Conquering Lazar (6 page)

As his seed spilled inside her body, she lay limp beneath his weight. Chills of pleasure danced along her skin, followed by the soft kisses of Malachi. She relished in what had happened, feeling alive, free, and for a brief moment… safe.

The sun broke over the horizon, casting a gauzy yellow glow over the earth beneath. Birds preened in their nest atop the house, their shrill chirp more than enough to wake her. Elbi was getting used to being up early and, though her body screamed in defiance, the sunlight woke her nonetheless. She felt something warm over her hip, something heavy. Tilting her head, she glanced downward, seeing a tanned arm tossed over her. A smile graced her lips, her teeth scraping over them with a sigh. The night before had been perhaps the most amazing night of her entire life. He had been so sweet, so gentle with her, as if she'd been made of glass. She hadn't minded the pain much, he was her first, and that whisper soft touch had made it blissfully easy for her. Hardly a hint of pain had surfaced to mar the majesty of that moment—a moment she knew she'd remember forever.

She reached down and gently removed his hand from her hip, sliding the cover down so she could sit up. Just as her cheek lifted from the pillow, she felt something wrap around her waist, pulling her back down, pressing her against that warm, hard chest. She couldn't help the smile that crossed her face, the little giggle that escaped her lips when she felt his kisses on her shoulder.

"Good morning," she breathed, his touch sending a thrill through her that she struggled, in her inexperience, to hide.

"Good morning." His voice sounded so smooth, so easy, so different than it had the day before when he'd been angry with Mistress Tula. "How did you sleep?"

"Fine… I slept fine. I, uh, I am going to go make some breakfast." She wasn't ungrateful for how sweet he was being to her, quite the opposite in fact, but she was very confused about how to act the next morning, after sex. She pulled away from him, sitting up and seeing her silk where she'd left it lying the night before. She stood and dressed quickly, rushing from the room as her cheeks began to burn red, leaving him as fast as possible to hide her awkward embarrassment.

As the smell of bacon and coffee assaulted her nose, her stomach growled to remind her of how little she'd eaten the night before, but she didn't worry about it right now. No, she had other things on her mind.

At the sound of the bedroom door opening, Elbi looked over her shoulder to see Malachi casually leaning against the frame. His eyes were fixed on her, her every movements, he seemed to be mesmerized by her. She blushed at the silent attention.

She offered a sheepish smile as the blush grew on her cheeks. "Breakfast will be finished soon."

He nodded at her, starting towards the door without any hesitation. "I will be back shortly. I am going to inform Nico that the harem needs a day of rest from training. I do not want exhaustion to take over. Plus, Donte has items he needs to address, as do I. I won't be long, stay inside," he warned again before he disappeared out the door, leaving her standing alone.

She desperately wanted to go outside and find Briar, but she couldn't risk it. She was dying to know what had happened with Donte and Mistress Tula, but if Malachi's concerns were well founded—well, she didn't want to die. She resigned herself to staying put. For now she would busy herself cleaning the place, and feeding him the best breakfast she could. She went right to work on the dishes, setting everything she'd cooked out on the table, before turning to the basin where a few dirty plates still lay. She searched the room for a bucket of water, but found none, much to her dismay.

Elbi vaguely remembered seeing a well outside, near the door, and made up her mind, forgetting his warning in her haste, to go and get the water herself. She collected an empty bucket she found and opened up the door, stepping out into the little yard in front of the house. Her eyes took in the large desert dunes in the distance, silhouetted in the early morning sunlight, expanding as far as she could see.

She found the well not too far from the door, and before very much time had passed, she had drawn herself up a bucketful of water that would be sufficient to clean the dishes inside the house. Hefting it up by the rope, which bit terribly into her delicate fingers, she carried it back inside the house, pausing only to collect a few desert flowers which were growing near the door to liven the place up.

It was some time before he returned, a bit more tense than he'd been before he left, and obviously hungry. He didn't waste any time moving over to the table and making himself a plate, offering her a wide smile as she came to sit across from him, until he saw the flowers in her hand, which she was arranging in a little jar she'd found.

