Page 14

“Did you think those pretty tears would distract me from your correction?”

“I-I. No.” My protest is stringent. That was absolutely not what I was trying to do. Was it?

“No matter,” he says. “I have already determined that this discipline will be against your bare bottom. It did not escape my notice that you made a little mess last time.”

My cheeks flood with heat. I cannot think of a single thing to say in my defense.

“A perfectly natural reaction from a young, lusty lass being handled by a dominant male. I believe you shall be morecomfortable and better able to concentrate on what I say if your bottom is bare.”

I shake my head vigorously, already feeling the telling pulse between my thighs at the mere mention of exposing my feminine place to Wolf, of him seeing how I react.

He sets me on my feet and nods his head expectantly. “There, now be a good girl for me, and take your boots, socks, and pants all the way off. Fold your clothes neatly and put them on your dresser. You may leave your shirt on today.”

Today?

I don’t move.

A whimper escapes my lips.

He leans forward and cups my cheek. It calms me in some ways and makes my heart race in others. He has not touched me like this before. An unexpected intimacy wraps around us, and the air crackles with an energy otherworldly in nature. He is going to spank me—on my bare bottom. He has said as much. The decision is made, one I sense he will not retract, no matter how I might plead.

I want to believe it means something, but my heart is racing so fast that I can’t think straight.

I step back, remove my shoes and socks, and stow them neatly on the floor beside my dresser. Then I pause, hands at my belt, wanting him to touch me, but also nervous about exposing myself like this. Maybe this doesn’t mean what I hope, and he just wants to shame me into being good for him.

“I do not have all day, lass.”

I glare over my shoulder at him. He growls. I snatch my pants and panties down and toss them in the direction of my dresser. They do not reach my dresser but land in a heap on the floor. My chest heaves. It’s hard to draw enough air. My shirt covers my ass, but it’s scandalously short.

“I suggest you pick up the clothes and place them neatly if you don’t want the punishment to be any firmer than I planned.”

A shiver ripples through me hearing his stern voice. I consider how easily he subdued me for my last punishment, the sting, the way it made my pussy throb… the way he became hard while doing it.

I’m growing damp and aroused, and he has not even started yet.

Schooling my face, I glance back over my shoulder, taking in the male who waits patiently on the side of my bed. He has ever been patient with me. Only tonight, Wolf is more than just a pack enforcer, and I am more than a pack ward.

His intense study makes me quake. It also makes me feel hot and reckless. So I do something out of character. Turning to face my dresser, I bend over at the waist to pick up my fallen clothes.

Chapter Five

Wolf

Ibite back a moan as the brat flashes me a glimpse of her ass. She will soon discover that baiting a wolf shifter, particularly an alpha, does not end well. As she folds her clothing and stows it on her dresser, I anticipate the path that opens before us. I’m a patient man, as is my wolf. We are both pleased with this turn of events. Training such a sweet, tiny beta for our needs will take time. We shall savor every step.

A pretty flush stains her cheeks. She does not meet my eyes as she stands before me, hands tugging on the hem of her shirt. I do not like the fucking clothes she wears. Not one bit. When I claim her as mine, she will wear something more suitable that will give me easy access to her hot cunt.

Claim?

I already know I am fucking gone for her.

“Look at me, Fawn.”

When I tip her chin with my fingertips, I see defiance, heat, and a little wariness in her eyes. But there is longing and adoration that is either new or I was too dense to notice. I dare to hope that this heralds the beginnings of a deeper bond.

Her eyes brim. She was not playing me when she spoke of her fears that I might send her to the human village. It was a moment of madness on my part to suggest as much to Flint. Still, Fawn needs to understand that the parameters between us are about to change.

“This is not the first time you have done something foolish,” I say. “Since your mother passed away a year ago, you have struggled on your own.”