Chapter Sixteen
Cassandra
Deo released me, moving to take a seat in the chair. It wasn’t until he began to sit that I realized without my even being aware of it, Draco had pulled my panties and pants back into place. Deo settled onto the cushion, looked at me, and asked, “How shall I punish you?”
This wasn’t what I’d expected to hear. With his question, I understood that the addition of Draco in our lives didn’t need to be discussed. It just was part of the life we shared. I felt my face heat, not from shame, but from excitement. “Oh, Deo, not yet. Can we talk about what I saw, first?” I asked.
“Tell me, did you enjoy it?” Deo asked, attempting to hide a smile and yet failing.
Sinking to the floor at his feet, I answered breathlessly, “Oh, yes, it was magnificent. When I peeked beyond the wall, I almost fainted from shock. Your bodies had risen above the ground, but I could barely see you with the brightly colored fog that surrounded you both. I had to pinch myself to see if I was dreaming. And then, how you spun around one another, faster and faster, the… clouds? Fog? It was growing.” I spoke barely pausing for breath. “And the iridescent colors—they were gorgeous. I’ve never seen anything like it… What were those colors? That fog?”
Smiling down at me, he answered, “Our auras. They surround us, lifting us, swirling us, transforming us.”
“Auras.” The word was unfamiliar on my tongue, strangely beautiful. I thought back, trying to find the words to describe the hues I had witnessed. “Draco’s was orange, but not bright like the fruit, more like the sunset.” I couldn’t help but wave my hands as I spoke. “And yours, Deo, it was the most beautiful color I have ever seen. A red but not as I’ve seen it before. God, it was so fiery, so—powerful.”
“Yes, it’s energy, strength, passion, anger, sexuality, ego. Draco’s, as you can probably guess, is self-control, ambition, courage.”
“I wonder what mine is,” I whispered to myself.
“Violet.”
“How do you know?” I asked curiously.
“Draco, Baal, and I saw it.”
I stared at him in awe. “When?”
“During knife play. When you threw the blade.”
“Why then? And why yours when you… changed?” I asked, then shook my head. “No, that’s not right.”
“Transformed? Shifted?” he offered with a smile. “Either is fine.”
“Shifted. Why did the aura come when you and Draco shifted, and when I was throwing the blade?”
“An aura shows itself when your physical body and your mind become one. Very close to what athletes call ‘being in the zone’, only more intense. Most of us spend our time with our mind and body separated by lifestyle, thought, our daily lives. Tell me, when you threw the blade, what were your thoughts?”
I didn’t immediately answer, giving his question serious consideration. A moment later, still perplexed, I said, “I didn’t seem to have any.”
“Which is quite unusual for you, no?” he asked with a chuckle. When I scowled at him, he shook his head. “You have to admit, your brain runs at full speed. From the habit you have of murmuring through the night, I doubt it even slows down when you are asleep.”
I rolled my eyes and then smiled. “I can’t help it… but, well, it does slow down when we are… together.”
Deo reached out, running his fingertips over my cheek, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “As it does for me, sweetheart. Recently more than ever.”
“What does my aura mean?” I asked shyly, a bit apprehensive to hear the answer.
“Spirit, wisdom, intuition. Just some of your strengths that caused me to fall so hard in love with you. Those traits have served you well in this life. You have taken it all in stride.”
I wasn’t so positive I had, wasn’t sure what to say, but with his next question, the excitement about what I’d witnessed returned.
His brow knitted with curiosity. “Cassandra, could you tell which wolf was me?”
Looking straight into his eyes, I gave him a confident, “Yes. When the smoke… I mean, your auras… cleared, and you both stood there, as wolves, I knew instantly which one was you. You were the black one. Your fur was jet black, almost blue, and the way it shone was so beautiful. Draco’s coat was a chocolaty brown, like his hair, but with an otherworldly sheen to it. It was almost like a magenta that seemed to flash with green, gold, and purples as he moved.” I shook my head at the memory of the sight.
