed of how much it turned me on.
I was shocked when he responded. Did all Naxians have super hearing?
“Naughty. I’m not familiar with that word. Is it another of your human terms, like fuck?” He walked back toward the bed.
I hid my face in the covers, embarrassed. “Naughty. It means I’ve been a…a bad girl,” I stammered. Oooh! Saying that out loud made my pussy clench.
“That I understand. I’m glad you admit it. You have been a bad girl. Disobedient, disrespecting your mate. You’ve gotten a spanking, and now you’re going to wear your tail for the rest of the evening.”
As he spoke, he ran his hands over my burning, stinging ass. Casually, almost insolently, reminding me he could do whatever he pleased.
It got me even hotter.
When I felt the smooth tip of the shaft probing my tight bottom hole, I moaned. He’d coated it with some sort of oil so it would slide in easily. He prolonged the moment, teasing me, inserting it just a tiny bit farther each time before pulling it back out. I moaned again, louder, when his fingers strayed to the lips of my pussy, dripping with arousal.
“My little wildcat loves being tamed.” He sounded amused.
Please, fuck, please, just do it. Put it in me.
I hadn’t given in to him completely. I hadn’t said it out loud.
Yet.
Chapter Nine
Jalen
Staring at that sweet little rosette framed by her hot red cheeks nearly did me in. By the gods, I wanted nothing more than to slide my cock into her tight rear passage. Claim her there as I’d claimed her pussy last night.
My mate. I wanted to hang onto my anger at having her forced on me, but it wasn’t her fault. We were both held hostage by our sense of responsibility, hers to her crew and mine to my people and our king. Like it or not, I was next in line to the throne, and my father was determined to see that our line went on.
I’d do my duty again – eventually. But not until I won this battle of wills. In the meantime, I’d enjoy teaching my tamina lessons in submission.
I took my time inserting the tail. Watching her rosy ass cheeks quiver when I slid it in and out, worked it around. She was panting hard by the time I seated it. I knew I could take her pussy right then and she’d welcome me. Squeezing those velvety smooth muscles around my cock again, milking me until I shot my cum into her.
It took every ounce of willpower I had to turn away. I sat down in the chair by the window.
“You will join me here. I am in the mood to be entertained. Can you sing?”
She lifted her head from the bed and stared at me, her eyes glazed with lust.
“Sing?”
“Or play an instrument,” I went on. “Tell amusing stories?”
The lust dimmed, replaced by anger when she realized I planned to leave her in a state of sexual frustration.
I waved at the chair across from mine. “Never mind. Come here. I’ll teach you how to play a Naxian game of strategy instead. It’s called vandu.”
She rose awkwardly from the bed, and I saw her eyes widen when she attempted to walk with the rod seated deep in her ass. I knew every move she made, every step she took, would arouse her further. She’d be seething with sexual tension by the end of the evening.
She came toward me, hips and breasts swaying with every step, and I finally got a chance to look my fill at my mate. Though she’d been naked since she came in, the table had hidden most of her body when I sat across from her at dinner. And later, my attention had been focused on her sassy little ass and the tightly puckered opening hidden between those glowing cheeks.
The sweaty uniform she’d been wearing when I found her hadn’t done her justice. Like her namesake, my tamina was a sleek jungle animal. Strands of her long blonde hair had worked their way loose from the elaborate coil at the top of her head. I liked that. I made a mental note to order her to let down her hair for me every night when she came to me. I wanted to watch it fall in soft waves, brushing the tops of her breasts. Breasts that were lush and full. Breasts that made me want to fondle them, bury my face in them, lick and suck the nipples standing out in hard red peaks.
Her body pleased me. Trim waist, hips that swelled out. A slightly darker tuft of curls, matted with moisture from her arousal, drew my eye. My cock jerked. I ached to toss her down on the thick fur rug beneath my feet and ram it into her.
My tamina was sharp. If she saw how aroused I was, she’d use the information to her advantage. Of that, I had no doubt. To keep the upper hand, I had
to hide the growing bulge in my pants.
“Turn around,” I demanded, pulling the side table closer to my chair and shifting my body slightly.
She did, and I stifled a groan. By the gods, the view of her backside was even better than the front. Golden hair flowing halfway down her smooth back, waist so narrow I could span it easily with both hands. That plump curvy ass. The reddened patches where I’d spanked her stood out against her creamy white skin, and I longed to kiss and caress away the sting, making her moan again.
And then there was the tail. Oh, that tail! I’d chosen one to match her hair, a sleek golden length of fur sticking out, then curving slightly to nestle between her bottom cheeks. I’d have to come up with a reason to tug on it every now and then, just to watch her ass wiggle.
“You may be seated.”
Sitting in the chair was another revelation for her. She shifted awkwardly every few seconds, searching for a position that didn’t ram the rod deeper into her ass. Finally she curled up in the chair and leaned on one hip, tucking her legs alongside her body. Shapely long legs, with sleek, well-defined muscles that rippled under her skin every time she shifted position. Imagining those legs wrapped tight around my waist as I pounded into her, I clenched my teeth to stifle another groan. By the gods, this game of wills would be harder on me than it was on her.
I tore my eyes away and set up the vandu board on the table between us.
I taught her the rudiments of the game, making up ridiculous extra rules as I went along just to watch her face redden when she went afoul of one. I told her every time she lost a piece, she had to get on her hands and knees in front of me and bow her head. I assured her I’d kneel and bow my head to her if I lost a piece, but of course I saw to it I never did.
Whenever she got down on all fours in front of me, I gave her tail a tug. Then I’d reinsert it in the proper position, which I made sure took a great deal of adjustment. Moving it in and out, then from side to side, accompanied by muffled moans and gasps on her part.
Her Savage Mate_A Sci Fi Alien Alpha Romance Page 5
