Page 51 of Tornn's Mate
“How many lashes do you need, Ellie?” He tightens his grip on my chin. “Five? Ten? Even more?”
“Ten,” I say through a sob. “Ten.”
There’s a long silence as he studies me and watches the tears sliding down my face. “Ten it is.” A look of resolve hardens his expression. “I won’t be gentle with you, Ellie. It’s going to hurt.”
“I know,” I gasp out, shuddering with a mix of trepidation and relief. I hate feeling guilty, and I hate that I disappointed him. He’s my mate and I withheld information from him that might prove dangerous. His forgiveness means everything, but I’m relieved that he’s going to give me what I need, just as he promised he always would.
He caresses my cheek, wiping at my tears. Then he reaches between my thighs and strokes a finger through my slit. I whimper as he grazes my swollen nubbin, and my knees ache when I jolt forward, my center undulating against his touch.
As he continues rubbing a finger through my soaking wet pussy lips, occasionally stroking my clit, he leans close and says, “Be an obedient little female and assume the proper position for punishment.” He nods toward the bed, and I know what I must do.
He helps me to my feet, and I wish I could fall into his arms and let him hold me. But the shame of keeping this huge secret for over two freaking weeks has been eating me alive, and now that all has been revealed, I find myself craving the release of guilt. Craving punishment.
Tornn gives me an encouraging look and gently tucks my hair behind my ears. I suck in a shaky breath, turn, and walk to the bed. Then I bend over the mattress, keeping my bottom lifted high and my legs spread wide.
His footsteps sound behind me, and I feel the warmth of his body before he even touches me. He caresses my ass with one hand, moving from cheek to cheek. Leaning over me, his hot exhales drift along my neck. His hard bulge presses against my bottom, and affection cascades through the bond, a rush of warmth and light. But I also sense his steadfast resolve to administer a fitting punishment.
“I’m going to make it fast and hard, sweet human.” He steps back and brings the strap down with a whistling crack.
The pain. Holy fucking shit,the pain.
Ten. I’d asked for ten. What the hell was I thinking?
But I can’t find my voice to plead for leniency. All I can do is gasp and scream through the searing blows. I lose count as the strap comes down again and again. Rapid whooshes followed by lashes of fire that make my nerve endings scream in agony.
Then all at once it stops, and I’m in Tornn’s arms. He sinks to the floor and leans against the bed, holding me close as he wipes at my tears and murmurs softly to me in Darrvason.
Affection continues flowing through the bond, and I cuddle deeper into his embrace, soaking up the comfort and warmth he’s offering me. He kisses the top of my head and I melt.
As I lace my arms around his waist, I peer at the glowing markings on his chest and feel the corresponding markings on my arms tingle in response. Another surge of forgiveness and understanding reaches me through the bond, as though Tornn wants to remind me that my sins have been absolved. A sense of peace descends, and I marvel at the strength of the heartbond.
“My sweet human,” Tornn murmurs in a voice filled with reverence as he strokes a hand through my long locks. “My loyal mate.”
Loyal mate.
His meaning sinks deep, and I hug him tighter.
Chapter33
TORNN
It’sthe middle of the night when the doorbell to my quarters reverberates. Ellie stirs beside me, blinking her pretty blue eyes open, and gives me a worried look.
“Who could that be?” She winces as she turns over and her welted bottom hits the covers.
“Go back to sleep, sweet human.” I kiss her forehead. “I’ll return as soon as I can.” I slide out of bed and hurriedly dress.
When I open the door, I find Officer Paddax pacing the corridor. He looks up and freezes in his tracks when he spots me.
“She confessed everything,” he says. A vein in his temple pulses, and his hands flex at his sides. Agitation ripples off him, and I sense he’s eager to return to his mate’s side.
I exit my quarters, allowing the door to zip shut behind me. “Walk with me.” At this hour, most corridors in theHaxxalare empty, though we stick to the royal corridors for added privacy. Though I’m anxious to hear what Paddax has to say, I sense his turmoil, and I wait for him to speak on his own.
“There’s a group of traitors aboard theJansonnawho call themselves The Saviors,” he begins. “Two males from the group threatened Sheila’s family and forced her to join their cause. They compelled her to conceal the hypospray and bring it aboard theHaxxal. They ordered her to inject her mate with the virus in the hopes that it would spread and wreak havoc on our ship. The Saviors hoped that thousands of us would die and that they would be able to take over theHaxxaland repossess the human females.”
I growl. “How did The Saviors plan to board theHaxxalin the first place? And how did they plan to deal with the remaining thirteen vessels in our fleet?”
“Sheila isn’t certain, but she thinks they planned to disable our shields and fly straight into our docking bay. She says theJansonnais equipped with over a dozen small shuttles and believes they planned to use those.” He clears his throat and casts a glance up and down the empty corridor. “I don’t know for certain how they planned to disable the remaining vessels in our fleet and neither does Sheila, but I have a theory.”
