"I don't need their protection," Tabby hissed back, scrabbling to her feet and feeling around in her pocket. Please don't be broken, she prayed. "See this? Take one more step and I will use it." She held out a white, pencil-sized cylinder.
"I'm not interested in your toys, pet. I'm just imagining how sweet those tender thighs are going to be."
Bile rose in Tabitha's throat at the Helminth's odor, coupled with the sight of a slimy tongue slipping out from between the narrow lips and circling around the mouth before flickering back inside.
"This is not a toy," the girl said, pointing it at H'annaot's chest. "Humans are very resourceful creatures, and some of us have learned how to use our environment to our benefit. This little device contains condensed Class K rays. In case you don't know, it holds the same light spectrum as your pretty orange sun."
H'annaot froze in her tracks and stared.
Tabby continued, "So, you understand what that means. One flash of this little light across that walrus-shaped body of yours and burn, baby, burn. Now back the fuck off and leave me alone."
"You will regret this, human. I will see you on my plate one day."
"Not before I turn you into a crispy critter. Oh, and just so you know; I know how to rig these lights anywhere that I need to, and can flip them on with a simple voice-activated word. Watch out, lady, because you and your wrinkly white hairy rolls are in my kingdom now."
She heard the Helminth screeching as soon as she turned the corner for her room. Seth would probably be livid at her actions, but perhaps the threat would keep the queen at arm's length for a while. Adrenaline left her quaking from the confrontation, and with it came the question of when she'd begun to allow herself to feel fear. Was it when she'd been healed of the horrible disease that had been going to take her life? Or when she had found a way to love, and realized she was not willing to ever let that love go?
Breathing deeply to calm herself, Tabby entered her room and locked the door behind her. The kata she was wearing did not provide her with the ability to remove just her panties, so she quickly donned one of the dresses that Seth had manufactured for her and left the kata and her underwear on the floor.
Her forehead touched the rounded 'corner' and she shivered, holding the dress up at her waist. Kalavan would know if she had not obeyed him, simply by using his Ability, and she did not wish to risk more of the king's wrath. She was already dreading her imminent fate.
Chapter Thirteen
The sound of the opening lock and the clearing of a throat announced Kalavan's presence. Tabby listened to his footsteps as they crossed the room, paused briefly behind her, then moved in the direction of the window.
"We don't spank our children very often in this world." He spoke softly. "Likewise, we don't use corporal punishment to discipline our wives, although there might be some merit in the practice when it comes to those who enjoy pushing their husbands to the edge. Speaking of which, the queen told me about your threat. Apparently, it made quite the impression. She said you had made a weapon that would turn her into something called a 'crispy critter?'"
"It wasn't a threat. It was a promise."
"Does your weapon really work?"
"I won't know until I try it," she muttered.
"Hold on to it, and hope that the need never occurs. It would put me into a precarious position if the queen suddenly became a bonfire."
"I only intend to use it if I need to in order to protect myself."
"Good. Come over here," he ordered.
She walked to him and cast her eyes to the ground shamefully.
Kalavan kissed her forehead and lifted her chin to look at him. "I don't want to see you hurt, by anyone or anything. You are special to my son—and to me, as well, and you're going to be the mother of a new nation. If you can't protect your own life, how can you be trusted to protect a kingdom? Answer me."
"The kingdom is more important to protect than I am. I was in the military on Earth. We are trained to put our strength and effort into defending honor and country. We had a president, Andrew Jackson, who once said that, 'Every good citizen makes his country's honor his own, and cherishes it not only as precious but as sacred. He is willing to risk his life in its defense, and is conscious that he gains protection while he gives it.' That is how I live."
"How is it that you served in the military and yet have no ability to obey orders or exercise self-control? Tabitha, if you don't value your own life, then you don't value any life. You took the time to protect yourself from H'annaot, yet put yourself in the den of a mother Perskat and her cub. They are the deadliest animals on this planet. You cannot just pick and choose if and when you are worth guarding," Kalavan told her.
