By the Sacred Ones, she was breathtaking. She wore a sleeveless cream-colored gown. From the waist up, it hugged her body, showing off the lush curves of her breasts. The tight waist flared out around her hips into a filmy skirt that fell softly to the ground.
Her golden locks flowed in soft waves around her face, long enough to brush the swell of her breasts peeking out of the deep v in the neckline of her gown. He was still as fascinated with her hair as he’d been the first time he saw her. Then, a patch of curls caught his eye. He remembered thinking it was an odd place for a creature to have hair, almost as though nature designed her species to draw attention to that triangle between her thighs.
Today his eyes were drawn to the fullness of it framing her face. He loved to bury his fingers in it when she knelt at his feet and took him in her mouth. He loved to run his hand over it when snuggled against him at night.
“Wait until our comrades catch sight of her,” Rhynn murmured.
“They can look all they want, but she’s ours,” Rhom replied. “We found her. We fought the pirates for her. We mastered her. They’ll have to get their own human.”
She smiled and lit up his world.
“You look beautiful,” Rhom said as she walked up to them. He offered his arm and she slipped her hand through it.
“Thank you, my love. I’m a little nervous.”
“Relax.” Rhynn smiled. “You can’t be as nervous as my brother here. His knees were shaking so hard on the way here you’d think he was about to face his first wild zipher.” He took her other hand, brought it to his lips, then tucked it into the crook of his arm.
They led her to the garden, where their fellow warriors and their mates sat in rows of chairs separated by a wide aisle. At the head of the aisle, a white canopy had been erected.
Chancellor Kal stood beneath it, resplendent in the ceremonial garb of a Tharan ruler. His chest was bare, showing off his muscular physique. The cape over his shoulders was made of a silvery-blue metallic fabric and he wore a darker blue kilt-type garment instead of his usual black trousers. The ancient crown on his head was a garland of tharon tree leaves, for which the planet was named. Made from hammered silver, it was studded with glittering gems to represent the berries that kept their race alive when they first settled this world thousands of years ago.
His mate Soraya stood by his side. She was dressed in a matching gown of deep silver-blue, with a stylized silver crown of flowers on her head. Rhom recognized them as moonflowers. Their compelling fragrance was known to be an aphrodisiac and they were a protected species on Tharon. Harvesting live moonflowers was permitted only to adorn a female at her Mating ceremony.
Kal stepped forward.
“Greetings, sentient beings. Blessings and peace to you and to all creatures in the Universe.”
Nearly every World had adopted the Andromedan phrase as the formal greeting when one species met another. Rhom knew Kal was using it to acknowledge Cass’s status as an alien. After today’s ceremony, it would no longer be used to greet her. She’d be one of them. A Tharan.
Cass
Kal guestured to Rhynn and Rhom. They stepped forward together, then knelt as the Chancellor put wreaths on their heads made of brilliant blue tharon leaves.
Like the chancellor, her mates wore ceremonial garb, theirs reserved for warriors. When she met them, they’d been bare-chested, leather salises slung around their hips like the ones they had on now. Today their magnificent chests were adorned with wide leather collars, each inset with a shiny metal disc. Powerful muscles rippled with every move, sending beams of light bouncing off the discs to dance around the garden. Matching metal bands covered their arms from wrists halfway to the elbows, setting off the bulging biceps above.
She’d seen them in action. Strong leaders. Noble warriors, who risked their lives to save helpless victims, not only Tharans but those from alien worlds as well.
Her mates knelt side by side before Kal, like twin gods from mythology paying homage to Zeus. Maybe it was their gyron. Maybe it was seeing them through the eyes of love.
They took her breath away.
“Today is a joyous occasion,” Kal began, “celebrating your Mating with your chosen one. Last night you were inducted into the ranks of Warrior Mates. These wreaths symbolize your role in our great Tharan society and your willingness to take on your sacred duties.”
