Skylar's Guardians (18 page)

“No!” Skylar shouted, crossing her arms stubbornly. “I am not eating anything that looks that nasty.”

“Tralec…” Troy said as his pod-mate pushed his chair aside and walked around the table to face Skylar. “She has different needs…”

“She is being stubborn and defiant. It has nothing to do with her needs. I am going to count to three, young lady. If you do not put one piece in your mouth and at least try it, I promise to blister your bottom until you cannot sit.”

“Go fuck yourself!” Skylar glared, ignoring Troy’s tsking. She screamed profanities as Tralec easily lifted her from the chair and carried her sideways to the couch. He sat down heavily, plopped her struggling body across his lap, and bared her bottom to his hand.

Skylar screeched as the first stroke scorched her skin. She could feel the burn clear across her entire bottom and down to the backs of her thighs. Tralec landed a second smack in the same place. He had just begun.

Skylar scissored her legs as Tralec’s huge hand fell with the impact of a thick, wooden paddle across her tender flesh. He was careful not to use his strength to harm her, but the rapid falling of swat after anguishing swat quickly turned her bottom to a crimson scarlet, spotted with tiny dark bruises. No amount of begging or apologies affected Tralec’s determination to teach his little human a lesson once and for all.

“You will not swear at me ever again,” he scolded, moving his hand south just a tad so the spanking would include her sit spots and the back of her thighs. “You will not demonstrate blatant defiance or disrespect to anybody. I don’t care what your reasons are! You will communicate appropriately and cease with this terrible disposition.”

“But your robot haaaaates me!” Skylar wailed, still struggling for freedom.

“There is no excuse for this behavior, young lady. Either now or in the future. You will do as you are told for your own well-being and stop giving us grief. We have done nothing but try to accommodate you, but telling me to go fuck myself is the end of the line.”

“I’m soooorrrry!” Skylar bawled, her body racked with pain.

He did not stop. Skylar realized that he truly intended on blistering her this time and increased her begging to be released. Tralec paused only long enough to place his hand on a plate and produce a long, flat object made of blue-tinted wood.

“Nooooo!” Skylar yelled out as he picked it up and balanced it in his hand before laying it flat across the tops of her already well-reddened mounds.

“Oh, yes. Perhaps using this paddle will gain your attention. I might as well also deal with your theft of the shifter while I am at it.”

“No-no-no-noooo! Stop! Ow! Please, Daddy… no… more…” Skylar wept as the instrument branded her bottom with searing pain. He smacked her backside with determination and purpose, his calculated blows cracking precisely upon the bare flesh, causing her skin to blanch and roughen. Skylar knew she would be feeling this punishment for several days; that is, if he didn’t kill her! The paddle rose and fell with crisp, smoldering cracks over her tender, young backend and along the backs of her legs, turning every visible spot to different hues of vivid red. He offered her no time to recover from one swat before applying the next, undisturbed by the accompanying squeals and pleas that joined with the fierce popping of the heavy, thick wood meeting flesh. Skylar’s screams became deafening as the paddle left deep indentations upon the crown of her buttocks and fire spread to the tips of her toes.

Tralec stopped only after she submitted to him out of exhaustion. Her body sagged across his knees and she clung to his trousers, crying pathetically into her arms. Her body shook under his hands, displaying a well-disciplined bottom belonging to a very contrite little girl.

“Have I made myself clear to you, Skylar Jeannine?”

The use of her middle name threw her for a loop. When did he discover it? Unable to talk through her breathless sobbing, Skylar simply nodded. She felt Tralec pat her bottom before making her stand up between his knees. He looked very serious as he pulled up her panties and adjusted the little dress.

“I will have no more tantrums from you. If another comes on, we will deal with it swiftly and severely. Do you want that?”

“No, sir,” Skylar sniffed.

Tralec produced a tissue for her nose and wiped the tears from her face before making her blow. “I did not enjoy that, but I will do it again. I will also find other instruments to use. Your manuals have been very thorough in describing different types and their purpose, and I will not hesitate to try them out. Please, do not push me.”

“I’m sorry I said that to you, Daddy.”

“You’re forgiven. Go apologize to Papa for your temper and then sit down and eat.”

