by Alana Khan
“If I wasn’t concerned about my friend’s feelings, I’d be pretty smug right now, knowing that simply thinking about the eboi plantay incident turns you on. But we can discuss that later tonight. Perhaps arrange a reenactment?” He lifts his eyebrow in a playful taunt.
He pauses, then sniffs in loudly through his nose. Scoundrel.
“Try to reel in your sensual nature. You’re torturing the poor male.”
“You know that was out of my control, Sir. I’m sorry.”
“Tell that to him. He’s probably in the restroom making good use of his hand.”
“TMI, Sir. And were you serious when you said I should tell him I’m sorry?”
“No! Figure of speech. Let’s pretend this conversation never happened.”
But it did. Lann is quiet during our delicious lunch. I control my urge to peek at his lap to confirm Voxx’s allegation that he has a perma-erection. Why is my mind going there in the first place?
In the hover ride from the restaurant to the zoo, I snuggle close to Voxx to keep my thigh from touching Lann’s. This seems to please both males. Voxx scoots me even closer, and Lann starts a conversation about the joys of living on Zinn. It’s obvious how deeply he loves his friend and wants him to have a mate.
“There’s no crime on Zinn, well very little. Earth brides are highly honored here. They’re afforded all rights of Zinn citizenship. As you discovered, the healthcare is some of the best in the galaxy.” He continues extolling the virtues of Zinn; he should work for the Chamber of Commerce.
“She heard all this on the puff piece vid they have all Earthers watch during the Quest. I don’t think those facts are helpful, Lann. The female has to like the male.”
“You don’t like Voxx?” Lann dips his head to look into my face, his brow furrowed in confusion. “You looked quite happy with him last night. And today.”
“I’m a slave, Lann. What’s so hard to comprehend about that?” Then I realize exactly what I said, and who is sitting at my left elbow. I flinch. Head down, eyes closed, shoulders hunched, I wait for Voxx to punish me.
“Set the hover down!” Lann thunders.
Oh my God. Is he going to punish me? For what, not liking his friend?
A moment later, we’re on the ground. “Look at me, Victoria!” Lann orders. “You too, Voxx.” He waits until he has both our attention. “Has this male abused you?”
“No, Sir.”
He stifles a groan and winces in pain as if I slapped him. “The only male you call Sir is Voxx. You can address me as Lann or Mr. Grine.” Oh. I think calling him Sir was sexual shorthand only reserved for the male half of a couple—ouch. “Why did you flinch from him?”
“He punishes me, Mr. Grine.”
He tilts his head, like a robot in a sci-fi movie when something doesn’t compute. “Of course he does, Victoria. What is your point?”
I slap my hands over my eyes before either of the males sees me roll them. What the fuck?
Putting my hands in my lap, I answer, “I don’t like being punished, Si… Mr. Grine.”
“This is the problem?” Thankfully, he looks at Voxx. I certainly don’t have the answer.
“She doesn’t want to be punished,” Voxx repeats dumbly like I didn’t just say that.
“You don’t want to stay with the best male on the planet on the most wonderful planet in the universe because a male cares about you and designs fitting punishments to help you behave and perform to the best of your ability?”
“Yes, Mr. Grine.” Exactamundo.
“Why not?” His mouth is open, head tilted—he’s gobsmacked.
“These are cultural differences, Lann,” Voxx explains. “Earther females don’t normally receive punishments from Earther males.”
“It makes no sense. Tell me Victoria, how many times has my friend punished you?”
I can only think of one: the spanking he gave me, one swat. I don’t need to mention his sincere apology after that. The others were either threats or sexual ‘punishments’ that thrilled me and resulted in cataclysmic orgasms. “One.”
His nostrils flare and my cheeks flame crimson in response. He must smell my arousal.
“Might I assume you weren’t harmed in any way by that punishment?” His look is pointed.
How do I answer yes when I’m reeking pheromones that belie any protest?
“No, Mr. Grine.”
“Victoria, I apologize for intruding. I love my friend.” He glances at Voxx and smiles. “We’re like brothers. I want this to succeed as much as he does. Your behavior makes no sense to me. Look at that male.”
I follow his order. Voxx is quiet, contrite, and freaking gorgeous in the Zinnian sun.
“He cares for you. That’s obvious. I wish you’d give him another chance. Has he persisted in punishing you in ways you find unacceptable after you informed him of your feelings?”
“No, Mr. Grine. I believe he’s learning my… parameters.”
“Let’s go to the zoo,” Lann commands with authority. I guess all Zinn males are alphas. “I read on the Earth Internet about contracts dealing with boundaries and hard limits,” Lann says when we’re zipping toward the zoo. “Maybe you should find one and use it to have a conversation. Perhaps you two just need better communication.”