"I didn't know about the cat-thing."
"Being ignorant simply gives you an even greater reason to have chosen to mind me. I was very specific regarding your instructions. I wish there existed another way in which I could have you truly regret the position your disobedience has put me in, but I know that there is not."
"We could talk? I'm smart and able to comprehend importance using words. I swear, I won't disobey or disrespect you again," she pleaded.
"You do recall that we have a connection via my use of the Ability, do you not?"
"Yeah, so?"
"That means I am deeply cognizant of you when in close quarters. I know how you function and what is required to bring you to peace. Your guilt far exceeds your fear, and you cannot release that guilt until you feel as though you have paid a price."
"I don't need to feel pain to get rid of my guilt!" she cried.
He cupped her chin in his hand. "I can also tell when you're lying to yourself. Let's get this over with. Over my lap, darling. Keep your hands down. If you reach back, I will have to add an electrical current to your suffering, and I would prefer not to."
"No! My God, please, not that!" Tabby shook her head wildly in panic. She had felt that current before, and it scared her. "Please, Grandpa, I swear I'll listen. Give me one more chance."
"I'm not telling you again, young lady. I won't add the current if you keep your hands in front of you. Obedience and discipline, child." His voice was soft and gentle. His scent shifted, reminding her of freshly cut wood and a touch of pine. The smell of smoke was completely gone.
Hesitantly, she positioned herself across the king's strong thighs, took a deep breath and gripped his calf in an attempt to brace herself. Kalavan placed his left hand on her back to steady her, holding the hem of her dress out of the way of her bare bottom. Without delay, his right hand descended swiftly, cracking loudly as flesh contacted flesh. Tabby stiffened, then cried out as another ten rained down in rapid fire.
"Ooww! You're killing me!" she screamed, kicking her feet wildly and reaching her hand back to rub before quickly moving it away again.
"Give me your hands, Tabitha," Kalavan ordered gently, firmly catching her stray hand and pinning it to her side. "I warned you what would happen if you reached back." He brought the next ten swats down sharply, adding the biting electrical current that turned his hand into a scalding paddle which instantly brought a harsh sting to her flaming cheeks.
She twisted and squirmed, dissolving into moans and unable to speak as the blows continued to fall in swift succession. Just when she thought she would positively die, a final five swats were delivered and the spanking ceased.
He waited a moment as she bawled helplessly in a heap across his thighs. "Do you have anything to say to me?" he asked eventually.
"I'm so sorry, Grandpa. So, so sorry," she wept, burying her face in her arms. "I promise I won't be so disrespectful to you again, especially in front of your people."
"What else have you learned?"
"Th-that I can't treat m-my life as something disposable anymore," she stuttered through her hiccups.
"What will happen if you do that?" He remained soft and gentle, rubbing her back after covering her toasted backside with her skirt.
"I'll get a worse spanking than thi
s one."
He sighed wearily as he lifted her to sit on his lap and wiped her face with a soft cloth. "I don't want to have to spank you again, but I will if it means saving your life and helping to make you the best queen my people will ever know. Promise me you will think before you do something next time."
"There won't be a next time, I promise," she spluttered, hiding her face in his shoulder.
"That's my good girl." He held her warmly and rocked her in his arms. "One more thing. I want you to learn our language. You will spend two rotations every phase with me in a formal setting."
"I hate school. Can't we just do field trips?" Her plaintive request was emphasized by the wiping of her eyes with the back of her hand.
"No," he said and chuckled, hugging her. "You will not be going on any field trips for a while with me, young lady." He kissed her wet cheek and made her stand between his knees, smoothing the material over her hips. Looking at her with sadness, he said, "Please don't make me punish you again."
Tabby's heart collapsed in her chest as she locked eyes with him and was pulled into his soul via his Ability. The old expression, 'this is going to hurt me more than it hurts you' suddenly made sense. She felt his intense anguish, remorse, fear and mostly, his love.
