Terraformed Skies

by Anna Lewis

  He reached out and took her hand, leading her down the hallway to the bedroom and taking a key out to unlock the door.

  “You’re serious about keeping this a private room,” she said, even more intrigued.

  “I’m serious about my expensive toys not walking off,” he corrected with a wink.

  He opened the door and Shawna stepped in, looking around the room and taking it all in.

  “I don’t even know what half of these things are for,” she said quietly.

  “I’ll show you,” he said.

  “Can we try one now?” she said, looking at one piece of furniture that looked especially interesting.

  “Sure,” he said. “You want to pick, or do you want me to?”

  “I want to try that one,” she said, pointing to a narrow bench of sorts that had a lot of padding and just as many straps.

  “The spanking bench it is,” Eric said.

  They walked by a display of leather paddles and straps, and Eric selected one without breaking stride. Shawna’s heart was racing and she already felt the excitement welling inside her.

  She stood in front of the bench and lifted her arms as Eric took off her dress, then removed her bra and panties. He helped her get on the bench, giving her instructions and moving her arms and legs around until she was laying over the padded section angled downward so that her ass was in the air, knees held wide. When he started loosely strapping her in, she felt her body respond with a flood of heat and she knew that she was going to enjoy this.

  “I’ll be gentle,” he said. “We have lots of time to play this weekend, and I don’t want to wear your ass out before the weekend even gets underway.”

  She was about to respond when the first slap of the leather against her skin connected, and her thought was cut off as the sting gave way to heat and a second swat caught her on the other butt cheek. She struggled against the straps, trying to move her backside out of the way of the strap, but she was held fast. Her excitement grew with each swat of the thin leather, and before she knew it, she could feel an orgasm building.

  When she saw him set the strap down out of the corner of her eye, she felt a wave of disappointment wash through her. She wasn’t even close to done, and she was hoping that he would spank her through the orgasm. She was about to voice her needs when she heard the unmistakable sound of Eric pulling the belt from his belt loops and her mouth went dry.

  Yes! Shawna thought as the wide leather belt connected with her skin, covering both ass cheeks and curling around her hip. She arched her back as much as she could, restrained the way she was, and she moaned with each blow, her excitement growing. The heat rose in her, and when her climax loomed she yelled out to Eric, begging him to spank her faster.

  He complied, and with a cry of sheer ecstasy, she gave herself over to her release, trembling and writhing against the restraints, the rhythmic sound of the leather against her skin fueling her passion.

  When her orgasm quieted, Eric’s hands were on her flesh, rubbing her to take the sting out and checking out his handiwork. Shawna heard his zipper open and she felt his rigid shaft push against her. She moaned, begging him to take her, and sighing when he slid inside her, burying himself to the hilt and thrusting into her fast and hard.

  When he found his own release, Shawna’s body was already gearing up for another orgasm, and she climaxed an instant after he cried out her name and pounded her mercilessly until he’d drained every last bit of himself.

  He left her there like that, on display and catching her breath while he enjoyed the sight of her.

  “I love it when you’re naked like this,” he said. “If I had my way, you would be naked everywhere we go.”

  Shawna’s body tightened in response and she thought of all the places that they could make that very thing a reality. Maybe it’s time for a hotel like this one a little closer to home, she mused.

  He unstrapped her, and led her to the bathroom, filling up the jet tub but not making a move to undress himself. He bathed her then, his hands cleaning and exploring every inch of her body leisurely as if he had nothing more important to do. Shawna’s body responded to his every touch, and she found herself longing to feel him inside her again.

  Cleaned and rinsed, he helped her out of the tub and laid her out on the low bench, a plush towel beneath her. He dried every inch of her, from head to toe, once again exploring every crevice and curve, drawing shy blushes from her when his touch became personal and the reality of being the only naked person in the room washed over her. She felt exposed and euphoric all at once, and she knew that this was something that she enjoyed on a deep level.

  Eric worked lotion into her skin, paying careful attention to her reddened backside, then sitting with her while she air dried in the peaceful room.

