Page 10

CHAPTER 10

L ia

Silas was warm—too warm—and that was a problem. I had just woken up wrapped in his arms, his body pressed solidly against mine, his scent surrounding me: in the sheets, in my hair, everywhere, all around me. It was too dangerous, too comfortable.

So, naturally, I did what I always did when something felt too good to be true…

I ran.

Or, more accurately, I slipped out of his bed, careful not to wake him, and padded barefoot across the room. The cabin was silent, save for the rhythmic sound of his breathing.

Good.

I grabbed the first piece of clothing I could find—one of his oversized shirts, because why not—pulled it over my head, and crept toward the door.

A bow and quiver of arrows sat propped against the wall near the fireplace, and my lips curved up in a smile.

Perfect. I needed some air anyway.

The forest was quiet in the early morning, the crisp mountain breeze swirling around me as I moved through the trees, bow in hand, arrows light against my back. The ground was still damp from last night’s frost.

I was going to hunt.

I’d grown up in the forest, surviving off the land, catching my food and preparing it. I knew how to move without sound, how to listen for the soft rustle of prey in the underbrush. When I finally spotted a rabbit, its ears twitching, nose testing the air, I let the arrow fly.

A clean shot, right through the heart.

I smirked, grabbing my kill and slinging it over my shoulder before continuing on to catch a couple more.

By the time I returned to the wolf camp, the sun had begun to rise, casting golden light over the wreckage from the night before. The camp was quiet, still recovering from the fight, but a few of Silas’s wolves were already awake, watching me as I strolled past with my three rabbits in hand, wearing their Alpha’s shirt, carrying one of his weapons.

I grinned at them.

One of them narrowed his eyes at me. “Where the hell did you go?”

“Hunting.” I flipped the rabbits slightly in my grip. “Someone’s gotta feed your Alpha, right?”

His mouth dropped open. “You went alone?”

I patted his cheek as I passed him. “Relax, tough guy. I made it back in one piece.”

With that, I slipped back into the cabin, shutting the door behind me.

Silas was still asleep.

Perfect.

I skinned and cleaned the rabbits with practiced ease, setting up a pan over the fire. The scent of sizzling meat soon filled the cabin, rich and mouthwatering. I took an egg from his supply and cracked it into the pan, letting it fry up next to the meat, humming to myself.

I was plating the food when I heard the bed shift.

A deep, rumbling voice mumbled, “What the fuck is that?”

I grinned to myself, turning just in time to see Silas sitting up in bed, his hair a mess, his chest bare, golden eyes narrowing at me like I’d personally offended him.

“Breakfast,” I said brightly. “You’re welcome.”

His eyes dragged over me, over his shirt hanging off my frame, over the bow and quiver still resting against the wall where I’d left them.

“You went hunting?” His growly voice was rough from sleep.

I shrugged. “Yep.”

His jaw clenched. “Alone?”

I shot him a look, raising a brow. “Why? Were you planning on coming with me?”

His eyes flashed.

“Did you miss me, Alpha?” I added, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

A muscle ticked in his jaw. “You defied me.”

“Wrong.” I set his plate down on the table with a satisfying clatter. “You never told me I couldn’t leave. And even if you did…” I flashed him a slow, wicked smile. “I wouldn’t have listened anyway.”

His expression darkened, his gaze fixed on me like a wolf sizing up prey.

I didn’t stop there, though, of course. I picked up his plate, strolled toward the bed, grabbed his hand and placed his fork in it, then set the plate on his lap.

“Eat up, big guy,” I said sweetly. “You’re gonna need your strength if you wanna keep up with me.”

Before he could snarl at me, I turned on my heel and sauntered back to the fire, smirking as I heard him let out a low, murderous growl.

God, pissing him off was fun. It reminded me of old times.

Silas grumbled under his breath as he took his first bite, chewing slowly, his gaze flicking up at me every few seconds like he was debating whether to scold me or devour me whole.

Probably both.

I could practically feel the storm brewing inside him, but he hadn’t started admonishing me yet, so I considered that a win.

Seating myself at the table, I picked up my own fork and started eating, smirking at him as I chewed. “You’re welcome, by the way,” I sassed.

He set his fork down a little too hard. “You weren’t supposed to leave the cabin.”

I huffed, rolling my eyes. “And yet, I did. And look: no bullet wounds, no broken bones, and I even brought you breakfast. That’s called multitasking .”

His eyes darkened. “What you deserve is to be put over my knee.”

A fiery jolt of heat shot through me at that, but I refused to let him see it. Instead, I scoffed and put a hand on my hip. What the hell was I doing? Did I want a spanking? Even as those thoughts flashed through my mind, I couldn’t help myself as I opened my mouth and pushed him a bit further.

“Are you really going to be a dick right now? I mean, I did make you breakfast.” I pouted at him.

Silas just stared at me for a long, long moment.

Then, slowly, he leaned back, his massive frame stretching, muscles flexing, a lazy sort of amusement flickering in his eyes.

“You did make me a delicious breakfast…” he said thoughtfully, picking his fork back up.

He took another bite, chewing slowly, deliberately, before leveling me with a look that made my stomach tighten.

“Let me just enjoy this,” he said, his voice dark with nefarious promise, “and then I’ll decide how to deal with you.”

I swallowed hard. Shit.

Heat blossomed low in my belly, and I hated the way my thighs pressed together instinctively and my pulse quickened at the sheer certainty in his tone. He knew what he was doing to me.

Bastard.

I refused to be the first to crack.

So instead, I tossed my hair over my shoulder and huffed. “Yeah, yeah. Eat your damn food, Alpha, and try not to choke on all that self-righteousness.”

