Claimed by the Commander

by Sassa Daniels

  “And yet he arranged our marriage,” Andrew said dryly.

  Seeing the glint of humor in his eye, Caroline smiled. She had no doubt that Andrew would be insufferable at times and she’d already experienced some glimpses of his dominant nature but she was equally certain that he would act fairly toward her. He didn’t seem like the type of man who would stamp on her feelings and she doubted that he was like so many others who wanted a wife they could lock away like a precious doll to be taken out in public only when they wished to show off how obedient she was to them. No, he would be master in their marriage, that was clear to her, but he would also be capable of showing kindness. Of that, she was certain. He had, after all, taken the trouble to fix her little mechanical bird and had not asked for anything in return.

  “My grandfather was a wise man,” Caroline said. “He must have known what he was doing.”

  “No doubt.” Andrew returned her smile.

  “And what about your sister?” Bryn asked. “Did he arrange a marriage for her also?”

  “I’m not sure.” Caroline’s brow furrowed. “I was surprised that he had made the contract with Comman… Andrew so perhaps he made arrangements for Elizabeth that I don’t know about.”

  As she thought about her sister, Caroline’s eyes began to fill with tears. Although she was not entirely certain what her own future held, she was sure that no harm would come to her. She hated the thought that her younger sibling was out there somewhere, alone and frightened.

  “Damn!” Andrew said suddenly, pulling her out of her miserable thoughts. “A dress.”

  “What?” His outburst had startled her.

  “You will need a special gown for the wedding. Something white to symbolize purity. That is the tradition, is it not?”

  Caroline shrugged her shoulders, not sure that the occasion called for any fuss. The wedding wasn’t going to be some grand public affair and she was certain that nobody on the Council would regard it as a cause for celebration. In fact, she suspected they would see it as something of a defeat that Andrew had put a stop to their plans to make an example of her to quell any other whisperings of dissent.

  “You don’t wish to have a new dress?” Andrew asked.

  “It seems unnecessary.”

  “Not to me.” Andrew looked quite determined now. “I wish my bride to have the most beautiful gown money can buy.”

  Caroline’s face fell. Was she wrong about him? Did he want her as some sort of dress-up doll?

  “You misunderstand me, I think.” Andrew seemed to correctly read the look on her face. “I wish you to have a beautiful dress so you can hold your head high, so that everyone knows I am honored to make you my wife.”

  Put like that, Caroline could hardly argue against the idea.

  “Will it be possible to obtain a dress by tomorrow?” She was a little skeptical. Fine fabrics were in short supply and there were few seamstresses capable of constructing a dress suitable for a wedding, especially in so tight a timeframe.

  “It can be done,” Andrew assured her and she supposed that a man of his wealth was used to overcoming such problems easily. “I will send someone to you later this morning. Now, in the meantime, I am afraid I have work to do in preparation for our return to Taar-Breck. Taryn will remain at the house to ensure your safety but you must give me your word you will not attempt to leave.”

  He gave her an intense look that demanded acquiescence so Caroline nodded obediently. He raised an eyebrow and she realized he wanted a verbal response.

  “I will not leave the house.”

  “Good.” Andrew got to his feet, leaned over and kissed her cheek with a tenderness that warmed her insides. Bryn also got up and accompanied his commander as he strode from the room, leaving Caroline sitting alone at the table with Taryn.

  “So, tell me everything you know about owls,” she said in an attempt to start a conversation.

  Her heart sank as the alien warrior gave her a blank look and turned to study whatever data was on the tablet that lay on the table beside him. It was going to be a long day.

  * * *

  At his office at Taar-Breck’s embassy, Andrew disconnected from the video call that had eaten up more than an hour of his time, leaned back in his chair and smiled broadly. So far, his day was going well. Caroline’s joyful response to seeing that little bird of hers back in one piece had been greater than he’d expected. Her whole face had lit up and she’d looked as though a weight had lifted from her. Although, with all the drama yesterday, he was sure he hadn’t yet seen Caroline at her best, there was something very likable about her. They may have got off to a less than favorable start but he was convinced they would eventually make a very good couple.

