Chapter 4
FOUR
I’m trembling violently, grabbing the sides of the tub so I don’t slip underwater, panting as I try to process what just happened.
I should have pushed him away. I have no idea why I let him touch me so intimately.
Except, obviously, I couldn’t force this man to stop.
He’s far too strong for me to be able to overpower in any way.
I’m having conflicting feelings because I want him to touch me like that again. In fact, I’m desperate. My body aches in a way that has nothing to do with lying in a metal cage for days.
My mysterious man drains the water out of the tub, wraps me in a towel, and lifts me effortlessly out of the basin.
After returning to the exam table, he dries me and squeezes out as much water as he can from my hair.
Then he surprises me by using a comb to carefully untangle every lock of hair until it’s been so cared for that it’s nearly dry.
He does all of this without giving me anything to wear.
He also makes me sit tall, my legs dangling over the edge of the exam table.
Every time I slouch, or he doesn’t like where I put my hands—which is anywhere but at my sides—he swats me.
Sometimes he slaps the back of my hand; other times he gives a sharp spank to my thigh.
I feel like a trained animal, which isn’t a stretch since I just spent days in a cage.
Suddenly, the door to the room opens, and I immediately cover my breasts.
My savior grips my chin so fast, my breath hitches. There’s something about the intensity in his gaze. I’m not exactly scared of him, though I probably should be. Instead, I feel like a child being chastised.
I stare into his eyes as he disciplines me harshly with nothing more than a look.
“I’m sorry,” I mutter, even though no one can understand me. Some strange part of me hates that I disappointed him. I want to please him. It’s totally irrational, considering I don’t know him or his intentions.
He’s both tender and firm. It’s giving me whiplash.
A man has joined us. I see him in my peripheral vision. He’s the doctor I recognize from a few days ago. He’s wearing the same blue clothes and a stethoscope.
My rescuer doesn’t move his gaze from me when he releases my chin, grabs both my wrists, and hauls them over my head, tucking them at the back of my neck. He still doesn’t look away as he speaks, though I know his words are aimed at the doctor.
The man in blue rounds behind me and clasps my folded hands, taking over for my savior. He pulls on my elbows, forcing me to arch my chest forward and sit taller.
Fear consumes me as I watch my many-faceted man turn toward the cabinets along the wall. He speaks to the doctor, who responds, then he opens a drawer and pulls something out.
He returns with what looks like a giant tongue depressor. Without hesitation, he grips one of my breasts and uses the wooden stick to swat my nipple so hard I cry out. I don’t have time to fully process his intentions before he does the same to my other nipple.
I can’t breathe. My eyes are wide, my jaw dropped, and my breasts are throbbing from the sharp pain.
Tears well up as my dark rescuer grips my chin again, forcing me to look at him.
He says nothing. All he does is glare at me harshly.
His eyes speak volumes. I can read his mind.
What he’s conveying is that I’m not permitted to cover my breasts for any reason.
He’s made that clear without language. If I do, he will punish me.
“I’m sorry,” I finally murmur, feeling extremely chastened. I prefer his tender side. More tears fall, running down my cheeks. Not so much from the pain but from the sorrow that I displeased him.
Every inhale seems to draw more of him into me. I feel oddly connected to him, as though my body knows he’s important to my life and well-being. It makes no sense, but the sensation is there, all the same.
My man says something else, and the doctor releases me.
I’m breathing heavily as I lower my hands to my sides. My nipples burn. I want to press my palms against them, but I don’t dare. I’m so humiliated to be naked in front of two men. One of them gave me a bath and rubbed between my legs in a way I’ll never forget.
The only interaction I’ve had with this doctor was positive. He gave me a blanket. I don’t want to be ungrateful. I need to make friends, not enemies. I’m at the mercy of these Venkorians. It would behoove me to follow their rules.
The doctor hands my rescuer something.
I stare at it, wondering what it could be. It’s a metal circle of some sort, but I can’t come up with anything to explain what it’s for.
Suddenly, the doctor grips my face with one hand reaching my jaw. He lifts my hair with the other hand and holds the back of my head, immobilizing me.
My dark man opens the ring so it splits into two halves, then he brings it to my neck. Before I can process his intention, he snaps it around me.
My breath hitches as I feel the weight of the metal at my neck. My body goes into fight mode as I jerk around, trying to free myself from the doctor’s grip while tugging on the metal ring.
It’s a collar. A collar.
I’m an animal to these people. That’s abundantly clear.
My attempts to pull the thing off me are futile, and all my flailing around earns me is two giant men manhandling me until I’m lying on the exam table.
They easily strap me down, restraining my wrists, my ankles, and my neck.
