As Victoria nodded once again, Allik was pleased that Kyree was able to get to the heart of the problem. He didn’t think Victoria was ready to confide in him quite yet.
“And why did that scare you so badly?” Kyree asked.
Victoria hesitated. She looked up at Allik and he could see tears beginning to form in her eyes. She blinked and turned back to Kyree.
“I was afraid that you would find out about me.”
“What were you so afraid we would find out?”
Victoria took a deep breath and the tension radiating from her told Allik he should brace himself for some terrible revelation.
“That I’m not a virgin.”
Was that it? Clearly, it had been difficult for Victoria to say the words but Allik couldn’t understand the level of fear she exhibited over it. He shared a look of confusion with Kyree.
“That is not something I would examine you for,” Kyree said gently. “You had no need to worry.”
“So I’ve confessed for nothing?” Victoria sobbed.
“Confessed?” Allik realized now that she felt as though she had committed some awful crime. “Did you think it would matter so greatly?”
“Are you telling me that it doesn’t?” Victoria seemed to have rallied herself as her tone took on a sharper, more challenging edge.
“Not to me,” Allik said. He was far from an innocent himself. “Is that what you were so afraid of? That I would be displeased?”
Victoria snorted. “Displeased? I thought you’d be disgusted.”
Allik shook his head. If it hadn’t been for the indignant look on Victoria’s face, he might have laughed. Earth’s High Council had much to answer for. He knew that they held their women to an impossible standard and that virginity was highly prized.
“Did you think I would punish you?”
Victoria’s lower lip trembled as she nodded.
“You will have to be punished,” Allik said. “But not for that. You cannot be allowed to get away with acts of violence.”
Her response was a despondent shrug of the shoulders. She looked so down-hearted at the prospect that he wanted to wrap his arms around her and offer her comfort but he knew he couldn’t give in. Strong discipline was essential if they were to have a future together. A man like him faced many dangers and he needed a mate who would obey without question so her safety would be assured.
“Is she cleared to leave?” he asked Kyree.
“Well, I didn’t get a chance to examine her but she seems to be in good health,” Kyree said. “Her right arm has a strong swing, at least.”
Allik saw genuine regret pass across Victoria’s face.
“I am sorry for hitting you,” she apologized.
Kyree smiled with her customary grace. “We’ll see about that tomorrow.”
Obvious confusion crumpled Victoria’s brow but she didn’t ask Kyree for clarification. Allik would tell her later that she would also have to atone to Kyree for the injury she had caused her. Thankfully, Taar-Breckian women were made of strong stuff but Victoria had managed to knock Kyree off her feet, and that could not be allowed. Retribution was called for but, knowing how generous the young medic was, he doubted she would make Victoria pay as dearly as another, more vindictive female might.
“So, we can leave?” Allik clarified.
At Kyree’s nod of confirmation, he held his hand out to Victoria. Half-expecting some gesture of defiance, he was pleased when she wrapped her long, elegant fingers around his and allowed him to help her to her feet.
“Come on then, young lady,” he said as he led her toward the door. “Time to face the consequences of your actions.”
Chapter Six
Victoria stood in the corner of Allik’s bedroom with her forehead pressed to the wall. She could hardly believe he’d taken the news that she was not a virgin so calmly. Everything she had heard about Taar-Breckian males had led her to expect that he would be furious. When she revealed the shameful secret she had held onto for all these months, neither he nor Kyree had batted an eyelash. It seemed her fears had been unfounded. The punishment she’d earned could easily have been avoided if she’d simply asked Kyree what the examination she wanted to carry out would involve. Unfortunately, in the moment, her mind hadn’t been working and she’d let her emotions take control. She was going to have to curb the impulsive behavior she’d indulged in since boarding this vessel if she wanted to protect her poor derriere.
In the other room, she could hear movement and she wondered what Allik was up to. It sounded as though he was rearranging furniture or something. Whatever he was doing, it couldn’t be good news for her.
