Page 41 of The Alien I Fell in Love with on Walpurgis Night

She looks down at her candle and then back at me. “That’s going to be awhile.”

“Yes, that’s the point.”

“Oh, okay.”

Inwardly I’m smiling and can’t concentrate on my prayers at all. Isn’t Georgiana impressed by anything in the Empire?

When our candles finally burn out, the High Priestess corners us. “Would you like to visit the punishment rooms today?”

“Punishment rooms?” Georgiana asks.

The High Priestess looks at me expectantly. She knows we have sinned. She would have read Fox’s report that says we were married. And she would know that we have marriage bracelets that we are choosing not to wear. The High Priestess could make all of this information public if she wanted to. But as usual, I suspect she wants her payment in blood.

“Only myself. Madame Georgiana can’t make any sacrifices as she wasn’t a part of the decision making.”

“It doesn’t matter. You are both guilty of the crime and she accepted the pleasure. Or are the medical recorders on the Alliance Force faulty?”

“What crime?” Georgiana asks.

The High Priestess and I hold eye contact. Then she tells me, “You know there are two ways you can pay.”

“I understand,” then I look at Georgiana. “How well do you take pain?”

“What?!”

“High Priestess, you see Madame Georgiana is one of the Lost People. She isn’t able to withstand the goddess’s blood payment today.”

The High Priestess looks Georgiana up and down. “You both come with me now and we will test this. She looks sturdy enough to me.”

I take Georgiana’s reluctant hand to give her support and my IC goes off for a fine from the High Council.

The High Priestess looks over her shoulder. “You’re only making it worse for yourself, Commander Axl.”

“What’s she talking about?”

“Touching like this is forbidden for us now, among other things. And the High Priestess wants us to pay for our crimes… It’s difficult for me to explain.”

Georgiana stops walking. “Try explaining it.”

I stop walking, lean over, and say for her ears only, as I don’t want my guards, the High Priestess or her nuns to hear. “When I put my lips on your clitoris until your whole body shook with pleasure. When I caressed your breasts and sucked on your nipples, I shouldn’t have done those things without being married. And because I did them and you enjoyed them, we must atone here today.”

“How do we do apologize?”

“With a blood payment to the High Priestess in her Punishment Rooms.”

Georgiana shakes her head and crosses her arms. “No way, Jose.”

“I don’t know who Jose is, but he’s no use to us here unless he is a god who can pardon us for our passion.”

“No one has hit me since I was a child. I can’t do this.”

“Paying the High Priestess is the most convenient way and private way to atone. It’s a few lashes and some prayers. Otherwise the High Priestess can force us into a public marriage right now which would be more inconvenient…”

“And I would be kept in your mother’s dungeon? No, thank you. I see where you’re coming from now.”

I’m a bit disheartened that Georgiana wouldn’t want to marry me right now, but I understand my mother and sister didn’t make a good impression on her yesterday or this morning. I don’t think I’d jump to live permanently on an alien planet after being there only a few hours either. But is seven days going to be enough to convince her I’m worth it?

I caress Georgiana’s ear as I say, “I promise to visit you secretly in your room tonight if you do this.”

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