“But…” Skylar’s heart stopped. The thought of sitting was the farthest thing from her mind. The expression on his face spelled his intent.
Do as you are told or we will repeat this lesson…

Skylar hung her head as she dragged her feet in Troy’s direction. She apologized sweetly and tried not to cry out as he lifted her to his lap and settled her down to sit on his thighs. He lifted a bite-sized piece of the meal portion to her lips and, reluctantly, she opened her mouth.

Skylar felt her face redden as she chewed. Troy noticed, cutting another piece for her. “It is not bad, is it? All that fuss and a nasty spanking was for nothing. You have to remember that things aren’t always what they seem, baby. Never judge by appearances. Embrace that thought and life will be much easier for you here.”

“It tastes like top sirloin,” Skylar whispered, ashamed of her behavior.
I bet that bitch robot enjoyed me getting into trouble
, she fumed to herself. “Why do you have to make it look so awful?”

“It is how it looks. We eat our food and don’t care about the appearance. It has nothing to do with taste.”

“I like my food to look edible. It is part of my culture,” she sniffed, allowing Troy to feed her again.

“We understand that, but it is not so important that you behave so inappropriately. Finish up so we can go. I do not wish to be late,” Tralec said firmly, his tone causing Skylar to sink deeper into Troy’s protective arms.

“I’m done,” Skylar said quietly, sipping from the cup that Troy held to her lips. “I really can feed myself, Papa.”

“I enjoy feeding you. So much so that I intend to do it often. How’s the bottom?” Troy whispered into her ear.

Skylar blushed, noticing how Tralec lifted his eyebrows from the other side of the room. Damn their super-hearing! “It hurts very badly. Especially since you are forcing me to sit.”

“If it didn’t hurt, then it wouldn’t be effective, would it?” Troy asked, brushing a strand of hair from her forehead before kissing her smooth skin. “Do you need to go potty before we leave?”

“Papa, please stop treating me like I am a child!”

“To us, you are one. It is something you will have to get used to.”

“Why? I mean, seriously?”

“The reason is simple, baby. We enjoy it. Treating you as a child needing our care and protection bring us pleasure.”

“What about me? What about what I want?”

“You really don’t know what you want, Skylar. It is up to us to help you find it,” Tralec said, reaching his arms out for her. Skylar reluctantly left the warmth of Troy’s lap and was gathered in Tralec’s arms. “Your happiness will bring us pleasure, but you need to learn how to create your own happiness as well. That starts from setting safe boundaries and growing from there. You will never find joy as long as you allow yourself to be controlled by your emotions.”

“I’m not into philosophical living, Daddy. We studied some of that crap when I was in high school and I never understood it. It’s too complex,” Skylar whimpered as he held her lovingly to his chest and rocked her.

“It is not complex. In fact, it is so simple it eludes people. We will teach you, but first, we must dissuade old habits and behaviors. I will research some human writings, and we can study them together.”

“Oh, wonderful,” Skylar mumbled, clearly disinterested.

Tralec ignored her and turned to his pod-mate. “Troy? You ready?”

“Yes. Effy? I want a full system diagnostic available for me upon my return.” The computer did not respond. Troy frowned, eyeing Tralec. “Maybe it’s time to get a new drone.”

“Make this one a male,” Skylar said. She shivered. Once again, she felt like she was being watched. Tralec handed her the stuffed teddy, and she followed them out the door, glancing behind her with red, swollen eyes. The lights flickered. The drone was laughing at her…

Chapter Twelve

Skylar clutched both Troy’s and Tralec’s hands as they entered the monorail to the council complex. She held her breath, waiting to experience another stomach-turning event after seeing the speed in which the trains traveled. She was pleasantly surprised when, except for a small jerk, she felt virtually nothing. Troy explained how air was used to decrease friction and that the hover abilities were developed through the use of magnetic devices. Skylar wrinkled her nose, indicating that his lecture was neither understood nor desired.

“We have arrived. Are you ready?” Tralec asked his companions.

“Of course. Let’s go show off our discovery,” Troy said cheerfully, barging through the huge door and into a room filled with giants.