"What are those?"

"They're flowers," she replied with a smile, arranging them in the jar carefully, sprucing them a bit. "Aren't they lovely?"

"I can see that they are flowers, but where did you get them?" he demanded, his voice carrying a sharp edge to it that made her tense up.

"I… I found them. They were growing near the door."

"Outside? You went out there by yourself? After I told you not to!" He slammed his fist down on the table hard enough to make her jump, standing up abruptly, obviously very upset that his only request had been so blatantly disobeyed.

"I… I went to get some water… to wash the dishes. I didn't go far. I'm sorry. I—"

He cut her off again, before she could finish. "Do you realize how dangerous that was? There wasn't a soldier guarding you. If a Jaden soldier had been hiding in the dunes, that would have been the perfect time to strike and kidnap you. I told you how important it was for you to stay inside," he growled. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and lowered himself back down into the chair. "Do you understand how the thought of that terrifies me?" he asked, in a much calmer tone.

Elbi wrung her hands in front of her. "You're right. I'm sorry. I guess I was enjoying playing house with you so much, I forgot that we are at war."

"Forgetting such a thing will get you killed!" His deep voice caused her to jump. "This isn't the palace anymore. This is not a safe haven for you to have a momentary lapse." He stood up from his meal, walked toward her, and stopped mere inches from her face. She wanted to look at him, but her intimidation caused her to look at the ground, fidgeting with her hands in front of her.

He stood there as if waiting for her to continue her excuse, but she had no reply. What could she say? She knew he was right, which just proved she wasn't meant to be in a battle-torn world. She had no chance of surviving.

"Elbi…"

She remained silent, not wanting to look into his disappointed eyes.

"Do you stand there in silence in defiance? Are you angry at my zealous dictates?"

She shook her head, but still remained silent as she stared at her bare toes peeking out from underneath her silks.

"Look at me."

She refused.

"I said, look at me." He tilted her chin up with his finger until she was staring up into his eyes.

His look of displeasure filled her with guilt. She wasn't a fighter, and now she couldn't even please a brother of Lazar with her harem skills. She had been groomed to be obedient, compliant, and certainly to follow the commands of a brother of Lazar. She had failed.

"What has you in tears, Elbi? A simple scolding cannot have you so upset." She hadn't realized that tears were streaming down her face until that moment. "Are you afraid of me?" he asked, with concern in his voice.

She shook her head.

"Then what has you in tears? Answer me. I will not tolerate this act of silence any longer." Although his voice was firmer, there was still an underline of concern mixed with it.

"I'm not meant to survive. I feel as if I should have died in the desert by the hand of General Rhys and saved the time of the inevitable."

Malachi remained silent. Anger sizzled across his face as his eyes seemed to darken to an even deeper shade of brown.

"What you require of us, I simply cannot do." She wiped her nose with the arm of her sleeve as she continued to cry, simple tears now turning into small sobs. "I'm scared, I'm weak, I'm lost!" she said, with a sob that shook her shoulders.

Malachi pulled her gently against his chest, and held her firmly, soothing her until she dried her tears and sniffed back the last of her momentary breakdown. As he spoke, his voice reverberated against her ear. "That is what I am here for. If you are scared, I will protect you. If you are weak, I will make you strong. As for being lost… explain that in more detail."

She hesitated in answering him, not sure what she truly meant by that statement. Or more so, not knowing how to verbalize it.

"Elbi…" The one word came clearly as a warning. She did not know Malachi well, but she knew enough to know his patience with her game of silence was wearing thin.

She should have answered him. The harem girl in her should have… but she remained trapped in her own silence.

Malachi pulled away enough so that he was able to start lowering her silks. "I have had enough of your disrespect. When I ask you questions, I expect the courtesy of an answer. You can answer me, or be punished for defiance."

The harem girl should have answered right away and apologized for her behavior. But Elbi realized at that moment that the harem girl in her was what was lost.

