by Sam Crescent
“That I’m with you and I can’t go anywhere else.”
“That’s right, pet. You came to me because you needed strong discipline and a harsh hand. You’re trying to fight me, and I’m tired of it.” He placed her on her feet and stood.
“What are you doing?”
Daniel shot her a glare.
“Sir? What are you doing, Sir?”
“We’re going to deal with your punishment. Inside Kinkster’s you’re my submissive unless you say your safe word.” He took hold of her hand leading her away from witnesses. Even as her heart raced in fear of what was to come, she couldn’t help the hit of arousal. Seeing him in the zone of a Dom turned her on.
Chapter Two
Daniel passed several members of his pack who gave him a quick nod. He greeted them but kept moving as he did. Dawn kept by his side with her head bowed. She wasn’t acting the part of the submissive; she was simply following him. He noticed through watching her that she kept her head down whenever she moved from place to place. Dawn rarely looked up to see the world around her. Her life hadn’t been easy. He’d seen the evidence in her eyes as well as in her actions. She’d been hurt in the past.
He wanted to know all of her secrets and what she was hiding from him. Mates didn’t hide the truth from each other. She responded to him the way a mate did, yet he felt her wolf tense around him. For a woman and her wolf to be unsure, he knew whatever happened had scarred both of them. It was up to him to draw her out.
Opening the final door at the end of the corridor, Daniel released her hand, turned the light on, and locked the door. He turned to face her to assess her reactions. This was his private room. The only time he used this room was for the woman he intended to keep. Only a couple of women had even come close to getting inside here until this woman requested permission to join the club.
“Where are we?” she asked.
She stayed away from the bed, keeping it to her back as she rounded to look at him.
“This is my personal, private room. From now on, you come to this club, we’ll be here.” He folded his arms, waiting for her.
“No, we need to be in view of others.”
“In front of others you hold yourself back. Outside you’re not yourself, and you’re always afraid of someone noticing you. I’ve seen the way you are. You want to watch what happens within the club to make sure the men and women are treating their submissives right, but when it comes to you, you want the freedom of being away from it all.”
“No, you’re wrong.”
“Then remove your clothes and we’ll go out and do a scene right now. I’ll punish you for your lack of acknowledgement of authority, and then I’ll bring you off for all to see the beauty of your orgasm.”
She withdrew from him. Her body tightened, and she started to look around the room. For a chance to escape? The wolf inside her started to bang against her inner cage.
The protective instinct inside him rose to full force. Her reactions were setting the Dom and the protector off all at once.
“On your knees and present to me.” He deepened his voice, and Dawn went to her knees, spreading her legs wide as she bowed her head, presenting her body in the submissive pose he loved so much. “Your wolf can rest. I wouldn’t let you out there for others to see this gorgeous body.” He reached out to finger a strand of her hair. She had beautiful hair, long and dark brown. He watched the strands as he stroked them through his fingers. “Things are going to change between us, Dawn.”
She looked up at him. Tears glistened in her eyes as she stared back at him, and her lips trembled.
“For the last year I’ve watched you dance around me like you were in control. I’m the Dom, your Master, and I’m also your mate.” He pressed a finger to her lips as she went to dispute him. “No more arguing. You’ve kept me at bay, and I’ve followed your rules. Shit happened to you, I get it, but you’re not going to deal with it anymore. You’re going to let me inside here.” He pressed the finger from her mouth to her head. “I’m not backing down or going away. We’re in this together.” He waited for several minutes to pass. “You may speak.”
“This is not what we agreed. When I saw you, you promised I could take my time getting used to you and that I could end this when I want.”
“I agreed to those terms before I realized how damaged you’d become from this lifestyle. You’ve got problems, Dawn. I can help you through them, but you’ve got to trust me.”
“How can I trust you when you’re doing this?” She waved her hand between them.
Did she have any idea how beautiful she looked on her knees before him? He doubted it. Dawn didn’t have the first clue of the power she held over him.
“I didn’t go to your father when I realized you weren’t going to accept our mating.” Any father, especially an Alpha, would have loved for their daughter to mate with a fellow alpha. Daniel had had every intention of going to her father. She’d begged him not to then threatened to deny his claim. If she denied his claim the risk of going feral increased. He backed off and decided to prove to her that she could trust him.
“I gave you an ultimatum. That’s not trust.”
He cupped her face, running his finger along her lip. She didn’t tense up or jerk away, which was an improvement. When they were first together she fought him at every turn and pulled away from any kind of intimacy.
“I’ve given you more in the last year than you’ve ever gotten elsewhere. I see the look in your eyes, Dawn. You don’t allow me to bring you to orgasm, yet the pleasure is there in your eyes, the way you let me hold you. There’s much you can accuse me of, but caring and seeing to your needs is not one of them.” He withdrew his hand. “You’ve been through a lot of crap. I want to know what it is.”
“No, I’m not telling you anything.”
“You feel your wolf right now? How she’s pacing along the walls of your mind, curious yet holding herself back?”
