She nodded and obeyed him. A few minutes later Valan joined her and escorted her back to their quarters.
She prepared their lunch and sat across from him but couldn't eat. Finally she put her fork down and folded her hands in her lap. "Are you going to tell me what he said to you?"
"What do you think he said to me?"
"I—he doesn't like me."
"So it's his fault you're disrespectful and disinterested in his class?"
She didn't know what to tell him. Apparently he wasn't interested in the truth. At least not from her. "I'll try harder to get along with him, Valan."
He sighed, stood, and left their chambers without another word.
Several cycles went by, all of them worse than the cycle before. Each cycle after class Seligson spoke to Valan and he spent the evenings brooding and refusing to talk to her. The harder she tried to get along with the old Educator the worse things got until on the eighth cycle she finally lost her patience with the old stinkgoat. When she asked him about the population of Zarronia, he went berserk and ranted and raved at her and called her horrible names. Finally, embarrassed and enraged, she threw her book at him and cursed him. He dismissed the class but demanded she stay and even ordered a warrior to block the door so she couldn't leave while they waited for Valan to arrive.
Alone and scared, she waited for him. When he entered the room and walked over to stand behind her, she lowered her eyes to the table. His large hands fell onto her shoulders.
"You requested my presence, Educator Seligson?"
"Yes. I'm very sorry to disturb you, Commander, but something must be done about your female. As I have mentioned before she is disruptive and disrespectful." He gave Lia an icy glare. "This cycle, she threw a book and cursed me!"
As the Educator spoke, Valan's hands slid from her shoulders to her arms and pulled her to her feet.
"She will not return to disrupt your class again."
Valan's voice was emotionless, and Lia shivered remembering the last time she'd heard it this way. She wanted to run but knew he'd find her.
"Thank you, Commander." A small, malicious grin widened Seligson's lips when he looked at her.
Valan grasped her arm and gave it a little tug. "Come, Lia."
On shaky legs, she followed him back to their quarters. Once inside, he left her standing by the door, while he took his usual place behind the desk. "Come here."
Trembling, knowing there was nothing she could say or do to make him spare her, she moved to stand next to him. Before he could reach for her, she pulled her gown over her head, and threw herself across his lap. Biting her lip, she waited for the punishment to begin, and jumped when his hand caressed her bottom.
Valan turned her over then pulled her against him. "I didn't realize Seligson hated you so much, little cat."
A sob of relief left her lips and she threw her arms around his shoulders and began mumbling against his neck. He lifted her and arranged her legs around his waist then stood and walked to the beverage processor. He prepared a glass of wine then carried her and the glass back to his desk.
He eased her away from him, and held the glass to her lips. Sniffling and wiping away the tears on her face, she took a small sip. Valan drank from the glass, then offered it to her again. She took a sip and a drop clung to her lower lip. Before she could lick it away, he caught it on his tongue and placed it in her mouth. Gently, sip by sip, he made love to her.
***
The next cycle, he introduced her to Educator Fergusson, who smiled cheerfully and welcomed her to his class. She glanced around expecting to see the other women turning away from her. Instead she saw Minda beckon and point to an empty chair next to her. A wave of relief flooded through her. Gratefully, she smiled at Valan, and received a gentle pat on the bottom and a quiet reminder to behave before he left. She hurried over to Minda and slid into the chair next to her.
"Lia, I've been so
She prepared their lunch and sat across from him but couldn't eat. Finally she put her fork down and folded her hands in her lap. "Are you going to tell me what he said to you?"
"What do you think he said to me?"
"I—he doesn't like me."
"So it's his fault you're disrespectful and disinterested in his class?"
She didn't know what to tell him. Apparently he wasn't interested in the truth. At least not from her. "I'll try harder to get along with him, Valan."
He sighed, stood, and left their chambers without another word.
Several cycles went by, all of them worse than the cycle before. Each cycle after class Seligson spoke to Valan and he spent the evenings brooding and refusing to talk to her. The harder she tried to get along with the old Educator the worse things got until on the eighth cycle she finally lost her patience with the old stinkgoat. When she asked him about the population of Zarronia, he went berserk and ranted and raved at her and called her horrible names. Finally, embarrassed and enraged, she threw her book at him and cursed him. He dismissed the class but demanded she stay and even ordered a warrior to block the door so she couldn't leave while they waited for Valan to arrive.
Alone and scared, she waited for him. When he entered the room and walked over to stand behind her, she lowered her eyes to the table. His large hands fell onto her shoulders.
"You requested my presence, Educator Seligson?"
"Yes. I'm very sorry to disturb you, Commander, but something must be done about your female. As I have mentioned before she is disruptive and disrespectful." He gave Lia an icy glare. "This cycle, she threw a book and cursed me!"
As the Educator spoke, Valan's hands slid from her shoulders to her arms and pulled her to her feet.
"She will not return to disrupt your class again."
Valan's voice was emotionless, and Lia shivered remembering the last time she'd heard it this way. She wanted to run but knew he'd find her.
"Thank you, Commander." A small, malicious grin widened Seligson's lips when he looked at her.
Valan grasped her arm and gave it a little tug. "Come, Lia."
On shaky legs, she followed him back to their quarters. Once inside, he left her standing by the door, while he took his usual place behind the desk. "Come here."
Trembling, knowing there was nothing she could say or do to make him spare her, she moved to stand next to him. Before he could reach for her, she pulled her gown over her head, and threw herself across his lap. Biting her lip, she waited for the punishment to begin, and jumped when his hand caressed her bottom.
Valan turned her over then pulled her against him. "I didn't realize Seligson hated you so much, little cat."
A sob of relief left her lips and she threw her arms around his shoulders and began mumbling against his neck. He lifted her and arranged her legs around his waist then stood and walked to the beverage processor. He prepared a glass of wine then carried her and the glass back to his desk.
He eased her away from him, and held the glass to her lips. Sniffling and wiping away the tears on her face, she took a small sip. Valan drank from the glass, then offered it to her again. She took a sip and a drop clung to her lower lip. Before she could lick it away, he caught it on his tongue and placed it in her mouth. Gently, sip by sip, he made love to her.
***
The next cycle, he introduced her to Educator Fergusson, who smiled cheerfully and welcomed her to his class. She glanced around expecting to see the other women turning away from her. Instead she saw Minda beckon and point to an empty chair next to her. A wave of relief flooded through her. Gratefully, she smiled at Valan, and received a gentle pat on the bottom and a quiet reminder to behave before he left. She hurried over to Minda and slid into the chair next to her.
"Lia, I've been so
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