by Renee Rose
“Do you think I killed her, Laylah?” He tips my chin up and gives me no choice but to gaze into his eyes. Are they the eyes of a murderer? Well, yes. I’m certain he killed human males during the attack on the Stargazer. But killing a defenseless female is completely different. I can forgive him for defending his way of life and eradicating the human invaders, as he calls them, but I can’t forgive cold blooded murder.
“I…” Pausing, I try to step back, but he jerks me forward.
“Be honest. Do you think I killed her?”
“Yes.” I should lie and say no, but the truth is, I think he got angry and beat his first wife to death one day. I think he’ll do the same to me, if I displease him enough. So I don’t lie to him because, if he senses I’m lying, he might hurt me even more than he already plans to. In my peripheral vision, I spy the belt on the floor, and a shudder winds through me.
He releases my chin and backs away. His eyes are sadder than I’ve ever seen, so sad I wonder if he might start crying. “I didn’t kill her, Laylah. We were bonded together. She was my mate and I loved her very much. But she kept disobeying my rule about not walking alone in the forest.” He gestures to the outside. “The force field hasn’t always been around my house. It’s a new installation.”
“I-I’m so sorry, Kenan.”
God, I feel awful. For his loss and for thinking he murdered his mate. Remorse washes through me and I lower my head.
“It’s my fault she died, though. I should have punished her more severely the next-to-last time she went for a walk alone. There are bears and huge cats on the mountain. They rarely approach a Kleaxian male, but they sometimes pose a threat to a female. Ellonia wasn’t much taller than you. It was early in the morning when I heard her screams all the way from town. A bear was attacking her, and though I managed to tear the beast off her and snap its neck, she died before I could get her to a doctor.”
His eyes are so haunted and so desolate I move closer and take his hands. I brush his hair from his face and try to think of the right thing to say. I’ve never been good at knowing what to say. After my brother died, I used to spend hours in my room, trying to think of the magic words that would make my mother stop crying. But I learned words can’t help ease grief, only time and quiet companionship can.
“So, you see, I can’t promise not to punish you harshly, Laylah. If I believe an especially severe punishment is warranted, then that’s the punishment you will receive. Your safety and wellbeing is important to me. I won’t lose you, Laylah. I won’t fail you the way I failed Ellonia.”
Though Kenan’s softly spoken declaration fills me with dread and sends my heart sinking to the floor, I at least understand his reasoning, and I don’t think he’s an absolute monster for issuing such a frightful promise. He actually believes he could have saved Ellonia if he’d beaten her harshly enough after she first disobeyed his orders. If he’d beaten enough fear into her.
Not for the first time, I wish I was wired like a Kleaxian female, perfectly used to being subservient to my mate and accepting of harsh punishments. Life on Tallia would be so much easier. My heart aches and I wonder if I’ll ever adapt to Kleaxian customs.
“Kenan, what happened to Ellonia isn’t your fault. It was an accident. You tried your best to save her.”
He stiffens and glares down at me. “If I’d given her a severe flogging the first time she went for a walk in the woods alone, instead of spanking her, perhaps she would still be alive.” He closes his eyes for a moment, and when he opens them, his pupils have dilated almost completely, a sight I haven’t beheld since the night he claimed me. “The human in me caused me to be too lenient with her. Though I’ve no specific ancestral memories from my human forefathers, I have a sense of what it is to be human. Humans are so much weaker and softer than Kleaxians. Compassion is a human weakness.”
“Kenan, you must remember that while you’re half human, I’m all human. The thought of a spanking unnerves me, let alone a flogging so harsh it draws blood. Please understand I’m not Kleaxian. I know I’ll never see Earth again and must strive to make the best of my life on Tallia, but I can’t flip a switch in my head and accept you have the right to beat me bloody, even if I gravely disobey you in some manner. I’ll never accept that, Kenan, and I won’t apologize for it.”
Backing away from him, I turn and slowly amble to the window. Like the wind, the drizzle permeates the force field. The cool, tiny droplets enter to caress my face and mingle with the wet warmth of my tears. I run a hand through my damp hair and turn to meet Kenan’s stone cold gaze.
