Chapter Four
She opted to stay on the command deck, huddled in the copilot’s seat. Xyker was occupied in navigating the Skyhawk to execute a safe landing, but he remained acutely aware of her presence.
He had scared her, he knew that. He had meant to. Her imperious demands had grated and he’d deliberately set out to demoralize and humiliate her but he had not expected her to capitulate so readily. The prospect of physical punishment seemed to crush her.
Her own kind had left corporal punishment in their distant past, he knew that. In recent centuries humans had put much effort into refining more emotional or mental tortures such as the incarceration they were so fond of and her species now relied entirely upon such measures to maintain order on the planets they occupied. The Pan-Galactic Alliance was of a similar persuasion.
Xyker was not at all convinced such an approach worked, but in any case, it was not the preferred method here on Ymir where physical correction was known to be extremely effective, especially for females. Erin Stein would benefit from his attention. Who knew, she might even thank him.
Eventually.
“Two minutes to landing, sir,” Zeke announced.
“Noted. All crew members to stations. Zeke, transmit a hail to let them know who we are and request permission to land.”
“Done, sir. We are cleared to enter the space dock in the western hemisphere.”
“Thank you.” Xyker adjusted their course, then glanced at the diminutive figure at his side. “When we disembark you will remain beside me and obey any instructions I give you. Do you understand?”
She didn’t respond so he reached over to cup her chin, lifting her face so she had no choice but to meet his eyes.
“Erin, do you understand?”
“Yes.” Her voice was a whisper.
He relented in the face of her obvious distress. “I’ll take care of you. Even during your punishment, I will take care of you.”
“How? By whipping me? By hurting me?”
“Yes, if you could but see it. You will learn to obey, and obedience will keep you safe. I won’t do anything to you that you can’t endure and I won’t harm you.”
“Why not? You hate me, and now you can have your revenge for what happened to you.”
“I don’t hate you, Erin, and this has nothing to do with revenge. This is simply justice, but in a form that will help you to learn where you went wrong and do better next time.”
“I don’t understand. How...?”
“Next time, you won’t fire on another ship without knowing exactly what sort of vessel it is. You destroyed my freighter and most of my cargo by accident, and you won’t make the same mistake again. What’s more, you went on a mission when you knew you were unfit and in defiance of the orders from your commander, I gather. That’s another mistake you won’t repeat.”
She bristled slightly, a note of indignation creeping in. “What took place between myself and Warden Keeon is nothing to do with you, not your responsibility.”
He quirked his lip. “No, perhaps not. You may consider that aspect of my efforts on your behalf a bonus, then.”
Before she could offer further retort, a gentle rocking indicated that the Skyhawk had come to a stop. Xyker nodded to Zeke, the signal to unlock the doors and allow the crew to alight. He turned his attention to Erin once more. “We’ve arrived. Come.”
He led the way off the Skyhawk, Erin at his side and his jubilant crew behind them. They were met by smiling groups of Ymirians who milled about the docking area. Xyker engaged the services of several to help unload the remaining siarnaq crystals and instructed Zeke to see to the immediate transport of their precious cargo to the power plant that served this sector of their planet. His duty done for now, he could concentrate on the human female he had brought back with him.
It had always been his intention to take her to his home on Ymir, and he wasted no time in securing the transport that would convey them there. The small shuttle craft would seat six but they had it to themselves, apart from the pilot. The journey was short, less than two hours, but for Xyker even that seemed too long. He had missed this place, and there had been times when he was imprisoned on Amalthea II that he had feared he might never see his home again. He allowed himself a satisfied smile when the familiar structure came into sight.
The Ramone family residence was large, too large, certainly, now that he occupied it alone. His father had met his end some years previously in a battle with a neighboring planetoid over the mining rights on yet another semi-derelict lump of rock. His mother had opted to go and live with his sister in the eastern hemisphere, and since Xyker was so seldom at home, that had seemed the sensible solution. Now their house stood empty for much of the time. He should offer it for sale; the property was valuable and could accommodate two or three families, perhaps. But he kept it, for now.
He gained access by means of a bio-ID pad at the front portal. The door slid to one side to admit them. The interior was dark and uncomfortably cool, but Xyker soon fixed that by a series of verbal commands to activate the environmental controls. Within minutes the space felt warm and welcoming.
He should come home more often.
“Are you hungry?” He studied the slender figure at his side. She certainly looked as though she could use a decent meal.
“No. Thank you.”
“Tired?” She had been ill, after all, and looked fit to drop at his feet.
She shook her head.
“Liar, on both counts. We’ll eat, then I’ll show you where you’re to sleep.” He strode off in the direction of the nutrition synthesizer and hoped its repertoire extended to food suitable for a human. He should have checked before they arrived.
Luckily the available nourishment included a range of vegetable-based foodstuffs suitable for human and Ymirians alike. He selected a pate made of dried, crushed ysigor beans and a couple of the local flatbreads. It was a simple meal, but would suffice when washed down with Ymirian fermented fruit juice. Xyker handed a cup of the beverage to Erin.
“It tastes a bit like the cider you have on Earth, but more peppery. Try it.”
