Claiming Their Slave (Barbarian Mates Book 3)

by Sue Lyndon

  “I am sorry I ran away from you, Master. Please, forgive me.”

  He pulled back slightly and reached into another pouch on his belt, then withdrew a heel of bread and a hunk of cheese. He placed the food in her hands. “Eat and rest for a moment, and then we’ll set out for my campsite.”

  “Thank you, Master.” The instant he took a seat on the rock beside her, she carefully wiped at her fallen tears, hoping he hadn’t seen them trickling down her cheeks as he sat down. After a few deep breaths to calm herself, she nibbled at the bread and cheese, thankful to have something in her stomach. She hadn’t eaten yet today. While it wasn’t entirely true that her former master had starved her, he believed slaves didn’t deserve to eat more than once a day, and she usually took her daily meal in the late afternoon, though if she became famished in between meals she would sneak an apple or a hunk of bread from the kitchen.

  “All finished?”

  “Yes. Thank you again, Master.” She rose up with his assistance and marveled at his great height. The tallest man she’d seen in the village had been around six feet tall, and she judged Jaxon to be well over seven feet. He towered over her, and she shuddered at the thought of her impending punishment. How badly would it hurt?

  “Come, little human. Once we return to the campsite, you will submit to your spanking, and then we will travel a bit before nightfall.”

  He clutched her tiny hand in his large one and led her through the forest.

  * * *

  Jaxon guided Ava into the tent, wanting to get her punishment over with as soon as possible, because he didn’t know how long he would manage to keep himself from staking his claim on the pretty little human. Goddess, he wanted her. So much that he still had her believing she would be kept as his slave. He didn’t want to plant the seed in her mind that she might one day be free of him and his brother.

  “Remove your dress, Ava.”

  She peered at him in shock. “Master, please.”

  He shrugged off his sword belt and placed it on the ground, next to the small trunk he stored the tent in as he traveled. He sat on the trunk and spread his knees, then reached for Ava and positioned her to stand between his legs.

  “You disobeyed me, little human, and now you will be punished.”

  Fear shone in her eyes, but he believed she needed to be dealt with firmly. She’d lied to him, she’d run off, and, worst of all, she had put her life in danger. He told her as much, and she blushed and fidgeted in place as he delivered the stern scolding.

  “Please spank me over my dress, Master. Please don’t make me take my clothes off.”

  “You may keep your underclothes on during your spanking, Ava, but rest assured, I will be parting your drawers and applying my hand to your bare little bottom. In the future, if you put your own life in danger, you will be getting worse than a simple hand spanking. You’ll feel the sting of my belt or perhaps even a switch. Your safety is something I take very, very seriously.”

  She paled but soon nodded and began unfastening the ties that held her raggedy dress together in the front. Jaxon planned to take her to a dressmaker soon and have a new wardrobe made for her. Knowing she’d had a difficult life, he wanted to carry her home, keep her safe, and shower her with presents to make up for all the hardship she’d suffered. But she needed more than pretty dresses and new shoes. She also needed to feel cared for, he reminded himself. In his mind, punishing her for putting herself in danger and disobeying him, in a fair but firm manner, would serve to show her how much he was starting to care for her. After her spanking was over, he planned to hold her and dry her tears, and he ached with longing to have her in his arms soon.

  She pushed her dress down past her shoulders and stepped out of it. She clutched it in front of her for a moment, gave him a wary look, then tossed it on top of his sleeping mat. Now she stood in front of him wearing a thin chemise and an equally thin pair of drawers. Her hardening nipples poked through the thin material of her chemise, and he once again detected the pungent yet sweet aroma of her arousal. If he slipped a hand between her thighs, he was certain he’d discover her soaking wet.

  “Look at me, Ava.”

  She met his eyes, her face still pale.

  “Tell me what you did wrong.”

  Her breath hitched and she gave him a startled look, but she finally answered. “I ran away from you. And, I suppose I lied when I promised I wouldn’t try to escape.”

