Page 32 of Dark Revolution

“Obviously, she isn’t. I guess I’m going to have to be your shadow from now on, aren’t I, little omega?” The way he says my designation makes my tummy flip. When Caulder said it, it was a slur - slimy, angry. When my Alpha says it, it’s more like a caress.

“Jaxxon -.”

“I don’t want to hear it,” he snaps back at Langston before shoving the bags towards him. “Give her to me.” I can feel the hesitation vibrate through Langston’s arms, as if his brain is telling him to give me up, but his body is unwilling to let me go. It’s an undercurrent of discomfort that jangles my already raw nerves.

“Are you calm?”

Jaxxon’s eyes blaze as he stares at us. “I would sooner cut myself open and bleed into the earth before harming her. I could never harm my mate.” Nodding, Langston hands me over, and instead of cradling me in his arms again, he drags me over to the nearest chair and sits down, flinging me over his lap. Air leaves my lungs as I slam down over the expanse of his solid thighs. “Doesn’t mean I’m not going to put the fear of the gods into her though.”

Before I can plead my case, Jaxxon’s rough hands tear through the makeshift pants, leaving me bare to both of them. Squirming, I do my best to slide off his legs, but he holds me firm. “Langston, I believe you have more experience in discipline than I do. Please stop me if I start to go too far.”

“It’s too far!” I scream out as his fingers brush against the globes of my ass. I can’t think about the sultry burn they leave in his wake as he skims his knuckles against me. I can’t think about how badly I want him to touch me everywhere Caulder did - to rid me of the memories of his necrotic touch. Heat fills my body, driving away the chill surrounding my heart. Why is my body betraying me like this? Is estrus happening already? It doesn’t seem like it’s been that long, but then again, what exactly do I know? Nothing.

Before I can beg him to let me go, his massive hand lands against my backside in a hard swat, jarring my body. The sting is nothing compared to the humiliation filling me up until I’m about to burst. Flames lick at my cheeks as I study the floor, ignoring Langston’s shoes as he stands and watches.

I should be grateful he’s there, keeping Jaxxon from going too far, but having him see me like this is almost more than I can bear. “Cup your hand a little more. Like this.” Groaning, I surge forward, desperate to get away. It’s bad enough that he’s watching, but for Langston to also be giving tips is more mortifying than anything I ever thought possible. “Here, I’ll hold her down.”

Langston comes around to the other side and grips my ankles, keeping me in place. It doesn’t stop me from scratching at the floor as I attempt to worm myself out of their grasp. “No. Like this. Shall I show you?”

“Please do. I want this lesson to stick and stick well.”

I crane my head around, desperate to see what Langston will do to me, but Jaxxon threads his fingers into my hair, massaging my scalp for just a moment before shoving my face back towards the floor. The next blow sends my feet kicking up into the air. It’s nothing like the strike Jaxxon laid on my ass. This one jostled me from my backside up to my head.

Howling, I buck against them, screaming as a large arm lodges across my back, pinning me in place. “You will take your punishment with dignity, omega,” Jaxxon hisses, his fingers kneading and pinching my butt. I try so desperately to ignore the heat igniting me from the inside out, but his hands are like magic on my skin.

Again, another blow rains down, and I scream again, thrashing against the hands that hold me down. This strike was a little different but no less lethal. Langston again goes to my feet, holding me down as Jaxxon drops his hand against my flesh over and over. “I cannot lose you. I will not lose you. You will never put your life in danger like that again. Are we clear, omega?”

My heart stops as his words permeate my brain. It’s not my actions that seem to make him mad; it’s the fact that I put myself in harm's way. Could this mean he actually cares for me?

“I’m waiting, omega.”

“I -.” My voice cracks, thick with emotion. I can’t promise him anything, just like he can’t promise me anything. It’s far too soon. I don’t know him well enough to know he’ll never drive me to the point of running again. I take my promises seriously and never give my word lightly. “Please stop hitting me,” I sob, going limp over his thighs.

Langston lets go, and Jaxxon turns me upright, cradling me in his arms once more. “I’m not hitting you, my little omega. I’m disciplining you. There’s a difference.”

“Not to me. It hurts so badly.” He chuckles against my hair, the warmth of his breath fluttering the strands.

“It’s not supposed to feel good.” Tilting my chin up, he gazes deep into my eyes, peering straight into my soul. “I will not lose you. Ever. If I have to cause you pain to keep you safely by my side, I will. I promise it with every fiber of my being.”

My throat sticks as emotions well up deep inside me. I can’t let him get under my skin so easily, but everything inside me wants to. I want nothing more than to curl up into Jaxxon and let him take my burdens. I’ve had enough pain to know how to deal with it. I’m sure I can manage everything he throws at me, but will it be worth it to just let go? Before I can answer him, he scoops me back up and tucks the sheet around my hips.

“I take it the pants didn’t work?”

“I’ll go put them back on.”

“That’s not what I asked. Do not skirt my questions, or you’ll be back over my lap. If needed, I’m sure Langston can teach me a lot more things to do to your backside that doesn’t involve ‘hitting,’ as you so put it.”

“Forgive me, my Lord Alpha. They fit, but they’re rather tight. They would have made my escape attempt nearly impossible.”

Throwing back his head, a roar of laughter escapes his lips. “Well, thank you for being honest.” Leaning down, he rummages through some clothes until he pulls out a pair of military pants. “You will probably swim in these, but they’re a lot better than a bedsheet.”

Jaxxon lowers me to the floor as Langston turns around. The front of the sheet drops to the floor, leaving me bare to Jaxxon’s gaze. Lust flares in his eyes as he takes me in but is soon tempered by rage. I slide my gaze away from him and onto the floor, reaching forward to cover myself.

“Don’t. It’s not your body I object to, far from it, in fact.” Grabbing my hand, he slides my palm against his erection, and I gasp as it pulses at my touch. “I can’t look at you without wanting to murder the bastards that did that to you.”

“They will heal,” I murmur, pulling my hand away, but he holds my wrist firm in his grasp, grinding against me. I never thought they would be so warm. Are all cocks made this way, or is it just his? There’s no way I’ll ever find out. I can barely contain the nausea rising as his shaft pulses against me again, and he’s an Alpha I feel like I can tolerate. Langston is like a brother to me, so that’s also out.

“They should never have been put there in the first place.” Jaxxon steps back, allowing me the first full breath in a while. “Put these on. We have to leave soon.” Gone is the laughter from his eyes. They now look haunted, full of pain. I’m not the only one that’s suffered, and for a moment, the knowledge that he’s also endured pain sends a shaft of sympathy through me.