Total pages in book: 51
Estimated words: 46803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 234(@200wpm)___ 187(@250wpm)___ 156(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 46803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 234(@200wpm)___ 187(@250wpm)___ 156(@300wpm)
“Maybe?” I squeak the admission.
That earns me a stinging slap to both cheeks, but not a hard one.
“I thought so,” he growls. “You do not need to test me, human. You will never need to test me. I will always be here to discipline you when you need it. And from what I know of you, you will always need it.”
That’s a strangely comforting statement, though the rapid-fire series of smacks heating my ass up to what feels like tectonic levels of heat is not. I know I brought this on myself, but that doesn’t make it hurt any less.
Kahn spanks me until I am squirming and gasping and feeling thoroughly embarrassed. I really wish this wasn’t being observed by another alien. I hardly know Arkan, but I know he shares Kahn’s values, and I know he’s seeing my butt get absolutely roasted.
Amid all the embarrassment, I am starting to feel something else. Safety.
It’s strange, but Kahn’s absolute insistence on discipline no matter what the circumstances makes him predictable, and predictable is safe. I come from a world of chaos, where nobody is what they seem, and where everyone is always fighting for survival. I was lucky enough to be more insulated from some of the chaos than most people, but it was still intolerable.
Kahn stands me up again. I am blushing and embarrassed, but against all odds, incredibly happy. He looks down at me, big hands on his hips, a deep growl emitting from his throat as he begins to speak. I brace myself for what would be a well-earned lecture. But that’s not where he’s going with this.
“Let’s get you something to eat.”
7 BLOODY HELL
Kahn
Another day dawns with my sweet, rebellious pet sleeping not where pets should, but instead, in my bed. I wake up with the awareness of a slight stickiness between my pet and myself.
“Stella?” I nudge her gently. “Are you alright, pet?”
It takes her a moment to wake, but as her eyes flutter open, she suddenly becomes aware of the predicament we now share.
“Oh my god!” She emits a gasp of horror as she pulls away from me.
I see a flash of red beneath the covers. Blood. Human blood.
In a brief flash of incoherent pre-awake thought, I am convinced we have been attacked in our sleep. I wrap an arm around her waist and I swing her up and out of the bed, away from where the attacker may be. Her cry of surprise at being dragged out of the bed exacerbates the general atmosphere of concern.
“Put me down, you big stupid idiot!”
“You’re bleeding!”
“I know! It happens! It’s…. I can’t believe you don’t know what a period is!”
A period. Of course. Except it makes no sense that there could be this much blood from one woman on her cycle.
“A period is only a few tablespoons of blood….”
She laughs and she does not stop laughing.
“Not for me,” she says. “Not ever for me. I bleed a lot. Always have.”
Stella
He looks absolutely horrified. The funny thing is, this isn’t the first time I’ve seen this kind of expression. It’s just that last time I saw it, it was on a human man’s face. Seems like males of all species are shocked at the wildness and unpredictability of my flow. My uterus is on a sacred mission to purge my body of all the blood she can.
He gets out of bed and immediately starts striding away. I’m just as quickly certain that he’s grossed out as hell and is going to leave me.
“What are you doing? Running away?”
“I am running you a bath,” he says.
I’m stunned. I’ve never, in all my life, had anyone look after me in this state. The only men who have ever seen me in this state have expressed their disgust. The alien was surprised, but he is not disgusted. He is concerned for me. He wants the best for me.
That’s a lot to realize all at once, especially with cramps pulsing through my lower abdomen. A bath would be the perfect thing right now. How does he know?
Kahn disappears into the bathroom for a little bit, cleaning himself up probably, but also preparing a nice bath for me.
“Stella! Come here,” he calls out. “You can shower first, but I want you to take a long bath. I am going to make you a grilled cheese sandwich and a chocolate milkshake.”
That should sound like a weird combination, but it’s basically the perfect meal for my current state. The idea is as comforting as it is delicious.
He ushers me into the bathroom. The bath waits for me while I shower off the sanguine flow, then welcomes me into a warm and soothing embrace. The last time I had a period, I was stumbling through the desert scrub outside the city, aiming for what I thought and hoped would be safety.