Silas just smirked, cocky and too confident.

Dangerous .

It was the look of a man who knew exactly how to make good on his threats, who relished the idea of putting me in my place. Maybe that should have made me nervous. Maybe I should have backed down.

But backing down wasn’t really my thing.

So instead, I met his gaze head-on, my grin widening as I leaned against the table, my fingers trailing lightly over the wood.

“You talk about putting me over your knee like I’m supposed to be afraid of that.” I cocked my head, eyes gleaming. “I hate to break it to you, Alpha, but a little spanking isn’t gonna scare me.”

Silas froze mid-bite, then, slowly, he set his fork down. His eyes locked onto mine, dark and intense, and a muscle in his jaw ticked.

“You sure about that, Wildcat?” His voice was a deep, smooth threat.

A hot sensation shivered through my belly, but I refused to let him see it. I shrugged one shoulder, feigning boredom. “It didn’t seem to deter me last night.”

A slow, wicked smile spread across his lips, and fuck, I felt that look in places I shouldn’t.

He leaned forward, eyes twinkling. “You’ve got a mouth on you.”

I grinned, my tone light. “Not afraid of you, Alpha.”

Silas shook his head, muttering something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like, “Gonna fucking regret that later.”

Then he picked up his fork and took another bite, like he was letting me think I had won. Like he had all the time in the world. Like he wasn’t plotting something wicked in that calculating mind of his.

I watched him from across the table, arms crossed, foot tapping impatiently against the wooden floor. He was taking his sweet time finishing his breakfast, his golden eyes flickering up at me every few bites, a knowing smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

Was he really going to spank me again? The vision of me over his knee flashed in my head and I squeezed my thighs together, nervous and somehow still excited and aroused

I shifted, pretending like I wasn’t watching the way his hands flexed around his fork, like I wasn’t already bracing myself for whatever came next.

Like I wasn’t thinking about last night: the heat of his palm against my bare skin, the way he had held me balanced me over his thigh so effortlessly, the way every blazing hot, stinging smack had sent pleasure and pain snaking together in my stomach until I couldn’t tell the difference.

I shouldn’t want this. I shouldn’t .

Yet, my breath hitched when he finally set his fork down, wiped his mouth with slow precision, and pushed his empty plate aside.

Then he stood up, pulled on a pair of jeans like he had all the time in the world, and turned his gaze on me.

The air between us shifted. He was all muscle and raw power, every inch of him perilous, and I felt it when he started toward me. My heart slammed against my ribs, anticipation coiling inside, my breath catching as he crossed the room with slow, measured steps.

When he stopped in front of me, I had to tilt my chin up to meet his gaze, had to fight the shiver that crawled down my spine at the way he looked at me, like I was already his captive, like I belonged to him, like I was already his.

Which I wasn’t… right?

He lifted a hand to me, palm up, fingers slightly curled.

Waiting.

“It’s time, little mate.”

The words sent a pulse of heat through me, pooling deep in my belly, making my thighs press together on instinct.

I knew what he meant.

For a second, I hesitated. Not because I was afraid, but because I was too damn curious. The thought of his hands on me again, the thought of being bare and over his lap, of being put in my place…

Fuck.

I licked my lips, my fingers twitching, my skin burning with the anticipation.

This was inevitable. He knew it. I knew it.

So, rolling my eyes and feigning bold confidence, I took his hand and allowed him to lead me across the room to the bed.

“Fine,” I said, my voice laced with defiance, my chin jutting forward. “Let’s get this over with, Alpha. But don’t think for a second that this will change anything between us. I’m not your mate or whatever it is you think I am, and I never will be.”

The second the words left my mouth, I knew I had pushed him too far. His grip on my hand tightened—not painfully, but with enough force to tell me that he wasn’t about to let me run from this, from him. His eyes darkened, and something deep in my chest stuttered when he inhaled deeply through his nose, that muscle in his jaw ticking again.

Then, before I could think, before I could fight back in any way, he pulled me toward him. I stumbled, my balance thrown, my free hand flying out to brace against his chest as he sat down on the bed and dragged me across his lap in one fluid motion.

A yelp caught in my throat, my stomach flipping as my body sprawled over his thighs, my hips pressed into his hard, muscled leg.

Shit.

I had expected the spanking. I had mentally accepted it. Had even braced for it.

But this felt different.

With his left arm firm against my lower back and his hand gripping my hip, he held me where he wanted me effortlessly. My pulse hammered in my ears, my entire body tense as his warmth seeped into my skin. My breath came fast, uneven. I felt my body react, my chest tightening, my stomach flipping.

He was stronger than me. So much bigger.

Infinitely more dominant.

I hated how that sent a shudder through me, how my body thrummed with awareness even as I told myself that I didn’t want this. I didn’t want him even though every instinct inside me was screaming that I was lying to myself.

I clenched my jaw, gripping the sheets beneath me. “Let go of me.”

Silas chuckled. Chuckled!

Like this was funny.

Like my defiance was something to amuse him.

“You’re not my mate?” he taunted me. His hand smoothed down my spine, slow and purposeful, making me shudder despite myself. “That’s cute, Wildcat, but we both know it’s a lie.”

I growled, twisting, trying to shove up on my elbows, but his hand shifted and came down against my lower back, holding me in place easily while his other hand lifted my shirt—his shirt—slowly baring me inch by inch.

Heat crawled up my neck, shame prickling over my skin as the cool air kissed the newly exposed flesh of my thighs, and then my ass. I bit my lip hard, hating how vulnerable this made me, how utterly helpless I felt beneath his hands.

