His to Protect: Book 1 in the Bound to Him Series

by Sandra Antoni

  “I like computers. I really do, but if I had become a cop, I couldn’t have watched out for you,” she said gently. My whole world just crashed again, and my mouth dropped open.

  “Jessica, why? You gave up your dreams for me? I don’t understand,” I told her. My heart was breaking inside for my friend.

  “Chelsea, I love you like a sister. That’s why I did what I did. Once your father became governor, it was even more imperative that we made sure that you remained a secret,” she told me, and I sighed deeply.

  “If anyone had found out that you were his daughter, they could have used you to get to him. That, and we didn’t know if someone would try to kill you once they found out that you were alive. This situation proves that I made the right decision,” she continued.

  Everyone I knew had been controlling my life, even though I never knew it. It made me feel even more trapped and alone. I didn’t know how to process it all, so I fell silent.

  “Chelsea, I don’t have any regrets,” Jessica finally said a few minutes later. I looked over at her and could tell that she was being honest. That much I could tell from her face.

  When we finally pulled up the long drive to the resort, I drove slowly past the main building and continued driving the distance to the villa where my room had been. I parked in a spot in front of the door. Jessica, I could tell, was on high alert, but there was no one around.

  When my phone started ringing in my pocket, it made both of us jump. Okay, so I was on edge. Pulling the phone out, I saw that it was Zeke. He had obviously discovered that I was missing, and I knew that he would be pissed. There was no way that I was answering that call, but I figured this little trip was officially over.

  Knowing him, he had put a tracker on my cell, and if I didn’t head back to the house, he would have the National Guard swarming me soon. I rolled my eyes and sighed, then put the car in reverse. Jessica’s phone rang next, but unfortunately, she did answer it.

  I could hear the angry voice on the other end of the line, and I cringed. Jessica assured Zeke that we were heading back to the house, but I saw her flinch at whatever he was saying. I gave her an apologetic look as I headed the car back to the resort entrance.

  We rode in silence for about fifteen minutes. There really wasn’t anything left to say. I dreaded having to face Zeke when we got back to the house. Suddenly, Jessica grabbed her phone and called someone.

  “Zeke, we’ve got a tail. Navy blue sedan. Arizona license plate JJL5331,” she told him. “I can’t tell. The windows are tinted, but we are only a few minutes out from the house,” she continued.

  When she hung up the phone, I turned and looked over at her. The moment she described the car, I had looked in the rearview mirror and saw the car. They were maintaining quite a distance between us, but they were definitely following us.

  “Zeke is going to have the garage door open. He wants you to pull in. He said he will be waiting for you,” she told me gently, and I nodded. My whole body tensed, knowing that I was not going to be able to avoid him when we got back.

  When we got to the house, I saw Zeke waiting for us in the garage. I exhaled deeply, knowing that I was not looking forward to the upcoming confrontation. When I had turned up the driveway to Zeke’s house, the sedan that had been following us had driven on past. At least that was something.

  When the car was parked in the garage, Zeke closed the garage door behind us. I shut off the car and handed Jessica the keys. She gave me a comforting smile and patted my hand.

  “He loves you, Chelsea, and that isn’t going to change, no matter what crazy things you do,” she told me, and I nodded. I knew that he did. Taking a deep breath, I opened the door and got out.

  When my eyes met Zeke’s, I could see his anger. He was furious, but I had already known that he would be. I dropped my eyes, unable to meet his gaze any longer.

  “We need to talk,” he said in a very controlled voice. My hands were trembling, and I didn’t think I could find my voice to speak, so I just nodded and followed him into the house.

  The house seemed empty, and no one was around. Jessica had already disappeared, probably upstairs to her bedroom. I guess no one wanted to be around to see Zeke’s wrath. I followed him into the bedroom.

  I shut the door behind us and then I glanced up at him, but his menacing expression had not changed. Quickly, I lowered my eyes to the floor. The silence stretched on for a long time, and I wished he would just yell or scream or something. Anything. I couldn’t handle this silence, and I wanted this to be over.

