Page 14 of Shifter Situations

“Sloane.”

“It’s consensual non-consent.”

I closed my eyes, shaking my head. “That’s not how this—”

“What is it that Briggs keeps calling me?” She tapped her chin as she stared at the ceiling in thought.

A smartass, I thought, but aloud I admitted, “A brat.”

“Mmm,” she agreed. “I’m not going to submit, Palmer. Not without a fight, anyway. Consider this me verbally consenting. I’ll submit… If you can make. Me.”

I growled under my breath at her defiance and started counting. Sloane shivered as she backed away, gearing up to play the prey, but I wasn’t going to chase her.

I closed the bedroom door with a sweep of my hand and snapped my fingers to form a magical dome within her room.

“Ya’ve got nowhere to run, Love.”

I stalked forward, fully aware that I’d gotten better at catching her off guard. I knew she was expecting the cuffs on her wrists. She wasn’t ready for shackles around her ankles, though.

As she stared down, stunned, I spun her. With her back pressed into my chest, I couldn’t see her expressions, but I could read her body like an open book.

Her shoulders and arms went slack while her thighs tensed ever so slightly. Flight, fight, or fuck; she couldn’t decide which route to take. I only needed that one moment of indecision.

Running the fingers of my right hand through her hair, I tugged her head to the left. The cuffs hit her wrists as she tried to pull away. The unmistakable sound of rattling chains broke the silence in the room.

I dug the fingertips of my left hand against her hip, leaning in until my lips brushed her ear. Inhaling her wildflower scent, I let my hot breath caress her skin as I thought about the scene I’d had planned.

I was going to change it now that the dome was up. I couldn’t be sure if she’d heard anything before, but the barrier should block her talents.

“Ye can be a brat, Love, but yer not the one in charge right now.”

“I haven’t submitted yet.”

“Backtalk will get ya nowhere,” I chastised, upping my count to two. “I’ll have ya beggin’ before we leave this room.”

She turned her head, dislodging my hand as she attempted to glare at me, and I tsked at her. Spanking her briefly crossed my mind again, but I knew she wouldn’t see that as a punishment.

Three.

I swirled my right index finger in the air, stringing her up in the center of her room as I tightened the chains.

Her arms were above her head in a wide Y shape, long legs slightly parted. All her weight rested on the balls of her feet.

When she jerked her arms, she lost what little slack she had.

The chains weren’t attached to anything, but I’d learned how to divide my attention years ago. Keeping my intentions true while enjoying myself was second nature at this point in my life.

“Stay right there,” I commanded, grinning as I pointed at the floor.

A light, feral-sounding growl slipped past her lips as she tracked my movements across her room.

“I’m gonna count that as four,” I mumbled to myself as I unbuttoned my shirt.

“Four what?”

Her cautious question brought me a savage sort of joy. She couldn’t read my mind inside the dome I’d created. That was the whole purpose of it, but to know it was working was exactly what I needed to begin.

“Fancy a few denied orgasms, Love? I’m in the mood for a bit of torture.”