Rebellion (Alien Authority 1)

This was why he submitted to all the Authority rules and regulations, he reminded himself silently. It was not for him. It was for all those who depended on him.

A thin cry came over the speakers, somewhere in the background of his father’s conversation. Atlas recognized it instantly as the sound of a baby, one of his nieces or nephews thriving, new lives who would not suffer as he had suffered, who would grow up stronger and healthier, brighter and with better prospects.

“I must help your sisters,” his father said. “We await news of your new exploits, my son.”

“Goodbye, Father,” Atlas farewelled him. The connection was unmade and he found himself sitting very much alone in his quarters. It was as though he had been unplugged from all that mattered and he was left once more to function in a world that was not his. As much as he might exemplify all the qualities of an Authority officer, he would likely never feel their value.

Bleep blorp.

A beep at the door indicated that someone was out there waiting to talk to him. Atlas was planning to ignore the alert, but something made him press the button to acknowledge who it was.

“Come in.”

“Commander Atlas?”

“Yes, Ensign Tessil?”

She crept in sheepishly, avoiding his gaze. He did his best to hide the smile that tried to rise to his lips when he saw her. She was absolutely adorable, and thoroughly spoiled, though in the way that those who had been left too much to themselves were spoiled.

“I’ve done something,” she said, the tiniest hints of a smirk appearing at the outer corner of her lips. “Something I wasn’t supposed to do.”

“Oh, yes?”

“I drew some playing cards on some paper, and then I cut them out, and I played solitaire with them. I thought you should know.”

That was an interesting way of circumventing his orders. It was also something she could have gotten away with, if she had wanted to. He wondered if she had been disappointed he had not materialized near her to whip her the second she started to play with her bootleg cards.

“So you disobeyed my orders, and now you’ve come to confess and be punished, is that it?”

She gave a little shrug and looked at him under her eyelashes.

He had seen the effect he’d had on her. She’d been wet with human arousal when he released her. It was that need that brought her back to him.

“It has been forty-eight hours since your last punishment,” he observed. “You couldn’t behave for two days?”

“I can’t usually behave for two minutes,” she said with that bold, blunt honesty that made his palm itch with need to slap her insolent cheeks.

She was back because he’d made her orgasm. She was back because she was a brat, and the bigger the brat, the greater the need for someone stern to take her in hand. These were universal laws true between planets and across species. He could read this girl like a book. He knew why she was here. The question was, did she?

“What are you doing, Ensign Tessil?”

She swallowed and avoided those dangerous red eyes. She didn’t know what she was doing here. Challenging him? Letting him know he hadn’t actually broken her even when he took that damn lash to her? For two days she had been nursing very bruised pride and an even greater growing curiosity. Nobody had ever done what he’d done.

“I…” Her mouth went dry and the words escaped her. She’d forgotten, even in this very short time, just how large he was. He was fucking huge, and she knew those big hands were capable of handling her like she weighed nothing at all. She also knew he was nothing like the humans she had encountered. He was rougher, harsher, more intense. His attention hurt. And yet she craved it. She was here because she hadn’t been able to stay away.

“You come here to my private quarters and flaunt your ongoing disobedience?”

“Yes.” She almost whispered the word.

“Knowing what I will do to you.”

“Yes.”

He took a step toward her. She took a step back. The doors behind her slid open automatically to allow her to leave.

Atlas lifted his voice. “Computer, close doors and secure them. I have a brat to punish.”

Yes, Commander Atlas.

The computer was compliant and obedient. Jerri swallowed hard as she felt her back touch the now closed doors. There was no way out of this now.

He looked down at her and closed the distance between them once again. “You’re a very bad girl, Ensign Tessil.”

“I know.”

He slid a rough finger beneath her chin and raised her eyes to him. “Coming here was a mistake.”

“Was it?”

“It was if you wanted to leave with the same mindset you entered with,” he said. “I am not only going to punish you. I am going to change you. I am going to make you a better servant of the Authority.”