  He’d just finished speaking with his mother who was excited to hear that he would be bringing his new wife home soon. She’d been thrilled when he announced that he was going to honor the marriage contract he’d made with Caroline’s grandfather and that he would finally settle down and take his place at the heart of Taar-Breck’s ruling family. For several years now, she’d been trying to persuade him to spend less time away and now that he was getting married, he felt it was the perfect opportunity to make some changes. He would still hold overall command of the interplanetary air force but he would fly fewer missions from now on and leave the day-to-day operations to his trusted lieutenants.

  His mother had asked him a hundred questions and it bothered him that he hadn’t known how to answer most of them. There was an awful lot about her he had yet to learn, not least whether she was associated with groups that were more dangerous than the Hyde Ladies’ Circle she had formed with her friends. The High Council seemed convinced Caroline was a danger to society so he couldn’t rule out the possibility that they knew something he didn’t about her being involved with more menacing factions. His mother, of course, hadn’t been overly concerned about any of that. Although she’d asked about the trouble Caroline had found herself in, she’d cared more about when she could expect to hear the patter of tiny feet. Andrew hoped she wouldn’t plague Caroline with incessant hints about wanting grandchildren. There was plenty of time for that and he wanted his new bride to settle into life on Taar-Breck, which would be quite different to what she was used to, before even thinking about becoming pregnant.

  He was pulled from his thoughts as Bryn came into the room and stood stiffly on the opposite side of his desk. Andrew gestured for the other man to sit.

  “Your call went well?” Bryn’s tone was conversational but, as he took a seat, he did not relax his posture even a little.

  “Yes, it’s been a successful morning.” Andrew allowed himself a brief moment of self-congratulatory reflection. He’d managed to find a seamstress with access to the most exquisite silks who’d agreed to make a gown for Caroline and he’d also ensured that, with his influential mother’s help, her transition into Taar-Breckian society would be smooth. He’d also learned that the High Council had not yet managed to track down Lady Elizabeth Chatterton, who they were searching desperately for. They hadn’t managed to discover the identity of any of the other members of Caroline’s group either, which meant that he and his men still had a chance to get to these women first and take them to safety. “There will be a grand welcoming ceremony for Caroline and me when we return to Taar-Breck.”

  “That is as it should be,” Bryn said with characteristic solemnity. “You are much admired amongst the people.”

  “Hmm,” Andrew mused. “But how do you think they will receive Caroline?”

  “They will welcome the lady warmly as is the way of our race,” Bryn replied. “They will like her, I think. She is strong for a human, but she knows when to submit.”

  Did she, though? Andrew had seen some evidence of her willingness to surrender but he suspected that it was something she’d done only under extreme pressure. He needed to see how she would respond to the requirement to submit when they were in a less dangerous, more intimate situatio
n.

  “Perhaps,” Andrew said. “Now, tell me how your morning has been.”

  “Less successful than yours, I fear. We need Lady Caroline to tell us who her friends are. For the moment, nobody is speaking, either to us or the Council but that may change if the secret police begin to apply more pressure and these ladies may find themselves in grave danger.”

  Andrew nodded, knowing how important it was to get Caroline to confide in him. He suspected that the best route to the truth was for him to demonstrate that he would do whatever it took to ensure her wellbeing and build her trust through firm but loving guidance. Unfortunately, that would take more time than they had so he knew he would have to be incredibly persuasive.

  “What else did you discover?”

  “Aside from meeting with a group of unnamed friends and writing the occasional pamphlet, I could find no evidence that Lady Caroline is a true threat to civil order. As far as I could ascertain, the High Council saw her as an easy target because she was unprotected.”

  “Until I turned up.” Andrew was glad he had come to her rescue.

  “Just so, Commander. They sought to use her lack of a guardian against her as there would be nobody to speak up for her.” A muscle ticked in Bryn’s jaw and his mouth tightened. “They had planned a swift trial and execution to serve as a warning to others who hold similar views about equality for women but also to try to draw out some of those who would use her death as an excuse to launch a rebellion.”