“Do you know why I took you from the Stargazer, Laylah? Why I took you instead of another female?”
I give a small shake of my head. Anxiety quickens my pulse. We’re having a hell of a conversation, and I fear the outcome. What if he decides to demonstrate his seriousness and whips me until he draws blood? I shudder at the thought and wrap my arms around my center.
Kenan crooks a finger at me, gesturing for me to come closer. Leaving the window, I return to stand in front of him. “Why did you take me?” My voice comes out so faint, I can barely hear myself talking.
“Because you are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. When I looked upon you lying on the floor, I felt tight in my chest thinking you might perish if I didn’t get you medical help soon.” He grasps my hands and holds them against his chest. The coldness is long gone from his eyes. Instead, his gaze vibrates warmth, and the tension from moments ago is melting away. “I sensed you were meant to be my mate, Laylah. I raged inside at the thought of another male claiming you, and when I picked you up in my arms, so small and light, yet clinging to life like the stubborn girl you are, my heart felt full for the first time since…since Ellonia’s passing.”
When he leans down to capture my lips, I don’t resist. His tongue delves into my mouth and he kisses me hard, possessively. I clutch onto him and kiss him back as forcefully. Pulling at his waistband, I try to remove his pants. When I can’t work the clasp open, I settle for pushing his shirt off. His muscles ripple with the movements of undressing, and he breaks the kiss long enough to strip his pants, boots, and tight underwear off. I burn with the need to feel his hugeness inside me, claiming me, making me his.
He doesn’t make me wait long. After carrying me to the bed, he spreads my legs and sinks deep into my pussy. I cry out in ecstasy when he starts thrusting in and out, holding my hips as he fucks me fast and hard. The sound of flesh meeting flesh fills the room, along with the scent of my growing arousal.
Part of me wants to believe Kenan will never truly hurt me. Part of me thinks he’ll never give me anything worse than a belt whipping, despite his threats otherwise. I sense the goodness in him and the turmoil of having the full ancestral memory of one race battling against the faint memory of another. It must be hell for him at times, but I’m so thankful he’s the male who carried me off the Stargazer, rather than a full blooded Kleaxian.
He claims me in a rough frenzy. He’s never pounded into me so hard, but I welcome each harsh thrust because it’s him—the very alien who threatened to kill a doctor if he didn’t save my life—and in this moment of dark truths, we need each other.
We climax at the same time. I moan as the wave of pleasure takes me under, and he growls his loud, Kleaxian growl that makes the air vibrate around us as his seed fills me up. He pulls out slowly and gathers me in his arms, his eyes glowing with affection. I love it when he stares at me like this, with tenderness in his otherworldly gaze. In times like this, I can pretend he’ll never hurt me.
Someone knocks, probably Heggal trying to deliver our breakfast, but Kenan orders the servant away.
I enjoy the blissful aftermath of our joining, but, as my strength returns, so do my worries about Kenan’s threats of severe punishment. He basically professed his love for me, but how can I ever love him in return when I must also fear his wrath? The images of the beaten Kleaxian females haunt me when I close my eyes, and I still can’t fathom how th
ey willingly display their markings in public.
Kenan sits up and urges me to get dressed again. I select a new, dry dress and meet him at the door. He’s wearing his trademark black pants and black shirt with cut-off sleeves. He told me once that’s how his soldiers dress, and those in the town wearing all black were his men, trained and ready to fight or keep order should the need arise, though he claimed there would be no fighting or trouble in the foreseeable future, now that the human males have been vanquished.
We venture to the dining room, where a small spread awaits on the table. The servants are nowhere to be seen, and we help ourselves to the prepared breakfast dishes. Kenan even allows me to take a sip from his steaming mug. Though it smells a bit like coffee, it’s a thousand times more bitter and doesn’t taste like anything I care to put in my mouth again.
He laughs as I gulp down two glasses of water in an attempt to rid myself of the awful taste. “Perhaps, the next time you’re naughty, I’ll make you drink a mug of ghea.”