I knew he was looking, knew he was taking his time, drinking in the sight of me laid bare before him, waiting for my punishment. Waves of embarrassment burned through me, my fingers grasping the blankets beneath me. I wanted to cover myself, to run, to do anything other than lie here like this, but he had me trapped. Damn me and my sassy mouth!

His fingers ghosted over my now-bared skin, tracing lightly over the curve of my ass, the backs of my thighs, sending a shiver through me that I hated and adored at the exact same time.

“Let’s see if you still feel like denying it when I’m done with you.”

My stomach dropped. Heat flashed through me—panic and something else—as his hand lifted from my backside.

I had just enough time to suck in a breath before the first loud crack of his palm landed across my ass. That first smack against my bare skin stole the breath from my lungs.

Hot. Stinging. Immediate.

I jerked against him, my hips pressing into the hard muscle of his thigh. Before I could even breathe, the second strike landed.

Harder, more deliberate this time.

“Silas—” My voice caught, breaking between a snarl and a gasp, but I refused to let the pain show.

I clenched my mouth shut, and bit back a sound that wanted to escape, because I would not give him the satisfaction.

Another smack. Then another. Then another.

The next strike landed with mean, blistering force, sending a fresh wave of fire racing across my skin. My breath hitched, my fingers gripping the blankets so tightly my knuckles ached. The sting radiated outward, blooming over the already tender flesh of my ass, the heat sinking deep, lingering in a way that made me grit my teeth as my pulse hammered in my throat.

I wanted to deny it, wanted to fight him, to twist out of his grip and prove that he couldn’t control me, that he couldn’t just decide I was his and expect me to accept it. But every time his palm came down—hard, unrelenting—the resistance inside me cracked a little more, crumbling piece by piece. This wasn’t just a punishment. It wasn’t about control for control’s sake. It was something more.

He was staking his claim.

And the worst part?

Somewhere, deep in my chest, in the part of me I didn’t want to acknowledge, something inside me recognized it, and welcomed it.

Another smack echoed through the room, the force making my hips jolt forward, my breath escaping in a ragged, choked gasp. My ass throbbed, the soreness building, every strike layering over the last, my body betraying me by leaning into the heat, the burn, the undeniable reality of what was happening.

My skin remembered his touch from last night, the way he had spanked me then, but this was different. Last night had been about testing me, pushing boundaries, seeing how far he could take me before I shattered.

This was about breaking me . Not in the way the wolves in the city had tried. Not in the way that forced you into submission. No, this was something older. Deeper. Instinctual and primal.

My body knew it, even as my mind rejected it.

“Still think you’re not my mate?” Silas’s voice was dark and knowing, rich with amusement, but underneath it was a dangerously seductive edge. His fingers flexed against my lower back, his grip strong and unyielding, the heat of his palm burning into my skin even when he wasn’t spanking me.

I wanted to snarl at him, to snap that no, I wasn’t, that I never would be.

But I couldn’t force the words out.

Because with every strike of his palm, it became harder to deny what my body already knew.

That he was claiming me as his.

That he already had.

I clenched my teeth, panting, trying to swallow down the noise clawing its way up my throat. My ass burned, every inch of my skin hypersensitive, the heat transforming into something dangerous and shameful. Arousal .

He could smell it. I knew he could.

I could feel the way his body tensed beneath me, the way his breathing shifted, the way his fingers tightened when my thighs clenched in response to another punishing slap.

I hated that he knew.

I hated that he could scent the way my body reacted, the way I was wet from this, from him, from the undeniable pull of something I wasn’t ready to name.

“You’re fighting it.” His voice was deceptively soft now, his palm dragging over the curve of my ass, his fingers pressing lightly against the swollen, scalding flesh he had just punished. The contrast made me shudder, made me press my lips together, as if that could stop the truth from spilling out.

I was fighting it, but I was losing.

“You’re mine, Wildcat. And every time you defy me, every time you tell yourself otherwise, I’ll remind you exactly who you belong to,” he murmured, his fingers tracing over the sensitive skin, soothing the ache he had left behind.

I squeezed my eyes shut, my breath coming too fast. I wanted to tell him he was wrong, but I wasn’t sure I believed it anymore.

“Fuck you.” My voice was shaking, and I couldn’t make it stop.

He only chuckled, dark and knowing, before delivering another punishing slap to the center of my ass. I moaned before I could stop myself. A real, raw sound, one that shattered every single lie I’d told myself about not wanting this.

Silas went still.

For a single, agonizing second, I swore he stopped breathing.

“That’s what I thought.”

The next strike was even harder. It landed right over the most tender part of my ass, making me jerk against him and my legs fly up. The sound echoed through the cabin, loud, decisive, the heat of it seared through my skin.

I gasped, my breath breaking, my legs sawing up and down.

Too much.

Too hard.

Too good.

I bit my lip, desperate to swallow the pathetic, needy noise building in my throat, but it was no use. I couldn’t stop the way my body reacted, couldn’t stop the trembling in my limbs, the way my breath caught with each punishing slap of his palm.

Silas felt it; I knew he did.

He adjusted his hold on me, his fingers pressing deep into my overheated skin, holding me steady as I writhed.

He was relentless now, each strike harder than the last, the impact sending waves of heat through my core, winding me tighter, breaking me down bit by bit.

Tears pricked at the edges of my vision, pain and frustration and shame mixing with the overwhelming, unbearable pleasure sparking through me.

I couldn’t take any more. I wanted to say it, wanted to beg him to stop, but I couldn’t, because if I did, it would mean admitting that he had won.

That I was his after all.

Silas leaned down, his breath hot against my ear. His voice was deep, rich, vibrating through my bones.