He beckoned Cass. Knees shaking, she knelt between her Mates. Soraya solemnly placed a wreath of delicate white moonflowers on her head.
“Every female on Tharon is cared for by twin males. Fathers and brothers when they’re children, then their Mates. It is the way of every species on our planet. If one twin falls ill or loses his life in battle, the females, whether old or young, still have a strong male to feed and shelter them and keep them safe from harm. As part of our responsibility, we discipline our females. Spank them or punish them in other ways whenever they break a rule we’ve set for their own good, disobey a command, or fail to show us the proper respect.”
The heady fragrance of the moonflowers was almost overpowering. Between the combination of it and the twins’ gyron wafting around her, she had to concentrate to keep her mind on Kal’s words instead of having it drift off into erotic daydreams.
Punish them in other ways. That’s what he just said. Her pussy clenched. Despite being painful, the spankings they delivered awakened savage hungers in her. She vividly recalled how wickedly arousing their punishment with the vela had been. Did they have other forms of discipline she hadn’t yet experienced? Cass was torn. Half of her feared she’d find out. The other half desperately wanted to.
Her mind snapped back to the present. Kal had been going on about the twins’ duties. He stopped and they rose as one, then turned to face the guests.
“We proudly accept our responsibilities as Tharan Warrior Mates and agree to fulfill our obligations, both to our Mate and to our world.”
Soraya took her hand and led her to a wooden table under the center of the canopy. Worn and scarred, it looked like an ancient altar. The two sheaths she’d been given the night before lay on it. She picked them up, went back to her Mates and knelt in front of them.
“These sheaths bear instruments capable of doling out both pleasure and pain.” She repeated the words Soraya had her memorize the night before. “They represent my vow to you. I am yours, from this moment on. Rhynn, Rhom - I submit to your mastery of my body and welcome the ecstasy you will bring me together.” She handed each of them a sheath. “I willingly submit to your discipline, at any time and in any place, because I know it is given out of your love for me.”
“We accept these instruments and the responsibilities they symbolize. We vow to lay down our lives to keep you safe from harm. To care for you and love you for the rest of our days,” Rhynn said as he took one.
Rhom reached for the other sheath. “We pledge to put your pleasure before our own and to punish any disobedience, swiftly but fairly.”
Kal took her hands and drew her to her feet. Then he smiled and gave one hand to each of the twins. “I am honored to present Rhynn and Rhom and Cass. May the Sacred Ones bless their Bond and may their Matings be filled with love and passion.”
The twins must have been as intoxicated by the fragrance of the moonflower wreath she wore as she was, because they seized her in a fierce embrace, Rhynn in front of her and Rhom behind. Rhynn crushed her mouth against his while Rhom swept her hair aside and ran his lips down the hollow of her neck.
She could feel both their cocks pressing against her, iron-hard under their salises. For one wild moment, she thought they would take her then and there, before the assembled crowd. The thought sent a shocking thrill through her and her pussy flooded.
Her mates immediately picked up the scent of her arousal. “Careful, little human,” Rhom murmured in her ear. “If you excite us any more, we’ll perform another ancient Tharan ritual and claim you in front of everyone.”
Rhynn shifted slightly, grinding h
is cock against her as he plunged his tongue into her mouth. She gave a low moan. He backed off reluctantly. “Having to mingle with our guests before we can be alone with you is another Tharan custom.”
“More like Tharan torture,” Rhom grumbled.
He turned to the crowd, took Cass’s hand and lifted both their arms into the air. Rhynn did the same thing on her other side and they bowed to the cheers and applause of the guests.
Soraya appeared in front of them. “Come, my dear. Your new sisters all want to formally welcome you.”
“You’re taking her away, Raya?”
“She’s not a new toy, Rhom,” Soraya chided. “Your friends have come from all over Tharon to see you and share this day. You’ll be alone with her later.” Her eyes twinkled. “Besides, our ancestors knew what they were doing when they created these traditions. Your Mating tonight will be hotter than ever after hours of anticipation.”