Did he just suggest we should do one of those S&M sex and punishment contracts? Weird.
Voxx
“This zoo is awesome!” Victoria exclaims about half an hour into our excursion. “It’s so cool that we’re locked up and they’re free to roam.”
She’s endlessly fascinated by everything she sees.
“Don’t gawk, Victoria. It’s rude,” I have to tell her when she sees her first Zinn baby.
She was amazed at ZaZu to see a Zinn female. She couldn’t get over how tall she was. Now she’s following an Earth female who’s pushing a stroller.
“Excuse me,” she calls loudly to the unsuspecting female who seems shocked to be accosted in public, as does the female’s protective mate.
“Victoria, stop.” But she’s already talking to the female.
“Sorry,” she apologizes to the female and her mate. “I’ve only been here a day. I still don’t know all the rules, but can I admire your beautiful baby?”
The female’s wide smile transforms her face. She pulls the young’s blanket down so Victoria can see him in all his glory.
I step closer, apologizing wordlessly to the male, but he seems happy to show off his young.
“We’re so small compared to the males, any problems with childbirth?” she asks. To question a stranger about something this personal is absolutely scandalous on Zinn, but the mother moves closer to Victoria and seems only too happy to go into graphic detail.
Finally, the male clears his throat, both females take the hint and before the mother can move away, Victoria calls to me.
“Sir, can I get her number to comm her?”
I take her information, then pull Victoria away.
“Do you realize you just broke about ten Zinn rules of social etiquette?”
“No, Sir.” She looks contrite. “That would have been perfectly normal on Earth.”
Lann skewers me with a disapproving look, stalks over and hisses so Victoria can’t hear him. “She was just following her instincts, Voxx. She’s made a friend for later, when you can allow her out of your bed for more than two minutes at a time.”
Victoria’s still looking at me like I’m going to punish her, but Lann’s right, this is wonderful. If she wasn’t toying with the idea of staying on Zinn, she wouldn’t have wanted the female’s number, nor would she have had questions about childbirth. Why wouldn’t I be happy at this turn of events?
Smiling at Victoria, I tell her, “You’ve got good instincts. I shouldn’t worry about what others think.”
The three of us head toward the lake where there are about a thousand species of birds.
“Wow! A flock of rose-colored birds. Beautiful.” She looks younger than she
did on the Drayant. I think it’s because she’s smiling so broadly.
She squats near the invisible fence and is fascinated by a clutch of eggs in a nest, the mother resting nearby. Lann chats with her about local flora and fauna, and I take a moment to think.
All my life I’ve done what was expected of me. I followed all laws, broke few rules, got high marks in school, went to the best University, and made my employers happy. All of it was in service to one goal—to qualify for the lottery. And that was in service to my final goal, the dream of my lifetime—to have a mate.
I have four days to change this beautiful female’s mind, to convince her to stay with me on Zinn. And in order to do that, I have to change behaviors that have been ingrained since childhood.
Now, instead of following every rule and expectation of society, I need to please one being. One living being in the galaxy, and her name is Victoria, my zara. She’s beautiful and open and giving and she’s squatting on the ground less than five feet from me.
I imagine breaking every chain that’s bound me to convention my entire life. I’ve been running a marathon my whole life and I have less than half a mile to go. This last part of the race? I have to do it on my own—convention and rules be damned.
I saw her looking at me a moment ago. I almost read her mind. She wants my arm around her. I didn’t do it. Expressing affection in public is not the Zinn way. Well, right here, right now, it’s this Zinn’s way. I can be Voxx, and can be the Commander, and I can make her happy all at the same time. If anyone can accomplish this, I can.
“Where next, Sir?” She tosses her long hair and looks up at me over her shoulder.
“Drams,” Lann and I say at the same time.
She stands up and I slide my arm around her, leading her in the direction of the dram area. Halfway there, Lann steps in front of us and I lean to put my lips to her ear. “When we get home, I’ll give you thirty seconds to run upstairs, tear off your clothes and lie on the bed in the Present position.”
“Yes, Sir.”
She dips her eyes, blushes, then pegs me with a needy stare. This could work!
She loves the drams, they’re similar to horses on Earth. They’re herd animals and run through their area at top speed, shaking their manes and tails.
“Blue and purple, Sir. They’re all so beautiful. Thanks for bringing me here.”
She stumbles and would have fallen if my arm wasn’t surrounding her waist. “What’s wrong, Victoria?”
“I’m just a little tired, Sir. I can stay longer if you two want—”
“My job as Commander is to care for you. It’s my primary responsibility.” I press my lips to her ear, “Even more than making you scream with pleasure in the bedroom.”