The final confining binding is extended across my hips, forcing me to near-total immobility.
I start screaming. I can’t help it. My panic is real now. All the kindness from these two men has been replaced by such cruelty.
The doctor grabs my head to stop me from twisting back and forth. He grips my jaw next and forces me to open wide.
The dark man puts something inside my mouth. It’s a rubber…nipple. It’s a pacifier. The sort of thing an infant uses to soothe themselves. I try to spit it out, but the man fastens a strap to it and tightens it around the back of my head.
Saliva gathers in my mouth, and the only way to swallow it is to suck the nipple. It’s infuriating.
The doctor reaches for my collar and does something to it. The next time he speaks, I’m shocked to understand him completely. “It’s activated. You can talk to her now.”
I stop breathing. What’s going on?
My rescuer smiles at me as he sets a palm between my breasts and leans over, so his face is inches from mine. “Hey, Little pet.”
Eyes widening, I dig my teeth into the stupid nipple, but it must be made of something indestructible because I can’t bite into the material.
“My name is Yozef, but you’ll call me Daddy. They told me your name is Zoey. I’ve heard from prior owners that human girls get feisty when they aren’t allowed to keep their names.” He chuckles.
I glare at him as hard as I can. He hasn’t seen feisty yet if he doesn’t release me from these bindings.
Yozef sits on the edge of the exam table. It’s so large that there’s plenty of space for him around me. He leans across my body and sets a hand next to my head, giving me his full attention.
He taps the metal ring around my neck. “The collar allows you to understand what I’m saying. It works as a translator. I can turn it off if I so desire, so don’t test me.”
I’m forced to either swallow or drown, so I suck once on the nipple.
“When we heard about a space station filled with living beings, we believed your species would be far inferior to ours. That is often the case when we find aliens.”
Aliens? He thinks I’m the alien? Ha. He’s the alien. I’m disgruntled and pouting inwardly, even though, logically, he’s right.
“It’s rare that we discover an intelligent species, so you’ll have to bear with me as I learn what your capabilities are, because trust me when I say Venkorians are far more advanced than humans.
But let me be clear, Zoey, I purchased you as a pet.
I did so because I’ve heard through the rumor mill that your species is intriguing.
You will provide me with entertainment, even though I now suspect you to be more sentient than expected. ”
I suck again. Darn him. I’m furious.
“I know you’re angry right now, but my decisions with regard to your care at this time are for the best. You need to be tamed, and the best way to ensure you understand who’s in charge is to cut off your ability to speak and restrain you.
You’ll earn privileges with good behavior. I will train you to obey me.”
I don’t think I’m even capable of blinking as he lectures me. Good behavior? I’ve been treated so badly since I was taken from the space station that the only behavior in me is screaming and yelling.
Sure, this man—Yozef—has been relatively kind to me since he saved me from the cage, but my opinion of him went downhill fast when he declared I’m to be a trained pet. I’m so pissed right now that it’s probably for the best that my mouth is stuffed and my body is restrained.
Foul language isn’t something we used on the space station.
We were taught to be polite even in the face of such adversity.
However, I have learned some choice words in my readings.
Right now, all of them are flipping through my mind.
I wonder if Yozef would even know them. Would they translate into Venkorian?
He sets his huge palm on my naked chest again, spreading his fingers so they stroke my breasts.
He holds my gaze while he touches me, smiling.
“I promise you’ll become attached to me soon, Little pet.
You can already feel the magnetic pull to me.
It’s intentional. When I purchased you, you were injected with a serum that causes you to be drawn to my pheromones. ”
I gasp.
He chuckles. “Don’t worry. It’s not experimental or even new. We’ve been using it for a long time. It’s how we get all our pets to bond with their owners. I suspect you’ve never heard of such a thing on your planet, huh?”
I think I shake my head. How barbaric! Will it really work? I already know the answer. I’m so drawn to Yozef that the thought of his scent not filling me makes me panic. And that infuriates me. I’ve been forced to crave this man. I want to slap him, and I’ve never slapped anyone in my life.
I’m not a violent person by nature. I don’t yell at people. But I’ve done my share of screaming since I was kidnapped from the space station. I’m angrier than I’ve ever been in my twenty years.
Yozef teases my breasts. I tingle all over, the pads of his fingers making goosebumps rise on my skin. Or maybe it’s the chill in the air. Probably both.
He lowers his gaze to stare at my body, drawing circles around my nipples without touching them directly. Sensations I’ve never experienced bombard me. My private parts feel warm and swollen. I’m pulsing between my legs.
The longer he looks at me, the more my growing need builds. Need for what? I don’t understand what I’m experiencing. All I know is that it feels so good. I’m mesmerized by the way he’s worshipping me.