“How did you—”
“She wants to trust me, to trust this instinct inside her. You’ve put yourself in danger, and we’re not going anywhere else until you tell me what.” He stared at her knowing he needed to win this battle. “Tonight, you’re coming home with me. We’re going to get to the bottom of your problems. No one lies at my house. We’ll be totally alone, and we can explore your issues.”
“No, I’m not going anywhere with you.”
“It’s simple, Dawn, you’ll come with me back home or I’ll be escorting you home, telling your father, and withdrawing your membership here. No one will touch you, and your father will either cast you out or demand something of you.”
“You can’t do this. I’ll reject you. I’ll stop this.”
“The whole of your club will know your secret. You keep it a secret here with me and it will die with me, but you’ll come home with me. I’ve kept this secret for a year. I’ve put up with your shit, and it ends now.” This was a radical move on his part. She could walk out that door and be safe for the rest of her life. Daniel knew there was something else wrong inside her. Dawn was terrified of her own instincts, which told him she’d put herself at risk in more ways than one.
“This isn’t fair.”
“Life’s not fair. I will never harm you, Dawn. I’m your mate. I’ll take care of you, and I promise you everything that happens will be what you want.”
She looked at a point past his shoulder. Her lips opened then closed. He imagined her mind working on overdrive to get out of his suggestion. “I don’t want you telling my father anything. He doesn’t need to know where I spend my time.”
“Fine,” he said, hurt that she was embarrassed by the way she spent her time.
Her nails sank into the flesh of her thighs, he imagined causing a bite of pain. He didn’t like what she was doing. Going to his knees he took hold of her hands to stop her from causing herself more pain. She gasped at his touch, and he didn’t look away from her eyes. “What’s it going to be, Dawn? This can’t go on.”
“Yes.”
She broke their gaze by looking at his hand holding her. “What do you need me to do?”
“I need you to trust me.”
“I’m not normal.”
“I’ve never said I wanted normal, pet. We’re going to get through this.”
He squeezed her hand in an attempt to reassure her. She let out a breath.
“Okay, I’ll come with you.”
Daniel wished there was more enthusiasm in her voice, but he’d take what she gave him right now. Mating was different for everyone. There were couples who were able to fight the impulse to mate, but that was usually down to the fact one of them were already in a relationship with someone else. In their case, his and Dawn’s, she’d been hurt in the past, and she didn’t trust the natural instinct to mate. When they did finally mate, there would be no way to deny each other. Once Dawn accepted him and he fucked and bit her, she’d be his, and their connection would be complete. He would understand everything that went on inside her head. If it wasn’t for Jake, he wouldn’t have known Dawn was the daughter of an alpha. His friend found out everything. It was one of the reasons it made him a good guard to have. Nothing ever got past him.
****
What are you doing?
Dawn stared at his hand where he held her palm inside his. Her dark flesh stood out in contrast to his pale skin, but their different skin colors didn’t bother her. No, what struck her was the way he held her. He was strong, powerful, and yet he held her as if she was delicate. She was anything but delicate. He didn’t hurt her, simply held her steady.
What was he trying to do?
“Look at me, Dawn.”
She lifted her gaze to his, confused by what was happening inside her. On the one hand she wanted to continue sinking her fingers into her flesh to try to cause pain, and yet, she wanted what Daniel gave her. Would he even understand what was happening to her?
“You’ve been disobedient to me today. Before we go to my house you’re going to get punished and then you’re going to call your father.”
When she went to speak, he pressed a finger to her lips to stop her. “No, you don’t get to speak right now. I won’t be leaving you alone. You’re going to take the call while I’m here to listen to what you’ve got to say. I’ll not have an angry father thinking I’ve stolen his daughter.”
She hadn’t even thought of starting a conflict between Daniel and her father. Dawn was many things, but a starter of fights wasn’t one of them. The thought of having one or two men fighting over her turned her stomach.
“I wouldn’t do that,” she said.
Dawn would accept any punishment Daniel felt he needed to dish out. She’d been pushing him for the last year, and he had a right to punish her.
You like his punishments.
She didn’t care what he used—hand, cane, whip, or paddle, she loved it all. Daniel was inventive with the restrictions she’d given him.
“You wouldn’t? Some women would do anything to create a war between two territories.”
“I’m not interested in starting anything, Master.” She bowed her head, showing her submissive side.
Side? You’ve not got a side. This is who you are.
The wolf inside her growled at the words she thought. Her wolf didn’t like to be insulted even though Dawn had a tendency to do so.
“Good. I believe you, Dawn. Now, do you believe me when I say you can trust me? I’ll never hurt you, and I’ll take care of you during your time with me.”
What should she say?
The truth?
Lies?
Half-truths?
She settled on the truth. Lies rarely got her what she wanted. “I trust that you won’t hurt me, but I don’t believe we’re mates. I-I-I can’t trust myself to make that decision right now.”
“I’m not asking you to make any decision, Dawn. Well spend some time together, and in time you’ll see that I’m telling the truth.”
She bit her lip and nodded. “Yes, I trust you.”