  When he brought her dress to her, she didn’t bother putting her underwear on. Her taut nipples strained against the fabric and were clearly visible. He reached out with both hands, playfully pinching her nipples through the fabric, then leaning over and kissing her.

  “I think that you liked the bench more than I do,” he said, kissing her neck and her shoulders as he spoke. “You’re naughtier than even I thought you were.”

  “It’s my favorite so far,” she admitted.

  “Well, I guess we’ll have to play with it a little more this weekend, but I think that’s enough spanking for tonight.”

  He nuzzled her ear and she shivered, leaning into his touch and wrapping her arms around his neck.

  “Can we go to the meeting area?” she asked. “I’m not ready to call it a night yet.”

  “Sure,” he said, his voice husky and his pants already straining against his own excitement. “I was hoping that you would say that, but I wasn’t going to push you.”

  “I’m ready to push myself,” she said, standing up and walking down the hallway with Eric right on her heels. “I feel safe with you, and I want to explore the things I’ve been thinking about for weeks. I feel powerful beneath your fingertips.”

  “I’m happy to hear that. There’s nothing sexier than a powerful woman giving herself over to pleasure.”

  He stopped at the credenza in the sitting room, opening a drawer and pulling out the emerald choker she’d worn when they had last visited the hotel. Eric put it on her, carefully closing the clasp and letting her hair fall onto her shoulders.

  He followed her out the door and onto the elevator and was pushing the button for the lower level meeting room when she stopped him.

  “I’m feeling a little more adventurous tonight,” she said, pushing the button above and hoping that she wasn’t making a huge mistake.

  She hadn’t seen this floor yet, and she was a little afraid of what it would hold.

  “Works for me,” he said with a gentle laugh. “I like this side of you.”

  “You haven’t seen it all yet,” she teased.

  “I’m a patient man,” he said.

  The elevator door opened up and they stepped off the elevator car and into the hall. Eric opened the door and Shawna stepped in, looking in awe at the room that was lit much more brightly than the beginner's room. Around the room there were various benches and other kinky furniture aides. Unlike the dark, dungeonesque feel of the other room, this room was white, crisp, and inviting.

  “How do you like it?” Eric asked.

  “I like it,” she said. “But I was envisioning a dark room when I made my plan, and now I’m not sure I can do this.”

  “We can always go back down a floor,” he said gently, no hint of humor in his voice.

  “You’re so sweet, but I want to do this,” she said.

  “I’m right here,” he said, though his expression said that he had no idea what she had planned.

  Before she could talk herself out of it, she slipped the shoulders of her dress off her arms and let it drop to the floor. She stepped out of the puddle of cloth at her feet and hung the dress on one of the jacket hooks that lined the wall beside the door, then she lo
oked at Eric, standing there in the open in nothing but the choker with the emerald heart around her neck.

  She turned, looking at her reflection in one of the many mirrors and smiling at the still rosy glow of her backside. Eric was looking, too, and Shawna felt a rush of excitement at just knowing that everyone would know what they’d been doing shortly before coming downstairs.

  Eric sucked in a quick breath and smiled.

  “Perfect,” he said.

  She slipped her hand into his and she let him lead her around the room, enjoying the feel of the air against her bare skin and holding her head high. She felt bold and beautiful, and it was all thanks to the strength and love of the man by her side. Eric had opened up a new world for her, and she was never going back to that timid, stifled woman she had once been.

  She had finally found her power, and it was hers to keep.

  THE END

  = Bonus Book 14 of 16 =

  Forbidden Love

  Book 1: Taboo Attraction

  A sliver of unease moved down my spine. The full moon was rising and we were technically in their territory. Of course, the northern Washington half of Gifford Pinchot Forest had been flooded with Hunters. The wolves were more occupied with driving them out than nipping at our heels for inching into their running ground.

  “We have a good five of them unawares,” Damien whispered. I had seven fighters with me, left of the ten I started out with. We'd decided to take the bull by the horns and do some hunting ourselves. Just like the wolves, the vampires weren't going to sit back and let the Hunters eradicate or drive us out of the region.

