Page 13 of Zylonn's Human Bride
Her entire face lit up and she hugged him again.
Chapter 11
Two days later, Nova was delighted when Zylonn walked her to Meris’ home on his way to work. She embraced her friend and met Meris’ mate, Allonis, who left for work himself shortly after Nova’s arrival. As it turned out, Meris lived only a short walk away from Zylonn’s house and Nova was ecstatic that she had permission to visit her friend during the daytime hours while her master was at work.
“I can’t believe we’re both finally here,” Nova said as they sat in the living room, both with a cup of Tarkkuan tea in their hands. “The trip to Tarkkua seemed to last forever.”
Meris smiled. “I’m so glad you found me and I can’t believe we live so close to one another. It’s nice to have a friend nearby. Hopefully, Allonis will grant me permission to visit you at your house soon.” A strange look entered her eyes that piqued Nova’s curiosity.
“Why wouldn’t he? Did something happen?”
Meris flushed. “I kinda sorta ran away on our wedding night,” she confessed.
Surprise and concern filled Nova. “I heard a female screaming outside in the darkness that first night. Was-was that you? Are you all right?”
“Oh, I’m fine. But I was so nervous about consummating my marriage with Allonis that I couldn’t help it. After we got home, he kissed me and hugged me and…and I felt it. His cock. Through his pants. It felt so very big and he’s so much taller than me. Well, I worried we wouldn’t be very compatible. When he excused himself to fix us something to eat before we ventured to the bedroom, I bolted through the front door and ran blindly through the streets.”
Nova reached over and grasped Meris’ hand. “Did he hurt you?”
A soft smile grazed her friends’ lips. “No, he didn’t hurt me. He was angry that I ran off and I was certain he was going to punish me after he caught me and carried me home. He carried me upstairs to his bedroom and I saw a leather strap hanging on the wall and I believed he might really hurt me. But then he sat me on his lap and asked me why I ran away. We talked about it and he promised to treat me gently during our first time together.”
Relief spread through Nova. She was glad—and a bit shocked—that Allonis hadn’t beaten her for running away. She imagined what would have happened if she’d tried to run from Zylonn that night. Considering he’d already had reason to punish her, he would have probably spanked her for longer. “I’m happy to hear your mate didn’t treat you cruelly, Meris, truly.”
“Based on what I know about Tarkkuans, I expected him to be stricter with me. But he hasn’t struck me once, not even a single swat to my bottom. He did, however, forbid me from leaving his house for a while. I know I would have needed permission to leave anyway, but he’s informed me that it will be quite some time before I’m allowed out beyond these walls. He says he must trust me first.” Another soft smile played across her lips. “But I think we’re getting there. Hopefully soon.”
“Well, until that time, I plan to come visit you often. Zylonn says I’m allowed to leave the house and come here whenever I wish, though I’m required to get permission to go anywhere else.” She started to roll her eyes and then stopped. Even though she was still sometimes frustrated with the Tarkkuan’s backward customs, she suddenly realized she didn’t wish to disparage her mate in front of her friend. When she thought of Zylonn, a warmth unlike any she’d ever known filled her.
“Wait a second,” Meris said, her eyes widening as she sat taller. “Zylonn…he looks familiar. Isn’t he the same Tarkkuan who caught you speaking ill of the trade agreement between our worlds?”
“Yes,” Nova replied with a laugh. “It was just my luck.”
“Sorry I ran off after he emerged from the shadows. I-I was a bit flighty that night.”
“It’s all right. Besides, there was no sense in the both of us getting into trouble for what I said.”
“You got into trouble?”
A heated flush rolled through Nova and she squirmed in her seat. She hadn’t meant to allude to the fact that she’d received a punishment for her brazen words, as she didn’t wish to frighten Meris or cause her to become worried for Nova’s safety. “Um, I got into a little bit of trouble,” she admitted.
“What kind of trouble? Did he whip you with one of those awful straps the Tarkkuan males keep beside their beds?” Meris shuddered and Nova sincerely hoped that if Allonis ever strapped her, he would at least be as gentle as Zylonn had been.
Nova exhaled a long breath and met her friend’s troubled gaze. “Yes,” she finally said, deciding that honesty would be the best policy. “But he gave me a spanking first and then only struck me with the strap five times. It hurt, but considering his size and strength, he could have made it hurt a lot worse. But he didn’t. And afterward he held me in his arms, wiped away my tears, and comforted me. He wasn’t cruel. He didn’t yell at me or call me names or anything like that. I-I have to admit, what came after the punishment was…nice.” She flushed again just thinking about it.
Meris’ eyes had grown even wider as Nova recounted what had happened. Nova found herself hoping that her friend didn’t think badly of Zylonn. She was starting to really like him and the thought of someone believing him to be a bad or unjust person left her with an uneasy feeling in her gut.
“He spanked you first?” Meris eventually asked and then gulped. “As in, he turned you over his knee and spanked you?”
Nova was surprised that Meris was asking her for such details, but she answered anyway. “Not exactly. He ordered me to bend over the bed.”
“Oh my,” was all Meris said before her face reddened and she took a long sip of tea. When she came up for air, she met Nova’s eyes with an apologetic look. “I’m sorry that happened to you. I suppose I’m lucky Allonis didn’t give me a spanking or a strapping after I ran away. He’s said he’ll only physically punish me in the most extreme of circumstances. I’m hoping I never do anything to incur his wrath.”
“Though I don’t know your mate well, from what you’ve told me of him, it seems he’s an understanding and patient Tarkkuan. Even if he does punish you one day, he will probably be gentle about it. Well, as gentle as a Tarkkuan male can be while wielding a strap.” She gave Meris a reassuring smile.
“I hope you’re right.”
Feeling the need to both change the subject and reassure Meris of Zylonn’s kindness, Nova said, “Guess what? You know how we heard some of the women on the ship talking about video comms that can contact Earth?”
“Yes. What about them? I’ve heard only members of the ruling class are in possession of them. They are said to be quite expensive.”