Out of all of the men she knew, Daniel was always in control. He never lost his temper or used his anger against his pack. She wasn’t stupid, and she’d heard his pack talk about him. None of them said anything bad. If anything, they talked about how amazing he was as an alpha, one of the best they’d ever known.
“I want you to get on the bed on your stomach and spread your arms and legs out.” She hesitated for a second and then decided to do as he said. Daniel didn’t push her boundaries, and he hadn’t seen her naked in the year he’d been her Master.
You’ve not given him a chance to be a true Master to you. You fight him at every turn.
Her wolf raised her head in agreement.
She was the one in control of her body, not her wolf.
Climbing onto the bed she did as he instructed. Seconds later she felt the silk bonds wrap around her wrists followed by her ankles. Daniel took his time to secure her wrists. Her legs were spread as much as the skirt allowed. She licked her lips, wishing she could give him that other part of herself.
“You’re utterly beautiful, Dawn.”
He touched her ankle and withdrew his hand when his touch became too much for her. She didn’t know how he knew when to release her.
“Thank you, Sir,” she said.
“I didn’t give you permission to speak.” He slapped her ass causing her to yelp. She’d learned to make the right noises even if she didn’t feel any pain. “You’ll only speak when spoken to.”
She kept her lips shut. Her pussy was burning, the lips of her sex drenched from the shock of his spank. His palm was large, covering as much of her ass as he could. What would it be like to give in and let him touch her? The very thought shook her a little. She’d never been curious about a more intimate touch in her life.
The tips of his fingers skimmed up her calf, leaving her again as he moved around the room. She’d never been on a bed in his company before.
It’s okay. He won’t take it too far.
“You’re scared of intimacy, Dawn. I want to know why, but tonight you’re going to remain quiet while I talk. Do I need to use anything to keep you quiet?” he asked.
She shook her head in response.
“Good. I trust you to follow my instructions, as otherwise you’ll be in trouble.”
Dawn listened as he moved away from the bed, giving her more space. She turned her head, and out of the corner of her eye she watched him enter a closet. He turned on a light, but she couldn’t make anything out. Was that where he kept his toys?
“You like to test me, Dawn. Your very presence teases me, and I know you enjoy it.” He hummed, taking toys out of his closet. She heard the light turn off and the door close. “While you’re with me, I’m going to strip down all of those walls you’ve kept between us. We’re mates. I know you don’t believe me, but we are. My wolf wants to mate you, claim you. I’m keeping him at bay until we’ve sorted through this problem. For your stay we’re going to set down some ground rules.” He placed something on the bed. The bonds stopped her from moving to look.
Gritting her teeth, she scrunched her eyes closed to stop herself from asking him what it was.
“Some of my rules you’re not going to like, but you’re going to do it because I will follow through with my threat, Dawn. Right, you can speak when I ask you a question, understood?”
“Yes, Master.”
“Good. Now, you may count as well.”
Whack!
His palm landed on her ass.
“One,” she said, loving the feel of his hand on her ass even if she couldn’t feel the bite of pain his touch should have created.
Whack!
“Two.”
She expected his hand to land on her rump again. It never did. He’d stopped touching her. Opening her eyes, she gasped to see him staring at her.
“Am I hurting you?”
“No.”
“You like pain?”
/> Dawn opened her mouth to dispute him then stopped. Don’t lie to him. He always knows when I lie.
“Yes.” Was it really a lie? He could probably maim her and she wouldn’t feel it.
“How much pain?”
She licked her lips, wondering what to say to him. There was a point inside her when she started to hate what was happening, and it left her feeling sick. The men she was with never gave her what she needed, and she never found what she was looking for.
“Dawn!”
He spoke her name in a warning.
“I like a lot of pain.” She let out a breath as the semblance of a truth spilled from her lips. After all, she went hunting for pain but never found it.
“Are you speaking the truth?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“Do you know how much pain you like?”
She shook her head.
“I asked you a direct question.”
“Some of the pain has drawn blood.” She felt her cheeks heating. Would he be able to see her embarrassment?
“I can smell your embarrassment, pet. Why are you embarrassed?”
“It’s wrong to draw blood. Something’s wrong with me. None of the people in my father’s pack need what I need. I’m not normal.” None of them are searching for pain in the hope of finally feeling it. No one knew what she’d done by killing that man. Did she do the right thing in taking his life? She didn’t know. He had hurt other people, but did he deserve to die at her hand, or claw?
There were no easy answers for her. What would Daniel think of her when he found out the truth? Would he be repulsed and wish he’d never given her a chance? She was a defective mate.
He pushed some of her hair out of the way, leaning in close. “Did I ever say I was looking for someone normal? You’re perfect the way you are.”
Daniel moved away from her. “You’re going to be getting naked when you’re with me, and I don’t expect to hear any complaints from you. We’ll both be naked, and we’re going to explore this between us.”
She didn’t want him to see her naked.
Dawn cried out as he slapped her ass with a cane. If only she could feel the pain.
“Three.” She screamed the word. He struck hard with the cane, or at least, she imagined it was hard. No pain blossomed on her bottom, but her clit swelled because of his presence. Daniel never failed to arouse her.