  “What else?”

  “I put myself in danger by running off in the forest alone.”

  “Were you completely truthful about what you told me happened in the village today?” He guided her closer between his legs, so near he could feel the heat of her body through the material of his trousers. His cock hardened further. Punishing her without claiming her immediately after would be an exercise in self-control. He ached to claim her with every fiber of his being. Yes, the Goddess was definitely sending him a sign—Ava was the perfect mate for him and Wolfe.

  Her face crumbled and she sniffled. “Please, forgive me, Master, but I wasn’t completely truthful. I did, in fact, have supplies hidden underneath my bed because I had been planning to escape my former master soon. The supplies weren’t there because he was starving me. That’s the only thing I lied to you about. I didn’t want you to know how much I longed to be free.”

  “Thank you for your honesty, little human.” He guided her across one of his knees, bending her over it and placing his free leg atop hers. She shuddered in his hold and her breaths became ragged. “Hush now. Take a few deep breaths. This is going to hurt—it is a punishment, after all—but it is only a spanking. You can take it, Ava.”

  She obeyed, inhaling several deep breaths. Her body relaxed, and he thought she fit perfectly over his knee. He was so much taller than her that her feet didn’t quite touch the ground. For the umpteenth time, a surge of protectiveness for this adorable little human coursed through him.

  When she squirmed slightly, her lower stomach rubbed against his rigid length. She immediately stilled and gave a tiny gasp, revealing she’d detected his increasing erection. Well, she had better get used to it. Soon he would claim her. He didn’t know how it would work, especially if Wolfe wasn’t keen to mate with a human, but he would find a way to make her his.

  Taking his time, he parted the slit of her drawers to reveal her bare bottom. His blood heated at the sight of her nudity. She was perfect, and such a good girl to lie obediently over his knee without struggling. When he urged her to spread her thighs, she moved them apart without hesitation. Her capitulation was the sweetest prize.

  His gaze rested on the slit of her cunny, which was gleaming with her own essence. The insides of her thighs were smeared with moisture too, confirming that he’d indeed scented her arousal several times earlier. The little human might not want to admit it, but she was attracted to him and liked being made to obey him. She craved a firm but loving hand. And he would make her feel loved. It wouldn’t be an instant love, since she wouldn’t feel the magic of the mating bond, but he would show her tenderness and take care of her to the best of his ability. He would make her feel desire and ensure she never wanted for anything.

  He would give her everything but the freedom she craved.

  Chapter Four

  “Spread your thighs wider, little human, and let me look upon you.”

  Ava didn’t know what had come over her, but Jaxon’s deep voice compelled her to obey. She inched her thighs further apart, knowing he would likely glimpse the increasing wetness of her cunny. Before she’d taken her dress off, she’d felt the telltale moisture of her arousal rubbing between her legs. She’d pleasured herself a few times before, in the dark, but she had never quite gotten it right. She’d moved her fingers back and forth over an especially sensitive part of her, feeling as if she were chasing an explosion of pleasure she couldn’t quite reach. It felt nice, deliciously so, but she had always gone to bed frustrated.

  Did Jaxon know how to make the throbbing s
top? Could he give her the blast of ecstasy she was so sure rested beyond the precipice of her persistent aching? The hardness of his cock pressed on her lower stomach, and she couldn’t resist the urge to wiggle over it.

  “Careful, little human,” he scolded, “or you might find yourself getting more than you asked for.”

  She wasn’t certain she understood. She didn’t know how husbands and wives came together, but she knew it produced babies. She knew the man had to at least touch the woman’s cunny. She’d heard that men shoved their cocks between a woman’s thighs, but she didn’t know if that was true. As much as some of the women at the well gossiped, she could never be sure what was truth and what wasn’t.

  Still, the idea of Jaxon’s hardness pushing into her cunny left her drenched with longing. How intimate it would be to accept part of him inside her. But would that make her his wife, if he claimed her in that way? She was his slave, and she still didn’t know if he already had a mate. Sorrow enveloped her at the thought of a Banded female waiting for him at home, but she quickly forgot about her sadness when he cupped her right ass cheek and squeezed.