  Andrew scrubbed a hand over his face. He could scarcely believe that President Hall and his cronies had intended to sacrifice Caroline in order to precipitate a rebellion which they would then ruthlessly quash. The situation in New Cambridge was becoming more desperate by the day. The sooner he got Caroline away from the corrupt High Council, the better. Once he knew she was safe, he would work out how to deal with them and rid the people of the scourge of their authoritarian rule.

  * * *

  Sitting on the couch in the conservatory, looking out into the lush gardens her grandfather had spent years cultivating, Caroline could not help but feel a little sadness. Her dress fitting had gone well, even if there had been a definite giggle from the seamstress when she saw that Caroline’s bottom was plugged. It had made Caroline extremely self-conscious but, once she and the other woman had begun to look at samples of the most beautiful silks, she’d forgotten her embarrassment and had actually enjoyed the consultation.

  Eventually they’d settled on a simple design with a modest neckline and long, flowing skirts. There was even a little lace available to make a veil that would cover the terrible cropped hair the prison authorities had left her with. The whole ensemble was as close to perfect as she could get at short notice but, despite the boost to her spirits that the dress had given her, she couldn’t lift herself out of this low mood. None of this was what she would have chosen for herself if she’d been free to make her own decisions. She was still unsure of Andrew, nervous about the idea of leaving all she knew behind and moving to Taar-Breck with her new husband and, of course, she was worried about Elizabeth. She wished her sister was there with her. Although she’d never been the type to spend hours dreaming about her ideal wedding day, Caroline knew that the one thing she’d have wanted would be to have Elizabeth by her side.

  As she wiped away the rogue tear that was sliding down her cheek, she saw something out of the corner of her eye. Something white flew over the high brick wall that surrounded the property, to land in the flowerbed on the far side of the lawn. Getting up from her seat, she moved closer to the window and pressed her nose against the glass, squinting to make out what had been thrown over the wall. It looked like an envelope; a message from her sister, perhaps?

  Checking over her shoulder to make sure that Taryn, who’d been watching over her from a discreet distance all day, was nowhere to be seen, she carefully opened the French doors, knowing that they sometimes creaked a little. She was aware that she was disobeying Andrew by setting foot outside of the house but it would take her only a moment to retrieve the note and she would be back inside before her silent protector realized she was gone.

  With quick, light steps, she ran to the flowerbed where the envelope lay and picked it up. There was something inside. As she ripped open the envelope, a necklace fell out into her hand. Caroline recognized it immediately as belonging to her sister but she couldn’t remember if she’d been wearing it on the night she fled. Elizabeth had never told her where she’d got the dainty little flower crafted from bronze but it was one of her favorites so it was entirely possible she’d had it on.

  As Caroline unfolded the note that accompanied the necklace and read the words it contained, her heart skipped a beat.

  “Your sister needs to see you. Come to the old post office within the hour and I’ll take you to her. Tell no one. Trust me, I’m a friend.”

  Caroline looked around and shuddered, realizing that someone must have been watching her, that they’d known she was likely to see the envelope being thrown over the wall. She felt a wave of nausea surge through her and froze on the spot. Her mind suddenly went completely blank. She couldn’t think, didn’t feel anything, for several long moments. Then, suddenly, her innate desire to protect her sibling kicked in and she headed toward the gate that led out into a narrow alley behind the house. It was risky, she knew that, but nothing mattered to her except getting to Elizabeth.

  Just as she reached the end of the alleyway, a strong arm wrapped around her waist and she was hauled off her feet. Caroline screamed but a hand clamped firmly over her mouth. Struggling furiously, she tried to break free but her captor held her with infuriating ease.

  “Calm yourself,” a familiar voice commanded.