  When I finally saw him move towards me, I looked up at him again. He walked forward until he was standing in front of me. My eyes opened wide when I saw the intensity of his look, and then his lips crashed down on mine.

  It was a punishing kiss and his tongued pressed against my lips until I opened them and let him in. He assaulted my mouth, taking what he wanted from me, and I let him. If this was a punishment, I wanted more.

  When he leaned back, he lifted my shirt and pulled it over my head. There was nothing gentle about it. Then he reached for my jeans and slid both them and my panties down my legs. When my bra landed on the pile of clothes, he stood back and looked at me.

  He did not make any move to take his clothes off, and his eyes roamed over my body. Heat filled my cheeks at his heated expression, but I held perfectly still and let him look his fill. Then he pointed at the bed.

  “On your stomach,” he said harshly, and I winced at his tone. However, I didn’t hesitate to obey him. Whatever this was, he thought it was a punishment, but my pussy thought otherwise. His perusal of my body had my pussy dripping.

  I climbed onto the bed and laid down in the middle of it on my stomach. My head was turned so that I could see Zeke, and he slowly walked towards the bed. When he knelt on the bed, he moved over me so that one knee was on each side of my thighs. Then he bent over my back.

  His hands went to my waist and slid up my sides, brushing the edges of my breasts. My body shivered at the contact. Then his hands went around my wrists at my sides, and he lifted my arms up over my head. I felt something soft wrap around my wrists, and a few moments later, he released my arms.

  I tried to move them, but he had secured my wrists to the slats of the headboard. Looking up at the headboard, I saw that he had secured me with a thin strip of fabric. Then I felt his breath on my ear.

  “You shouldn’t have left, Chelsea. I can’t keep you safe if I don’t know where you are,” he whispered, the heat from his breath tickling my ear. Warmth spread through me, and I waited anxiously to see what would happen next.

  He moved off me, but I could tell by the dip in the mattress that he was still on the bed. His hands moved to my thigh and he ran both hands down my leg until he reached my ankle. A shiver ran through my body. Then I felt soft fabric go around my ankle and he pulled my leg to the side.

  When he reached for my other leg, I knew what he was doing. When my other ankle was secure, my legs were spread open wide. Then a finger slipped inside my pussy, and I gasped. I was completely at his mercy, and he stroke my pussy walls with his finger.

  “Zeke?” I asked hesitantly, turning my head to look at him over my shoulder.

  “Shh, don’t speak,” he said softly, and I nodded my agreement.

  Closing my eyes, I let the sensation of his finger inside me take over my thoughts. I tried rocking my hips against his hand, but I couldn’t with my legs and arms tied securely. I needed more, but he kept a consistent and slow rhythm that was torture. Maybe that was his plan.

  He was on his knees between my legs, but he didn’t touch me anywhere but inside my pussy. Then his thumb stroked over my clit, and I cried out against the pillow. He continued stroking me, leading me towards my climax that was quickly building inside. But just before I fell apart, he removed his hand.

  “Zeke, no!” I cried out. His palm came down on my ass with an intensity that brought tears to my eyes. Then I felt his breath on my ear again as he leaned over me
.

  “I said no talking, Chelsea,” he whispered, and I quickly nodded again.

  “As alpha, I am responsible for my pack,” he continued softly. “They rely on me to keep them safe, and I take that job seriously. But you are my mate. You are the only one who comes before the pack, Chelsea. If I can’t protect you, then I don’t deserve to be their alpha,” he continued. I squeezed my eyes shut.

  I knew that I still had a lot to learn about being a shifter, but I realized what he was saying. For the first time since I had come up with my plan, I felt remorse. My actions had jeopardized his position in the pack, and I had not even considered that.

  “You have to be punished, Chelsea. That is my job too. As alpha, it is my job to punish members of the pack who jeopardize our safety. You jeopardized your own safety, and you scared me, Chelsea,” he said gently. His voice was now tender, and I couldn’t hear any of the anger that had been there before.