  “It was quite naughty of you to run away, little human. Now you’re over your master’s knee, about to get a hard spanking on your bare bottom, aren’t you?”

  She gulped hard. “Ye-yes, Ma-Master.”

  “I want you to be a good girl and accept this punishment. You deserve every smack I plan to give you, and you’ll be very sore once your spanking is over. I imagine this cute little behind of yours will be a bright shade of pink by the time I’m finished.”

  She tried to reply with another yes, Master, but her voice became stuck in her dry throat. She instead lowered her head and braced herself for the onslaught of blows. If he hurt her especially badly, perhaps she would be able to finally summon hatred for him, or even a small amount of dislike. But she secretly hoped he only took her to the edge of tolerance, then stopped and told her all was forgiven. She hated that she’d displeased him and desperately wanted to be back in his good graces. Odd, she never thought she’d care so much about pleasing a master.

  The first swat landed, and she gasped at the sudden sting. Before she had time to catch her breath, his flattened palm struck her again. He spanked her quickly, alternating cheeks as he punished. Shame made her go hot all over. She was squirming slightly, which probably gave him a better view of the area between her thighs. She tried very hard to stay completely still, but it was difficult not to flinch with each rapid impact of his hand to her flaming behind.

  The sting spread, rapidly so, the pain coalescing with the desire that throbbed deep within her womanly core. Jaxon left no area of her bottom unpunished, and he even laid into the tops of her thighs, as well as the spot of sensitive flesh where her buttocks and thighs met. Oh, the pain. She soon gave up trying not to cry, letting her tears flow freely. She sniffled and sobbed harder, truly repentant for having disobeyed her new master. She could have at least given him a chance before running off like she had.

  Now he wouldn’t trust her. Even if he did turn out to be a cruel master, he likely wouldn’t allow her the chance to escape. He would probably put the leash around her neck and drag her back to his homestead. He would probably tie her up at night to keep her from running off again. Her heart ached, because as much as she wanted an excuse to hate him, finding out he had a cruel streak would leave her gutted.

  He’d saved her from Thomas. He’d saved her from a life of being bred and losing child after child to the slave market. He’d made her shoes. He’d given her water. He’d fed her.

  Her tears fell faster and her chest heaved with her sobs. Maybe she should hold off on judging Jaxon. Thus far, he had proven himself different from all the other masters in her village.

  Finally, he ceased spanking her. But he didn’t immediately allow her to get up. Instead, he held her in place over his knee and rubbed her seared bottom cheeks. As her cries abated and she calmed down further and further, she became aware of his hands moving closer to her cunny.

  She froze, but didn’t try to clamp her thighs together.

  He drew one finger along her intimate folds, and she shuddered and arched herself into his touch. She couldn’t help it.

  “I know you are wet and aching here, Ava. Do you want me to help you feel better?”

  She peered over her shoulder at him, considering. His gaze, still stern, made her aching deepen all the more.

  “If you say no, I will stop immediately,” he said.

  She took a deep breath and said, “Please, Master, don’t stop,” before returning her head to rest against his thigh and offering her center up to his gentle ministrations.

  He stroked through her wetness and rubbed her moisture over the sensitive nubbin she’d often stroked herself, only to fall asleep frustrated because she couldn’t reach the end of whatever it was she was doing. After rubbing over this throbbing button, he moved his fingers to the entrance of her cunny.

  “Are you indeed a virgin, Ava?”

  “Yes, Master.”

  “Well then, I promise I shall be gentle with you. At least this time.”

  Before she could ask what he meant, he pushed two—or was it three?—thick fingers into her tight entrance and began pumping them in and out. The friction of this movement was blindingly wondrous. Dark spots dotted her vision, and she undulated her hips in tune with those thrusts. He wasn’t driving deep into her though, and she found herself wishing he would go harder and faster and deeper. But she kept her thoughts to herself and let the blissful sensations wash over her. Oh, yes. Yes yes yes.

