Chapter 54 Punishment II
The air in the cabin was thick and suffocating me with the scent of aged liquor and the Alpha power. And something else I couldn't place.
I was shaking with rage. My body shivered less from fear and more from the sheer, blinding rage that had propelled me from the woods and across the territory and forced me to stand before him.
Dawn stood up from his deep leather armchair. The movement was slow, deliberate, and a sprinkle ripple of hard muscle beneath taut skin.
He didn't rush, taking his sweet, infuriating time.
The dark sweatpants barely covered his hips, and the sight—as always—was a confusing mix of terrifying and utterly captivating on my path.
He walked past me toward the small, mahogany bar tucked into the corner of the cabin. Each step resonated with unhurried authority.
"An interesting theory, Bambi," he drawled, his voice low and almost bored, as he picked up the liquor bottle. The ice in his glass had melted, leaving a pool of dark amber liquid.
He poured another generous splash, the glass clinking softly. "But wrong."
He turned, leaning his back against the bar, his dark eyes finally pinning me with a gaze that felt heavy, demanding. His dark brown eyes so mesmerising.
"I know you killed those Marked Rogues," he said, taking a slow sip of the liquor. The ice scraped against the glass as he tilted it. "I even watched you do it that night. You have fire in you, little doe. A fierce, beautiful fire."
I flinched, a knot of pure terror twisting in my stomach. He watched?
"But no," he continued, placing the glass back on the bar. "That's not why Gideon is in the dungeons. I had Gideon arrested because you are plotting to escape me."
The rage in me faltered, replaced by a cold, dizzying confusion.
"What?" I whispered, my voice barely audible. "That's… that's unbelievable. You arrested him only a few hours ago! I hadn't even fully thought of escaping yet. How could you possibly know?"
A slow, predatory smile stretched across his lips. It didn't reach his cold eyes. He took another deliberate sip of his drink, letting the silence hang around and linger, letting my panic build.
"I knew you were going to escape," he finally said, his voice dropping to a confidential whisper that still carried perfectly in the quiet room. "Because I listened in on what Celeste told you in the hallway."
My breath hitched, a sharp gasp escaping my lips. My brain struggled to process the sheer audacity, the depth of his constant surveillance.
"You… you heard that?" I stammered, completely astonished.
He nodded, a small smirk playing on his mouth. "I did, indeed. I happened to be right behind you at the moment."
I shook my head, my mind reeling. "How? I was out in the hall! I didn't smell you, I didn't hear you. You weren't there!"
He pushed off the bar, walking toward the large, plush leather couch that sat facing the fire. He settled down, stretching out his long legs, completely at ease. He held my gaze as he spoke, his voice smooth as silk, yet cutting sharp like a razor.
"I turn off my scent when I feel like it," he stated simply, as if discussing the weather. "It's one of the perks of being an Alpha this powerful. Didn't you know?"
I threw my hands up, utterly defeated by his casual omnipotence. "You're out of your mind! You're completely insane!"
He chuckled and it came out as a low, masculine rumble in his chest. "I admit, I am out of my mind," he affirmed, his dark eyes flickering with a possessive intensity. "But it's only for you, Bambi. Only for you."
"You don't have to do all this," I pleaded, taking a tentative step closer, my hands clasped tightly together. "You don't have to hurt my loved ones just to… to 'punish' me. There has to be a better way to make me stay."
Alpha Dawn paused, his jaw tightening slightly. He put his glass on the side table once more, his full attention now on me.
"Of course, I have other means of punishing you," he said, his voice low and husky, like a dangerous sound that sent an unwelcome shiver down my spine. "Means you might not like."
"What is it?" I asked, my voice trembling, it surprisingly was a strange mix of fear and curiosity bubbling up.
He hesitated, his gaze sweeping over my face, lingering on my lips. The tension in the air became so thick I could practically taste it. Oh, it has started.
Finally, he leaned forward, his voice dropping to a near whisper. "Spanking."
I stared at him. The word felt odd, almost childish, yet the way he said it, sounding dark and suggestive, made my blood thrum strangely. It was crazy. He was a ruthless Alpha who could kill me without a thought, and he was suggesting spanking.
