by Jane Henry
He is speaking to the crowd but I do not hear what he says, as the blood rushing in my ears is near deafening. My cheeks are aflame, my eyes shut tight, as I am mortified by my predicament. I jump as a warm hand presses against the bare skin on my lower back. I brace myself for the first searing zing of the whip, or whatever he’ll use to punish me, and jump in surprise when it is his hand that connects sharply with my bare skin. I gasp, the blow searing my flesh. Again, he strikes, the ringing sound of his hand connecting like a gunshot.
“You will obey me, little one,” he says sternly. “You must obey me.” He pulls back and I brace myself for another blow. “You ought to be whipped,” he says, as another strike of his palm hits my flesh. “And if you raise your hand to me again, you shall be.” Another stinging swat. I can hardly breathe for the pain, his large hand like a thousand bee stings, falling hard and fast. It hurts far more than I anticipate. He now spanks me in earnest, one blow falling after another. I feel his foot push against mine, spreading my legs, before another harsh blow lands on my inner thighs. My skin is on fire, every strike seemingly harder than the one before. He pauses. For a moment, I wonder if he is done. His voice raises as he addresses the crowd.
“The woman is small, and she is unfamiliar with our traditions. She is now mine to correct. She will learn obedience and subordination. Tonight, as I punish her, I mark her as my own.”
Fear spikes in my chest, as I wonder what he means by marking. Is he referring to the marks of his hand upon my skin, or something else? I am terrified, gripped with fear at the coupling the barbarians partake in. Is there ‘marking’ involved in coupling?
He turns back to me, his voice dropping as his hand rests on my neck briefly. “Disobedience will not be tolerated.” He pulls back and resumes spanking me, one hard swat after another. My backside burns from the blows, and each punishing swat atop my flaming skin makes me cry out. As my feet barely grace the floor, I writhe in pain.
“Now, now,” he chides. “A girl who is brave enough to strike the Warrior King ought to be brave enough to take her chastisement.”
Another searing swat lands. Is he mocking me?
His voice lowers again. “Six more blows,” he says. “And with each strike of my palm, you will count out loud.” There is a brief pause. “And if you do not, then I shall resume your punishment with my sword belt until you do.”
I close my eyes and brace myself. His palm lands firmly.
“One,” I hiss.
“Very good,” he says, before delivering the second searing swat.
“Two.”
Another hard smack falls, harder than the last, and I go up on my toes. “Three,” I whisper, trying to maintain my dignity. Thoroughly punished in front of a crowed that is cheering, shouting, and whistling has stripped me of my pride. I want them to go away. I want to run.
The fourth swat lands on my thighs again, and I cry out from the pain. “Four,” I choke, tears burning my eyes, my throat strangely clogged. I cannot begin to sort through the emotions I am feeling right now. I just need this to be done.
I am ready for the fifth swat, and take it bravely. “Five,” I say, mustering up all my courage.
The last swat is the hardest of all. The crack echoes around us. “Six,” I whisper, slumping against the table.
My punishment is over. But my imprisonment has only just begun.
⊱⟢⋯⟣⊰
The rough, firm feel of his palm massages my stinging skin. My eyes are shut tight, but I feel him lift my bound wrists from the peg.
“Come here, little one,” he says. I am lifted in his arms. My eyes fly open in surprise. I am not used to being touched by a man, and certainly have never been carried by one, since physical touch like this is forbidden on Freanoss. The pairing of mates has been outlawed for decades, ever since the New Dawn. I have also been trained to believe I am resistant to the desire for human contact, capable of rational thought not colored by archaic notions. I have been bred to be stronger than my ancestors and not susceptible to the weakness they succumbed to. And yet… something within me yearns for his touch. My body likes the feeling of helplessness I get when in his arms. I tell myself it is merely exhaustion coloring my feelings. When I am rested, I will think rationally again.
I shiver from cold. I am not used to feeling such things. I lift my head and turn from him, arching my body to keep myself distanced.
“The little one defies me even now,” he murmurs to himself, still holding me firmly while marching with purposeful strides. Oddly, I notice people are quieted, bowing to him as we pass. All around us I see brightly lit torches held high. Servants, perhaps? He speaks to me again. “It will be my duty and pleasure to teach you obedience. You will see.”
I will see what? The man is mad. I am not staying here to be taught anything. I will escape from him, after I find what my people need. But I shall not make the mistake of defying him so brashly, not again. For now, I will submit to him as he is stronger than I.
And I will escape.
A Note From The Author
Thank you for reading Idan: A Sci-Fi Warrior Romance (Heroes of Avalere Book 2). If you enjoyed this read, please consider leaving me a tip (otherwise known as a review) where you purchased this book!
Would you like more from Avalere? You may also enjoy book one, Aldric, and for a limited time only, Idan and Svali are featured in Slave for a Day, a novella found in Hero Undercover.
If you’d like to hear of my future releases, enter giveaways, and read exclusive content, please be sure you sign up for my newsletter here!
Thank you!
Jane
About the Author
Jane is a bestselling erotic romance author in multiple genres, including contemporary, historical, sci-fi, and fantasy. She pens stern but loving alpha heroes, feisty heroines, and emotion-driven happily ever afters. Jane is a hopeless romantic who loves the ocean, her houseful of children, her awesome husband, chocolate, coffee, and sexy romance.
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Twitter handle: @janehenryauthor
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Other titles by Jane you may enjoy:
Contemporary fiction:
The Boston Doms
My Dom
His Submissive
Her Protector
His Babygirl
His Lady
Her Hero
Standalone:
A Thousand Yesses
The Bound to You trilogy:
Begin Again
Come Back to Me
Complete Me
Western:
Her Outlaw Daddy
Claimed on the Frontier
Surrendered on the Frontier
Sci-Fi Romance:
Aldric: A Sci-Fi Warrior Romance (Heroes of Avalere Book 1)
Anthologies:
Sunstrokes
Hero Undercover