She scowled at him.
“Then let’s complete this vecking training and move on.”
He said it with a little too much force, causing her chest to hurt in a different way. Did he want to be through with her? What would happen after Seke and Zander deemed her “trained”? Would things return to the way they’d been before? Or would she still belong to Seke? Sleep in his chamber, obey his every order? Take off her clothes for him and bend over and take his spankings, his butt plugs? His—vecking stars—his climaxes?
The way he’d spoken made it sound like he couldn’t wait to move on, and that disturbed her on a level she didn’t care to examine.
“You may wear your robes, but no underclothing.”
Scowling, she pulled the white robes on.
He approached her, carrying...was it a leash?
She jerked away when he attempted to attach it to her collar. “What the veck? You want to bring me to Zander on a leash? Is this more humiliation training?”
Seke appeared unruffled. His indigo eyes remained cool, face smooth. “Master it and you master us both.”
She stared at him a moment, her breath quickened, her mind tumbling in somersaults. And then she understood what Seke had been trying to teach her. A punishment only bothered her if she let it. She had a choice. The leash could humiliate her, or she could simply accept it and choose not to let it wound her pride. Either way, Seke would still be her master and would still be leading her around like a pet.
Fine.
She lifted her chin, offering access to the collar at her throat.
Seke’s lips twisted. Was it admiration she saw there? Or pride? She’d pleased him, if she read him right. And judging by the spike of excitement surging through her, she liked pleasing him. Far too much.
She held her head high, following Seke, who kept a steady, gentle pressure on the leash, never tugging it too hard or at an angle that hurt her neck.
The first guard they passed flicked his eyes over the leash and quickly averted them, as if embarrassed. Her own face flamed in response, but she stiffened her spine, not faltering.
Seke led her to the Great Hall, where Zander sat. It was his receiving day, the one planet rotation of the week in which Zandians who didn’t live on the pod could visit to request his assistance, or seek justice and permission to use the crystal bath, which was necessary to maintain their energy. As she understood it, Zander settled disputes, acting as both lawmaker and the arm of justice for his species, who preferred to keep to themselves, rather than engage with the Ocretion justice system. As an ambassador to the United Galaxies, he represented their nearly extinct species and used his influence to assist any Zandians entangled in problems with other ruling bodies.
An elderly Zandian female bowed to the prince and exited, presumably for the crystal bathing room their species used for recharging. No one else waited to see the prince.
Thank the stars. It would be embarrassing enough without an audience.
Seke led her up to the throne, where Zander sat, his large hand curled in a fist at his mouth, his eyes vacant.
He wore the same troubled, pained expression she’d seen on him when she first arrived, when he’d been ready to send Lamira away for deceiving him. He hadn’t known the secret she kept—that she had special psychic abilities—was not a danger to him, but a complement.
She dipped into a low curtsy. “My lord.”
His eyes traveled from the leash to its holder and back again. “Leora.”
“I have come to beg your pardon, my lord. I owe you my service and loyalty. I should have warned you of Lamira’s plan to leave with Rok.” She found it easy to speak the words because they were true—at least from the Zandian’s perspective. It didn’t mean she would do anything differently if she had it to do over again.
Zander’s jaw tightened at the mention of Lamira leaving. He stared unseeing over Leora’s shoulder for a moment. Obviously, he hadn’t forgiven Lamira yet.
He ignored her, flicking his gaze to Seke. “How is the obedience training going?”
“Well, my lord. Nearly complete.”
“And her punishment?” His cool gaze returned to her, assessing.
Her belly tightened, even though the punishment was over. Or was she excited by the humiliation of having it discussed? She worked hard to keep her breath even, her gaze lowered, while her cheeks burned.
“Complete.”
There was a moment of silence, as if Zander expected Seke to expand on his statement, but her new master did not. She had a momentary fantasy of Seke lifting her robes to display her marked buttocks, and while she’d never forgive him for such treatment if it really happened, the idea tweaked her. Moisture gathered between her legs.