From her grimace he had to surmise she didn’t care for the taste particularly. No matter, it was nutritious and would hydrate her. He insisted she eat some of the pate and flatbread too, which she did with neither enthusiasm nor complaint. Eventually Xyker tired of watching her prod the remaining bread around her platter.
“Come with me.” He rose from the low table where they had shared the meal and strode toward the door. When he looked back, Erin hadn’t moved. “I told you to follow me. I expect you to obey.”
She scrambled to her feet but remained rooted to the spot.
“Erin? Now, please. Don’t make me come and get you.”
Slowly, she approached, her eyes wide and fearful. Xyker found he didn’t much care for the expression on her face though he supposed he had done his bit to put it there. Apprehension, anticipation, dread—a heady cocktail and one he would usually exploit fully in the lead-up to a punishment spanking. But this female was human, he had to allow for the differences, her lack of familiarity with Ymirian culture, her mistrust of his motives and apparent conviction that he meant her serious harm.
When at last she stood before him, he reached for her chin, but stopped himself. Instead, he spoke to her. “Look at me, Erin.”
She raised her gaze. Her beautiful brown eyes were almost black, and glistened with tears she had yet to shed. She would shed them, he knew that. And it would do her good, the experience would be cathartic. But not yet. Ariann had done her work well and declared the human female fit, but he still felt it was too soon after her illness. He would wait until tomorrow or even the next day before administering her punishment.
“You can use one of the guest sleeping chambers which you’ll find along there.” He gestured to indicate the direction. “You may choose which one. The outer portal is locked. So are the windows.” He bestowed a wry grin on his captive. “Yo
u’ll be familiar with the concept, I daresay. You can move about the house freely, but you’re not permitted to go outside. Any attempt to escape will attract immediate and harsh retribution. Any questions so far?”
“No.”
“I prefer ‘no, sir,’ but ‘no, Xyker’ will do. Or if we’re being especially formal, ‘no, Commander.’”
“No, Commander.”
“You can have two days to acclimatize and recover your strength. During that time, I don’t expect you to do any work or otherwise exert yourself. On the third day, you will receive your punishment, probably a bare-bottom paddling though I am still considering my options on that. Your period of restitution will last for three months, time which you could choose to spend here, serving my wishes and needs since it was my ship you destroyed and mine was one of the lives you endangered.”
“Wishes and needs? What... what does that mean?”
“It means I wish to fuck you, and I find I need a warm, willing female to share my bed and offer me her sexual submission. I’d like that female to be you, Erin Stein. You could spend three months making yourself available to me, obeying my commands and doing whatever it takes to please me.”
She blanched and took a step back. “You mean to rape me?” Her voice was a horrified whisper.
“No, not that.” He could have taken issue with her moving away from him but instead he sought to reassure her. “You can refuse and I will accept that. I already said that I won’t harm you. You could choose to stay here and in return for your submission and obedience I promise to give you pleasure but I won’t force you to do anything you truly don’t want to do.” He shrugged, studying her pale, shocked features. “It’s not such a bad bargain, but if you prefer, you could choose to spend your three months in one of our communal atonement centers undertaking work for the common good. But you don’t need to decide now.” He bowed his head. “I have matters to attend to so I need to leave you, and I can see you have much to think about. Until tomorrow. Sleep well.”
He turned on his heel and left her. Xyker could feel her eyes on his back as he marched away. He suspected that had she still had that photonic pistol to hand he’d have felt the stab of its beam too, right between his shoulder blades.
Chapter Five
There was no one else in the large house, she quickly realized, just the two of them. For the most part he left her alone, though she saw Xyker occasionally during those days he made her wait. They might pass as she moved about, exploring, or he might come to her sleeping chamber to make sure that she was all right. He was unfailingly polite and caring, checking that she was able to use the nutrition synthesizer and that she had nourishment she enjoyed, or that her quarters were comfortable.
Erin had no complaints about his treatment of her, but she wanted desperately for the waiting to be over. The two days dragged. Boredom and apprehension combined, conspiring to send Erin’s thoughts spinning aimlessly but always ending up back at the same place, contemplating the same mental image. She envisaged herself draped over Xyker Ramone’s strong thighs, her bottom upended for her spanking.
She had no real idea what it would feel like to be punished with a paddle, but didn’t imagine it would be pleasant. Would she wriggle? Cry out? How many strokes would he give her? Would he stop if she begged him to? She knew the answer to the last question at least.
No, he wouldn’t stop, not until he was ready.
And then, what would happen after? He would offer her a choice, two options. Stay, or go. Her head told her she should go, take her chances in one of the Ymirian communal atonement centers. But her heart—and her pussy—entertained other ideas. Despite her nervousness, every time she imagined the paddling that she now accepted was inevitable, her foolhardy pussy clenched and dampened. She trembled, and not entirely with fear. Anticipation was a strange phenomenon, she found, mingling dread with excitement to create a powerful fusion. She was curious, intrigued by her body’s bizarre response, quaking in apprehension at the same time as she longed to explore whatever discoveries lay ahead.