"I know it sounds crazy," he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand, showing a rare display of nervousness. "But it's a kink, little doe. An urge. Whenever you do something you shouldn't, something that disobeys me… I feel this overwhelming need to want to spank you."
To my absolute confusion and horror, the thought sent a sudden rush of heat through me, a primal sparkle of arousal that made my cheeks flush. I felt weak, traitorous. I didn't know why.
I swallowed, my eyes wide and innocent, and asked the question that maybe felt entirely too risky. "What… what is the 'spanking' about?"
Alpha Dawn's eyes darkened, becoming into something like pure obsidian. He shifted on the couch, his demeanor instantly transforming from slightly awkward to intensely dominant. He was back to being the predator.
He whispered, his voice like velvet and danger combined, "Would you like for me to show you?"
I nodded immediately, an immediate, automatic response overriding all logic and self-preservation. But then, a flicker of my true self returned, and I found my condition.
"Yes," I breathed, the word barely audible.
"On one condition: release Gideon."
He sighed. It is a deep, weary sound that conveyed annoyance and a touch of resignation. "I can't promise you that, Bambi. He did break my rules."
"Then I don't want to see your punishment," I challenged, though my voice lacked conviction.
He looked at me, a dangerous glint evident in his eye. "If you are a good girl, I'd release him. Eventually."
"Good girl?" I echoed, the phrase sounding foreign and slightly humiliating on my tongue.
"Yes, my love," he stated, his voice firm.
"What are the qualities of a good girl?" I asked, completely drawn into his web now.
Alpha Dawn stood up. This time, his movement was swift, swallowing the remaining space between us in two long strides.
He stopped right in front of me. Towering over me like something that is ready to challenge me. I had to tilt my head back just to look up at him. The sheer size of him, the heat radiating off his body, was overwhelming.
He lowered his head until his lips were brushing my ear, sending a jolt straight through me. And also a cold shiver running down my spine. Everything in this moment felt wrong.
"The qualities of a good girl," he began, whispering, his scent flooding my senses, "is doing what Alpha tells you to. And if you do not, you will receive your punishment without complaints."
What does that even mean?
I swallowed hard, the sound loud in the oppressive silence. And the quietness of the room.
"And is the 'spanking' the only punishment I would receive?"
"No," he breathed against my ear, the feelings warm and like silk touching my ears. "But I would spank you only for now. I will let you know other ways in which I can punish you when you are ready but for now, I'll just spank you.
"Do other Alphas do this, too?." I asked curiously.
"No, love. I've told you before. That is why I called it a kink because it is something other Alphas don't just. It is not random to them."
I swallowed. "Is it random to you?." I asked.
He moved closer to me. "No. It's what I crave."
I took a final, shaky breath, knowing I was stepping off a cliff, but the desire to save Gideon—and the strange, confusing arousal the Alpha's words sparked—drove me forward.
"Then, do it," I whispered, my voice thick and curious and anxious. All three.
Alpha Dawn's gaze pinned me where I stood. The atmosphere in the cabin was heavy, taut with electric tension, and the fire in the grate suddenly felt too warm.
"Bend over," he commanded, his voice coming out as a low, gravelly rasp that left no room for argument, "on the couch."
I obeyed instantly, my legs moving without conscious thought. I walked to the couch and bent over the back of it, my hands gripping the leather cushion.
My heart hammered against my ribs, a fast drumbeat of anticipation and dread.
I released a small gasp when I felt him behind me. His large, rough hands were suddenly on the hem of my gown, and he lifted the fabric up, bunched around my waist. The cool air hitting my bare legs and lower back made me shiver.
Then, his fingers hooked under the elastic band of my panties. He tugged them down, letting them fall around my knees, before using one hand to hold the gown clear. My butt cheek was now completely exposed, glistening slightly in the firelight.
Suddenly, his large, heavy palm landed on my right butt cheek.
SLAP!
The sound cracked and invadede the silence in the cabin like a whip. A sharp, stinging burn erupted across my skin, shocking me completely. I jumped, my grip on the couch tightening, a small cry tearing from my throat.
I instinctively tried to move, to turn, to escape the sudden, intense sensation.
"Stay still, little doe," he growled, his voice deep and dark right behind me. His free hand clamped down firmly on the small of my back, pressing me back down into the exposed position. "The punishment has just begun."