She drifted back into the moment, heard herself panting and felt her heart pounding hard. She looked down to see she’d wrapped her hands around the creature’s ankle, as if she were hanging on for dear life. Her hand barely encircled half of it.
It took another moment to realize its hand had stayed in place on her skin. The heat throbbed from his hand to her already burning skin, sending the fire deeper. The burn sank through her flesh, into her sexual organs, twisting and wringing her insides. Her face burned as she realized that the damp that had formed between her legs was running down her thighs.
Humiliation flooded through her.
And she was being watched.
The thought slammed through her chest, leaving a hollow, cold sensation where her beating heart had been. But as much as she wanted it not to, it dripped into her blood and warmed the arousal between her legs.
She turned her head to see all of the others still there. Still staring at her with their dark, foreboding gazes. Staring from every angle at her naked body bent over an alien’s lap. There was no question they could see everything. Her red ass. Her deep blush. The slick on her thighs. She flushed even hotter as more shame coursed through her.
At least they couldn’t seethat.
“You will remain calm,” the creature above her said, stoically. “You will stand and remain calm.”
She was hoisted up in one, smooth movement and plopped onto her unsteady feet in front of the gathering of aliens staring at her. She was surprised when her knees buckled as she tried to stand. The creature steadied her with his big hand firmly at her lower back, the thumb of his very human-like hand wrapped around her waist.
Tears had streaked down the sides of her face, but she had the silly thought that she didn’t want them to see that, so she left them there. Her hands shot instead to her breasts and sex. She actually blushed when she realized she hadn’t shaved in months, and then felt heat spreading across the back of her neck when she thought about what a silly fear that was, how meaningless such a thing would be to an alien life form—especially one that had just spanked her in public. She splayed her fingers anyway, trying to cover as much of the dark thatch of her pubic hair as she could.
Why the hell do I care?!
It was as ridiculous as being ashamed of her nudity. These weren’t people. She had no idea what they were. They might be closer to animals. Talking animals, but still. Shame and embarrassment about nudity were probably as alien to them as they were to her. And yet she couldn’t help it. Her face burned red, and she slouched, trying to make herself as small as possible.
The creature that had captured and spanked her—at least,shethought they were one and the same—stepped around in front of her. Its eyes—which she only dared to look at for a moment because they were piercingblueand identical to a human’s eyes—wandered down her body, pausing at where she was covering herself.
“They all cover their genitals like that,” one of the others said.
Sonya gasped, a fresh wave of humiliation crashing over her just before the sensible, scientific part of her grabbed the wheel.
So they did know something about humans. Did they know about the missing mission? Of course they did. They had to.
And they weretalking. “You… you can talk,” she whispered.
Its dark gaze bored into what felt like the very center of her.
Her knees went weak again.
It was sohuge. The muscles bulged through its skin, as taut as wound steel. Her eyes dared to dart down its frame—she told herself this was purely detached scientific curiosity—but even as she did it, she was aware of her ownprimalinterests, linked to the throbbing between her legs.
The creature wore only a single wrap around its midriff, of an unknown material. Its skin was human-like, but the light fell on it differently, giving it a rougher texture. The creature’s rugged and dirty, but humanoid, appearance made her think of antiquated, old-Earth, masculine violence: Vikings, barbarians, gladiators.
Her eyes went wide as she made out the outline of an organ that looked very similar in shape to a human’s organ—but like all aspects of this creature, larger and thicker. Its shape was human enough to stimulate a few very dirty thoughts in her head. When she mused to herself about whether or not it was erect—or if there was more to come—she tore her eyes away and looked off to the side, humiliated by her own wild thoughts.
It said something now in what Sonya could only presume was its own language.
One of the others stepped up from behind it and handed it what was clearly a rope, though the material was alien. She actually had to stop herself from trying to investigate it. Sonya loved materials development, but she couldn’t quite believe her interest was so extreme that she would ask aliens who were about to “bind” her about the composition of their rope.
I really am a piece of work,she thought.
Her captor stepped behind her again. “Lower your hands.”
It delivered the command in a flat, detached tone. Sonya couldn’t make heads or tails of this: she didn’t even know how they were speaking. But the assured, steadymalenessof the creature’s voice made her inclined to obey.
Maybe if she co-operated they would let her live. Maybe she’d find out what happened to the others. But her hands, paralyzed by her fear and humiliation, stayed glued in place.
“Lower your hands,” it said again.
Sonya was annoyed to hear herself babbling. “I… Can I please… Is there any way we can, uh… I have to contact… I need to ask…”