  She moaned and felt her inhibitions melt away under the pulses of ecstasy that built to a crescendo of white-hot pleasure. While still pumping in and out of her cunny, he swirled another finger over her swollen nubbin, and she cried out as a wave of delicious sensation crashed over her and left her panting for air. She collapsed over his knee, breathless and quaking in the aftermath of some unknown liberation.

  “Have you ever had an orgasm before, little human? A release?”

  “No, Master. I have touched myself on occasion, but I’ve never experienced that before.”

  He moved to caress her sore bottom and gave each of her cheeks a squeeze. “I own you now, Ava, every part of you, including your tight little cunny. You are not to touch yourself there without permission, do you understand?”

  “But why, Master?”

  He squeezed her left cheek again, harder. “Your pleasure belongs to your master. Not to you. If I catch you touching yourself without permission, I will force your legs apart and spank the tender folds of your cunny.”

  Oh, goodness. She swallowed hard and hoped she could resist the temptation. Now that she knew what pleasures were possible, she wanted to try it again herself, as she lay in bed restless at night.

  “I will try to obey this rule, Master.”

  “Good girl.” He urged her off his lap and guided her to rest on her knees between his spread legs. Tipping her chin up with one hand, he placed his fingers that were still wet with her excitement to her lips. “Clean your honey off my hand, Ava, and do a thorough job of it.”

  She nodded and parted her lips, eager to please her master.

  * * *

  “That’s it. Such a good girl you are, Ava.” He watched in erotic fascination as she cleaned all the traces of her arousal from his fingers, obediently licking his digits all over. Once she finished, she sat back on her heels and peered up at him, her face flushed a beautiful shade of pink that wasn’t quite as bright as her punished bottom. Her hair was spread out in disarray over her shoulders, and he thought her the prettiest, sweetest creature he’d ever laid eyes on.

  He was about to help her stand up, when her gaze lowered to the bulge in his trousers. With tentative movements, she reached for his cock and squeezed it through his pants. He sucked in a quick breath and repressed a groan. She would be his undoing, this little human slave he’d bought.

  “What are you doing?”
r />   “You also seem to be in distress, Master. Can I, um, help you?”

  He shouldn’t accept her offer. He should order her to get dressed, and then he should pack up the camp. Precious daylight was burning, and she was still very much an innocent. Though many pairs of Banded brothers claimed their mate separately before they ever shared her between them, he and Wolfe had decided long ago, before the horrors of the war, that they would claim their female at once during the first time. But a human was different. The cute pucker of her asshole had appeared tiny when he’d glimpsed it while she’d been over his knee, and he doubted she would be able to accept the hugeness of one of their cocks into this untouched entrance of hers easily. Definitely not without proper training.

  He shot to his feet and reached for his sword belt, then cursed himself for the sorrow that crossed her features at his rejection. He finished fastening the belt in place and gestured at her dress. “Put that back on and then roll up the sleeping mat. We’d best be on our way soon.”

  “Of course, Master. Forgive me,” she said, the last two words coming out as a whisper.

  Once he had everything inside the tent packed, he ordered Ava to stand outside while he disassembled the structure. Every few moments, he glanced at her to make sure she was still standing in place.

  “No rubbing,” he said sternly, when he noticed her hands moving over her bottom. “If I catch you rubbing again, you’ll go right back over my knee, little human.”

  * * *

  It was daylight, and Wolfe ought to be sleeping now, but an unusual dream had awoken him hours ago, and now he found it difficult to return to his slumber. He sat up against the pillows and pondered the strange dream.

  He’d seen a vision of a beautiful girl, but given her tiny size, he doubted she was a Banded female. A little blonde human, then, with long wavy locks and a stubborn gleam in her pretty blue eyes that he’d been drawn to in his dream. He couldn’t shake the image of her from his mind, or the sound of someone whispering her name over and over again.