Her handsome alien captor both confused and terrified her. She should hate him, resent him, fight him with all she had. Maybe she would, when the time came, though as the hours and days crawled past she recognized this was unlikely. She was sufficiently self-aware, and honest, to acknowledge that it wasn’t merely his superior strength that prevented her contemplating serious resistance. However irrational it might be, she wanted him to like her, to respect and approve of her. She wanted to please him, however ridiculous that seemed. But her body was not rational, and desire was winning.
* * *
Xyker appeared at the portal to her sleeping chamber. He wore the customary form-fitting attire of a Ymirian male: a tunic top in bright crimson, adorned with markings on the full-length sleeves which she assumed denoted rank, and black trousers. His garments were made of a fabric that shimmered, and she caught flashes of purple or indigo as he moved under the artificial lights. His shoulder-length ebony-colored hair was loose, as always, and his expression stern. He leaned on the pillar at the side of the portal and regarded her, his arms crossed in front of his wide chest.
Erin had been lying on her bed but she got to her feet and met his unwavering gaze.
It was time.
His instructions were curt and to the point. “Remove your clothing and leave your things in this chamber. Then, when you’re naked, you will join me in the room where we ate on your first evening here.” He turned to leave. “Be quick, Erin. If I have to come looking for you, or if you fail to obey my instructions, matters will become considerably worse for you than they are already.”
As quickly as he arrived, he was gone. Erin stared at the empty space he had occupied, her heart pounding.
She was to strip for him, walk naked through his house, present herself in his dining chamber. For... what? She could barely imagine. But she knew that to delay or disobey was to invite much worse. She had no doubt that he meant what he said, and at least until the spanking was concluded she was to have no say in the matter. The assault on her modesty was something she could endure, surely...
Quickly, allowing herself no time to reconsider, Erin stripped off her clothes. She had chosen to wear a loose-fitting robe provided by Xyker, more comfortable than her Amalthea II uniform, which was in any case dirty and creased. He had not offered her any undergarments, so undressing took but a few seconds. Erin folded the robe and placed it on her bed. Then she followed him to the dining chamber.
Xyker was in the center of the room when she arrived at the open door, standing beside the huge table. He turned when he heard her approach, and took several long moments to peruse her body. Erin squirmed under his silent scrutiny. Modesty might be expendable, or so she liked to tell herself, but that didn’t make this any easier for her.
Xyker beckoned her forward. She approached him, her knees threatening to collapse under her at any moment. As she neared the table she saw a selection of items—implements, she supposed. A wide, flat paddle that looked to be made of wood dominated the array. Erin cringed at the sight. Next to it was a smaller paddle made of a bright green material that she couldn’t identify, and alongside that lay three narrow crops. Two leather straps completed the display, one wide and solid-looking, the other narrower and split along two thirds of its length into two strands. She stared, unable to take her eyes from the collection laid out for her.
“You are to become closely acquainted with three of these. You may choose one item, and I’ll choose another. The third may also be your choice, but we’ll come to that later.” Xyker hitched one hip on the edge of the table. “Please make your selection. You may feel free to examine the implements, test their weight.”
“Which will hurt the most?” Erin looked to him for guidance, though she had no idea why she should trust his advice.
Xyker shrugged. “I can deliver a suitable punishment with any of the items here.”
“Oh.” She supposed he could. “How... how many
strokes?”
“Fifty. Twenty with the implement of your choice, twenty with mine. The final ten could be with an implement of your choice, depending on how well you accept the first forty.”
“Fifty strokes?” Now her knees did give way and she grabbed for the edge of the table. “But, I can’t...”
Xyker moved behind her, steadied her, his hands on her elbows. “You’ll struggle, certainly, but that’s as it should be. This is a punishment. I intend for you to learn a lesson from it and the only way is to make this hurt and to push you. But you will manage, you will survive, and in a surprisingly short while it will be over.”
Was that another veiled reference to the long, drawn-out nature of justice within the Alliance? Erin no longer cared; she just wanted to put this behind her. For now, she preferred not to contemplate the three months of restitution that would follow.
She reached out and tapped the green paddle. “This one.” She turned her head to look at him over her shoulder. “I choose this one, please.”
“Very well.” Xyker picked up the paddle and swished it through the air. He smiled at her as he laid it back on the table, apart from the rest. “My choice is the tawse.”
“Which...?” Erin was unfamiliar with the word.
“This.” Xyker selected the split leather strap. “This delivers a potent sting. I think you’ll appreciate its fine qualities.” He treated her to a demonstration, causing the leather to whistle as he took a couple of experimental strokes before placing it beside the green paddle. “So, shall we get on with it?”
She drew in a long breath. Her mouth was dry, her knuckles white from gripping the table. “Yes,” she managed, her voice hoarse.
Xyker sauntered across the room to a side table where he had placed refreshments. He picked up a pitcher of water and poured some into a small cup, then returned to hand it to her. “Drink. And you may request more at any time.”
Grateful, Erin took a long draught. The water was cool, fresh, thirst-quenching. She handed the cup back. “Thank you.”
Alien Alphas: Twenty-Three Naughty Sci-Fi Romance Novellas Page 64