  “We're in position,” Jeffers said. We were all in communication via earpieces. Since we had to spread out to cover a good bit of ground, it only made sense to go on our little hunting excursion with modern devices.

  “Fine, everyone close in,” I said. I had a Hunter in my sights. I was high up on the limb of a fir tree and the human was stationary on the ground. It was a stupid move on that Hunter's part. I took one step into thin air and flew for a fraction of a second. The Hunter hit the ground with a muffled thud as I landed on him. I was quick to grasp his chin and snap his neck.

  “One down, who needs help?” I taunted the team as I stepped over the fallen Hunter.

  “I've got two more Hunters closing in on my position,” Damien replied. I moved swiftly through the tall pines. The ground was hardened by a layer of frost, but I couldn't feel the cold. Damien was just a short distance left of where I had been. I caught his scent in the air as I neared him and took to the trees. Two Hunters moved in swiftly just ahead of the tree I was hiding in. I scanned the area for Damien and found him even higher up on the tree next to mine. We made brief eye contact. His glowed a feral green as he readied for the kill. Like wraiths, we both swooped down into the path of the Hunters. They were quicker than the last one I handled. Dressed in deer hunting garb, they rose their rifles, aiming for our chests. Damien chuckled. The sound was dark and made even more menacing by my echoed hiss.

  I noted the impulse of movement in the Hunter's neck, even before his finger could pull the trigger. I snatched the rifle from his hands, then swung the stock end at his temple. Beside me I knew Damien had engaged the other Hunter. But any distraction would only lead to my death. The Hunter was stunned for a second; I used that to deliver another blow. He staggered back which gave me enough time to turn the gun around and pull the trigger. The Hunter went down, clutching his chest. I spared no glance for the dead.

  Damien had just killed the other Hunter. She was slumped against the base of a tree; her head was turned at an unnatural angle.

  “I'm sick of this…” Damien said. “It's as if every human in Washington and Oregon is out to get us.”

  “Don't complain, we haven't had a Hunter uprising like this since the turn of the twentieth century,” I said. “It's just fun.” I smirked at Damien, who rolled his eyes. He ran a hand through his silver blond hair then tested the air for any sign of more Hunters nearing.

  “It will stop being fun when they start eliminating us,” he muttered.

  “Team, how do we fare?” I asked. All six vampires checked in, we hadn't taken anymore losses for the time being.

  “Should we regroup?” Jeffers asked.

  “No, they're still crawling around we don't want to chance being cornered,” I said. “Continue combing through the area.” Damien and I stayed together as we made our way forward.

  “I heard the wolves are losing a lot. Perhaps the Hunters could be our allies,” Damien chuckled.

  “It's only natural. These people were originally animal hunters. They'd have better instinct tracking wolves than us,” Jeffers responded.

  “Let's not get distracted,” I said. I glanced at Damien and pointed up. He nodded then we split up to take higher advantage. Our count for the night was twelve Hunters dead. I wanted to reach the quota of at least twenty. The last we heard from my father, two hundred Hunters had moved into Pinchot Forest. An entire town's worth had moved into the northwest region. They'd come from Canada and the northeast. There were a thousand Hunters surveying the forests of Washington and Oregon, at least.

  Thankfully, my coven lived in Portland among the humans, so we were harder to track and kill than those covens in less populated areas. There were several covens in the northwest region. My family led most of them and my father headed the Prime Coven, which oversaw all covens in the region. In only two more centuries time, I'd be leading Prime Coven.

  The treetops began to sway with a strong wind. With it came the scent of Hunters and a lot of them.

  “Be on alert,” I said. My nostrils flared as I also caught the scent of wolves. The instinct to hunt down a vampire's existence-long foe was strong. But I was forced to ignore it to handle the moment's true enemy.

  “There are ten Hunters incoming, they look elite compared to what we've just faced. Twelve wolves are tearing in from behind us,” Jeffers reported. I could already hear the wolves as they ran through the forest. The mongrels would certainly make the Hunters' jobs easier.

  “Damned dogs,” Damien murmured.

