Rothke, who stood nearest to her, stepped forward and gave her his arm for support. “Be strong, prima. Trask is on his way to Kerr. Short of that, Aylan and Valkerr will give you their support, as well as his men present today. All are loyal and will intercede, if needed.”
“But the charge is true, isn’t it?” she said, her voice trembling. “I did betray him. If you hadn’t come in time, he might be gone now. How would I live with that? I deserve to be punished.”
“Hush, Eva. Do not give them ammunition.”
“Too late, commander,” Udo said with a grim smile. “She has admitted her guilt before this Council. I call the vote.”
One by one, each elder made his decision by show of hands. In the end, the vote condemning her equaled nine to two. The nay votes were Aylan and Valkerr, with the one more in abstention — Mordrun.
“It is decided. In the square in one hour, forty lashes shall be rendered as recompense. It is not nearly enough for the crime, but it is the fullest sentence allowed by law.”
“No!” Valkerr and Aylan shouted, rising together. “That is too harsh for a female. The Princep would object.”
“The Princep does object!”
Eva gasped, leaning heavily on Rothke as she and everyone in the room turned to see Kerr, looking pale and drawn, and swaying slightly in the doorway. Trask stood close behind him and Lothar moved over to take his other flank, no doubt ready to catch him should he fall.
“Sentence has been rendered, Kerr,” Druan stated. “She has admitted her guilt.”
Kerr’s eyes shot to her briefly, then he addressed the Council. “I am her mate and will address her behavior myself. And no other.”
“It has already been decided.”
“Undecide it then. Call for a re-vote.”
“That is… unprecedented. There was a clear majority.”
“Then as is my right, I shall take her sentence as my own.”
Low and resonant, though lacking their usual strength, Kerr’s words carried across the gathering. That he was barely recovered and suggesting such a thing was insane.
“No,” she cried out in protest. “You are barely able to stand. I shall take the whipping I have earned.”
Sounds of approval rippled through the crowd.
“Come here, Eva,” Kerr’s voice rasped.
Rothke released her and she rushed to her mate.
“Kneel at my feet and be silent,” he ordered.
Immediately, she fell to her knees. As she did, she felt his hand come to rest on top of her head, concern showing in his eyes. At that moment, wanting so much to ask him what he was thinking, she found the second half of his command bitterly difficult to obey.
“I left and made you sick. I deserve this,” she murmured, a quiver audible as she spoke.
“Why did you leave?”
“I…” She closed her eyes at the pain of the memory. “I realized I love you.”
“Running away is a strange way of showing love, Eva.”
“I saw you with that woman in the square. I thought if I left…”
“What woman?”
“Zalina. I was told you loved her once.”
He snorted, the sound equal parts frustration and amusement. “If I had loved her and wanted to mate with her, I had plenty of opportunity. That I did not should tell you something.”
“I was told you tried to match, that you cared for her and were denied.”
“That is true. I was twenty at the time. A youth who didn’t know what I wanted. Thankfully, we weren’t a high match.”
“Zalina is the one who should be standing trial,” Aylan stated. “Her jealous, spiteful nature led her to betray us more so than Eva. She aligned the purists against the Earth females. Further, she arranged for the fire to be started as a diversion. She also aided with the teleportation of the females back to their ship.”
“What evidence do you have of such slanderous charges?” Udo demanded to know as he surged to his feet.
“Don’t answer that,” Druan protested, also rising from his chair. “Zalina does not stand before the Council — the prima does.”
“Since the mastermind was your niece, Druan, and your daughter, Udo,” Valkerr said. “You both should recuse yourselves from these proceedings. In fact, we should also look into your involvement in this conspiracy. A female having the knowledge and access to execute such a well-orchestrated plan is highly suspect, unless she had help.”
A murmur of agreement swept through the Council.
“Again, where is your proof?” a red-faced Udo shot back.
“What does any of this have to do with the Prima’s charges?” Druan asked. “A near fatal crime against the Princep takes precedence. She left him to die.”