  Caroline stopped wriggling and was immediately set back down on her feet, but a large hand remained clamped around her upper arm to prevent her from running off. She looked up and was relieved to see that the man who’d caught hold of her was, as she’d suspected, Taryn. Her relief that it was not someone more sinister was fleeting as she registered the harsh expression on his face. From what she’d seen, Taar-Breckians did not display much emotion but he looked angry. His eyes burned with cold fury. Caroline gulped as he began to pull her back toward the house. She couldn’t let him take her inside. She had to get to Elizabeth.

  “Taryn, please let me go,” Caroline pleaded as he took her through the garden and into the house. “You’re hurting my arm.”

  He let go of her and she instantly whirled around to run. It was an incredibly foolish thing to do and he caught her within a couple of paces, hoisting her up over his shoulder to carry her into the house. Caroline shrieked and beat her fists on his back but it made no impact whatsoever on the muscular alien warrior.

  “You don’t understand,” she wailed. “It’s my sister. I have to go to her.”

  In her grandfather’s study, Taryn dropped her onto a chair.

  “What is this about your sister?”

  “There was a note,” Caroline explained. “With her necklace inside. Someone threw it over the wall.”

  “Where is the note?”

  Caroline looked at her hands and realized she was no longer carrying the piece of paper or the pretty little pendant.

  “I must have dropped it and the necklace. Please find it for me, Taryn. Please find Elizabeth. The note said to go to the old post office. I’m supposed to go there alone.”

  Taryn shook his head and she could see that he thought her incredibly naïve to have gone running off to what she knew deep inside was probably a trap. He activated the communication device he wore on his lapel and gave orders to whoever was on the other end of the transmission to go and check out the post office building.

  Caroline opened her mouth to thank him but Taryn held up a hand to forestall her, clearly in no mood for conversation.

  “I will stand guard at the door. If you attempt to leave the room, I will personally blister your buttocks. Do you understand me?”
>
  Caroline’s eyes widened in shock and then narrowed defiantly.

  “Would Andrew approve of you threatening to spank his fiancée like that?”

  “Under the circumstances, he would expect nothing less,” Taryn replied. “Now, sit there and think about what will happen when Commander Rossingham arrives, because I guarantee, you will not sit comfortably afterwards.”

  Chapter Seven

  All afternoon, Caroline had feared being on the receiving end of Andrew’s rage but, when he arrived back at the house late in the evening, what she faced was so much worse. If he did feel anger, then it was buried deep beneath his obvious disappointment and she found his disapproval difficult to bear.

  “I didn’t mean to disobey you.” Caroline’s tone was genuinely contrite as she looked across the room to where he was seated on a straight-backed wooden chair. “I was just thinking of my sister.”

  “I realize that, Caroline, but it’s beside the point. You should have come straight to me rather than putting yourself at risk.”

  “Yes, but…” Her voice trailed off as she saw the implacable expression on his face.

  “There are no excuses, Caroline. You disobeyed my instruction to stay in the house and if Taryn had not been so alert to your movements, it might have ended badly for you.” He shook his head as though trying to clear away thoughts of what might have happened if she’d succeeded in slipping away from the house. “You’ve earned a spanking and I am going to administer it.”

  With each faltering step she took toward him, Caroline felt her heart beat a little faster as her nerves began to build and she could see why Andrew had chosen to position himself on a chair at the far side of the room. It was so that she had to come to him, to show that she accepted his right to discipline her for her disobedience.

  By the time she reached him, the first tears were already pooling in her eyes. He was watching every move, an inscrutable look on his face. She couldn’t understand it but knowing that she’d let him down was almost more than she could bear. As she stopped beside him, he patted his knee as though she needed a reminder of what he wanted her to do. She hesitated for only a moment before leaning forward to rest herself across his lap. He helped her to get into place with her hands on the floor, a position that forced her up onto the tips of her toes so she could anchor herself. As she settled on his knee, she felt the hard muscles of his legs beneath her and she remembered what he’d said about this type of punishment being very different to the one she’d been subjected to outside the town hall. He was right. This already felt much more intense, more intimate, and he had not yet begun her chastisement. Her breasts were pressed against his thighs and her face was so close to his leg, she could smell the fragrant polish he used to make his boots shine.