Page 36 of Starborn Husbands

“Father,” I say, quietly. “It’s okay. I’ll pay the price and endeavor to learn from it. I’ll find a new way to serve the Nebuli.”

He stares, speechless and then there’s a loudboomlike thunder before he collapses to his knees, clutching his chest. I know that sound. No. No, this can’t happen. I kneel beside him. “Father, please. If you fall again, I won’t survive it.”

The last time he fell, it was also because of me. There’s even a price to having me as a favorite son.

We were lucky last time. The king agreed to the trade—Uncle Ryan for Father—but a second time? Unlikely.

Another person strides through the open stone entrance, but it’s still not Zhang. It’s the king. “What in the name of the Goddess? I was called from my meeting. This was supposed to be a simple punishment hearing, but nothing’s ever simple with an Orion, is it?”

He gets Father’s attention—thankfully—inspiring enough anger to momentarily stall his heartbreak.

“Enough.” Madame Luella’s voice rings through the room. “It’s no wonder your boys stir so much chaos. They take after the pair of you. The Gods have ruled, the Guild has ruled. We’ll move ahead with the punishment … unless someone has evidence to the contrary?”

Does she hope so too? I’m going to remember that she was on my fucking side.

I look at the door. A-fucking-gain.

He’s not coming.

“War General Orion, King Centaurus, I ask that you kindly remove yourselves from the premises if you cannot control your emotions. Treyu Orion, do you need an escort, or will you come with me peacefully?”

I meet my father’s gaze. He nods to say he’s all right. “I’ll come peacefully, Madame Luella.”

CHAPTERTEN

Treyu

Punishment in the Tauri Nebula is as humiliating as possible. I love humiliation kink, but I don’t love this. I have to hold onto something, though, so I don’t fall again. I can’t think about losing my sunstar. I shove that away, burying it far, far down where I’ll never have to deal with it properly. While I’m at it, I shove the arranged marriage to Zhang in there, and all the people watching me take another kind of fall.

They think I’ve done this thing—this terrible awful thing. I don’t know if I have. No one’s seen fit to prove it to me. Unlike Earth, where you get a nice little trial and a lawyer, the Guild investigates and votes. The end.

I approach the bench where I’ll be tied down for the strapping, naked, and I … I can’t believe it, but I search the crowd for him.

Where is he?

Where the fuck is he?

The hands tying me down are cold. I don’t look to see who any of them belong to. I don’t care. I just want it over with now.

One hundred is a lot. I’m not on Earth where their implements don’t have the same impact. The whip has fire behind it, made just for stars.

Maybe someone called for it to begin, but I didn’t hear it. I’m already far away in my mind. The sting of the lash pulls me back to where my body is. I’m not supposed to project during this. I’m surprised I still can with this bracelet around my wrist. I didn’t mean to do it.

Whoever’s administering this punishment isn’t going easy. White hot lash after lash hits my bare flesh. My back, shoulders, ass, and thighs are covered. I didn’t check to see if Father stayed to watch, but just in case he’s here, I do my best and hold back from letting anyone see me crumble.

At some point—I haven’t been counting—the pain wins. I cry out. I beg forgiveness. I howl at the utter agony stripping my backside, but it continues without mercy.

Why didn’t he come? He was supposed to come.

Every inch of my body burns. The sting—no matter where the whip lands—scrunches my eyes and sends shockwaves of hurt through my nervous system. I sob and call for him. “Zhang! Zhang! Dammit, Centaurus.”

Each mark is worse than the last at this point. I can’t keep myself still, even with the buckles to hold me down. My body bucks and fights against the onslaught. Every forced breath lights new fire to fresh marks. What number are we on? We’ve got to be close.

There’s too much pain to feel when it’s over. I only know when the pressure of the buckles releases, and I’m deposited on the stone ground. I won’t be a coward. With the last of my energy, I hold my head high and jut my trembling chin skyward. I catch the metallic scent of my blood and the tickle of it trickling over my tender flesh.

I know what comes next. Pawing at the rune that sits over my left pectoral and climbs up my neck to claw under my jaw, I get one last moment with it before it’s seared from my skin. It’s sat dormant for one hundred years, serving as a cool tattoo rather than a rune, but it was still mine. I could run my fingers over it and feel proud to be a guardian. I didn’t even get the chance to use it with this stupid bracelet on.

Darkness shadows everything. Merrick's wings. He spreads them and soundless footsteps carry him to me. His expression is unreadable.