Angel hated the formal gown. Her middle was squeezed together so tight she could barely take a breath. Renna had put her in a corset. They were torture devices with laces along the back. Her breasts were probably permanently crushed in an upright position.
She couldn’t even see her feet with the yards of material that made up the skirt, not that she planned on doing much bending, with her waist and chest locked into the corset. There wasn’t a hoop that flared the skirt out, at least. She tried to be comforted by that. The gown covered everything except her hands and a small V of skin on her chest from the neck down.
The big man who escorted her to Lord Aveoth hadn’t said a word. He opened a door and stood there. She hesitated and entered, hoping that’s what he wanted, since he sure didn’t give any hints.
The room was large and had an open balcony. She could see sky and the fresh air was nice to breathe. That was, until the man standing in the center of the room drew her attention.
Lord Aveoth was a striking, yet daunting figure. His good looks would make any woman feel at a loss for words and have a difficult time summoning thoughts.
“Come closer,” he ordered.
She had a hard time taking those steps. Power seemed to radiate from him, and she knew a deadly predator when she saw one. He was lethal. She swallowed hard and tried to remember Gali’s and Renna’s advice. She stopped about six feet from him and bowed her head, lowering her gaze to the floor. Her knees bent in a curtsy before she straightened.
“Lord Aveoth.” She was supposed to say it was a pleasure to meet him but couldn’t do it. He scared her. She wanted to flee from the room.
“It was brought to my attention that Creed mated you. Did he explain why that shouldn’t have happened?”
“Yes.”
“You thought it was an acceptable risk and I’d have mercy?”
She wasn’t supposed to look directly into his eyes, but his cold, angry tone didn’t sit well with her. She raised her chin and met his glare. “No. It wasn’t planned, and I take full responsibility.”
He arched one eyebrow.
“It was my fault, Lord Aveoth.”
“You overpowered Creed and forced him to mate you?” He swept his gaze over her from head to foot. “Did he ask you to say that?”
“No. He told me to let him take the blame.. But he was vulnerable and warned me to stop touching him. I actually just about tackled him to get him back on that bed. He demanded I stop but I didn’t listen.”
“He could have forced you away from him.”
“Creed wouldn’t risk hurting me. Have you been to his lair? It’s all rock with just a thin rug carpet on the floor. There’s only a bed and a small dresser in his bedroom. I would have either hit the floor or one of the walls if he’d thrown me off him. As a human, one blow to the head against rock could kill me. He’d never risk that. I straddled him and wasn’t letting go. I did this. I didn’t understand that he was fighting the urge to mate me.”
“Why would you do that?”
“I just wanted to be with him one more time.”
“You spent the night with him. That wasn’t enough?”
“I was chained down and couldn’t touch him all night. I knew it was a onetime thing, and I’ve loved him forever. I just wanted to do all the things I’ve fantasized about. It is my fault, Lord Aveoth. Creed shouldn’t be punished for what I did.” She sucked in air. “Do you feel anything?” She stepped closer. “I love him. I finally had the chance to be with him. He was going to take me home, and I’m human…I knew it was the only time I’d ever have with him. I just…” Her voice broke. “I wasn’t willing to let him go yet. I wanted one more memory to take with me. It was going to have to last me until the day I died.”
Aveoth frowned.
“I tried to get over how I felt about Creed. I couldn’t stay with my pack, knowing he was so close but wouldn’t spend time with me. I dated other men after I left home. It didn’t work. I never got over Creed. I couldn’t stop wishing he wanted me too. Then we were together finally, and I—”
“Enough.”
She lowered her gaze. “Punish me instead. Please?” She looked at him again. “I think it’s wrong that his father could promise a hundred years of his life to someone else, but I understand it’s how your world runs. I respect that. Creed tried to keep me distanced. I threatened him. I told him I’d buy a grenade launcher and blow him out of his lair if he picked someone else to spend the night with during the ravage. I deserve to take whatever punishment you want to give him.”
His features blanked. “I don’t believe he took that threat seriously.”
“You don’t know me. You’d also be surprised at the kind of things you can buy on the internet. I meant it when I made that threat. The idea of him taking another woman up there probably would have driven me insane. I have a temper. He knows that. Please punish me instead.”
“His punishment will be a hundred lashes and encasement for ten years.”