I scoop her into my arms and carry her back to our hover. “You should have told me you were tired,” I scold her.
“I’m sorry, Sir.”
Victoria’s head dips against me on the hover home. When I glance down, I see she’s asleep. We tired her out.
“You two have an odd dynamic, Voxx,” Lann whispers in Zinn as we approach my house.
“Explain.”
“She cares for you, that seems obvious. She described herself as a slave, but she can be sweet and pliant toward you. You care for her. By the Gods, Voxx, you called her zara. In front of me. Does she know what that means?”
“Not exactly.”
“Perhaps you should tell her.”
“Not unless she chooses me on Choosing Day.”
“You don’t think it would make a difference for her to know you love her? How stubborn are you, my friend?”
“Hmpf.”
“Do you make her happy in the bedroom?”
“Yes. And the bathroom and the kitchen and on the bridge.”
“What hinders her from saying yes?”
“The Zinn lifestyle, the submission.”
“It’s a lot to ask,” he nods, “and she’s giving up her entire life on Earth. Although she looked pretty happy last night while you played cherril. She was practically purring with her head on your leg.”
“She doesn’t remember that. It’s funny, she likes to submit. She was born to it. She just doesn’t want to admit it.”
“You need to think of a way to help her accept it, and acknowledge who she is.”
“I know. If Victoria’s doing better tomorrow, I have something planned. Are you free in the afternoon?”
“Sure.”
“I’ll get back to you.”
I set the hover down and help her out.
“I fell asleep?”
“Affirmative.”
“Thanks, Sir. I had such a good time.” After Lann says his goodbyes she adds, “Lann is a nice male. You two are such good friends.”
“Our fathers worked together, and our mothers became friends. We were practically raised together. It’s a shame he’s aged out of the lottery. He’ll never have a mate.”
We pass through the door and Victoria darts up the stairs to the bedroom. I’d forgotten my edict that she be in the Present position on the bed in thirty seconds. She’s right. I’m too harsh.
By the time I arrive at the bedroom door, she’s on the bed naked, her hands above her head and in the perfect position, her legs spread wide. For me.
“Sleepy?”
“I had a nap in the hover, Sir.”
She’s eager. For me.
“Today we try something new. I need you at your best. Yes or no, do you need to rest or sleep?”
“No, Sir.”
I check the readout on her wrist—all her vitals are good—then I sit on the bed, one foot on the floor, my hip nudging hers. “Tell me about being spanked.”
“What do you mean, Sir?”
“Tell me what you got spanked for, how it was done, and by whom.”
“I didn’t misbehave, Sir. Why am I being punished?”
Her beautiful blue eyes are wide in fear.
“You’re not being punished. I asked you a question.”
“I only remember four spankings, Sir. All were by my father. I don’t remember what any of them were for. I remember thinking they were all unfair. Two were with one of my dad’s flat leather slippers, two with a hairbrush. All were on my bottom.”
I’m absently caressing her from the crease of her thigh to her knee. I slide my fingers through her folds and notice for one of the first times since we met that she’s dry. There is nothing about this subject that titillates her.
“Which was worse, the slipper or the brush?”
“That was years ago, Sir, and I can’t quantify it, they were both painful. I hated everything about it.”
“It would please me to try something else. I would like you to give it a try. ‘Red’ is always an option now or during the experiment.”
I’ve planned this for days. I made a huge mistake when I spanked her, but there’s a deeper part of her she needs to connect with. I know she’ll like what I have in mind. I want her to discover her own needs and desires, even if she doesn’t approve of them.
Victoria
I’m so fucked up. I want to please him.
“It hurt when you spanked me, Sir. Why would you want to give me pain? You admitted I didn’t earn any punishments.” My voice is whiny. I can’t help it.
“You might like it.” He pauses a moment, sneaks his hand under me, and gently cups one of my butt cheeks. “I apologize for the spanking. I understand now that it’s a hard limit. I will never punish you that way again.” He pegs me with a sincere stare. “I’m a dominant, always have been, but I’ve never had a submissive to experiment with before. As you would say, I fucked up. No more spankings.”
“Okaaay, then why do my spidey senses tell me you want to hurt me with this new experiment?”
“I don’t want to hurt you. This isn’t a punishment, I want to push your boundaries. Experiment. You have ‘red’, Victoria. I want to see what you like. There are already many things we’ve done that you would have never tried but
you like, right?”
“Yes, Sir.” Oh yeah. Many things. There are few things we’ve done that I would have asked for ten days ago—everything but the spanking has provided new levels of bliss.