As time ticked by, Victoria started to become more and more agitated. It was not a question of feeling as though the punishment was unjust. She accepted that she had earned a spanking this time. Welcomed it, almost. Her behavior had been out of control and she’d done a lot of damage. She just wished that Allik would get it over with. Standing there, pondering what was to come, was making her increasingly anxious and she realized that this was a punishment in itself. When Allik had spanked her before it had been humiliating and painful, but it had been swift. There had not been this excruciating buildup of tension. Just as she began to seriously contemplate defying Allik and going to find out what was happening in the other room, he called out to her.
“Victoria, come here, please.”
Well, he’d asked nicely, so that was something, she supposed. Taking a deep breath, Victoria turned and walked, with heavy steps, into the outer room. She stopped abruptly, eyes widening in a mixture of dismay and fascination as she saw a strange object sitting there. Made of solid-looking wood, it was comprised of two A-frames joined at the top by a long plank that was thickly padded and covered with what appeared to be real leather. There were cuffs that also seemed to be made of leather affixed to each of its four legs, confirming her suspicions that this was a spanking bench. She and her friends had read about such things in their forbidden erotic novels but she hadn’t ever thought they really existed. Having experienced a hundred different scenarios in her dreams, however, she didn’t have to stretch her imagination too far to picture herself lying across it, bound and helpless, awaiting punishment. Her pulse sped up at the very thought of it.
“Remove your clothing.”
“Excuse me?” Victoria responded to the blunt command, her eyes still fixed on the spanking apparatus.
“You will be bared completely for this punishment.”
Victoria huffed out a breath of disbelief. It hardly seemed necessary to remove her clothes for a spanking. She understood, though, that Allik wanted to reinforce her lack of control over the situation, to intensify the humiliation. He wanted her to submit to his authority, no matter what he asked of her. A part of her was excited by the prospect but doubts nagged at her. She just wasn’t sure whether she wanted to step onto what might be a slippery slope into sexual slavery.
Shifting her weight from one foot to the other, she tried to decide whether to obey. As she delayed, Allik let out a growl of disapproval and folded his arms over his broad chest. She looked up at him and blinked so rapidly it was almost comical. She’d been so stunned by the sight of the bench that she hadn’t even noticed he was now shirtless. Clearly, he meant business.
As Victoria studied him, she wondered how she could have failed to notice such an incredible physical presence straight away. If she could have had her ideal man sculpted out of clay, no artist could have come close to emulating the perfection of Allik’s torso. As she studied the bulging muscles of his chest, the smooth planes of his stomach and the beautifully bronzed skin, she noticed a few angry red scars here and there. Thinking about the terrible pain he must have endured, her heart wept for him.
She must have procrastinated just a little too long because Allik suddenly took a step toward her, his eyes narrowing darkly. “That was an order, Victoria.”
His authoritative tone sent a shiver of desire trickling down her spine. Withou
t further hesitation, Victoria shrugged out of her linen shift and allowed it to drop to the floor at her feet. Hooking her thumbs under the thin waistband of her satin panties, she slowly drew them down her long, shapely legs. She was sure she did not imagine Allik’s sharp intake of breath as she straightened up to reveal her naked form to him. She certainly wasn’t dreaming up the look of hunger that filled his eyes as he trailed his gaze down the length of her supple young body. Rather than feeling exposed by his intense scrutiny, she found herself glowing with unexpected warmth as she realized just how much he desired her. Without waiting for further instruction, she moved past Allik to drape herself elegantly over the bench. Again, she heard his breath hitch and was thrilled to know that she had the power to affect him.
Allik moved to secure first one wrist and then the other in the sturdy cuffs. Leather wound around her skin, tight but not unpleasantly so, binding her to the bench. Once he had ensured that her arms were tied properly, Allik crouched next to her. He brushed the long wisps of dark hair that had fallen across her face back from her eyes. As he stared at her, he seemed to be looking for something. Acceptance of what was happening to her, perhaps? A slight nod from Victoria appeared to satisfy him and he rose to move around behind her. He secured her ankles, stretching her legs widely, in a position that made her very aware of how open and vulnerable she was.