“I know. He told me. I can’t turn to stone but I’m sure you have cells here. We have them in my pack. I’ll take the beating and the prison time. Just tell him you’ll do it to me regardless of what he does. He threatened to fall to spare my life. He’s a good man. I can’t stand the idea of him being hurt because of me. I pushed him, Lord Aveoth. I refused to listen when he told me to stop, and he was emotional. I took advantage of knowing I could get away with it because I wanted to touch him.”
“You’re human. Do you know what it would mean if you were to agree to take his hundred lashes? We’d have to do it over a period of months so it wouldn’t kill you. You’d have to heal and then take more.” He paused. “It would leave you scarred and disfigured.”
She inwardly winced. “I understand.”
“Yet you are still willing to take his punishment?”
“Yes.”
“Our cells have no light. You’d be in the dark.”
“I figured. We’re inside a mountain.”
“Yet you still offer to take his punishment?”
“Yes.”
He studied her. “Are you relying on me having mercy?”
“No. I was raised with a pack. I understand that it would cause opposition amongst your people. Lycans would challenge our alpha if they thought he was getting softhearted. They respect ruthlessness. Fear is needed to set boundaries, and those keep us safe as a whole. Every time a law is broken it could expose what we are to humans, and that puts everyone in danger. The punishment needs to be brutal enough to discourage others from even thinking about breaking a law again.”
He grew quiet. She stood there waiting for him to tell her what he’d decided. She knew he was thinking about it. The urge to hug her waist was strong but she kept her hands down at her sides and even bowed her head, staring at the floor. Minutes dragged on.
“Creed has been in service to me since his birth sixty years ago. I reviewed his accomplishments. He was sent to patrol at a younger age than normal. He spent hardly any time here at the cliffs, beyond some of the training he received.” He paused. “I was unaware of it, or I would have prevented him from being sent away at fifteen. It would have left him without the interaction he needed to fully mature the way the rest of our men do. It was also brought to my attention that he was sent somewhere on his first assignment that didn’t allow for him to have access to women. He went through the first stage of manhood without temptations to learn to control his urges.”
She glanced up, feeling hope. The callous look on Lord Aveoth’s face dashed it. She fixed her gaze back on the floor.
“I’ve taken that into consideration, as well as what you’ve said. I have an understanding of humans, and you are one, despite the way you were raised. You’re impulsive in your thinking and have no discipline when it comes to matters of the heart. I will not have Creed lashed and encased.”
She could breathe easier.
“I also think it’s distasteful to disfigure a woman, or kill one. We do value them, with our birthrate of females being so low. You are correct though. The laws must be followed, and punishment handed out when one is broken.”
The silence that followed had her stomach in knots.
“I’ve threatened to spank my mate’s bottom when she’s being difficult. I would never actually do it because it would be painful for her.” He sighed. “It won’t disfigure you or cause you more than a week or two of discomfort. I sentence you to fifty strikes with a paddle and six months of confinement.”
She was getting off easy. Her ass wouldn’t think so, but out of all the things she’d expected, it was beyond merciful of Lord Aveoth. “Thank you.”
“You don’t wish to argue with me? Beg for a less-painful solution?”
She shook her head. “No. I’m grateful.”
“You do understand that this is going to be painful? We aren’t human. You’ll be bruised and won’t want to sit. One of my men will dole out your punishment.”
She looked up at him then. “I’m keeping my head on my shoulders and Creed isn’t going to endure any pain or prison time. That’s all I care about. Thank you. Six months is much better than ten years. I will count my blessings.”
“Perhaps I was too lenient.”
Horror struck.
He suddenly smiled. “It was a joke. I just wanted to see your reaction.”
She didn’t think it was funny but kept her mouth closed.
“I’ll have you escorted to one of the chambers. I’ll send a mated male to pass down my judgment, since it wouldn’t be fair for you to remain in clothing. They’d cushion you somewhat from the pain. I apologize for any discomfort you’ll suffer at being stripped, but it won’t matter after the first few blows. You will be chained down. It will keep you from moving and keep him from accidently striking you anywhere that could do critical damage.”
The guy had a way of putting things in perspective. He got points for that. “Thank you, Lord Aveoth.”
“I do have one last question.”
She looked up at him. “What?”