“It wasn’t just the shades of fur that told me which one you were. When you started to trot into the woods, I was sure it was you, just by the way you carried yourself. You had that same air of authority that you have as a man. It was breathtaking to see. Deo, you were slightly smaller than Draco, but, God, you both were far larger than any wolf I’ve ever seen. You… both of you, were huge. Almost as tall as me, and your shoulders, so broad.”
“That’s because we aren’t wolves you or anyone would be familiar with. Not in this century. We are a species similar to the dire wolves, only larger, our strength evolving with time.”
I nodded, knowing that there had been magnificent beasts roaming this Earth long before man made his appearance. “I wanted to follow you as you disappeared into the woods—to touch you.” I looked down at my boots, wondering if I should admit that I’d really wanted to climb onto his back, to stroke his fur, to feel his breath on me as I stared into what had seemed the largest, most ancient, all-knowing eyes I’d ever seen. Instead, I shared another detail that I remembered.
“When I inched forward—beyond the wall—to get a closer look, that was when I saw that your belts were no longer around your waists, but draped across your chests. Roman soldiers wore their belts that way. They were called baldrics; the buckles were ornamental, depicting their courage, their bravery in battle.”
He nodded, his hand dropping to the buckle at his waist. “The belts were crafted decades ago by my family and passed down through generations. We all have certain powers, but without the buckles, the talismans, we are unable to transform, to fight. In order to shift, we remove our belts and wear them like a sash, a baldric if you prefer, bringing the buckle to our left shoulder and clasping it.”
“I’ve never heard of any legend that came close to what you experience. In my studies of Greek literary, I’ve read mentions of werewolves, and gods use lycanthropy as punishment. But nothing of men turning to wolves as a gift of power.”
“Transforming to wolf with a belt is not a completely unknown fable. In several German versions of this story, the belt is made from the skin of a wolf—ours are not. Just ordinary cow leather. If the buckle is destroyed, the ability to transform disappears though.” He moved his hand from the buckle to run his fingers through my hair. “Anything else you would like to know, my dear?”
Considering something, I tilted my head to the side. “How is it that you can become such huge creatures and yet when you shifted back, your clothes weren’t torn to shreds like in the movies?”
Deo shook his head. “Reality is quite different than the fantasy of film. I suppose a director somewhere decided it was scarier to show some poor excuse for a wolf standing there, snarling with tendrils of cloth fluttering where his clothing had been. I don’t know exactly how it’s possible, the entire process is beyond comprehension, and yet it is what it is.”
I fought not to giggle at the entire fantasy versus reality concept. I’d just witnessed something I would never have truly believed without seeing it with my own eyes. Losing the battle and giving a soft laugh, I ran my eyes up his body, just now realizing he was wearing a tee shirt and jeans rather than his usual suit. My fingertips lightly stroked his hard thigh. “I don’t know about scarier as it was amazing to watch you shift, but just the thought of you both coming back stark naked, well…” I couldn’t suppress the quiver that ran through me at the vision my mind had conjured, the image of both these Greek demi-gods striding out of those trees in nothing but their God-given glory. My nipples hardened and I felt my panties dampen. When my fingertips touched something that twitched beneath them, I snatched my hand off the bulge in his jeans, my face flooding with heat. No matter how many times it happened, I still felt embarrassed that my body betrayed me with thoughts of sex at the most inappropriate times. I looked up to see his eyebrow cocked as I began to back-pedal. “Of course, I didn’t see you naked… I mean, shift back. That was when Andrew found me and dragged me back to the castle.”
“And I am glad that he did, naughty girl.” Reaching across the small space between us, he took my chin in his fingertips, tilting it, returning my gaze to his. Giving me a rueful grin, he said, “Besides, can you imagine the cost if a new wardrobe was required every time a member of a pack shifted?”