“You’re mine. You’ll always be mine, Lia,” he murmured, his tone softer now, but no less commanding. His hand pressed against my lower back, holding me there, his body radiating heat, dominance, ownership. “Say it.”

I squeezed my eyes shut, shaking my head, the last shreds of my defiance slipping away. He growled, his patience snapping.

Another spank. Then another and another and another.

My body jerked, a choked sob catching in my throat.

I was shaking now, my resolve crumbling, my body betraying me in the worst possible way. Then he stopped and his fingers trailed lightly over my undoubtedly bright red, throbbing flesh, a stark contrast to the brutal punishment he had just given me.

“Say it,” he repeated, and I bit my lip.

I swallowed hard, my vision blurring, my breath coming in serrated gasps. I was just on the edge of tears and if this went on for much longer, I wasn’t just going to cry; he was going to make me bawl.

This was it, the moment he had been waiting for and the moment I had been dreading. I wanted to fight him. I should have fought him. But I couldn’t. Not anymore.

I didn’t want to cry.

I took a shuddering breath, my entire body trembling beneath him. And then, finally, I managed to say what he wanted to hear.

“I’m yours.”

The words left me on a whisper, fragile and broken, barely audible.

But he heard them. Because in the next breath, his hands were on me—gentler now, soothing, his thumb tracing slow, possessive circles over my burning skin.

“Good girl,” he praised, his voice thick with satisfaction.

The second the words left my mouth, I regretted them. Not because they weren’t true, but because they had been too easy to say.

One spanking. One perfectly delivered punishment, and I had folded like a house of cards in the wind. One good spanking, a few growly demands, and suddenly, I was whispering that I belonged to him like some eager, obedient little thing.

I scowled against the blankets, my ass still burning, my body still thrumming with the remnants of his touch. Pathetic. I should have fought longer. I should have held out, but no, I caved. More than that I loathed how satisfied he sounded at my forced surrender.

I peeked up at him, my cheek still pressed against the mattress, and—yep, there it was—that slow, smug smirk. That goddamned pleased, Alpha-male look that said ‘I told you so’ without him needing to speak.

I clenched my jaw, my face heating for an entirely new reason.

“Don’t look so damn pleased with yourself,” I grumbled, shifting on his lap, wincing when the movement sent a fresh wave of sting across my ass.

Silas chuckled, a deep, resonant sound, his palm still resting on my lower back, keeping me exactly where he wanted me. “You’re pouting.”

I snapped my head up, glaring. “I am not pouting.”

He hummed, running his fingers soothingly over my overheated skin, tracing the lines of his own punishment. “You are. You don’t like that you gave in so easily, do you?”

My jaw tightened. “It wasn’t easy.”

His lips twitched, and God help me, he actually tsked at me. “Lying to yourself isn’t going to make your ass hurt any less, Wildcat. And it isn’t going to make what comes next any easier either.”

What the fuck comes next? Was that not enough?

I stiffened when his hand moved down the curves of my ass, just grazing my scalded skin as a gasp escaped my lips. His fingers descended further, down the cusp of my thighs and just glancing between them.

“Silas,” I tried, but he ignored me.

Hishand dipped between my thighs, his thumb tracing up the length of my slit. I let out a purring sound, the contact sending a rush of heat through me, even though his touch was feather-light.

“Fuck,” he groaned. “You couldn’t even pretend like you weren’t enjoying that, could you?”

I could feel his cock twitch beneath me, and my pussy throbbed at the sudden realization that he got off on spanking me as much as I did. There was no denying the effect it had on us both.

So I decided not to deny it. I couldn’t, not when the evidence of my arousal was now coating his fingers.

Instead, I did the only thing I could do.

I bared my teeth.

“Don’t let it go to your head,” I snarled.

He just laughed and slapped my bare ass one more time before pressing his fingers between my legs and stroking my clit. I tensed, biting my lip and trying to keep quiet.

I didn’t expect what he did next, though, simply could not have predicted it.

Instead of bringing me to orgasm like I had anticipated, he coated his fingers very thoroughly in my arousal before pulling his hand backwards. I thought he was going to slip them inside of my pussy and I even arched back for him, but then he went past it.

Right for my bottom hole.

My stomach dropped as he glided over my sensitive rim, and I stilled. What was he doing? He couldn’t mean to touch me there, could he?

He did.

The first time he pressed a finger against the tight, unyielding ring of muscle, I nearly shouted.

“Silas, what the f?—”

He ignored me, and he did it again. Again. Again.

Each time, the pressure increased, and soon, he was pressing his slick finger just past my tight ring of muscle. My virgin un-stretched hole widened and the painful burn that came with it took my breath away.

I tried to push up on my elbows, tried to twist around, to see what the hell was happening, but Silas wouldn’t let me. His arm pressed down on my back, pinning me in place.

“What are you doing?” I rasped.

“Hush.You’re going to take this, little mate, so you remember who you belong to.”

I couldn’t see his face, but his voice was laced with dark, wicked amusement. He knew exactly what he was doing, and he was enjoying every second of my obvious humiliation and discomfort, and my very reluctant arousal.

My heart hammered against my ribs, panic and arousal coiling together in my belly, twisting tighter, making me gasp for air.

I tried to pull away, tried to buck off his lap, but he was too strong, too fast, and too fucking determined.

He didn’t relent.

Instead, he pressed forward, the pressure increasing until I was stretched open, his finger forcing its way into the most vulnerable part of me. I squirmed and tried to wiggle away, the pain hurtling up and down my spine as he roughly pushed the rest of the way in, past one knuckle and then two.