Bound firmly to the bench, Victoria wriggled experimentally but there was virtually no give in the shackles. Closing her eyes, she tried to tamp down her excitement as moisture pooled between her thighs. Her arousal was so strong, she knew that Allik would not fail to detect its heady scent. She could almost feel his gaze raking over her glistening pussy as she was spread out for him to admire. Nothing could be concealed from him when she was in this position and, as defenseless as that made her feel, it was also exhilarating.
She jerked in surprise as his hand touched her bottom. Gently, he caressed her flesh, still tender from her earlier spanking.
“There is some redness from before,” he told her. “But this punishment cannot be delayed. Do you understand?”
“Yes.” Victoria’s voice was surprisingly clear.
“And you understand why you’re being punished?”
“Yes, Allik,” Victoria confirmed. “Because I acted violently.”
“That’s correct. You understand that this has nothing to do with your virginity?”
“I understand,” Victoria agreed. She heard a murmur of approval and then he seemed to move away, across to the other side of the room. As his approaching footsteps signaled his return to her, she felt her heartrate increasing.
“Very well, then I will proceed. You will receive ten strokes with this.”
He held the implement he had just fetched out in front of her so she could see it. Victoria’s cheeks drained of color. If she’d seen that thing before, she might not have positioned herself over the bench quite so willingly. The paddle he held was a long, narrow rectangle of clear plastic with a thick handle that he gripped firmly between his fingers.
“Ten?” Victoria gulped loudly. “With that?”
“Your transgression was severe and this punishment must be one you will feel for some time. It will remind you that you are to behave with dignity in the presence of others.”
That rebuke smarted. Almost the elite of New Cambridge, Victoria had always been celebrated for her poise and grace. She wanted to tell Allik that it was only in the few hours since he’d snatched her that she’d started to act without thinking. Of course, that wasn’t entirely true since she’d already knocked the security guard unconscious by the time Allik came along. In any case, she didn’t have the chance to say anything. Allik moved around behind her and swatted her backside sharply with the vicious implement he wielded with expert precision. Victoria let out a sharp yowl as her bottom was stung. Heat flared across her flesh, radiating out from the point of impact like a ripple in a pond. Her fists clenched as she tugged helplessly at her restraints. This was so much worse than being spanked with his hand.
“Oh, my god! Please don’t hit me with that thing again,” she pleaded. “Please, I won’t survive it.”
“Compose yourself.” Allik’s tone was firm but Victoria thought she detected an infuriating hint of amusement also. “There are nine more to go and you will bear each one with grace. Now, I want you to count them out for me. It will help you to focus your mind.”
Victoria inhaled a deep breath that made her entire body tense. As she released it slowly, she relaxed a little and the paddle fell once more, this time hitting her right buttock.
“One!” she squealed. Or should that have been two? She wasn’t sure whether he intended to start over because of her outburst. It was impossible to think with her bottom on fire like this.
“That was the second,” Allik clarified for her.
As the third stroke hit her left butt cheek, she squirmed and gasped out the number three. The paddle fell two more times in quick succession and Victoria found herself struggling to remember to say the numbers. She rose up onto her toes, as far as her bindings would allow, and tried to catch her breath. A faint swish in the air behind her let her know that the paddle was descending once more. It was so difficult to keep from clenching her buttocks.
“Six,” she groaned as lightning streaked across her backside, making her delicate skin prickle. “No, five.”
“That was number six,” Allik corrected her. “Try to concentrate, Victoria. You’re doing well and you don’t want me to have to start over.”
Start over? Did he actually mean that? Whether he did or not, the very threat of beginning again made her determined to focus.
“Six,” Victoria said through gritted teeth.