I smiled, grateful he was ignoring my embarrassment and yet it brought us to a burning question I had to ask. “I’ve found that I love it here. I feel as if I almost belong here more than I do in a courtroom. But I miss the house. Especially since you and I have stopped fighting. I can’t remember what it feels like to be in our home, together, happy.”
“We will be back. We will go home, together, when this is all over, baby. You have my word.”
“And… Draco?”
He smiled. “And our new way of marriage will go with us,” he said, reaching down to press his palm against my cheek. “You will be taken in hand whenever necessary. We will be man and wife, but, unless you tell me now that you don’t feel the love for Draco that I—that he believes is within you, then our number will become three, not just two.”
“But… is it wrong? I mean, what will people think. Two men and me…”
Deo didn’t answer until he’d pulled me up, setting me on his lap, his arms around me. “Does it matter what others might think when it is what we all feel is right?”
“Why now, Deo? I mean, you never said anything and I never considered being—”
“Shared?” he provided when I wasn’t sure what word to use to describe what seemed to be a part of my life now.
“Yes, I suppose, though, how much are we… sharing exactly? Is Draco only going to… participate in my discipline or will he also… I mean, I don’t want you to ever feel that I don’t love you, don’t want you. I do… very much…” I finally stopped, damning my Irish blood as I knew that my face had to be as red as my ass most likely was after the paddling I’d received.
He bent and kissed me softly before caressing my cheek with his fingertip. “Love is a gift, Cassandra. I will treasure it always, but I want you to know that this is not that unusual in our culture. Do you remember Uncle Artem speaking of marriage and mates? Did you wonder why he didn’t say a husband and wife?”
I did remember and nodded. “Yes, but… well, his accent is strong and I thought I just heard him wrong. I never considered he could mean… a ménage. That is what he meant, isn’t it?”
“Yes, and, as I said, it is not uncommon though I admit I’d not considered it until I watched you… and Draco, apart and together. There is a love there, a trust that is strong. A pack is closer than most families. Our survival has been dependent on that since time began. Don’t worry about what will happen. Just let it come naturally.” Deo cupped my face with his hands. “Know that what Draco said is true. We know you will have questions, and we will answer them honestly. Nothing will happen that makes you uncomfortable. Okay?”
When I opened my mouth, he chuckled. “Let me clarify that. Discipline does not count. The fact that it is uncomfortable is a simple fact of life. What I mean is, we both love you and you us. The three of us will work it out together.”
I nodded, wondering so many things, but knowing that I trusted both men, loved both men. I’d just have to wait to see what happened. Smiling, I pressed my palm against his chest. “Speaking of uncomfortable, please finish my punishment so that I can be forgiven.”
He nodded and though I’d asked to continue, my heart began to beat faster and my bottom began to throb as he set me off his lap before he stood as well.
“Am I not punishing you hard enough? Is that why you require such frequent attention?”
Why my hands went behind my back to cup my tender cheeks when that move hadn’t saved them the first time, I didn’t know, but they did. I looked down at the floor and whispered, “No.”
Taking my face in his hands again, he forced my gaze to meet his. “Why then?”
I shrugged. “I guess I’m just… naughty,” I answered honestly.
Chuckling, he released his hold. “That you are, my lovely. And what happens to naughty girls?”
“They get spanked.”
“Yes, that’s right. But today, a spanking will not suffice, I’m afraid. You need something to remind you of your requirement of obedience.” He walked a slow circle around me. “You have been quite defiant, haven’t you?”
It made me very nervous when he stopped behind my back. I could practically feel his eyes boring through my hands that still cupped my ass, which was clenching helplessly. I felt his hands on mine, pulling them away, pressing them to my sides.
“Now, answer my question. How. Should. You”—he ran his fingers lightly over my bottom—“be punished?” he asked, causing me to yelp when he pinched my ass.
A delicious shiver ran down my spine. I would never understand my body’s reactions if I lived to be a hundred.