I wrinkle my nose. “I think I’d prefer a spanking.” The moment I admit it, my face heats. The last time he threatened to spank me, when I’d been about to hurl water in his face, the threat had made everything below my waist achy and hot. But I know the curious excitement from a threat is likely different from actually enduring a spanking.
The rest of the day passes pleasantly enough. Kenan takes a hovercraft to a town in the foothills for several hours, and, in his absence, I walk the wide perimeter of his estate, within the barriers of the force field on the stone paths that connect the various patios, of course, and have a few interesting conversations with Heggal.
I decide he must be the bravest of the servants because none of the others attempt to speak with me through their telepathic touch. By now, I’ve said hello and told them all my name, several times, but none have dared talk to me.
Though I’m glad for Heggal’s company, I worry what will happen if Kenan discovers we’ve spoken. Heggal remains adamant I never tell my mate of our conversations, but what if he walks into a room when the servant is touching my arm and surmises what we’re about? It’s a risk Heggal’s willing to take, or he wouldn’t have touched me in the first place, but I hope if Kenan ever discovers us talking, he won’t actually send Heggal away to work on another mountain.
When Kenan returns from town, he carries a huge box off the hovercraft. I meet him on the patio and greet him with a kiss after he places the box down. He gathers me in his arms and kisses my forehead. A soft sigh leaves me and I breathe against his chest.
“What’s in the box?”
“A present for you, little human.”
I pull back and eye the massive box, wondering what it contains.
“Go ahead and open it.”
Grinning shyly, I crouch down and flip the lid open. Thick white papers in a variety of sizes rest in a pile. Tucked beside them are several small canvases. There are paints, brushes, and long colorful sticks resembling chalks. Delight fills me as I rummage through the box of treasures. I will be able to create artwork, for the first time in years. Utterly astonished, I smile up at Kenan through tears of joy.
“This is wonderful! Thank you, Kenan! How did you know?”
He pats the top of my head. Relief spreads over his face, as if he’d been fretting over whether or not I would like the present. “You spend a great deal of time looking at the artwork in our house, Laylah, and once you talked in your sleep and I clearly heard you say, ‘How can you do this to me? I love painting and creating things. It makes me happy.’”
I rise up and throw my arms around him, hugging him tight as a giggle erupts from my throat. “Funny. I didn’t know I talk in my sleep. Oh, thank you. This means the world, Kenan.” It had never occurred to me to request art supplies, or any other items from town, and I’m in absolute awe Kenan has surprised me with such a thoughtful gift.
“Were you an artist on Earth?”
“Well, I wanted to be, but it didn’t quite work out.” In the two weeks we’ve been together, we’ve shared tidbits from each other’s cultures, but I’ve been rather vague about my parents and never told him of the brother and grandmother I lost under tragic circumstances. Or about my desire to attend a high school for the arts, only for my parents to insist I not change schools and instead start taking more science and math classes. Perhaps I ought to open up to him more.
Kenan carries the huge box effortlessly into the house and upstairs, but we don’t enter our bedroom. Instead, he ventures down the long hallway to a virtually empty room with three large windows and two wide skylights. Lots of natural light and perfect for creating artwork. As he sets the box down, I start jabbering about all the things I’ve never told him.
The rain has stopped, and the sun has come out, and we sit in the middle of the empty floor and talk as if we’re long lost friends. As I tell him everything, he hangs on my every word, hardly blinking as he stares at me with apt interest. I talk of the little town in Florida where I grew up, and of my brother’s and grandmother’s untimely deaths, and of my hardworking parents whose greatest fear was I would become my brother.
Kenan’s face lights up when I mention the moons of Tallia and how, as a child, my love of painting and drawing began because I was drawn to the beautiful images of this strange new world and reveled in recreating them with my own artistic flare. When I speak of giving up on pursuing a career in art, he caresses my hand and nods solemnly in understanding. Once I finish, I urge him to tell me about his life after leaving the research facility his father raised him in.