"I'm so sorry. Forgive me. Please," she whispered.
"You know that I've forgiven you, baby. Now," he said as he stood up, "I must get back to my duties. I have accounts to go over today and need to get on them. You are to stay here until Mesethius tells you otherwise, understand?"
"Yes, sir."
"Tabitha? I love you. When a Lotopian declares his love, it is something that is never lost. Don't ever be afraid of losing us—or our love for you," he said.
"I'll try."
"That's all I ask for. I will see you at dinner tonight. And no frying the beast at the table. The smell might interfere with my digestion."
A little smile broke across her face. "I won't, as long as she doesn't try to bite me. Grandpa? I love you too, and I really am sorry."
"It's over, sweetheart. You're a good girl, and don't you forget that."
She waited until he had left to run her hands over her scorched back end. The heat radiated through her clothing and the tenderness was excruciating. It felt both bruised and burned, although she strongly suspected that it was neither. With a final sniffle, she crawled onto the bed and lay down on her tummy, knowing that her day was only going to get worse.
A warm hand rubbing her shoulder woke her from an exhausted slumber. Tabby launched herself into Seth's arms, begging for forgiveness and apologizing for her foolishness. She made promise after promise to be more considerate and aware of how she behaved, and to be more cognizant of how her behavior affected others. She shared how the king had used his Ability to tap into her heart and show her the depth by which she had not only hurt him, but how much he genuinely loved her, and that she realized it was something she had to learn to accept.
Seth remained quiet as he listened to her every word. When she had finally run out of things to say, he held her at arm's length and said, "Look at me. Tell me what you see."
Her lips trembled. "Love. Disappointment. Fear. Protection. Doubt? What are you doubting? Me?"
"I'm doubting my ability to raise you to be a proper Lotopian. Humans have a streak of wildness and rebellion that my people lack. I don't know if I can help you control that."
"You have that same streak in you, and you aren't human," she said.
"I'm a hybrid, remember? How to handle a rebellious spirit without breaking it is quite the conundrum."
"You don't have to punish me for being wild, though. I'm smart and can learn by listening."
"Can you? You got a rather severe spanking the last time you chose to disobey me, and you didn't learn. That punishment left you hiding in this room and sore for two phases. How long has it been since then? Six phases? Right away, you repeated the same transgression. I'm sorry, Tabitha, but this time I will have to make it very memorable for you," Seth said sternly.
"Daddy, please! I swear to God that I will be better. I swear!"
"Let's just do this. Take off the rest of your clothes," he ordered.
"No! I'm begging you!"
"Do it now, young lady. I can't let this go. Not this time."
She trembled again as she slowly obeyed, pulling her dress over her head, which was quickly followed by a snug sports bra. Suddenly feeling self-conscious, she crossed her arms over her torso to cover her naked mounds.
"Place your hands on top of your head. There will be no hiding from me. Ever."
"Daddy—"
"I'm not 'daddy' right now. I am your mate, your caretaker, and an authority figure that you must learn to obey and respect."
She held her breath at his tone. It was strong, regal and commanding. Had she not been in so much trouble, she might even have found it arousing.
He continued. "I am the Crown Prince of Lotopia. My father is the Reigning King. He sacrificed everything to save our people, including his own happiness. To disobey him before his subjects is the worse form of disrespect you could have given him."
"I know." Her lower lip quivered. "I'm sorry. I told him I'm sorry. He already spanked me, and he even used the electrical current. I'm so sore, and—"
"I don't want to hear any attempts to escape your punishment. Go to the closet and retrieve one of my belts."
"I'm begging you. Please," she cried, throwing herself on the floor and wrapping her arms around his leg. "At least wait. Pleeease!"
"I'm sorry, but no," he said gently. "You know I will never harm you, but I must help you understand the importance of respect. To Father, to my people, to me and to yourself. Obey me."
