Page 40 of Mated to the Vikings

He gripped both sides of my face, his dark gaze penetrating. “Now, you receive a hard spanking.”

“No!”

“Yes. You’ve attempted to run away, endangering your life as well as mine. You’re rebellious, foul-mouthed, and you have no respect. Discipline is necessary.” He took my hand, leading me toward what could only be described as a spanking bench. The smooth wood gave way to crude-looking legs and leather straps. “You must accept that you are a part of a different world now, Cassia. I will do all I can to help guide you.”

“How can I truly accept that when I don’t understand what’s going on?”

Erik rubbed his hand across my cheek. “Time. That is all I can offer.”

My legs continued to quiver as he draped my naked body over the bench, securing my wrists and ankles, my legs spread wide and my head positioned close to the floor. I was completely helpless, but my first instinct was to struggle with my bindings, a jagged set of whimpers slipping past my lips.

I had no way of knowing what implement he’d selected, unable to see anything. I was thrown into a black pit within my own mind, struggling to comprehend the last few days. My entire world had changed, my life’s purpose nothing that I’d believed from before. I was forced to accept the fact that I’d been lied to by several people, sent on a mission that had no real hope of succeeding.

Or maybe it had.

I wasn’t prepared for the first hard thudding smack of something solid against my ass. Once, twice then four more times. “Oh, fuck!” The words exploded from my mouth much like the anguish jetting through every inch of my body.

“Relax, Cassia.”

“How can I relax?” I took several deep breaths, bracing for another round. The brush of his fingers in circles on my aching bottom did little to cut down on the wretched pain.

“This will be easier if you do.”

Erik, the Viking, the sexy barbarian who’d given me extreme pleasure had no understanding of the agonizing level of heat or pain covering my already bruised ass. When he gave me four more in rapid succession, I bit back the wild cry, furious that tears had already formed in my eyes. I could handle a spanking. I could…

When four more were issued, I squeezed my fists as well as my eyes, but the tears rolled, slipping in soft beads to the floor. I watched them one by one cascading down, falling in slow motion.

I heard the sound of his heavy breathing and the way he soothed my tender flesh was more like the gentle giant I’d known only minutes before. Even through the intense pain, the humiliation of being whipped like a bad girl, I remained as wet as before, my nipples swollen and aching. I was floored, so ashamed but there was nothing I could do. I was a slave to the ravaging hunger.

He slid his fingers down my spine before patting me on the ass with his hand. “You’re doing very well.”

I choked back a sob. “So what?”

Erik chuckled in appreciation. “You are a fighter, Cassia. I will so enjoy becoming one of your mates.”

Mate. The word stunned me, the connotations sizzling my blood. They actually believed I was going to settle down and mate with… Whoa. He’d used a plural noun. “What?” I struggled to lift my head, watching as he replaced the inch-thick solid wooden paddle with a cane of some kind.

“Yes, as is the custom.”

“You keep talking about customs. They’re not your customs, Erik. They are only those of these… simplistic creatures.” I was mortified, shaken to my core.

“You will learn that what you were told on Earth isn’t the truth. Don’t believe everything you were taught. The clans are powerful and have been around for longer than man.” Erik took purposeful strides around the bench and the single whooshing sound as the cane sliced through the air was the only preparation for the stinging sensations dancing across my ass and legs.

The truth. I no longer had a sense of any level of what might be considered the truth. Gritting my teeth, I shoved away the tears as the spanking continued, harsh strikes given to my bottom as well as the tops of my thighs.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

I lost count at twelve or maybe fourteen, closing my eyes and finally succumbing to the stern punishment.

“You need to obey at all times,” Erik stated. “There are rules you must follow.”

“Yes, sir,” I said without thinking.