“Do you get into trouble often with your pack?”
“No.”
“Thank you for answering with honesty. I spoke to your alpha. He told me you were always a well-behaved child. You may go.”
She turned, almost making it to the door before he spoke again.
“Angel?”
She stopped and turned, holding his gaze. “Yes?”
“I’ll be sure to tell Creed how you took the blame and asked to be the one punished.”
“I wish you wouldn’t. He’ll be pissed.”
He smiled. “I know. Go.”
Her shoulders slumped, and she followed her escort down the hallway. They traveled somewhere lower in the mountain. GarLycans keep in shape with the help of a lot of stairs, she deduced by the time they finally reached a door, where he stopped. He opened it and gestured her inside. She hesitated but went in. There was no use putting it off or trying to drag it out.
It was a large bedroom with a massive bed. She saw the restraint setup and wondered if many of the rooms came with chains. The door closed and she turned, realizing that her guard remained. He crossed his arms over his chest.
“Strip bare and bend over the bottom of the bed. I’ll restrain you and then guard the door until Lord Aveoth assigns someone to relieve me.”
“Are you mated?”
“I am.”
It was good enough for her. Mates didn’t cheat. He wouldn’t be interested in her as a woman. She wasn’t wholly comfortable with getting naked in front of a stranger, especially a scary one, but things could be worse. She was still alive, and whoever came wouldn’t be carrying a whip to tear open her skin.
She managed to remove all her clothing except the corset. She tried to twist to reach the ties but couldn’t. It was impossible. Renna had put her in that contraption.
“Um…”
He sighed and approached her from behind. “Hold still.”
He whipped out a dagger and just cut the lacing. She held the material over her breasts until he backed away. “Thanks.”
“Assume the position. Do you need guidance?”
She dropped the corset and kept her back to him as she walked to the end of the bed. She bent, blushing. It was embarrassing. “No. I remember it well.” She found a comfortable position lying flat on her stomach, after she went on her tiptoes so her hips were firmly curved against the soft padding. She stretched her arms straight out to the sides.
He walked around the bed and belted the restraint over one wrist, then rounded it to go to the other side. It was going to be worse if he chained her legs. One glance and he’d see more of her than she ever wanted him to. She didn’t even know his name, and wasn’t about to ask. He moved back when her arms were locked down.
“I’ll be right outside the door.” He reached into his pocket and withdrew a black handkerchief. “It will be easier for the man assigned to punish you if he doesn’t see your tears. No one enjoys striking a woman.” He bent and she closed her eyes before he tied it over her face. “Be strong for your mate. You are an extension of him.”
She listened to his footsteps retreat. The door opened and then closed. She lay there waiting. The room was chilly but she welcomed the cold. It might numb her skin a little before she got her ass paddled. It wasn’t going to be a swat on the butt from her parents. It was going to seriously hurt.
* * * * *
Creed entered the court chambers and bowed to Lord Aveoth. He glanced up, evaluating his leader’s forbidding features. Cold emanated from the GarLycan’s eyes and his body language displayed anger. It wasn’t a good sign. Creed lowered to one knee, keeping his chin tucked.
“You couldn’t wait forty years to take a mate?”
“It wasn’t planned, Lord Aveoth.”
“What would you like me to take into consideration?”
“Please have mercy on Angel. She’s merely human. She didn’t stand a chance against my strength and speed.”
“You forced the issue?”
“She couldn’t have fought me off.”
“Do you regret it? Be honest.”
“No. She isn’t taking blood from her Lycan parents. She would have aged in human years.”
“How old is she now?”
“Twenty-nine.”
“I see the problem.”
Creed glanced up, met Lord Aveoth’s glare, then lowered his gaze. “All I ask is that you spare her.”
“She won’t age now. You’ll do ten years encased and then be free to live with your mate. I can see how the punishment might have seemed worth committing the offense.”
“It wasn’t planned.”
“You decided to mate her, rather than allow her to age until you weren’t honor bound to me any longer?”
“I intended to speak to her parents and order them to give her blood, my lord.”
“You felt you could overstep family bonds to issue that order? You wouldn’t have been her mate if that was your plan.”
“I gifted her to them. They tried to have children but couldn’t. They owed me a debt. I never asked them for anything. I didn’t believe they’d deny my one request.”