His frown disappeared. He took Soraya’s hand and kissed it, then gave her a warm smile. “You’re right as always. We wouldn’t want to be rude to our guests. Thank you, my Lady. You’ve been a wonderful mother to us. Wise and kind – and so very patient.”
“And you grow more beautiful with every passing day,” Rhynn chimed in. He winked at her. “I can’t let my brother steal my role as your favorite.”
She shook her finger at him. “What a wicked thing to say! You know that’s not true. I love you both equally.”
Soraya beamed at them. They grinned back and Cass caught a glimpse of the boys they’d once been. Mischievous, naughty at times, and smart enough to charm their way out of trouble. It was easy to see Soraya doted on them. Her Mates had been lucky to have such a fine woman step in and raise them after their parents died.
Soraya led her into the house, where the other mates were gathered in her private sitting area. Cass wasn’t used to physical displays of affection between females and she stoically endured the hugs that went along with their congratulations.
Eventually they broke up into small groups and she drifted from one to the other for awhile. With her military rank, she’d spent more time in the company of men than women in formal gatherings and she struggled to make small talk. As soon as she could, she took the opportunity to slip away.
Laughter and shouts from outdoors drew her. Her Mates were in a group of warriors engaged in some sort of competition, firing Blazers at targets set up around the perimeter of the enclosed garden. Cass watched for awhile from behind a cluster of shrubs, silently rooting for her twins.
A slight movement in the trees caught her eye and she gasped when she saw a pair of swamp vipers slithering along a branch over Chancellor Kal’s head. Swamp vipers were the deadliest snakes on the planet. Even the slightest exposure to their venom was lethal if the victim was not given the antidote within minutes. She dared not call out for fear she would startle the creatures and they’d drop out of the tree and onto the Chancellor.
She glanced around wildly. It seemed no one else noticed the snakes. Cass didn’t hesitate. She darted out of the bushes, grabbed the photon Blazer dangling from Rhynn’s belt, whirled and fired.
The creatures disappeared, vaporized by the blast. She turned and handed her Mate’s weapon back to him. He stared at her in shock.
Cass expected congratulations or at least a thank-you. Instead, she was met with stunned silence by the assembled warriors.
Kal walked toward them, his face a stony mask. He never even looked at her.
“Your mate is not of our world and does not know our ways,” he said in a low voice. “Still, she cannot be allowed to behave this way. Since it is her first offense as your mate, you may take her to my private discipline room and deal with her there. But when her punishment is over, custom decrees that since she dishonored you in public, she must make amends to you publicly.
“She will come back here, kneel before me and the other warriors, show us that she has been properly disciplined by you, and then beg your forgiveness.”
Chapter Six
“Yes, my Lord.” Rhynn and Rhom replied. They bent their heads and made the fisted salute. Then Rhynn grabbed her right arm and Rhom her left. Thzhey hustled her past the silent warriors and into the house.
“Wait! What are you doing?” She tried to stop but they held tighter, half-carrying her from the garden
“We’re doing exactly what the chancellor told us to do. Taking you downstairs to the punishment room.”
“You’re going to punish me? Why? You should be thanking me right now,” she shouted. “I did you all a favor. Killed the vipers before they could attack Chancellor Kal. I saved his life! Why should I beg forgiveness for anything?”
“Quiet,” Rhynn hissed. “This outburst is only making things worse for you.”
Neither of them said another word. Instead they marched her down the wide stairway she’d been on the night before and along the dark stone corridor beneath the residence to a room nearly at the end of the passageway. Rhom threw open the door. The twins ushered her in. Rhynn reached up and threw an iron bolt to lock the heavy door behind them.
They let her go and she whirled on them, furious. “What’s going on? Have you lost your minds?”
Rhom shook his head. “No, my love. We’re going to do what we must do. What our role demands.” He took her elbow and led her to a wooden bench like the one they’d tied her to in their cellar when they first punished her. Roughly three feet long and eighteen inches wide, it had a padded leather top and narrower padded strips of wood near the base on either side, as rests for her elbows and knees.