  “I can’t just let that go. It is my job as alpha to keep you safe, but also as your mate. If something were to happen to you, it would kill me. It is not your place to keep you safe. That is my responsibility,” he continued. I nodded to let him know that I understood.

  His hands went to my ass and he massaged my cheeks in his palms. Then he brought down his hand on the right side and then the left. I won’t deny it. It stung. I squeezed my eyes tightly shut and he brought his hands down again and again, one side and then the other.

  He stopped after five smacks to each cheek, and then he massaged my ass in his palms, gently rubbing the stinging skin. It was only a few moments later that he started again with another five smacks to each side. I took this punishment. I deserved it. It was not like any punishment that I had ever received before, and shockingly, I realized that my pussy was soaked.

  Whatever this was, it was turning me on, and I was not sure whether to be mortified at that thought or not. By the time Zeke finished, I was sobbing into the pillow. When I felt him stretch out over me, I felt his breath on my ear once again.

  “Chelsea, tell me that you will never do anything like that again,” he whispered in my ear.

  “I promise,” I said hoarsely through the sobs, and I meant it. I had not even realized that he had taken his clothes off until I felt his cock at my entrance.

  When he slowly pushed into me, I gasped into the pillow. His hands smoothed over my waist and back, touching me and igniting me on fire. I needed him, and I needed this. His hands moved up my arms and he released my wrists from the restraints, but his hands stayed on my wrists, holding them over my head.

  “Do you want to come, Chelsea?” he asked on a whisper.

  “Please,” I begged of him. Then he began moving inside me, his body pinning me to the bed and my legs still spread open wide and bound.

  I wasn’t sure if it was because I was completely at his mercy, or from the spanking I had just received, but it did not take long for my orgasm to build up. Crying out against the pillow, Zeke pumped into me, drawing out my pleasure even longer as my body shuddered beneath him.

  When he leaned back and pulled his cock out of me, I gasped at the loss. But when I felt his head against my back entrance, I relaxed against the bed and let him in. He pushed past that tight ring, and I gripped the pillow on either side of my head. He pushed in slowly, pulling back a little before sliding in more.

  The pressure was intense, so much more than just his finger had been the last time. He held my ass cheeks open wide as he slid further in. My mind was completely blank. I couldn’t think, and I couldn’t speak. All I could do was take everything that he was giving me, and that was his cock in my ass.

  When I finally felt his hips against my ass and he filled me completely, he stilled. Then he leaned forward and lifted me onto my elbows. It was an uncomfortable position with my legs still spread wide and his cock buried in my ass, but when his hands grabbed my breasts, I forgot everything except what he was making my body feel.

  When he pulled back and thrust into me, I cried out. At the same time, his fingers pinched down on my nipples. It was a combination of both pain and pleasure that had me reaching new heights of ecstasy. With every thrust of his cock inside me, he pinched my nipples.

  I struggled against the restraints on my legs, but they were firmly bound. Tears poured down my face as he continued thrusting into me. They weren’t tears of pain, but tears of release. It was a release of all the years of pent up frustration of not knowing who I was or where I belonged. Zeke was letting me know exactly where I belonged.

  These tears were my release from being alone. I was no longer alone, and I no longer had to look out for myself. This is what Zeke was showing me. He was here for me, and my body was responding to him in the only way it knew how. I belonged to him.

  I screamed as my orgasm took over, and Zeke reached his release at the same time. He gripped my breasts in his palms and his cock pulsed inside my ass, coating me inside with his warm seed.

  When I finally collapsed against the bed, Zeke pulled out of me, and I felt him reach for one ankle and then the other, releasing the straps that bound me. Then he laid down next to me and gathered me in his arms. I sobbed against his shoulder, and he just held me.

  He stroked my hair and ran his hands up and down my back. When the tears finally stopped, I leaned back and looked up at him.

  “I’m sorry, Zeke,” I told him softly.