I shuddered, a pathetic, helpless sound escaping me as I clenched down, fighting the intrusion, hating the way my body reacted. The pain worsened, and I struggled to take it, but something else happened, too. As he stroked that cruel finger in and out, it started to feel good.

I didn’t want it to, but it did.

He pumped his finger into me, stretching me, making me feel every sordid inch. It burned and ached, but somewhere beneath the pain was an undeniable spark of pleasure.

“Please,” I whispered, panting, desperate. “I can’t. It hurts.”

Silas exhaled slowly, his body still taut, his hand flexing against my back, his cock rock hard beneath me.

“I know,” he murmured, his voice gruff, his control wavering. “You’re doing so well for me, Wildcat.”

Fuck.

A whimper crawled up my throat, and I was mortified to realize that a fresh wave of wetness was pooling between my thighs, that his words were turning me on as much as the fact that his finger was currently shoved up my ass.

“That’s right,” he growled. “Give in. Surrender.Take this like a good girl.”

I choked out a strangled sound. My body jerked, every muscle tensing, but he held me down, his grip bruising, his voice dark and smooth and commanding.

“You’re mine, little mate. All of you, including this naughty virgin hole. Mine to punish. Mine to claim.”

My pulse was pounding, my thighs clenching, every muscle pulled tight. I couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe, could only focus on the fact that his finger was in such a wicked, taboo place. His words sank into me, right through my bones, making my chest ache.

“Mine to fuck.”

Another gasp. Another ruthless thrust of his finger. The burn intensified, but beneath it that strange, forbidden pleasure in my belly also grew.

He pumped his finger in and out of my asshole and I struggled, not wanting him to know how aroused this was making me. I didn’t even want to admit it to myself, but the more he roughly fingered me, the more my passionate need blazed to life. So much so, that it started to spiral out of control.

“Oh, God,” I whispered, panting. “Silas, please.”

“I love when you beg for me.” His voice was rough, the muscles in his legs flexing, the evidence of his arousal pressing against my stomach.

I could feel the tension in him, feel the way his breathing had shifted, the way he was holding himself back. His movements didn’t falter, though. His finger continued ruthlessly claiming my most private place, demanding my submission.

“Please!” I pleaded.

I wanted him to stop.

I wanted him to keep going.

I wanted to come.

My pleasure still rose, unwanted but unabated, until I didn’t think I had even a semblance of a chance to control it anymore. Then it faltered for a second until the world tipped on its edge.

“Come for me, little mate,” he commanded.

Suddenly, I was spiraling, falling, crashing into an orgasm that was unlike anything I had ever experienced before.

It slammed into me, white-hot and overwhelming, my vision blurring, my lips parting on a sob, a moan, a shriek.

My back arched, my thighs shook, and I cried out, helpless against the intensity of it. Pleasure tangled with pain, the sensations blending, the line between the two all but gone, and I shattered in Silas’s lap.

He growled, the sound feral and raw, his arm squeezing me, his body shuddering beneath me, but his finger never slowed, fucking my sore bottom hole right through the orgasm until I was nothing but a panting, trembling, whimpering boneless mess.

My body lay over his thighs, limp and satisfied in a deeper way than I ever thought possible. I pulled in one ragged breath after the next, trying to put my head on straight after such a soul-shattering experience.

It was over, right? I’d come. He’d punished my ass both inside and out and now… well, now he was gently, almost reverently sliding his finger out of my backside.

I groaned, burying my face against the sheets in shame, my skin hot, my legs shaky. My ass was sore, throbbing, my entire body aching in the best possible way.

I barely registered the soft, pleased rumble of his voice.

“Good girls get to come, Wildcat. Bad girls are made to come.”

And then he pushed two fingers inside my ass. Though the one finger was still slick, the other wasn’t, and the rough fingering hurt far more the second time than the first.

“Noooo,” I cried, squirming, trying to buck off his lap.

Silas showed no pity.

He was unrelenting, stretching me, forcing me open, his fingers moving brutally, mercilessly. It burned, sending a fresh wave of agony coursing through me.

But beneath it—beneath the pain, the discomfort, the shame and the mortification and the sheer disbelief—was that undeniable, terrifying pulse of hot desire.

I was still sensitive, still throbbing, still riding the lingering waves of pleasure, and yet, as much as I wanted to deny it, another orgasm was already building inside me.

Too quickly, too intensely.

I shook my head, my hands twisting in the sheets, trying to take it, but I realized something in that moment: it wasn’t up to me.

It was up to him. Fuck.

“Please, Silas,” I begged, my voice breaking, the words barely audible.

“Please, what?” His voice was strained now, the words forced out, like it was taking everything in him to hold back.

“Please, make it stop,” I whimpered.

“Make it stop?” he repeated, his tone darkening, his fingers curling inside me just slightly.

I froze at the sound of his voice.

Shit.

He leaned over me, his chest pressing against my back, his voice rough in my ear.

“You don’t tell me when to stop, little mate,” he growled, his voice stern and dangerous. “You don’t tell me how to fuck you. And you sure as hell don’t tell me when your punishment is over.”

His fingers jammed in deeper, and a strangled sound escaped my lips, the pain ratcheting up.

“When you’re spread out across my lap like this, when your ass is red and burning from my hand, when you’re filled with my fingers—or my cock—that’s all up to me.” His words were dense with satisfaction, his tone dark and possessive, and I shuddered. “You’ll take whatever I give you, whenever I decide to give it to you. And when I say it’s not over until I decide it is, then that’s how it’s going to be.”

Another whimper escaped me, and I clenched my jaw, biting my lip hard to keep from making any more pathetic noises.