Cass tried to pull away but he had her in a grip of steel. She glanced around the room, looking for an escape, and gasped as she took it in.
The entire chamber was devoted to punishment. One wall held an assortment of implements hanging on hooks – varying sizes and shapes in wood and leather. She recognized them as paddles. On another wall she saw leather devices studded with buckles like the harness they once put her in. Interspersed among the harnesses were narrow strips of leather gathered into thick bunches, tied together at one end and attached to wooden handles.
Cass shuddered. The dreaded velas. She vividly remembered the sting those narrow leather strands delivered.
“I know you’re not even aware of what you did wrong,” Rhynn began. “First, you insulted Rhom and me by killing the vipers yourself. You didn’t trust our skills or our instincts as warriors. You shamed us, Cass, in front of our ruler and surrogate father, as well as all our friends.”
“Not only that, you publicly embarrassed our host by your actions,” Rhom added. “You believed he was so careless and foolhardy that he never checked to see if dangerous creatures were lurking in his garden. You showed no faith in his ability to protect all the females entrusted to his care today.”
“But the vipers…”
“Silence!” Rhynn shouted.
She stared at him in shock. He was usually the calmer, more gentle twin.
“We do not want to hear any excuses. The vipers were in the garden for a reason.” He took a deep breath, then went on in a more measured tone. “It’s a Tharan ritual. A test of our readiness to be your Mates. Rhom and I were meant to work as a team. Kill the vipers by hurling our daggers and skewering them to the tree trunk as they dropped out of the sky.”
Rhynn sighed heavily. “It was meant to be a display of our skill as warriors as well as a demonstration of Chancellor Kal’s bravery and trust in us,” he added.
Cass was stunned. “I – I’m sorry,” she stammered. “I feel terrible. I had no idea. I saw the snakes and I acted instinctively.”
“We know your heart was in the right place,” Rhom said. “So does the chancellor. That’s why he’s allowing us to punish you privately instead of doing it before all the warriors, as he’d normally demand. Still, you’ve broken so many taboos you must be punished.”
“What do you mean I’ve broken ‘so many taboos’? All I did was kill the vipers,” she protested.
He grabbed her arm and dragged her over to the wooden bench. “Prepare yourself to be disciplined.”
She swallowed nervously. This must be where she was supposed to recite that phrase Soraya taught her last night, the one she’d parroted back a few hours ago during the ceremony.
“I…um…I accept my punishment.”
The twins were both staring at her with their arms folded across their chests. Waiting.
Clearly they expected more. She racked her brain.
“I deserve this punishment and accept it as a demonstration of your love for me.”
Rhom glanced pointedly at her gown and made a small upward gesture with his hands.
“Oh. Right.” She reached down, grabbed the hem of her dress with both hands and pulled it up in back, baring her bottom for them. Then, holding the hem bunched around her waist, she draped herself face-down over the bench. It was higher on one end than the other and the ledges near the bottom slanted up as well.
“That delivery lacked a little in substance,” Rhom remarked drily. “When we get home, you’ll write out the exact words 100 times, then say them to us out loud as you present yourself for another spanking to be certain you remember them in the future. For now, it will do. Our guests await.”
Rhynn grabbed one ankle, then the other, spreading them wide apart and buckling them into restraints so her knees were bent and resting on the narrow ledge. Then he did the same to her wrists, leaving her spread-eagled with her head down and her bottom high in the air. Last, he attached a wider strap around her waist. It had the double effect of holding her dress up and keeping her from being able to wiggle around.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw Rhom heading for the wall, watched him take down two paddles – a round flat wooden one and another, long and narrow, made of stiff leather. She tensed as he handed the narrow one to Rhynn.
Punishing Their Mate: A Dark Alien Romance Novella: Tharan Warrior Menage Book 3 Page 4