“Faex.” Valkerr’s eyes flashed. “You’re like a mongrel with a bone, Druan!”
He came around the table, approaching Kerr. Once at his side, he stopped and leaned close, speaking too low for her to make it out.
* * *
“Good to see you back on your feet, though barely.”
“Thank you, grandfather,” Kerr said. It was an odd time to be conferring well-wishes, but he understood the impulse. “Due respect, sir, but we’re in the middle of something here.”
“There is another way, Kerr. Your prima is right. A flogging in your weakened state would be too much. You could, however… invoke the Codicil of First Consort.”
“I’m unfamiliar with this rule.”
“It is ancient, though would still apply in this case. Call for the lash, then follow my lead.” He walked away with the unmistakable confidence of his grandson’s support.
Kerr looked down at his mate, the pain of her guilt visible in her liquid green eyes. His hand lifted and he stroked the back of one finger down her damp cheek.
“You said you loved me.”
She gave him a wan smile. “You heard?”
“Did you mean it?”
“With all my heart. I love you, Kerr, and accept you wholly as my mate. I’m so sorry for what I have done.”
“Do you trust me to protect you?”
“With my life.”
“Luckily, we do not take things that far.” He scanned the crowd until he found the Council steward. “Bring the leather flail.”
Eva shivered at his order, but remained silent, her eyes fixed upon his own.
Kerr kept his gaze upon her as spoke. “As is my right, I will dispense the punishment myself. Clear the chamber.”
Udo protested immediately. “Council ordered punishment by law is in public.”
Valkerr spoke next. “Public as defined by the Codicil of First Consort, enacted by my grandfather, Maxime Princep Fallan. He too was one of our principal leaders that had a true match with a fated mate, whom he loved beyond measure and could not bear to have exposed before the masses. Public is defined as at least four witnesses. The law remains unchanged today, and is all that is required.”
Kerr eyed his grandfather with a grim smile, clever man that he was. “Like my ancestor, I also invoke the Codicil of First Consort. Trask and Lothar will remain as witnesses, as well as elders Bonum and Lyle. That will satisfy the public requirement. The rest of you will leave, now.”
“I must protest!” Druan exclaimed. “I shall stay to ensure you don’t go easy on her.”
Kerr shot the irksome man a withering glance, his patience hanging by a slender thread. “That is not up to you. As her mate, I choose the witnesses and mete out the discipline of my choice.”
“The people will expect to witness her chastisement, Kerr. You almost died.”
“Do you not trust the word of the general and his second? Or two from your own Council?”
Druan didn’t respond, clearly outplayed.
“You’ve heard my decision as Princep. The people will have to be satisfied with it as well.”
“I object as well!” Udo said.
“Since when do you speak for all the elders?” Kerr scanned the others who sat at the
table, some frowning, others chattering their indignation. “Udo, Druan, from the moment of their arrival, you have made every effort to cast the Earth females in an unfavorable light in order to promote your purist views. These females are the only hope we have for a future. If we adhered to your narrow-minded ideals, it would be the end of us. Times have changed.” He met the gazes of each elder in turn. “We must change too, if we are to survive.” Refocusing on two scowling elders, he went on harshly. “If you cannot bend and accept that, I don’t know how you can continue to represent our people with wisdom and fairness. I would call for your immediate dismissal.”
The room erupted, as he knew it would.
“Kerr.”
He looked down to where Eva knelt, her hand clutched in his tunic. He bent to hear her over the din. “What is it?”
“I don’t want to cause more strife. I’ll accept the decision of the elders.”
“You do not know this, never having been in this chamber before, but there is always strife. Another burden the Princep bears.” He gave her a sly grin. “Now hush, my troublesome mate, and let me see to your protection.”
He signaled to Trask. “Remove the elders, general. If they protest, call the sheriff and have these two”—the pair of scowling elders visibly paled as Kerr pointed at them—”charged with obstruction.”