  “Make a band between the Hunters and the wolves. We'll watch from above to see what effect the wolves will have on them,” I said. One by one, my fighters appeared in the trees around Damien and myself. We watched down below as the black combat gear clad Hunters encountered the pack of wolves.

  * * *

  “They look like a SEAL team rather than Hunters,” I muttered.

  The wolves had engaged the Hunters. Bullets were quicker than teeth and claws, so it was inevitable that three wolves were killed almost immediately. They were at a disadvantage just like that. I almost felt bad for them. The wolves killed by knocking their opponent down and going for the throat. They moved in packs because this fighting style caused vulnerability.

  “They will all die, outnumbered as they are,” I said.

  “After the Hunters are done with the wolves, they will look up,” Damien said. I glanced around at my seven.

  “Engage,” I said. One by one, we dropped from the trees. We targeted the Hunters. They were surprised of course, but they must've known we were near. The wolves growled and snarled at our presence. But there wasn't much time for complaining. We went right into action. Dodging the shots of rifles and taking the Hunters down methodically. We suffered no losses, but the wolves lost two more. At the sound of renewed snarling, I turned back to see one of them had shifted back to human form.

  “You wait until after our slaughter before swooping in?” he asked. Shocked at his vehemence and his beauty, I remained briefly silent.

  “A slaughter would require the death of all your wolves,” I answered.

  “Don't waste your time speaking to it Sophie. Let us continue,” Damien said. I nodded and my vampires took to the trees once more. I held back for a second, taking in the features of the indignant wolf. He was physically imposing, not lean, and seemingly delicate as a vampire. He was tall and filled out with muscl
e. His black hair was long and lush; it hung loose down to his shoulder blades. His features were beautifully masculine, again, not like the cold angular features of a vampire. Though he had a strong jaw, and intent brow, there was a warmth and culture to his high cheekbones, full lips, hazel eyes, and tan skin.

  Before I could jump up into the nearest tree, I heard the hard footsteps of a group of Hunters nearing us.

  “Sophie!” Damien yelled. I jumped up just as the first shot flew by my ear. Inexplicably, my chest filled with anxiety at the thought of the wolf taking the shot instead. I hung from the lowest branch and saw that he'd successfully shifted back and was regrouping his pack. It appeared as though he were the alpha.

  “I see ten more Hunters,” Jeffers said.

  “Climb higher Sophie,” Damien said. I silently moved higher up then looked back down in time to see the rain of bullets going straight for the wolves. The wolves had taken some semblance of cover behind trees. But they wouldn't hold out until the Hunters were in striking distance.

  “Engage,” I said.

  “What?” Damien asked.

  “There aren't enough wolves to offer distraction to the full squad of Hunters,” I needlessly explained.

  I ran from tree to tree to meet the Hunters who hadn't yet crossed past our cohort in the trees. I heard a screech from one of my own. We'd lost another vampire.

  “Their rounds are vampire grade!” Jeffers shouted. That posed as more of a problem.

  “Use stealth!” I yelled. That meant keeping to any darkness and striking with more speed than usual. A hush blanketed our part of the woods as my vampires virtually disappeared. I could hear the Hunters' breathing, as well as the presence of the wolves. I'd half expected them to desert us. I'd sheathed myself to a tree and waited for a Hunter to pass it by a fraction. One was cautiously walking right for me. Several of the others were slowly scanning the area for us while a few Hunters went to deal with the wolves. I could hear their fight just a few paces away.

  A Hunter stepped just a fraction past my tree. I acted before he could even turn. I yanked him towards me by the neck, causing him to drop his gun. I covered his mouth and nose to stifle any noise from him. He had a knife strapped to his chest and I unsheathed it before he could get a hand on it. I was quick to shove it into his neck. I let him drop, then sprinted to the nearest tree. I saw Jeffers struggling with a Hunter. Another Hunter had picked up on the noise they were making. I quickly went to back him up by engaging the nearing Hunter. He didn't see me coming. I attempted to pull his gun from his hands, but it was strapped around his body. He grabbed my arms and kneed me in the stomach. I took the blow, then headbutted him. He staggered back a few paces and had just enough time to point his weapon up at me.