I gave her a small smile—I could not give her more, for if the councilors knew of my deep-seated interest in her, it may prove dangerous. We were both under scrutiny.
I leaned forward and murmured in her ear, “Some of the men are more formal and stricter in their customs than others. Please, defer to me.”
While I could see some confusion in her light eyes, she nodded and remained silent. I hoped, for her sake, she would not question me. I did not wish to spank her publicly.
“This is Evelyn Day, my mate.”
The men all stared at the woman to whom I’d been matched.
“As you can see, she is too small to be a danger.”
I saw her look at me out of the corner of my eye.
“She could be hiding a weapon,” Councilor Bertok said, eyeing her with disdain.
I rolled my shoulders back. “You question my mate?”
“Have you questioned your mate? She has committed a heinous crime on her world. The only punishment she received was to be sent here. Surely Trion is a more advanced and improved world than Earth. How is arriving here enough of a punishment?”
Councilor Bertok needed to retire, for his ways were too archaic. Unfortunately, he didn’t have to play diplomat. I did. What he said was also true. I had yet to ask Eva the details behind her actions. Cold-blooded murder was a grave offense on Trion. Was it so on Earth? What had she done? I would ask her, but I would do it in private. Later.
“Evelyn Day’s crime and punishment were the responsibilities of her world, not ours. She is here as my mate, nothing more. If she is to be punished, it will be because of an infraction here on Trion and I will see to it as her mate.”
The old man stood. “I will not remain while she is free.”
“What do you expect me to do, Councilor Bertok, imprison my mate, the woman sent to me by the Interstellar Bride Program? Would you turn your back on the treaty that keeps all of Trion and hundreds of other worlds safe because you are afraid of a woman? You are the one who wished to see her.”
“She should be kept in chains so our women remain safe. If not, we should all leave.”
Two other councilors also stood and nodded their agreement.
I couldn’t have the men leave. I needed their presence to close out the meetings, for I did not wish to return to Outpost Nine again for another year. And yet I refused to see my mate shackled just for their enjoyment. Discipline was required—when needed—but I was not going to punish Eva solely because of one man’s whim. I would punish Eva when the occasion required, spanking her until she submitted to my hand, but not now, not when she’d done nothing to earn it.
The man was pushing his power onto me via my mate and that was unacceptable. He knew I had to do as he bid. Inwardly, I wanted to rip the man’s head off and place it on a pike, but outwardly, I called for Goran.
“Bring me one of the luminaries.”
Goran probably questioned my request, but remained silent and did as I bid.
Turning to Eva, I said, “Kneel.”
She narrowed her eyes, but complied. Glancing up at me through her lashes, a very carnal image of her in just such a position as she sucked my cock came to mind. Fortunately, Goran returned.
“Remove the light,” I told him, and he removed the glowing portion from the top. I took the pole from him. “Thank you.”
He nodded and retreated.
“Lift the chain from beneath your dress,” I told Eva.
She looked first to the men, then at me. I saw fire in her eyes and for a moment I thought she would disobey, but fortunately, she remained silent and did as I bid again. She lifted the chain from between her breasts and let it hang on the outside of her slip dress. Perhaps, and I would like to hope, her quick response was based on a growing trust between us. I’d said more than once I’d never hurt her and I’d proven that by only touching her in pleasure. Spanking her ass, not once but twice, had been painful to start, but I knew from the way her pussy had been wet, she had liked it. Perhaps it was a poor punishment for someone who liked a hint of pain. Something to consider. Later.
I knelt down and carefully fed the bottom of the pole through the gap between the chain and her body and jabbed it into the ground, watched as it sank and secured itself into the sand. I tugged on it to ensure that it was well placed.
The pole was placed within the circle of the chain and her body. Eva was not going anywhere, unless she decided to shimmy up the long pole to unhook her chain. I doubted she wished to rip her nipple rings from her body. This arrangement allowed her to be confined, yet completely unbound. She was by my side—and modestly covered—where I wanted her and I could easily release her if danger came upon us. A swift yank on the pole and she’d be free.