Blinded by tears, Tabby dragged herself up to do as she was told. Once she'd handed him the long, heavy belt that had been intricately woven from a leather-like plant, he pointed to the edge of the bed.
"Lean across that and keep your feet on the floor," he said.
"I can barely reach! Can't you just put me over your knee like you always do?"
"Not this time. I know you prefer the intimacy, but this discipline is strictly judicial. Now, get over the edge. I want your bottom stretched out for punishment."
She reluctantly obeyed him and whimpered as her little round backside was raised for her discipline. Drawing back his arm, Seth swung the heavy strap in a wide arc to catch both protruding mounds across the center. Tabby squealed, her fingers clutching the bedcovering as she raised herself up on her toes. Her howl pierced the room as the thick, wide belt fell across the same spot three more times, then ventured a tad lower to kiss her sit-spots.
"Seth! Stop!" she begged. "I'll never be able to sit down again!"
"You will. Just not this phase, and perhaps not the next one. Stay in place, I am not yet done," he said firmly, pressing his hand upon her back to hold her steady as he sailed the strap briskly over the fullness of her quaking globes. W
More wails broke loose as she released herself to the pain of her punishment, and the disappointment she had brought to her new family.
Seth sighed loudly, the strokes slowing in speed, but unwavering in intensity. "I am required to be thorough for your own sake and in honor of my father. I am choosing not to strike your thighs because I do not wish to risk accidentally splitting your skin," he said quietly. "But if you force me to punish you this severely again, I will not be exercising such restraint, and you will also feel my hand, with a full current, roasting these cheeks. Understand?"
"Yes, sir. I'm sorry," Tabby wept, her knees buckling beneath her as another stroke found its way across her backend. "Please, forgive me."
The strapping ceased as she cried out her remorse, and she slowly crumpled to the ground and resumed a quiet weeping into her crossed arms.
Seth settled on the floor next to her and gently pressed her face into his lap, silently caressing her shaking shoulders. He waited until her breathing began to slow and ran his fingers through her hair. "Do y
ou want to be alone or would you rather I stay with you?" he asked.
"Hold me," she whispered. "I need you to hold me and promise not to ever let go."
He lifted her onto the bed and lay down next to her so she could rest her face on his hard shoulder. Inhaling deeply, she was surrounded by a scent that immediately calmed her.
"What are you thinking? I felt a shift," he asked.
"What do you mean by a 'shift'?"
"Once a couple is balanced, the male undergoes some changes. It causes us to become more conscious of our partner's moods and needs. Because you are human, I cannot completely lock in to you, so I have to ask."
She had completely forgotten that Kalavan had told her about the changes, including the increase of awareness that Seth would develop for her. There was no way to hide it from him, so she spoke.
"When I was a little girl, my father used to take me camping in the summertime. He set up a tent in the woods behind our house, piled it full of lots of pillows and blankets, and would just hold me as we listened to the rain hitting the tent and the ground. I was remembering the sound of the rain, and how the drops plopped and fizzled on the roof of the tent. Oh, and the sound of his breathing. It was always really deep, and when he was content, it had a little whistle. But it was the smell that always got to me. I couldn't inhale deeply enough to take it all in. It was so fresh and sweet, and made me feel both alive and quiet. Your attractants smell like an afternoon of summer rain. It was just very comforting."
"You're hurting," he said.
"Of course I am. You nearly killed me with that spanking," she mumbled into his armpit.
"Don't exaggerate. You were well thrashed and survived without difficulty. I'm talking about your heart. I can sense your pain. What haven't you told me?"
A moment of silence passed before she spoke again. "There was one afternoon when the weather got ugly. Thunder and lightning was all around us, and my father did not want to risk running through the field to go back to the house. I was so scared, and he held me tight and promised he would never let me go. That was the last camping trip I went on with him."
A Little Wish Upon a Star Page 15