"Very well," he said, as he tugged at the knot holding her silk tight. Once that had been loosened, her clothing fell to the ground, exposing her completely. "You have made your choice."

The harem girl in her should have responded with a 'yes, sir' but once again, she held her tongue. The harem girl was somewhere else… mislaid in the desert.

"Since you have nothing to say to me, then maybe a trip over my lap will help you find your voice." He pulled her with him to a modest wooden chair by the table in the middle of the room, still covered with what should have been a pleasant breakfast. In one effortless motion, he draped Elbi across his knee, readying her body for a punishment.

The harem girl in her should have submitted willingly, mentally preparing for the spanking in store. But that did not happen. Instead, she tensed and tried to get up. Her heart was beating so fast and hard, she almost wondered if it could be heard by Malachi. She was no stranger to discipline, submission and dominance. She knew how to be submissive… and yet… she didn't want to be.

He pressed her back down firmly and trapped her legs between his, then grabbed both of her hands and pinned them behind her lower back with one of his. If she wouldn't willingly give her submission, he was clearly about to force it.

As she stared at the wooden floor only a few inches from her face, she challenged his hold. She wiggled and bucked, trying her best to break free. Could she escape if she really wanted to?

Her answer was a sharp slap to her bare ass. It stung, but for some reason she didn't want him to know it did. Another swat landed on one cheek and then another. Malachi continued the spanking at a fast pace, but Elbi refused to gasp, plead or cry any further. She may not have control over her life, but she had control over her emotions with this spanking. She decided that she would take this punishment with grace and dignity. Malachi had already seen enough tears from her.

He spanked in silence. There was no lecture, no words of disapproval, just the sound of his hand peppering her rear with a growing force. Her bottom was on fire, and yet her eyes remained as dry as the desert. The pain grew as the spanking intensified, but she took the discipline in the most stoic of ways. A hive of stinging bees overtook her sensitive flesh as swat after swat landed on her upturned ass, and yet not a single gasp or moan escaped her lips. Not until the lecture began.

"It's all right to be scared." SWAT, SWAT, SWAT. "It is all right to feel weak." The spanking continued between his words. "If you are lost, then we will find you." As hard as Elbi was trying not to let the spanking affect her, the pain escalated to a new level. "But I will not let you lose your spirit. I will not allow you to demean yourself and think less of who you are." SWAT, SWAT, SWAT. "You are a fighter, Elbi! Only the strong have survived, and you are alive!" The palm of Malachi's hand came down with such ferocity over and over, that she had no choice but to release a wail of pain—but she would not let any tears come. She would hold on to that sign of weakness. "You will become stronger every single day, and we
will
make a warrior of you. I have no doubt that one is hidden behind the surface of this scared little girl."

His final words were the key to the floodgates. An explosion of sadness escaped. Yes, she was a scared little girl—terrified, in fact. So, allowing that little girl to be just that, she cried. She cried and cried and cried. She mourned her safety. She grieved for the life she so desperately missed. Elbi wept over the loss of Lazar. She allowed every ounce of sadness to leave her body via her tears and cries of pain. Somewhere during the sobbing, Malachi had stopped spanking her and pulled her up into his arms. She had no idea when or how that happened. It wasn't until her entire body hurt with the shaking of her gut wrenching cries, and her body had no more to give, that she paused long enough to take in her surroundings.

She was covered in sweat, tears and snot. Her fiery ass pulsated against Malachi's lap as his arms held her firmly against him. He rubbed one hand gently up and down her back and occasionally placed soft kisses against her tangled hair. And although she must have been a pure disaster in sight, she felt better than she had in ages. She snuggled into the ley of his neck, taking in his scent. It smelled of earth and dominance. She lowered her hand past the confines of his pants and circled his cock with her palm. Gently, she stroked his length as a sign of her new-found submission. In his embrace, for the first time since leaving Lazar, Elbi had indeed found that harem girl lost in the desert.