“With pleasure,” he replied, striding to the disgruntled men. With his arm extended to the door, Trask added his own personal invitation. “Leave now, councilmen, or I will see that you do so myself.”
They and the others filed out of the room. Passing the flail to Kerr, the bailiff left as well, closing the doors behind him.
In the nearly silent room, Kerr once again extended his hand to her. She took it trustingly, knowing the punishment she would soon bear. He had a surprise for her though as he led her to the wall beside the door, where hooks for cloaks and hats were imbedded in the wood.
She eyed them skeptically, plainly unsure how he meant to proceed.
“Look at me.”
Immediately, she turned to face him.
“Udo was right in one respect. The people will expect discipline for your role in this debacle. Do you accept that it is my right as your mate to punish you?”
“Yes, Kerr. I screwed up.”
“You did at that, Eva. Though I’ve made it easier on both of us by clearing the room, this will be a true punishment, and I’ll expect that you obey my every command.”
“I will. I promise.”
He untied the belted robe at her waist and slipped it from her shoulders. He slid his hand up the silken skin of her arm, caressing her cheek, his thumb stroking her lips.
“Before you turn and face the wall, I want you to give me a kiss to seal that vow.” She lifted her face to his, her soft mouth pressing against his own. Tentatively, her tongue came out and touched his lips. That small taste spurred his hunger for more and he took her into his arms, his mouth opening over hers, searching the warm recesses with his tongue until she clung to him. His desire for her exploded, but alas, he could delay no longer.
“Reach above your head and grab a hook with each hand. I also want you to spread your legs and prepare to be well-punished.”
She didn’t hesitate, clasping the wood toggles with shaking hands as she moved her feet apart.
“You should have come and asked me about Zalina,” he said by her ear as he leaned into her back, pressing her breasts to the wall and nudging her legs a bit wider. “Never withhold your fears from me again, Eva.”
“I won’t, and to prove it, I must say… I’m a little afraid right now.”
“But you trust me to care for you?”
“I do.”
“Good, let’s get this done and back to our suite where I can continue my recovery — while embedded deeply in your body.”
As a tremor raced through her, he stepped back and shook out the leather flail. With the flick of his wrist, he sent the multi-tailed, medium weight lash snapping across her creamy flesh. She took it well, the only reaction a slightly indrawn breath.
That’s my brave mate.
The tightness in his face relaxed as his lips lifted into a slight smile of approval. He didn’t revel in it yet, with punishment still due. Upping the velocity of each stroke, he applied the flogger to her bottom, focused on bringing a rosy red tint to her flesh. Next, he moved it upward, laying the tails smartly across her smooth back, watching as she arched her supple body, gasping or moaning with each blow.
After a dozen, he dropped his arm and with a back-handed motion, flicked it across both thighs. Her head fell back and a low groan echoed through the room. Kerr stopped immediately because, decidedly masculine, the sound hadn’t come from his mate.
He moved forward, his entire length pressing against her body as he ran a hand gently over her abraded skin, offering calm reassurance as without turning, he snapped at his audience.
“If the prima can control herself and endure this with grace, I expect much more out of each one of you. In particular, silence. Is that clear?”
“Yes, Princep,” was the softly murmured reply. He wasn’t sure who said it and he didn’t care. Another such outburst and he would remove them all.
His attention returned to Eva as he whispered in her ear. “Forget them, anisa meo. Think only of me and the pride you’ve instilled in me with your courage. So beautiful, my sprite, and incredibly beloved.”
She turned her head, her half lidded eyes gleaming with passion. “I’m on fire,” was her whispered confession, “but not from the lash.”
Running his chin along the curve of her shoulder, he licked up the side of her neck until he reached her ear. His teeth claimed the lobe and tugged firmly, closing his eyes at the husky whimper that emitted softly from her throat.
“Patience, my mate. I’ll see to that fire after we finish here. Because we must to get beyond this.”
“I understand, Kerr. Finish it. I’m ready.”
“So beautiful,” he repeated, before he moved back and shook out the tangled laces.