“You follow the Lycans’ lives so closely to know the status of every couple? How did you know this couple couldn’t have children?”
He shook his head. “The female climbed part of my cliff. I thought she might wish to speak to me so I flew down to meet her. She never would have made it to my lair.” He paused. “The rock is too steep. I feared she’d fall to her death in the attempt.”
“And? What was so important?”
“She meant to free her mate. They’d tried to have children and she discovered the problem was with her body after seeing doctors. I talked her out of it. A mate is the one who stands by your side for life, but children leave the nest when they are grown. I felt certain she wasn’t doing her mate a favor by releasing him to find another.”
“She meant to fall?”
“Yes.”
“And you searched for a child for them to raise?”
“No. It never crossed my mind, until I spotted a fire when I flew back to my post after coming here to meet with you. It had been reported that Vampires might be in that area so I wanted to take a closer look. I found a child being abused and a woman threatening to kill her. I believed it would happen. If that not night, another. I took her, knowing I could give her to a couple that would protect and love her.”
“You felt responsible for the child after taking her to the Lycans and you kept watch over her as she grew. I understand that.”
“From a distance, and I didn’t spot her often. It wasn’t until she was older that I had any direct contact with her again.”
“Did you always feel drawn to her?”
Creed frowned, looking up again. “No. I was actually surprised she was attractive when she matured. She wasn’t when I found her.”
“That bad?”
“I couldn’t even breathe through my nose. She hadn’t been bathed and was pitiful as a child. I flew home immediately to shower and change my clothes after I gave her to the Lycan couple.”
Lord Aveoth lifted a hand, waving Creed to his feet. He rose and locked his hands behind his back. His leader drew closer but remained distanced enough to keep out of striking range. Creed noticed. It implied he wasn’t trusted.
“I spoke to Angel already. She said you threatened to fall to protect her.”
“I will.” He didn’t have to think about it. “Please spare her.”
“What of yourself? I’ll give you the option to erase this mess by taking her life. You admitted it wasn’t planned. Your bond is weak. Kill her, and you can resume your life as it was. I won’t punish you.”
Rage filled Creed. “No!”
Lord Aveoth narrowed his eyes. “Why not? You didn’t want to mate her. She’s human. That’s going to displease your father. I’m giving you the option to fix this matter.”
“I’ll fall first.” He tensed. “You can’t punish her if I’m not here to see it. Please just send her back to her parents.”
“You love her.”
“I have feelings for her.”
Lord Aveoth nodded. “You don’t sound pleased about that.”
“I would rather die than kill her. I’ll do anything to protect her.”
“Would you challenge me?”
Creed fisted his hands. “I would do anything to protect her,” he repeated.
“Do you think you could win if we clashed swords?”
“No, my lord.”
“But you’d still do it if I decided to have her killed?”
Hot rage flashed through him. “Yes. You would kill me, and there would be no reason for you to execute Angel.”
“Stand down, Creed. I won’t make you challenge me. Your Angel is safe from death.”
He relaxed and unfurled his hands.
“She demanded she take your punishment. I agreed she could.”
Creed dropped back to his knee and bowed. “I beg you not to do it! She wouldn’t survive.”
“Rise,” Lord Aveoth thundered.
Creed stood. He jerked his head up and glared at his leader. “She’ll die. She’s too fragile to be lashed. She’s also used to freedom. Her mind would snap in the dark after only a few weeks, if the blood loss doesn’t kill her.”
“I’m more than aware of human frailties.” Lord Aveoth jerked his head toward the balcony. “Walk with me.”
Creed kept his distance out of respect and followed his leader to the ledge. The sun was low in the sky, darkness near. Lord Aveoth sighed. “It’s so beautiful here, isn’t it?”
Creed nodded. He didn’t give a damn about the weather or the view. “Please,” he rasped. “I’ll give you anything, do anything to spare Angel.”
“Kelzeb told me that he shared what happened when I claimed my mate. Your father was one of the leading forces behind trying to get rid of me.”
Creed suspected he’d see no mercy for Angel or for himself then. “I was informed.”
