Page 10 of Seduction

Selena shuddered as the magnitude of what she’d done suddenly hit her. She’d stand trial then be stripped of her rank and sent to a penal colony for the rest of her days. All because she’d fallen prey to a moment of weakness caused by hormones raging out of control, no doubt due to being in proximity to his unregulated testosterone.

She straightened her shoulders and took a deep breath. “Haldor, I apologize. You are right. I have wronged you. Honor requires that I live by my code of conduct. As a citizen of Earth, I’ve sworn to uphold its laws or pay the consequences. I am in your debt. What can I do to make amends to you – before I surrender myself to the authorities, confess my crime, and am sentenced to exile?”

* * *

Haldor tried to hide his shock. He’d been teasing the doctor to pay her back for the way she’d teased him while he slept. But her face had gone as white as her clothing. She’d obviously done something she considered inexcusable. Back home, it would have been looked upon as nothing more than a little harmless dalliance between warrior and wench. But here?

He understood one thing. Whether the sex was wrong or not, she’d violated the code by which she lived. Honor. Drengr as his people called it. Without drengr, a Viking could no longer hold up his head. Better to die a violent, painful death at the hands of an enemy than to lose one’s honor. Selena Reston’s drengr was as strong as that of any warrior.

She stood in front of his bed. Silent, head bowed, awaiting his response. This female had saved his life. She was no criminal. He saw only a beautiful woman, forced to deny her feminine nature all her life behind the formless garb of an earthly drone. But he’d gotten a hint of the soft side of Selena Reston, the side he guessed she never dared to show. He had vague memories of her hands touching him gently as he slept, stroking his brow, her sweet voice calling him back from the horrors that lurked where he drifted in darkness.

He needed to find a way to restore her drengr. Dole out a punishment stern enough to cleanse her soul. Then come up with a way for her to make amends to him. Otherwise, he suspected she’d turn herself in rather than live with the guilt and the shame.

In his eyes, what she’d done didn’t deserve banishment. Doctor on not, she’d simply been a lusty wench, wanting a little frolic she’d denied herself far too long. True, she’d teased his manhood, made promises with her hands that she didn’t fulfill. On his world, that deserved a firm spanking – and then a good fuck, to relieve the hunger she’d awakened in both of them. He might even find a way to convince her that in his eyes what she’d done was no crime at all.

“I understand your code of honor,” he began. “On my planet, we have a similar code. We call it drengr. As a member of Sigrun’s council I am often called upon to rule on matters of drengr. You have apologized to me and put yourself in my debt. But since you have wronged a citizen of Gadolinium rather than an Earther, I feel it is only right that you are punished in a manner that honors our ways, not your own. Do you agree?”

She took a moment to process his words. His respect for her went up a notch when she nodded without questioning the consequences she was agreeing to. He’d sized her up well enough in the short time they’d been together to believe she wouldn’t go back on her word, no matter what type of punishment he came up with. For her, it was now a matter of reclaiming her honor.

“On Gadolinium, Viking men love and cherish our females. We make rules for their protection, and our women follow them. If a wench is disobedient or lies, does something mean to another or simply ignores a rule she doesn’t like, her father or her mate has the right to discipline her as he sees fit – and she must submit, as a sign of her respect and acknowledgment of their authority over her.”

He saw her spine stiffen. The warrior in her balked at the idea of blindly following rules set out by another just because she was a female. But she didn’t protest.

He let his words sink in for a moment then went on. “On my world, your behavior would first warrant a punishment session, doled out by the man you belong to. If you’ve wronged someone else, that person has the right to witness your punishment. Afterward, you would be required to perform whatever action the injured party demands, no matter how shameful or demeaning you deem it to be. You would do so without question or protest, to show that you surrender your own drengr and bow to the person you wronged, restoring his or her honor in the process – and thereby your own.”

His voice grew solemn.

“Selena Reston, you have agreed to abide by Gadolinian customs in order to make amends. In my world, for the punishment portion of her consequences, a woman is required to present herself with her bottom cheeks bared, and bend over her man’s lap for a spanking, either with his hand or with any implement he chooses. Since it is your first transgression, I will deliver your punishment with the flat of my palm.”

She looked up at him then, her eyes wide with horror.

He sat up straighter in bed, tossed the sheet aside then patted his naked thighs. “Present yourself as required, and we will begin.”

* * *

Selena opened her mouth to protest then shut it again. No matter how humiliating and painful it might be to remove her clothing in front of this stranger and allow him to strike her naked bottom with his bare hand, it was infinitely preferable to the idea of being exiled to a penal colony.

She respected the logic of his decision. If she was to suffer punishment for what she’d done, it should be in a way that held significance for him, since he was the wronged party. Being banished was Earth’s civilized way of dealing with criminals. His society was more primitive. It made sense that he would only be satisfied by meting out a physical punishment.

Haldor was silent, waiting. I have to go through with this. He’s made it a matter of honor for both of us.

She swallowed her nerves and unfastened the front of her uniform. A solid piece of fabric, she had to take it off from the top to bare her bottom for him. She kept her eyes downcast as she stripped it off her shoulders. The uniforms were designed to hang shapelessly, so as not to draw undue attention to one’s physical attributes. But underneath it was molded to fit her body, so she wore nothing else except her shoes.

He took a sharp breath when she lowered it to her waist, baring her breasts to his view. She could feel his eyes on her and shivered. No one had ever seen her naked breasts. She wondered how they compared to the breasts of the women on Gadolinium. Did he find them…pleasing? Shockingly, her nipples hardened into tight little peaks at the thought. Resisting the urge to cross her arms over them, she kept on going.

Hands shaking, she pulled it down to her thighs with one quick yank. Then she climbed awkwardly onto the bed. Supporting most of her weight on her elbows and knees, she hovered over his lap, trying not to come in contact with his exposed penis.

For a moment, neither of them moved. Selena’s stomach was in knots. Her heart raced so hard, she was afraid she’d faint. When his hand touched her back, she flinched as though he’d struck her.

“I know you’re frightened. As well you should be. A woman’s first punishment is a serious matter. It is customary to begin slowly, pausing between strokes to allow the one administering discipline to deliver a stern speech reminding her of why she is being spanked and give her time to adjust to her submissive state.”

Without warning, he brought his hand down on her backside. She heard the smack then, milliseconds later, felt a fierce burning sensation on her bottom. Selena let out a startled cry. This was far worse than the smacks he’d delivered over her uniform. She’d never been struck on her bare flesh before. It was horrible, Barbaric. She almost shot to her feet to announce she’d rather be banished.

But then he began speaking while his hand traced slow circles around the spot he’d struck. The burning sensation eased, and she found herself falling under the hypnotic spell of his deep voice.

“Now you know what to expect, how it feels. The next one won’t be as frightening.” When he brought the flat of his palm down, hard, she felt a flash of pure rage as hot as the lick of fire on her backside. He’d tricked her, waiting until she relaxed to deliver the smack.

“You’re angry with me. I can feel it. But trust me. Taking a spanking hurts less if you don’t resist. When your muscles are clenched, the pain lasts longer.” He ran his palm over her stinging bottom again. She tensed, but his hand continued its slow path.

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