For the final count of ten, he concentrated repeatedly on the sweet lower curve of her glorious behind. His already hard cock turning as rigid as steel while he watched her lean ever so slightly into each stroke. Chemistry and testing aside, this alone proved she was perfectly matched to him.
Except for the soft rush of her accelerated breath, by the time his arm came to a halt, the room was once again silent. The final tally had reached forty and her backside glowed a dusky shade of red, yet without a single bruise or cut.
As he stepped back, he swayed from the exertion, shaking his head in the negative when Trask took a step forward to help. Holding out the wooden handle, he passed the flogger to his general as the other witnesses quietly filed out.
“I’ll need some time.”
“You won’t be disturbed. I’ll see to it,” Trask murmured, as he closed the doors.
Kerr knew he would beat anyone off with his bare fists rather than allowing them to enter the chamber. He moved behind her, the heat of her skin penetrating his clothes.
“I need you, mate,” he groaned into her hair, inhaling. When he moved it aside to kiss her neck, he froze, seeing it for the first time.
“You bear… my mark. When?”
“I’m not exactly sure, although I think it happened the day I left you. At the transporter, at the eleventh hour, I changed my mind. I wanted to stay. That was the moment I became wholly yours. It burned and almost doubled me over. I’ll never forget it.”
“A similar thing happened to me in the mines. A pain in my side and a burning that almost brought me to my knees.”
She looked back at him, eyes wide. “That’s where Zalina shot me! Well, stunned me.”
He placed his fingers on her side, on the exact spot where he had felt the pain. Her flesh still bore the bruises there. “She will pay for this, Eva.”
“Can’t you exile her? Or even better, mate her for life to someone with bad breath?
She is spiteful, though she did it out of love for you. That I can understand — but it still hurt like hell.”
“I’ll think on a fitting punishment, sprite.”
His fingers rose to his marking, so beautiful and dark against her fair skin. He licked over the familiar symbol, hearing her moan as his tongue traced the pattern. “Is it sensitive?”
“Only to your touch. Just now.”
He turned her to face him, meeting her passion-filled eyes. “I was right all along. You were meant for me. Across this huge, limitless universe, you were sent to that planet for me to find that day.”
“Yes, you were right — but where I’m from, it’s rude to say I told you so.”
He grinned, swooping down to claim her lips in a heated kiss as his hands slid to her breasts, rolling the tips into peaks, before gliding down over her hips and pulling her in closer.
“Take me here, Kerr. My body is alive with sensation from the lash, and your touch. Your kisses set me on fire. Don’t punish me more by making me wait. I said I was sorry.”
“You sound like you have the separation fever.”
“I do. It’s been an eternity since you’ve had me.”
“By my count it’s been two cycles. My kisses should hold you over until we get upstairs.”
“No, I need more. Now, please.”
“Such a demanding mate.” He hooked one of her legs around his hip, undoing his pants and surging up inside her. “Will this do?”
“Yessss.”
Her groan of pleasure only made him want her more, and he drove into her again, wrapping her free leg around his other hip, spreading her wide, pressing even deeper inside her. “More?”
“Please!”
He took every bit of his strength and poured it into each potent thrust.
“That’s it, Max Kerr!” she cried. “I’m going to come!”
Keeping the pace, he looked down at her, seeing her eyes fixated over his shoulder. “What are you staring at?”
“Your chair.”
“My chair? Eva, are you delirious?”
“No,” she murmured, smiling dreamily. “I’m fantasizing about you.” Her breath brushed hotly over his neck as she spoke of the image in her mind. “Seated in your throne of power, as your strife-ridden council bickers over some silly rule, whenever your gaze falls upon this spot, beneath the coat rack, you’ll remember this moment. How you heated my skin with your leather”—her tongue slipped out and trailed along the edges of his marking—”then took me hard and fast against the wall, making me scream your name as I flew apart in your arms.” She sucked on his skin, wet, hot, incredible. “I dare say from now on your meetings will be… brief.”
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