Page 47 of Collared Mate

“It’s not fair,” I complain. “I just wanted to run free and go find my brother and savagely maul him for trying to sell me to the Russians.”

“I understand the urge, but you were strictly forbidden to leave the house, and you know it. It’s not your job to hunt people down and savagely maul them anymore, even if they are family. Now, go put yourself into position and maybe this won’t be as bad as it’s otherwise going to be.”

I kneel there, looking at him, and it occurs to me that he and I really do not know one another at all well. I mean, I was around him sometimes as a teenager, but that’s not anything. The mate bond, the sheer chemistry of our connection is what’s been keeping us feeling so connected. But we’re strangers, really, and he’s expecting a whole lot of submission and obedience from a woman who doesn’t even know his favorite color.

“What’s going through your mind?” He asks the question with real curiosity.

“I was just thinking how the only time we get together is when we’re mating or you’re going to beat me for some transgression that I don’t even agree is a transgression. We’ve been dating for like, less than a week.”

“We’re not dating,” he says. “You are my mate. But, point taken. We haven’t spent a lot of time doing romantic things, sharing thoughts, talking about what our lives will look like when you’re not effectively being hunted by the cabal who infiltrated your pack decades ago and is dedicated to eradicating your bloodline. I promise we will have something akin to a date soon, my love. For now, please, put your naughty little ass over the bed so I can whip it.”

I blush and even find myself on the verge of giggling. Henry is charming, sexy, and tall. Height is such a silly thing to base a man’s attractiveness on, but the way he’s looming over me right now is very exciting to certain parts of my psyche.

“I’m literally never going to do that,” I tell him. “I’ll never help you punish me.”

“Fair enough,” he says, reaching down to grip me by the back of the coat. He picks me up using it almost like a harness, carries me across to the bed and tosses me down on it with an unceremonious motion.

“I’ll take that too,” he says. “More clothing is being collected for you today, but I don’t know that you deserve clothes with the way you’ve been acting. It might be better for you to be kept naked and bred rather than dressing up and going about the place tormenting everyone you encounter.”

“Not everyone,” I say as he pulls the coat off me, folds it, and puts it down neatly on the end of the bed. The garment got a lot more respect than I did when I got put here. Weird to feel jealous of a coat, but I do, a little.

Henry pins me down by the back of my neck to keep me in place. I can feel the collar around my throat, the extra pressure making me even more aware of its encircling controlling nature. This fucking thing is a shackle I can’t seem to shed.

“Stay still,” he says. “Try and show me a little obedience in the middle of all this rebellion.”

Before I can respond with anything, let alone a movement, the belt lands against my ass with a solid crack. For a moment I feel nothing, then a big stinging flash rips across my skin and flesh, heating them both in a single second.

“Ow fuck!” I curse, immediately trying to get up. He presses me down, his palm splaying across the base of my neck and upper back.

“Not the best effort,” he says mildly. “But that just means there’s room for improvement.”

“I’m going to kill you,” I growl.

He chuckles as he slides two fingers into the collar, using it to control me. “You have a terrible temperament for punishment,” he says. “So you might want to start learning how to behave.”

The belt lands again and again, lashing against my sensitive and tender cheeks. I’ve been punished so much by this man my body is starting to react like it’s pre-disciplined. I need a fucking ice pack and a day off from his tyranny, but I guess that’s not going to happen as long as I keep disobeying him.

Henry sets to the task at hand. The belt continues to make its painful pilgrimage up and down from the heavens to my hide. He ignores my cursing as the heat and pain flare across my ass over and over. Being disciplined like this hurts like hell and I am trapped, outraged, rebellious, and unable to escape.

All I can do is swear and wriggle and hope he stops soon. I’m not going to apologize, and I’m not going to promise not to do it again, mostly because I plan on doing it all again as soon as possible.

“I expect you to follow directions,” he says. “Especially ones that are designed to keep you alive.”

The belt cracks again, another sharp jolt of pain ricocheting through my system. I can’t avoid the spanking, he is making sure of that. My nakedness is my own fault, too. I could have stripped before shifting, but instead I just stopped long enough to open the window.

“You’re not making me want to obey anymore,” I growl into the bed.

“No? I must be doing it wrong then,” he says, pausing for a moment to open my legs. The next time the belt lands, it is on my upper thigh and it wraps around to the incredibly sensitive inner flesh.

“Asshole!” I curse.

“Aw, poor pup doesn’t like when she gets what she deserves.” I can hear the smirk in his voice as he reaches down and rubs my leg, his long, strong fingers providing precisely not enough soothing to make it actually better.

“That was mean,” I whimper.

“You jumped out the window and took multiple bites to your body,” he reminds me. “If it wasn’t for the fact you shifted before you got re-collared, you’d be covered in wounds.”

“That was different. I was in my wolf form.”