  “I know you are, and I also know why you did it. But Chelsea, you have to trust me. I know that you don’t trust easy, but I will never let anyone hurt you. You are mine to protect,” he said gently, and I knew that he was being sincere. He meant every word, and it finally sank in. He was my everything, and I was his.

  Chapter 18

  Ezekiel

  When I had found out that Chelsea was gone, I could not control the rage that flowed through me. I was angry and frustrated and scared. It wasn’t until Brady put his hand on my shoulder that I stopped seeing red.

  “Zeke, she isn’t the kind to handle being trapped. She just found out that there is a wolf inside her, and her wolf has never been free. Her wolf probably feels just as caged as Chelsea does,” he said calmly.

  I sighed and rubbed the back of my neck. Brady was right, of course, but it didn’t mean that I was not still angry. After speaking with Jessica on the phone and being assured that they were on their way back to the house, I began working on an appropriate punishment. Chelsea needed to understand how serious what she had done was, and only I could show her that.

  When Jessica called me back with the plate number of the car that was tailing them, I handed it to Brady. He would take care of that because I needed to deal with Chelsea. She needed to be taught a serious lesson.

  Once we were in the bedroom, she did not fight me or struggled to get away which told me that she was taking her punishment willingly, but she was not sorry. That had to change. I needed for her to know what her actions could have done.

  I felt the moment that her attitude changed. She had no idea that she had jeopardized my position in the pack. But now that she had realized it, I needed her to realize what she was to me. She was my mate, and I was her alpha.

  She gave her body over to me in complete surrender, taking everything and responding unlike I had ever imagined. Maybe she was ready for my wolf to mate hers after all. That would be for a different day. Right now, I needed her to understand that she was mine.

  When I finally released her from the restraints and laid down beside her, I gathered her in my arms. She sobbed against my shoulder, but I knew that I had not hurt her. Not really. The spanking had been well deserved, but now, the tears indicated her remorse and her surrender to me.

  I held her tightly, running my hands over her smooth skin to comfort and soothe her. She and I had finally come to an understanding. She would not risk her life again, and I was confident in that. But now, I needed to find out what Brady had found.

  Sitting up, I looked down at Chelsea. She was so beautiful. I smoothed her hair a
way from her face and her eyes met mine.

  “You get dressed. I need to go find out if Brady got anything from that license plate number,” I told her gently. Then I pressed a kiss to her forehead and stood from the bed.

  I found Brady in my study with his laptop open in front of him. He looked up as I entered and shot me a look that I recognized. He knew that Chelsea had needed to be dealt with. He understood what her leaving could have done, and I assured him that it would not happen again.

  “We have an understanding. She will not risk her life again,” I told him. Obviously placated by my answer, he turned back to the screen in front of him.

  “The car belongs to Steven Bigby, son of council member Alfred Bigby,” he told me.

  I immediately pulled out my phone and called the governor. We spoke for just a few minutes before finally ending the call. Brady looked up at me expectantly.

  “He is sending men to pick them both up. Hopefully, this will all be over soon,” I told him, finally feeling relief settle through me.

  When I heard laughter coming from the kitchen a little while later, I stepped to the study door and looked across the kitchen. My study was in the corner where the kitchen met the living room.

  Chelsea, Emily, and Jessica were all in the kitchen talking. I studied Chelsea’s face for a few moments, but she seemed even happier than I had ever seen her before. That thought had my heart swelling with love for her.

  A few minutes later, Brady and I joined the women in the kitchen. Chelsea stepped to my side and wrapped her arm around my waist. I kissed the top of her head. Something was definitely different about her, but I wasn’t quite sure what it was just yet.

  She seemed more relaxed than before and much happier. I wondered about that but didn’t say anything. I just watched her closely as we sat down at the table for dinner. The dishes were passed around, and conversation flowed around us.

  Brady explained to everyone what exactly we had discovered from the license plate, and I told them that I had already called the governor and the two men would be arrested soon. Chelsea looked up at me.