“I don’t know,” I answered honestly. We both knew I’d already been spanked and paddled.
“Then I guess I am left to my own devices.” He ran his fingertips over the curve of my bottom. “You will be thoroughly spanked.” He paused, pinching the sensitive skin of my ass again. “Then you will be taken to the kitchen.”
“The kitchen? For what?” I asked, confused at the statement.
“I believe instead of straight to bed and dinner in your room, you would best learn obedience at the hands of Margaret. You will help her serve dinner.”
“No,” I groaned, glimpsing over my shoulder at him. “She hates me.”
“Turn around,” he growled.
I instantly turned back, not wanting to add to my punishment.
“Margaret does not hate you,” he added more softly.
“She does,” I protested quietly.
“Are you contradicting me, young lady?” This time, he grabbed both of my cheeks with his hands, squeezing the tender globes hard.
Rising to my tiptoes, I quickly answered, “No! No, sir!”
“Good. Now bend yourself over the arm of that chair again.”
Facing the chair, I shot a pleading look at him, to which he replied, “Draco punished you for leaving the table. I’m going to punish you for leaving the castle wall. Know that it was your choice to do both, and our choice to bend you over the same chair to accept atonement for that choice. If you didn’t want to be thrashed, you should have obeyed. Over now.”
I bent forward, but when I attempted to slide my arms beneath the cushion, I felt his hand on my shoulder. “No. I want you to brace on your forearms so that you can push your ass up and out for me.”
Once I was positioned as he required, I couldn’t help but whimper when I heard the sound of his belt sliding from its loops. I had a love/hate relationship with that strip of leather. I loved the fact that it helped my husband transform into a beautiful creature and yet hated that it was capable of laying lines of pure fire across my nates. I saw him fold the strap in half, his fist closing around the buckle. I saw his arm lift and turned my face away, staring down at the cushion, crying out when the leather cracked against my ass for the first stroke, but remained in position.
“Good girl,” he murmured, the belt coming down again with a loud thwack.
“How many more times will I have to take my belt to you before you learn to obey?”
Whimpering, I replied, “Please, I will never—”
Thwack. He brought the belt down, marking my words as well as my bottom.
“I promise I will not leave the castle wall,” I pleaded.
He brought the belt down two more times. I was up on the tips of my toes, trying to decide which I preferred—Draco’s quick delivery of the punishing strokes of the paddle, or Deo’s slow application, pausing between each stroke as if to make sure each line of fire had its own moment of glory to burn into my flesh. My cry was louder at the next fall of leather, effectively driving the question from my mind. What did it matter? Both men were experts on making me regret my choice to disobey.
“I’m sorry,” I shouted, my hips jerking from side to side in a useless effort to cool the burn blazing in my ass. “I’m so, so sorry, sir!”
“You took those well, little one. Shall we switch to my hand?”
“Yes, please,” I begged, staying in position.
“You may get up.”
I stood, jumping from foot to foot and trying not to reach behind me to rub my burning bottom. I knew I must look awful, my hair tangled and messy, my nose running, my eyes shimmering with the tears yet to be shed.
Deo seemed not to notice, walking around to take a seat and spreading his legs. I moved to stand before him, leaning against his thigh. He took my hands and gave them a squeeze.
“It pains me to hurt you but, without the punishment, I can’t be sure you will obey. With a good, proper spanking, I know you will think twice the next time you are faced with the temptation to cross the wall. Am I correct in my thinking?”
I so wanted to disagree, but knew that I’d be lying. Knowing my answer would solidify the sorry state of my already sore behind, I paused a moment before nodding.
“Words, Cassandra.”
Unable to meet his eyes, I gazed at my feet, whispering, “Yes, sir.”
“Let’s take these pants down, shall we?”
