“Fuckingstop!You can’t do this!” I practically shriek, feeling tears start to well in my eyes at the thought of little Leisel left in a room of wolves.
I can’t stop Wyatt from doing anything, sinceI’m not there to protect her.
When I stumble and almost fall flat on the ground, Camden sweeps me up into his arms, holding me tight against the muscled expanse of his body. The close contact incites a new, stronger lust within me, but my fear for Leisel overshadows it, and I try to wriggle out of his hold.
“Don’t fight me,” he bites out. “Not fucking now. You have no goddamn idea how close I am to sinking my teeth into your neck and permanently marking you as mine.”
Chapter Ten
That stuns me into both stillness and silence. I go tense in his arms, my thoughts running a mile a minute worrying over Leisel. If he marks me, it’ll be a step towards cementing the bond between us. A bond that will permanently bind me to him in an irrevocable way.
I clearly won’t be able to escape Camden using brute force, but if I give him some obedience, there’s a chance it’ll calm him, and I’ll return to Leisel sooner.
Despite my worst fears, I doubt he’ll want to separate us for long—hehasto be smart enough to know that’ll only increase my hatred of him.
“Take me back to my sister,please,” I beg, absolutely despising myself for how quickly my strength crumbles when I’m worried for Leisel.
“I will,” Camden says through gritted teeth, opening the door to a room and stepping inside before shutting it behind him.
I tense even more to see that we’re in a bedroom. There’s a large four-poster bed situated against the far wall and a fireplace across from it. At the corner is a desk with a few papers and pens strewn around it.
My breaths turn shallow as Camden sets me on my feet in front of the door and pins me against it. His hands land on my arms, securing them at my sides, and leans his full weight against me, effectively trapping me.
“Let’s get one thing clear, Sierra.” The possessive way he says my name sends a shiver of exhilaration through me, followed by a healthy dose of disgust with my body for reacting to him in such a way.
“Youaremy mate. You weremadefor me, as I was for you. Iwillhave you, in every way I can. I’m not an average shifter who’s bound by laws of duelum—I’m the Alpha of the most powerful pack in this realm and ruler overallpacks of all shifters. If you think winning the duel will truly allow you to escape from me,think again.”
I open my mouth to refute his words, but he cuts me off by crushing his lips to mine. Although my mind continues formulating reason after reason why I truly despise him, my body melts against him—forced to do so by the bond. After a mere few seconds, I’m sagging in his arms, and his hands turn from restraining to supporting. Slowly, all reasonable thought begins to escape me until all I can think about are his soft, full lips against mine, his tongue exploring and tasting me, and the length of his hard, powerful body pressed against mine. He’s bigger than me in every way, and that only makes him more attractive. My nipples pebble inside my bra, and I feel liquid heat pooling in my core.
I have to wonder if he brushes his teeth with pheromones because his kiss literally makes me feel drugged, dizzy, and giddy.
His hands travel down to my ass, squeezing and molding the flesh, and he groans into my mouth. Pulling his lips away from mine, he presses his nose into the hair cascading down my neck, and inhales deeply. A low sound of pleasure rumbles up from him.
“Never forget that I’m a wolf, Sierra,” he growls. “That means when you try to dominate me, my instinct is to force you to submit.”
That dampens the arousal scorching through me instantly and I stiffen again. “Are you saying you’re going to beat me if I don’t act the part of a perfect mate?”
He removes one hand from my ass, fists it in my hair, and pulls my head back, forcing me to stare into his eyes. “I don’t want a perfect mate. I want you, but if you run from me in any way—whether that be physically or by trying to keep me at a distance—Iwillpunish this perfect ass of yours.”
Anger gives me a rush of adrenaline, and I find the inner strength to shove at him again. “Don’t you fuckingdare.”
In a move that’s so fast it leaves me dizzy, especially since I’m still unstable with the aftereffects of his kiss, he spins me around and pins my front to the door.
Guessing his intention, I struggle with all my might, kicking and thrashing and trying to get away from him. I curse Camden both in English and in Latin—a language my mother taught me so that I could read ancient books on witchcraft—which makes him let out a puff of amused laughter. He remains in position easily, barely seeming to notice the effort that leaves me panting angrily.
When I’ve tired myself out and my struggles have turned from vehement to pathetic, he pins both of my wrists above my head with one hand and brings his big hand crashing down on my ass, creating a stinging sensation that spreads over my cheek. I jump and gasp, which makes him release a dark chuckle as he rains down a series of sharp slaps on my ass and the top of my thighs, so hard that I feel the burn even through the thick material of my pants.
The worst part isn’t the pain. It’s the fact that him…spankingme only servesto turn me on more.
“Stop! Enough!” I exclaim when the blows harden until Ireallystart to feel them.
“This is how shifters deal with defiant mates,” he tells me, his voice having turned slightly breathless. He stops the spanking but leaves his hand resting on my ass.
“I’m never going to be submissive!” I snap back.
His tone gentles. “I know that, Sierra. I don’t expect you to be submissive to anyone.”
That gives me pause. “You won’t demand my submission?” I ask.