“Do you understand?” he demanded.

His voice was menacing, demanding an answer. His fingers still worked relentlessly, callously, fucking my ass, claiming every inch of me, and God help me, I wanted him to.

I swallowed hard, tears pricking at the corners of my eyes, and then I slowly nodded, showing him that I understood.

Silas hummed, his lips sweeping the shell of my ear, his voice gravelly with satisfaction.

“Good girl.”

A broken sob escaped my throat, my body trembling, the sound choking off as he rotated his fingers inside me.

The pain and the pleasure collided, smashing together, blurring until I couldn’t tell the difference anymore. I shook all over, my muscles clenching, heat building, his body solid and warm against mine, his touch hard.

“Now come for me. One more time,” he commanded.

My body obeyed instantly.

Another orgasm crashed through me with violent intensity, ripping through my body with enough force to take the breath from my lungs. It went on and on, until I was gasping, clawing at the bed, until I was coming apart in his hands. Still, his fingers never slowed, his pace remaining brutal and pitiless. He fucked my ass with his fingers like they were his cock.

He didn’t let up.

Not when the orgasm tore through me, not when I shook and quivered, not even when I sobbed, my bottom sore inside and out, my body trembling, exhausted, and wrung out.

Not until I went limp.

Only then did his fingers finally still.

He pulled them out slowly, his other hand rubbing soothing circles over my lower back.

“That’s it,” he murmured in that sexy tone of his, rough with his restraint. “You did so well, my little mate. So perfect.”

His touch gentled, his fingers trailing over my hip, his palm flattening against the curve of my ass. The pain radiated outward, deep, aching, somehow satisfying in a way that I didn’t want to think about.

“Now it’s time for sassy little mates to learn what happens to their sassy little mouths. Get down on your knees, Wildcat.”

The next thing I knew, his hand was around my throat, and he was hauling me off his lap, pulling me up, spinning me, and throwing me down to my knees before him. I didn’t have time to fight. Not that it would have done any good.

His massive frame loomed over mine in the next instant, pinning me between his body and his bed, his golden eyes fierce and glittering with dominance, the line of his erection straining against the zipper of his jeans. Slowly, he reached down and freed his cock, taking it in his hand. The sight of it made my eyes open wide. Sure, I’d taken a fucking with it just the night before, but I hadn’t seen it. Not like this.

God help me, he was big. Long and thick. Veiny. Hard as stone. The kind of big that was always going to hurt just a little bit, no matter how gently he took me or how accustomed to him I became.

He leered down at me, and I couldn’t stop the whimper that escaped, couldn’t help the way my heart stuttered at the sight of him, the way my thighs clenched and my pussy pulsed instinctively.

“Silas,” I managed, panting, wide-eyed, trapped.

He slid his hand slowly up and down his shaft, and a low, rumbling growl vibrated through his chest.

“Open,” he commanded.

My lips parted in shock, the word slipping out without thought, unbidden: “W-what?”

His eyes darkened, his voice dipping even lower.

“Open. Your. Mouth .”

I stared at him.

Not more than a second’s hesitation had passed when he leaned down, his lips brushing my ear. “Last chance, Wildcat. Obey me or face the consequences.”

His hand glanced down against my breast, and I stiffened when he took my nipple in between his fingers. He pinched it sharply in warning and I gulped. I was going to have to obey him. I didn’t know how much more punishment I could take. My ass was already sore inside and out.

I took a deep, shuddering breath. Then, slowly, I opened my mouth.

“Good girl,” he crooned.

His palm slipped around the back of my head, and then the head of his cock slid over my tongue, filling my mouth. My jaw stretched open to its limit, his grip keeping me in place. He didn’t give me a chance to adjust, didn’t ease in. Instead, he surged forward and thrust into the wet heat of my mouth. My eyes widened, watering, the taste of him flooding my senses. His cock pushed deeper, his fingers tangled in my hair and tightened against my scalp.

“Fuck,” he grunted, the word escaping him as I struggled to breathe and swallow around his cock.

He pulled back, just for a second, his grip loosening, his eyes locked on mine, a muscle in his jaw ticking. For a second, I thought he was going to stop, to give me a chance to catch my breath, but, of course, he didn’t. Instead, he thrust forward again.

My lips stretched around his girth and a whine crawled up my throat, the sound muffled by his cock as he surged into my mouth. The salty taste of him spread over my tongue, and I shivered, tears pricking at the corners of my eyes as he started to move.

Hard. Insistent. Forceful. Silas.

“So fucking perfect,” he intoned, his voice thick with arousal. “Look at you. My cock in your mouth, your ass red and sore from my palm and fingers, your pussy dripping and swollen and ready for me.”

I moaned, and his hips jolted forward, the movement sudden and jarring. I gagged, the sound turning into a desperate gasp for air when he pulled out and pushed forward again immediately, the head of his cock hitting the back of my throat.

“That’s it. Take it, Wildcat. Take my cock down your throat.”

His grip was punishing my scalp, and his control wavered. I could feel from the way his body trembled, the way his movements were less precise now, that he was losing himself.

I should have been terrified, but I wasn’t. Instead, I was dizzy, floating. The sounds that left him, the way his body reacted, the way he held me in place for his use, all of it thronged my chest, making my pulse hammer, my body thrum, tingling with pleasure.

He growled, the sound rumbling through him, the hand in my hair tightening as his cock jerked in my mouth. He was close. I could feel it. Taste it. Suddenly, nothing else mattered but the way his muscles tensed, the way his breathing had become uneven, the way his body towered over mine, dominant and powerful.