I groaned, having hoped that since he’d not instructed me to lower my clothing when he’d had me bend over the chair that perhaps I would be allowed to retain the thin barrier for the entirety of his discipline. Instead, he grasped the elastic waist, and pulled the black stretch pants down, taking my panties along for the journey. I felt my face heat as his eyes roved over my body, knowing that if he asked me to spread my legs, he’d find me wet.
“Let’s finish this, shall we? Over my lap, babygirl.”
Giving him one last pitiful look, I moaned as I bent over his spread thighs. Clutching his ankle, I hung on while my husband added his own layer of red to the crimson that I was sure my bottom boasted. I pleaded, I cried, I shouted, but I never once asked him to stop. I was hard-headed, far from perfect, and yet ever since Deo had first taken me over his knee and spanked me, I knew beyond a doubt that no matter how disobedient I was, how many times I made the wrong choice, this man would be able to bring me back by turning me over his lap and thrashing my ass. It didn’t make sense really, but, well, to be honest, this was what I craved, what I needed to feel loved, complete… grounded if you will.
After making sure every inch of my ass and the backs of my thighs were hot, throbbing, and burning, Deo gave me his next order.
“Spread your hot little cheeks for me.”
Swiping my tears off my face with my fingers, I moaned. I had to wonder if there were scouts in Greece as it appeared my husband was always prepared. “Please, Deo, it’s so embarrassing,” I said, my face burning as I watched him apply lubricant to the plug he pulled from his pocket.
“Yes, you should be embarrassed at being so naughty,” he said, flipping the lid closed on the bottle. “Now, show me your little puckered hole so I can fill it.”
With a groan, understanding he could make it even more mortifying from just his choice of words alone, I pulled my buttocks apart and shut my eyes. My breath caught in my throat as I felt the tip of the plug nudge against that secret part of me that I was displaying to this man. The groan I attempted to bite back escaped as the plug began its entry. I’d been plugged before, and Deo had fucked me in my ass, but each time it was as if it was the first… the embarrassment, the very taboo nature of the act causing my face to burn even as the stretch required to accommodate the foreign object caused my bottom hole to burn as well.
Like his discipline, Deo took his time inserting the punishment plug. It slowly pushed inside, with steady pressure and a few rotations just to assure that I couldn’t ignore what was happening. With a final gasp, I gave a sharp cry as the widest part of the plug overpowered my body’s futile attempt to keep it out and the plug sank fully into my bottom, the flange nestled between my throbbing cheeks.
“You’ll hold this throughout dinner. Maybe the knowledge that your ass is full will keep your attitude sweet and submissive as you work with Aunt Margaret.”
I wasn’t about to argue. I had no doubt that there were additional plugs, bigger ones, just waiting to teach me his lessons, but I was certainly in no hurry to exchange the one currently residing between my cheeks for another. “Yes, sir,” I said softly, submission already flowing through every cell in my body.
* * *
Despite my belief that Aunt Margaret disapproved of me, I had to give the woman credit. She didn’t say a single word about why I was invading her private domain. With just a nod, she accepted me as she gave a few verbal instructions for me to follow as we prepared dinner. Of course, she didn’t trust me to actually prepare anything that would go into the mouths of her loved ones, but she did allow me to wash, peel, chop, and stir ingredients that she turned into a magnificent meal.
“You will do,” she said as she handed me a tray of dishes, nodding at the door.
It wasn’t a true compliment to be sure, but I felt immense pleasure. “Thank you,” I said, moving past her, hoping that no one would notice I was walking a bit stiffly or heard the soft moan I was unable to stifle when I finally slid into my chair. Looking up, I saw Draco shoot a glance toward Deo before turning to meet my gaze. The moment I saw his grin, I knew my guardian was well aware of my condition. And now, knowing that Draco loved me, would also step up and take me in hand, I couldn’t feel more blessed. Neither could I help but wonder what it would feel like to be taken by him… by both these men at the same time. Among these people, between these two men, I felt more a part of this unusual family—this incredible pack—than ever before. This was exactly where I wanted to be.