THREE
“I’m going to release your wrists, but I expect you to behave. If you start flailing around again, you will be punished. You obviously need a firm hand. No more warnings.”
My heart is racing as he removes the cuffs. My arms ache when I lower them, making me wince as I rub my biceps. Once again, I feel heavy. I slump forward. Thank goodness, Lasim catches me, flattening a palm against my chest before I faceplant.
“How are you not bruised and injured, Little pet?” he asks, wrapping a towel around me and lifting me out of the basin. “I didn’t know you would be so clumsy.”
I scowl. “I’m not clumsy, dimwit. I’m still dealing with the effects of the drugs your guards injected me with.” My tone is sassier than I’ve ever heard from my lips. I don’t speak this way to anyone on the space station.
Silently, Lasim carries me over to a chair where he sits before yanking the towel away. He hands it to one of the men in white and flips me onto my stomach over his knees so fast I don’t fully grasp what’s happening until it’s too late.
Pinned to his thighs, I try to struggle, but he’s far too strong for me to escape. He sets a palm on my back, his hand so large that his fingers span my entire back.
When he starts spanking me, I scream. I doubt anyone who can hear me cares that I’m making so much noise, but I do it anyway. Maybe someone somewhere will come to my rescue. This man can’t just spank me. I’m an adult. I have autonomy over my body.
But he does. He continues swatting my butt long and hard until my cheeks are on fire and I’m crying so hard that I can’t catch my breath. I slump over his legs, defeated and exhausted. I want to be furious, but I don’t have the energy. On top of everything else, I don’t know how long it’s been since I ate. My body has run out of fuel.
Lasim grips behind my knees, holding me down while the burning pain makes me feel like I’m on fire. I want to shout at him, but that would probably only end with him spanking me more, and I can’t take that right now.
“Are you done, naughty Little pet?”
I sniffle. My face is hot. My nose is running. I have a headache. My body is shaking.
“When you’re ready to behave, let me know, and I’ll sit you up and wipe your face.”
I whimper, still staring at the floor.
One of the men in white says, “I looked in the database. I think her clumsiness is caused by our gravitational pull. It says both of the previous humans struggled to hold their heads up for some time. Apparently, she will get used to feeling heavier eventually.”
“Ah, that makes sense,” Lasim states.
It does. Why didn’t I think of that?
Lasim continues to hold me down, not letting me move my torso an inch. “Will you see if Yamal is available? I’d like himto examine her if possible. He’s familiar with the health of the humans who have arrived already. He’ll know what to expect.”
“Of course.” One of the men leaves the room.
“You don’t have to stay, either,” Lasim says to the second man in white. “I’ve got this. We’ll wait for Yamal.”
I’m slightly relieved when the door shuts. At least now there aren’t three men in the room staring at my nudity and humiliation. I’m down to just one.
“I paid a lot of money for you, Little pet. I hope you won’t disappoint me. If you’re too much trouble and prove untrainable, I’ll return you and let someone else purchase you. I don’t think you want to take that kind of risk. I’m a fair and reasonable pet owner. You might not get so lucky if someone else buys you, knowing you were unruly and too difficult to be worth the effort.”
My jaw clenches. I hate the way he speaks about me. I’m not a pet.
Time ticks by while I continue to lie pinned to Lasim’s lap. I’m getting lightheaded from hanging upside down like this. My arms are numb. Both the chair and Lasim are so large that my fingers don’t come close to reaching the floor.
I’m hungry and so very tired. I’m also stubborn. I wonder whether he would return me if I don’t please him. Do I care? I’m not sure. It would be a huge gamble to misbehave to the point that he doesn’t want me. The idea makes me quiver. What if my next owner treats me even worse?
I don’t have a clue what to expect from Lasim in the future. It’s growing increasingly clear that I’ve been sold, and there’s no way to escape my predicament.
Lasim doesn’t say a single word. He’s clearly willing to wait me out even if it takes all day.
“I’m hungry,” I grumble.
“I bet you are, Little pet. Your tummy is rumbling against my thighs. When you’re ready to cooperate, let me know, and I’ll take care of your needs.”
I hate him. I want to scream at him. Instead, I give in and mutter, “I’m sorry. Daddy.”