I wanted to taste him. Wanted to swallow every drop, wanted him to lose control for me . So I did the only thing I could: I purred, a kind of moaning hum. His wildcat.

Silas shuddered, his breath caught, and the hand on the back of my head jolted. He fucked my mouth, his pace fast and savage. I couldn’t breathe, tears streamed down my face, and drool spilled from my stretched lips.

“Yes! That’s it,” he groaned, thrusting deep, his entire body taut and straining. “You’re going to swallow it, aren’t you? You’re going to take every fucking drop down your pretty little throat.”

My body vibrated and my pussy throbbed, wet and needy and aching. I whimpered, a pathetic, desperate sound, and Silas cursed.

“Fuuuuck…” His drawn-out moan satisfied me in a way I could not understand.

His grip shifted, his fingers wrapping around my throat, his thumb digging into the sensitive skin right below my jaw. I swallowed around him, choking, his cock jerking, his body flexed. His grip on my throat tightened and he captured my eyes just before…

His hips slammed forward, pressing my nose into his dense thatch of pubic hair.

A muffled, helpless sound escaped me as his cock rammed all the way down my throat.

My eyes watered, my breath stopped, and his fingers dug into my skin, holding me there, buried to the hilt. I swallowed around his massive cock, desperate for air, my throat working around him. His body seized, shuddering, and he let out a snarling roar.

Hot, sticky cum spilled down my throat, spurt after spurt, his grip around my throat tightened, his muscles shook, and his groans were raw and wild. My eyes fluttered, the room blurring and my vision going dark at the edges. My lungs burned and my body ached, but the sound of his satisfaction—the taste of him, the feel of him filling my throat, the knowledge that he had come undone for me—all collided together, leaving me reeling and close to unconsciousness.

He pulled out slowly, his grip loosening as his gaze softened. I sucked in a huge shuddering breath, shaking from head to toe, overwhelmed and exhausted and so, so satisfied.

Silas leaned downand pressed his lips against my forehead, kissing me gently ashis breath came in ragged, uneven bursts. His fingers trailed over my cheek and down the line of my jaw, his thumb lightly tracing across my bottom lip.

“My good, sweet girl,” he murmured.

And then, he tipped my chin up and kissed me.

It was soft and sweet and gentle, a welcome contrast to the way he had just so brutally taken and claimed me. I melted into it, kissing him back, my hands lifting to grasp his shoulders, wrap around his neck, clinging to him like he was the only thing keeping me grounded.

When he pulled back, his lips still touched mine, and I could barely breathe, barely think.

“Mine,” he whispered.

My heart tripped because I couldn’t deny it. Not anymore.

I was his.

“Yours,” I whispered back.

Silas exhaled slowly, his body shifting, his arms sliding around my waist. Then he was lifting me, pulling me into his lap, cradling me against his chest as he sat on the bed.

My face pressed against his neck, his body radiating warmth. My eyes drifted closed, and I breathed him in, letting myself fall, giving in.

Just this once.

At least that’s what I told myself.

I lay against his chest, my skin warm and flushed, my body wrecked from everything he’d just done to me. His arms were strong around me, his breath slowing as he regained control. His scent wrapped around me, dark and intoxicating, pressing into my lungs, settling into a place deep inside where I would keep it forever. That realization was something I really didn’t want to acknowledge.

I was his.

I sighed, shifting slightly before immediately regretting it. My ass throbbed, heat still radiating from his punishment, and I hissed under my breath, my muscles contracting.

“Come on. Let’s get you cleaned up.” He lifted me effortlessly as he stood, his strength both infuriating and—ugh—irritatingly attractive. Then he said smoothly, “Go draw a bath. I’m going to share it with you.”

I stiffened, my head snapping up. “Excuse me?”

His eyes gleamed. “You heard me.”

“You can bathe by yourself, Alpha,” I shot back, trying—and failing—to push away from him.

He didn’t let go. Instead, he leaned in, his breath hot against my ear, his deep voice full of promise.

“We’ll share a bath, and then I’ll breed you for as long and has hard as you need.”

Heat shot through me, pulsing low in my belly, and I hated the way my thighs squeezed together on instinct. My breath caught, and Silas noticed.

Of course he did.

I narrowed my eyes, my mind racing. I had half a mind to draw him a cold bath—one so frigid it would shrink his ego and his cock and balls down to something more manageable, but then I thought about what he’d do if I did that. My ass was already sore. Another spanking on top of the one he’d just given me? No, thank you. I mean, I was eighteen. I wasn’t a child anymore, so I didn’t really want to be treated like one, even if it made my clit zing with pleasure every time I thought about it.

Trying to cover up my wayward thoughts, I huffed, rolling my eyes. “Fine. But don’t get any ideas, fuckface.”

Silas chuckled, finally releasing me. “Hurry up, mate.”

I bristled. Mate.

I should have corrected him. Should have denied it.

Instead, I just stomped off toward the bathroom, my cheeks burning, my heart hammering, and my body betraying me. Because I wanted this, damn it. Even though I hated that I did, I did.

With a huff, I entered the bathroom and turned on the taps, watching as hot water gushed into the oversized tub, the scent of minerals and heated stone wafting into the air. Except I wasn’t going to be relaxing in a nice bath, was I? No, I’d be sitting here, naked, with him.

I scowled, twisting the taps off once the water was high enough, steam rising up in the air. For a second, I considered climbing out the window and making a run for it, but I knew two things: one, my ass was still way too sore to be running anywhere. And two, Silas would catch me, and then he’d probably haul me right back over his knee for a spanking that made the ones he’d already given me look like child’s play.

So, with a sigh, I stepped in.

