Page 4 of Their Marked Mate

“Are you really no better than Babcock?” Luna cried. Nate moved closer as the argument escalated, but Luna was too angry to care. The hybrids had valid reasons to be resentful, but that didn’t justify what Alex was trying to do.

“You helped create this complication and now you will help resolve it,” Alex stated emphatically.

“Like hell I will.” She lifted her chin and fisted her hands, more than ready for a fight.

Suddenly, Nate gripped the back of her hair and Alex stood directly in front of her. Luna twisted and kicked, trying to punch the beta. Nate wrapped his arm around her, trapping her arms against her sides.

“I tolerate disrespect from no one,” Alex informed her. “This will be the first of many lessons, I suspect.”

Luna continued to struggle but her efforts were wasted. Nate was strong enough to control her easily. “There is nothing you can do or say that will make me help you.”

“We’ll see about that,” Alex growled and Nate bent her over the side of a nearby table. Her torso rested against the wooden top and her legs were fully extended. Alex casually untied the drawstring on her pajama bottoms and pulled them down around her knees. Her panties soon followed, but the bastard took his time, exploring her naked flesh as he lowered the undergarment.

Luna held perfectly still. She knew enough about the hybrids to understand his motives. He was trying to intimidate and humiliate her. His touch felt good, shockingly so if she were honest, but she would not allow the unwanted responses of her body to control her thinking. His long fingers eased between her thighs and Luna sucked in a breath. It had been so long since anyone touched her intimately, so long since a good, hard orgasm swept reality away.

“Rydaria is not Earth. We play by different rules and the rules are absolute.” Alex brushed his fingertips over her folds as he spoke. His voice was deep and caressing. “The sooner you accept that fact, the easier life will be for you.”

Alex pushed two of his fingers into her pussy and Luna went wild. She twisted and reared, tugging frantically against Nate’s restraining hold. “Stop it! You do not have permission to touch me.”

A chuckle rumbled through the alpha’s chest. “I don’t need permission.” He slid his fingers in and out. His touch was bold and possessive, as if he had every right to handle her any way he pleased. “I claim you as my property. You are mine to punish, mine to fuck, and mine to share with anyone I choose.”

“Never,” she sneered, teeth tightly clenched. Already carnal need had begun to gather deep in her core, but she refused to give in to his manipulation.

He chuckled again, then slowly withdrew his fingers.

Twisting around to look behind her, Luna tried to determine why he’d changed his mind. His expression was grim, but his eyes burned with predatory fire. Instinctively sensing danger, she began to struggle all over again. Nate’s hands tightened, holding her down against the table.

Alex slapped her naked bottom and Luna gasped. She was no stranger to pain, but being spanked like an errant child triggered a shocking rush of emotion. Humiliation warmed her face and her inability to move made her feel helpless and vulnerable.

“You were sent here for a reason.” His hand fell fast and hard, moving back and forth with punishing speed. “Your education and skill contributed to the life we are forced to live. That same skill set will now enable you to make our lives better. You will assist with the transformation, or you will become my whore. Those are the only options I will allow you.”

An exasperated cry tore past Luna’s throat. “You’re a goddamn bully! You’re all bullies!”

Over and over Alex spanked her bare bottom. Each slap impacted her flesh with a bright burst of pain then heat crept across her skin and sank deep into her muscles. Luna tugged against Nate’s hold, desperate to escape the unjust punishment.

“Apologize for being disrespectful or this session will escalate.” Alex emphasized the warning with three sharp slaps to each bottom cheek.

Luna clenched her fists and shook her head. “I don’t owe you a damn thing. I’m not part of your pack.”

“No, you’re my bed slave until I say otherwise.” He bent and dragged her pajama bottoms off her wildly kicking legs. He ripped her panties off next and then spanked her even harder. “If you continue to defy me, I’ll punish you with my cock. And I won’t shove it in your pussy. I’ll fuck that tight little ass so hard that you’ll feel it for days.”

“Bring it on,” she snarled. “I’m not afraid of you.”

* * *

Claws bit into the palms of Alex’s hands and his eyes burned as his wolf threatened to take control. Strong emotions always drew his wolf to the surface, and his emotions were raging right now. Luna was the most exasperating female he’d ever encountered. She was also the most intriguing. His wolf had been agitated ever since Alex walked into the clubhouse. He wasn’t sure if this was the start of mating fever, but Luna was definitely the cause.

She wasn’t beautiful in the traditional sense of the word. Her coloring was too dramatic, her style too avant-garde. Her jet-black hair had been cut into a shaggy bob that just brushed her shoulders. Her alabaster skin was flawless, smooth, and touchable. Her lips had been tinted mauve and overt liner accented her vivid blue eyes. He wasn’t sure if the cosmetics were permanent, but she’d had no way of reapplying them since her capture and yet the enhancements never changed. And her body. Alex could find no fault with her shape. She was tall and willowy, with high round breasts and a fabulous ass. What more could any male want?

Shaking away the distraction, Alex focused on the emotions of his irrational captive. He clearly smelled fear and yet she continued to defy him. Well, her rebellion urged his wolf to take control, to chase down and subdue his wayward mate. Alex took a deep breath and reversed the partial shift through sheer force of will. If there was even a chance that he could claim Luna as his mate, he needed to handle her carefully.

If all he sensed from her was defiance, he might have followed through with his threat to fuck her ass. Complete domination was a harsh punishment, but this standoff would continue until Luna gave in because Alex didn’t have that option. The survival of his people depended on convincing this stubborn woman to finish what Babcock started, so Alex could not show her mercy. At least not yet.

Alex kicked her feet farther apart then pushed his hand in between her thighs. Her folds were slick and swollen. Despite the fear he sensed, she was clearly aroused. A smile curved his lips, but he kept his voice low and gravelly.

Sliding his fingers in between her nicely rounded cheeks, he positioned his middle finger against her puckered hole. “Will you assess the formula or is my cock going to stretch this tight hole?” He pushed firmly, forcing his finger just inside her reluctant opening. “Choose right now.”

“Fuck me,” she snapped, her muscles clenching around his finger. “I want you to.”