The next stroke of the paddle fell across the full width of her bottom and she shrieked out the number seven. Every inch of her backside seemed to prickle uncomfortably.
“Eight,” she whined as the next stroke fell. Tears ran down her face as pain flared across her backside once more. She felt so strange being bound on the spanking bench like this. Bizarrely, she would welcome being taken across his knee instead. In the physical closeness there was, she now realized, some comfort to be found. “Please, Allik, no more. I’ve learned my lesson.”
“Calm yourself, Victoria.” Allik’s tone soothed her. “Do you need me to give you a few minutes?”
“Yes,” Victoria sobbed. She tried to move, to alleviate the stinging, burning sensation in her backside, but there was nowhere for her to go. To her horror, as she wriggled, her clitoris rubbed against the leather surface of the bench and began to pulse with desire. As Allik stood behind her, she knew he would be able to see the glistening juices leaking from her pussy. The humiliation of him witnessing her becoming aroused by this was more than she could bear. “No, I don’t need time. Please just get it over with.”
“You are certain?”
Why was he prolonging her agony? She needed this to be finished. “Yes, please, Allik.” The words came out in short, panting breaths. “Please spank me.”
A moment later, the paddle landed again, stoking the fires that burned both inside and out. Victoria screamed so loudly that when she recovered enough to speak, her voice was barely a whisper. “Nine.”
The paddle fell once more, for the final time it landed, hitting that crease between her bottom and upper thighs. She knew she would not sit easily after that.
“Ten.” Her voice was just a whimper now.
Great, choking sobs racked her body and Allik laid a comforting hand on her shoulder as she worked through the confusion of humiliation, pain, and arousal. For several minutes, he stood in silence by her side, a calm and reassuring presence, as she cried until no more tears would come. Still, he did not release her from her shackles and at the back of her mind, she wondered what else he planned.
“I am pleased with you, Victoria,” he praised her as his hand drifted down to soothe the inflamed flesh of her bottom with a gentle caress. “You took your punis
hment well.”
“Did I?” Victoria thought she’d made a complete fool of herself with all that crying and wailing.
“Yes, and your bottom is the most delightful shade of red.”
Victoria gasped as his fingers worked their way between her widely stretched thighs. She sighed in pleasure as they began to explore her feminine folds.
“You’re soaking wet.” There was something like admiration in his voice. “Perhaps next time you misbehave I’ll have to spank this naughty little pussy as well.”
As she listened to Allik’s deep, seductive voice, Victoria felt a gush of moisture coming from her feminine core. She gasped as he began to circle her engorged clit with his thumb, applying more pressure as two of his fingers pushed inside her. His touch felt incredible.
“So ready for me.” He sounded pleased.
As he worked his fingers in and out of her willing body, Victoria rocked her hips. Despite the twinges of pain in her bottom, the overwhelming feeling that seized her as he slowly fucked her with his fingers was one of pleasure. He curled a finger inside her and caressed some secret spot that sent a thrill of desire shooting through her. Just as she felt the first clenching deep inside, he withdrew his hand, leaving her panting and desperate for more.
Allik positioned himself directly behind her and Victoria heard the unmistakable sound of a zipper being lowered. Her stomach dropped as she realized what he intended to do. Suddenly her senses returned to her. The haze of desire cleared to bring the world around her into sharper focus.
“No,” she said sharply. “Don’t.”
“You’re ripe for fucking,” Allik bit out, almost as though he hadn’t heard her.
Perhaps her body was ready for him, but her mind was not. As she felt the bulbous head of his cock sliding against her sopping wet pussy, she looked over her shoulder at him.
“Please, Allik, don’t.”
He edged forward a little, his cock poised to push inside her. Victoria could see the strained expression on his face that revealed he was on the verge of becoming lost in his own desires. She had to make herself heard.
Chosen for the Warrior (Brides of Taar-Breck Book 2) Page 6