The second the water hit my severely punished, very sore backside, I yelped and jumped up, my breath stuck in my lungs.

Fuck, fuckity, fuck, fuck. Ouch!

I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to push through the sting, easing my body down into the water until the warmth wrapped around me, soothing and burning all at once. I exhaled, closing my eyes for a second. Okay. Fine . It did feel good.

I settled against the faucet end of the tub, figuring he’d take up the good spot, letting the heat soak into my muscles, feeling some of the tension from the last hours unwind. It was almost peaceful. Almost enough to make me forget that I was waiting for him to join me.

The bathroom door creaked open. I cracked an eye open, watching as Silas stepped into the bathroom. Slowly, he undressed, and I couldn’t take my eyes off him, all bare skin and muscle and pure Alpha arrogance. His eyes flicked to me, his mouth twitching like he knew exactly what I’d just been thinking. I hated it when he was amused at my expense. It wasn’t fair that he could read me so easily.

I scowled. “Took you long enough.”

Silas just huffed, stepping into the water unhurriedly, completely unbothered by the heat that had made me yelp.

He settled in across from me, his golden gaze dark and assessing.

“You getting impatient, Wildcat?” His voice was smooth, teasing, infuriating.

I narrowed my eyes. “Just figured you might’ve run off, finally realizing that you don’t want to deal with me.”

His smirk widened, his head tilting. “Oh, I want to deal with you, quite thoroughly I might add, my sweet mate.”

My clit tingled, but I ignored it, rolling my eyes instead. “Whatever, Alpha. Just try not to drown in here, alright? I don’t want to have to explain to your pack how their mighty leader slipped and finally met his maker naked in the tub.”

Silas just laughed. Then he stretched out in the tub like he owned the damn thing, muscles flexing as he sank deeper into the steaming water. The way he moved was annoying me right now, all effortless strength and purposeful confidence, like he knew exactly how much space he took up, and exactly how much of my attention he was stealing without even trying.

I refused to let him see how much it affected me. Instead, I crossed my arms over my chest, shifting slightly as the heat lapped at my sore skin. The water felt good, but the dull ache still pulsed beneath it, a reminder of exactly how thoroughly Silas had put me in my place. Bastard.

His eyes flicked to mine, slow and assessing, and then—just to make a point, I was sure—he stretched his arms across the back edge of the tub, his biceps flexing just enough to be obnoxiously distracting.

Cocky fucker.

“You comfortable over there?” I asked, arching a brow.

Silas grinned. “Very.”

I huffed, sliding a little deeper into the water, letting the heat curl around my shoulders. His gaze followed the movement, his eyes darkening slightly as the water lapped at my collarbones. I felt it in the air, that shift, that unspoken frisson between us, sharp and electric. It wasn’t just the heat of the bath making my skin feel too warm.

I should have changed the subject, should have said anything to break whatever was settling between us. Instead, I smirked. “What? You planning on staring at me all day, Alpha? Or are you actually going to wash up?”

His lips curved up, amusement flickering behind his eyes. “I was thinking about staring.”

My pulse thrummed low in my belly.

Damn him.

I rolled my eyes, reaching for the soap at the edge of the tub.

“Suit yourself,” I muttered, running the bar over my arms and legs, my breathing calm even though I was flustered by his gaze tracking every movement.

Deliberate. Predatory.

I pretended not to notice, but then his hand moved. The water rippled as he reached for the soap, plucking it right out of my grasp.

I blinked. “Excuse me?—”

Silas leaned forward slightly, his body shifting closer to mine, the space between us shrinking, the air growing suddenly dense.

“Turn around,” he ordered abruptly.

My pulse jumped.

I squinted at him. “I can wash myself.”

His half smile widened. “I know you can, but I’m going to do it for you.”

Something squeezed in my chest, and warmth spread between my thighs, but I lifted my chin, feigning nonchalance. “Bossy.”

He just waited, and damn it, my body betrayed me, because before I could think better of it, I turned.

I felt him shift behind me, the water sloshing as he moved closer, close enough that I could feel the heat of him even through the water. Then his large hands touched my shoulders. His touch was warm. Gentle? Silas?

I stilled, my breath sticking in my throat. I knew he heard me, because I heard his long exhale, the small, satisfied sound that rolled through his chest as he smoothed his hands over my back, slow and steady. His thumbs traced the tension in my muscles, kneading, exploring. I hated how good it felt, how right it felt.

“Relax, Wildcat,” he hushed against my ear, his lips barely brushing my damp hair.

His hands slid lower, following the curve of my spine, his thumbs pressing into my muscles in a slow, deep massage. I resented how easily he unraveled the tension I didn’t even realize I was holding.

I should have pulled away, should have told him to stop, but I didn’t. Why did he always seem to make me do exactly what I wished I wouldn’t? Instead, my mutinous lungs let out the softest sigh, barely audible over the rippling water.

Silas heard that too. Stupid wolf ears. I felt his smirk before he even spoke.

“There she is,” he murmured.

I scowled, a blush rushing to my face. “Shut up, you.”

His chuckle was infuriating. “Getting all shy and grumpy on me now, Wildcat?” His lips brushed the side of my neck, just barely, just enough to tease, and I had to bite my lip to keep from making anymore stupid sounds.

I was not going to let him win. Even though every inch of me was betraying that very thought and had been all along.

“I’m not shy and I’m not grumpy,” I muttered, forcing my spine straight, as if that could stop the effect he had on me.

Silas hummed, dragging the soap over my arm, across my collarbones, slow and unhurried, like he had all the time in the world.

“Good,” he murmured, voice thick with something I wasn’t ready to name. “Because I’m just getting started.”