With her teddy tucked under her left arm, Skylar wrapped her arms around the tree trunk that Tralec called a thigh. She did not know what frightened her the most—the size of the people filling the room or the fear that one of them might accidentally step on her. With a gentle chuckle, Tralec lifted her into his arms and followed Troy to the center.

Skylar hid her face during the majority of introductions. Her language was not used, so she only had body language to tell her what the people thought of her. Some were curious, other’s disapproving. Most of the council was men, and she only saw three females among them. The oldest woman approached Tralec with a smile and began a lively chat, frequently gesturing in Skylar’s direction. Skylar felt herself startle, surprised about how much this woman resembled her late grandmother when she had been in her early fifties. Except for the smile. Instead of the sour, pursed expression she had witnessed constantly on her grandmother’s withered face, this alien’s smile was warm and inviting, and she seemed to be genuinely pleased to meet her.

They were obviously talking about her. Skylar deduced this to be Leeza, the mentor whose pod-mate was a creator. Just from what the boys had told her, Skylar knew that this woman was considered brilliant. And powerful, as defined by the Calipians.

“She wishes to hold you, Skylar,” Tralec said into her ear. “She will not harm you. I trust her.”

“I’m not a doll,” Skylar sulked.

“Right now, that is exactly what you are. I told her that you have been recently spanked and to be careful of your bottom.”

“Oh, my God! You didn’t!” Skylar was mortified.

Tralec looked confused. “Why not? Wouldn’t you want her to take care to not hurt you? Silly human. This is Leeza. Say her name.”

“Now I am a stupid parrot. Leeza,” Skylar repeated, rolling her eyes. Tralec transferred her into the woman’s arms, which surprised Skylar in both their strength and their ease in holding her. It made sense since Leeza was a mentor and constantly handled podlings as they grew and matured.

“Skylar,” Leeza said gently with a smile, “welcome to Calipi.”

Skylar understood the planet’s name and assumed she was being welcomed. She replied with a ‘thanks’ and tried not to stare back into the overly familiar face and wished that her grandmother had been even a quarter as attentive.

Leeza’s eyes were pale blue, and her round, slightly golden face was framed in snow-white hair. Her shape was matronly, with larger, soft breasts and a slender waist followed with ample hips. She was an ‘old school’ clone, Tralec explained, and close to seventy years old if measured by human years. He warned Skylar not to underestimate the woman’s spryness or her endurance. She was known by the men on the council to exhaust even the younger members.

Skylar blushed, finding it difficult to imagine this pretty, older lady jumping into bed and having a frolic in the sack. Leeza noticed the coloration and pointed to her face. Next thing Skylar knew, she was the center of attention as Tralec explained how humans flush and show emotional turmoil. He touched her eyes and ran his fingers down her face, indicating that she leaked, which brought up quite a stir. They must have asked how to cause her to cry because after Tralec touched the location of his heart, he reached across to lift her skirt.

“Stop it! What are you doing?” Skylar smacked at his hand.

Tralec’s eyes darkened. “Do not strike me in front of my peers, Skylar. I am showing them your bottom and what makes you cry.”

“Please, don’t embarrass me like this.”

“Stop it, Skylar,” Tralec ordered, gesturing to Leeza to return her to his arms.

“Daddy, I’m begging you. Please don’t… nooo…” Skylar hid her face in humiliation as Tralec easily rested her across his knees, lifted the back of her dress, and skimmed her panties down past her knees.

Ooohhs and ahhhs echoed through the chambers, and Skylar groaned as she felt hands gently touching her still very red and very tender backside. Her humiliation rose as he forced her legs open and demonstrated that she was equipped, naturally, with two entryways between her blistered cheeks.

“Why are you doing this to me?” she asked, tears starting to drip down her face.

“They want to see the differences between species. These are all scientists, Skylar. Physicians, engineers, anthropologists, creators… why are you crying?”

“I’m embarrassed, you moron!
Ow!
”

His smack upon her bottom caused a gasp to flicker through the room. Tralec spoke, patting her bottom as he did so, ignoring the wet tears that soaked into his pants. Leeza’s voice was heard and Skylar felt hands over her bottom again. They were soothing and gently touched the areas of the greatest amount of pain. Her panties were lifted, dress hem lowered, and Skylar found herself in Leeza’s arms again.