“I hated Lord Abotorus. Killing him was a pleasure,” Lord Aveoth softly admitted. “He was a cruel father to me, and a worse mate to my mother. I wished for years that I was strong enough to challenge him, and then that day came. He planned to kill my mother. He wanted a son to replace me. I brought him shame. That’s the kind of leader he was. He would have beheaded me as soon as his new vessel birthed a healthy boy.”
He paused and crossed his arms over his chest. “I want the truth, Creed. It’s just you and I here, as two men who were raised by the same types of men. Have you ever considered challenging your father?”
Creed looked at Aveoth. “Yes.”
“Why haven’t you?”
“My mother asked me not to. It would have hurt her. But she’s no longer here. His cold indifference finally broke her heart and she died.”
“Were you tempted to come back after her death and kill him?”
“Yes.”
“And why didn’t you?”
“My life wasn’t my own to risk for personal reasons. It belongs to you. I am patient.”
“He’s the one who gifted the first hundred years of your life. You were given no choice.”
“I still have honor.”
Lord Aveoth nodded. “I now realize that. I admit to being leery at first. I don’t know much about you since you’re rarely here at the cliffs. I worried that you were like your father but you’ve proven you’re not. You’re a good man. That’s why I changed the punishment for you mating your human. I am not Lord Abotorus, nor do I ever wish to be like him. And you proved you’re nothing similar to your father when you denied my offer to kill Angel. It was a test, Creed. You passed. Kado would have agreed without hesitation to kill his own mate to save his ass.”
Creed faced his leader more. “What are you saying?”
“Your Angel is to take fifty hits to her backside with a paddle. It won’t harm her too much and no permanent damage will be done. I also am giving her six months of confinement. I agree that no woman could or should be locked in darkness. She’ll be assigned to living quarters instead of a cell.”
Creed ducked his head, feeling shame. Angel would be hurt, and she was doing it for him. “I don’t want her to suffer at all.”
Aveoth gripped his arm. “I’ve made my decision. You’ve served me well. That’s why I am choosing this exact punishment. It’s not severe.”
He nodded. “May I see her?”
“Yes. That is your punishment. You’ll be there when she’s paddled.”
It would be one of the hardest things he’d ever had to do. “I understand.”
“Will you attack the person who holds the paddle?”
“I will fight the urge. I know it would only make it worse for her and make the punishment begin anew.”
“Follow me then. She’s waiting. I’ve chosen one who is mated to do the deed.”
Creed dreaded every step that took them to the lower guest quarters for visitors to the cliffs. He knew where she was kept when he saw a guard standing before a door. Aveoth motioned the guard off and it left them alone in the corridor.
“One more thing, Creed. Someone is covering your assignment but it’s only temporary, until you leave here. I’m not letting you off your service to me for at least ten years. You know that territory and the people better than anyone, and I think your mate would appreciate being close to her parents. You may extend that time afterward if you wish, but we’ll discuss that later.”
Aveoth shifted his cloak and reached back, pulling something from his belt that had been hidden by his loose shirt. The paddle in his hand was smooth and fourteen inches long with a handle.
“I never said how hard she’d be hit. I’ll leave that to you…but at least touch her skin.” He held it out. “Fifty, Creed. Not one less. I’m going to trust you to do as I have decreed.” He paused. “Once you are done here, there is clothing inside the wardrobe. Fly her down to your lair. Avoid the internal tunnels. I don’t want any of the unmated to get a whiff of her. You’d have to fight your way home. The calling scent has been masked but it’s still faintly there. Shell be confined to your lair, and you’re to make certain she remains there until her sentence is served. You’re her guard.”
Creed was too stunned to move.
Aveoth smiled. “Do me one favor?”
“Anything.” Creed accepted the paddle. It sank in that Aveoth was going to allow him to be the one to use it.
“Pretend to be miserable until you leave the cliffs. Grumble if anyone asks and tell them I felt being mated to a human would be punishment enough.” He winked. “A lot of our people think Jill is pure hell for me. They have no idea how wrong they are. She’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
“Thank you.” Emotion choked him. Lord Aveoth had done him the greatest kindness of all. “I swear.”
Aveoth spun on his heel and walked away.
Creed closed his eyes and gripped the paddle with both of his hands. He had come home expecting the worst, possibly even death for him and Angel.
They were going to live, and not be parted. It was even a gift to be kept at his current assignment once the six months of confinement were over. Angel would get to remain with her pack, close to her parents.