Page 67 of Feast

“What am I being punished for?” Ika demanded.

“What do you think? Didn’t I tell you if you tried to escape you would receive another thrashing?”

“Oh…”

It was true. Thusar had said that. But somehow Ika had thought the situation had changed. Many things had happened in the intervening hours.

Thusar seemed to read her thoughts.

“I am an ukkur of my word, Ika. It is my duty as the leader of this pack. If I say I’m going to do something, then it is necessary for me to follow through. And this goes double for you. I must teach you that I do not make idle threats.”

Ika’s naked behind heated with the memory of her previous thrashing. It was all she could do to keep her legs from shaking in fear.

“I believe you, Thusar,” she whimpered.

The pack leader shook his head.

“That’s not good enough, Ika. If I don’t follow through on the rules I set for you, it will only set a bad precedent. I must train you, Ika. I must train you to obey me, even if it hurts.”

Thusar’s lips curved upward in a wicked smirk.

“But this time I will grant you one small mercy, Ika. I will allow you to choose the implement of your punishment.”

Ika’s pulse quickened. The blood sped in her veins.

“What do you mean?”

Thusar gestured casually toward the side of the cave where a pile of sticks and twigs had been gathered. Leftover kindling for the fire.

“Go to that pile and pick out a switch.”

“A switch?” Ika gasped.

“That’s right. Tonight I’m not going to use my hands to discipline your defiant little backside. I’m going to use a stick instead. Now go over there and pick one out.”

Ika shivered.

Getting spanked by Thusar’s hand yesterday had been humiliating enough. The thought of him whipping her behind with a stick was almost too much to bear. But she had no choice. If she defied Thusar now, she ran the risk of earning an even heftier punishment.

Without a word, Ika crossed to the pile by the wall.

A minute ago, this had looked like nothing more than an innocuous collection of sticks. Now, however, each one looked like a little weapon. As Ika flicked her eyes from one stick to another, she imagined the stinging mark each one would leave on her behind.

“Thusar…” she whined plaintively.

“Pick out a switch, Ika, or I will pick one for you.”

Ika tried to swallow. She stooped, and after a bit of searching, she snapped off the tiniest, thinnest twig she could find and held it out to Thusar.

The pack leader scoffed.

“That’s not a switch, Ika. Hell, that’s practically a splinter. Now pick out a proper switch, and if your next choice does not please me, I’ll pick one of my own.”

Ika felt a scorch of anger in her chest.

“That’s not fair,” she cried. “Now you’re just changing the rules.”

Thusar let out a low, rumbling sigh and started to get to his feet.