“My mother returned to her mate, the Kleaxian who should have been my father. I was sent to be fostered here, in my uncle’s residence on Dennian Mountain. My uncle, Prince Diazan, saw past my human tendencies and raised me like a true Kleaxian. He taught me to hunt and fight and embrace my full Kleaxian ancestral memories. Once he passed away, I became the protector of this mountain.”
“Who is the Kleaxian king? Your grandfather?”
“Yes, my grandfather, whom I’ve never met, is the king of Tallia. When he dies, my mother’s oldest brother is next in line. I’ll never be king, Laylah, because of my tainted blood. But I consider myself fortunate to have a place in this world, despite the sins of my biological father.”
“How often do you see your mother now?”
His face darkens. “I don’t see my mother. The last time I saw her was the day we were freed from the facility. Her mate has forbidden her to see me, as is his right as a Kleaxian male.”
“But that’s so sad.” I squeeze his hand. “I’m sure she probably longs to see you, Kenan. Have you tried contacting her?”
“It’s not that simple.” He smiles, though the grin doesn’t reach his eyes, then he stands up. He offers me his hand. By now, it’s dark outside, and only the sconces illuminate the room. “Come. Let us enjoy dinner on the patio. The sky always sparkles after a rainfall.”
Kenan’s right. The stars are brighter and the moons a magnificent shade of orange. He explains it has to do with the pressure change in the atmosphere after a precipitation, but I only half listen because I’m in awe of the beautiful night.
Heggal and another servant attend us, bringing forth seafood dishes and even a dessert that reminds me of chocolate cheesecake. Kenan allows me to partake in two glasses of wine but again shakes his head when I request a third. I don’t have much of a buzz from the two glasses I’ve already partaken, and I’m a tad annoyed by his refusal, and even a little suspicious my wine might have been watered down. The servants had poured my wine from a different pitcher than his.
“I’m not a child, you know,” I say, crossing my arms.
He raises an eyebrow at me. “Are you finished with your dessert?”
“Yes, sir.” I don’t know what’s gotten into me, but I’m totally sassing him. He’s revealed so much more of himself today, the darkness and the light, than he has during the last two weeks, I’ve dropped my guard.
His eyes glimmer dark, and
he shifts in his seat. I would bet a trip to Earth he has a raging hard on. We rise from our seats and, sure enough, there’s a huge bulge at the front of his pants. I pretend not to notice, though I sway my hips as I move toward him. As he turns, obviously expecting me to follow him into the house and upstairs, a naughty impulse strikes me and I snatch up his half-full glass of wine.
“Don’t you dare, Laylah.” His voice comes out as a deep growl. He doesn’t turn around, but he must have heard me pick up the glass. More than once, he’s told me Kleaxians possess senses superior to a human’s.
I lift the glass to my lips and start tilting it back.
“If you drink a drop of that wine, little human, I will make you sorely regret it.”
I hesitate, though I don’t put the glass down. I’m almost certain he’s teasing, but then perhaps I shouldn’t risk inviting his wrath. My hand starts shaking and the wine tips out across my tongue, before I’ve even decided whether or not to drink it.
Oh my God.
He turns and strides toward me. He takes the glass and sets it on the table then touches a finger to my lips. When he brings his hand away, his finger is stained red with the wine.
My stomach drops to the floor. Somewhere, in the midst of all our cheerful banter during dinner, I’d forgotten how large he is compared to me. And how absolutely terrifying he is when tested. On Earth, had I committed a transgression as minor as drinking a few drops of wine when I’m not supposed to, no one would particularly care.
I study Kenan’s dark expression, trying to determine whether he’s truly angry. Even when he’s in a good mood, he doesn’t always appear happy. He presses himself against me, and I gasp as the hardness of his erection touches my stomach. Through the layers of our clothing, heat emanates from his huge manhood.
He sighs and twists his fingers in my hair, but he doesn’t pull hard. “Go upstairs and take your dress off, Laylah. You’ve been a naughty girl, and you’re going to go over my knee for a long, hard spanking on your bare bottom.”
