13. Funishment
13
FUNISHMENT
JADE
I fill everyone in on what happened with my grandmother-mother and who I really am.
With the confirmation that I’m part demon and fae, Maxum says, “If you wish, I can reach out to a few demons I’m still in contact with and see if we can find your father.” Something in his demeanor tells me he doesn’t think this is a good idea.
“No. Not yet,” I decline his offer that feels too dangerous to pursue. “We would only bring him into this mess if we found him.”
“He might be able to help,” Arran suggests.
“I doubt it.” The bitter pang of abandonment hits me hard in the chest. “If he wanted to find me, I’m sure he could have found a way around his own spell. After all, Galiana got to me. Besides, I don’t want to waste energy if he’s not even alive.”
Maxum grimaces as if he’s upset by my negativity, but ultimately agrees. “And we might be also drawing unwanted attention if we put feelers out.”
His energy seems to fold in on itself.
I need to get Maxum alone so we can talk about us and how he feels. I don’t think asking him around everyone else around is a good idea.
Although I’m always stuck with an audience for my most private moments. Osen is around for everything since he’s conscious and aware, probably even when I’m not.
That brings up a good question. “Osen, are you paying attention, even when I’m asleep?”
“Yes. If anything were to go wrong when you were sleeping, I’d wake you. And if I couldn’t wake you, I’d get you to safety and wait for you to come around.”
I’m relieved and reassured that someone is always looking out for me. Then I chuckle to myself—Osen is the ultimate stalker.
I glance at Calder and force myself to hold his gaze. I vocalize the strange urge I’ve had. “I need to go to your death spot.”
“What?” He jumps up, and his eyes go wide. “Why?”
“Because I feel guided to do that. Drawn there.” I soften my voice and check in with him. “Do you think you can handle going back?”
“I… I don’t know. Maybe.” He runs his hands through his hair and pulls on the strands. “Do you think it will help me?”
“I don’t know. But when I’ve had feelings like this, they usually lead to something big.”
“ Okay ,” Calder mumbles and paces. Then he regains his nerve and straightens his shoulders. “Yeah, let’s do this.”
“Hold the fuck up. Not so fast.” Maxum puts his hands up as if we’re bolting out the door already. “You aren’t going anywhere right now.”
I don’t like being told what I can do. It feels too much like Rob controlling me again. And my finding out how my mother and father manipulated and controlled me… And with Maxum’s strange energy since he found out I’m a demon… I’m not in the mood for this bossiness.
“I’ll do what I need to do,” I snap.
“You need to explore your powers a bit more before we run off into the world.” Maxum clenches his jaw in irritation. “If Galiana or Rob show up, I won’t have you completely unprepared.”
Dammit, he’s right about the threats I face. But I’m still going to push for this since I don’t want to become someone’s puppet again.
“You can’t just order me around. My gut tells me going there is a part of how I figure out how to use the magic I have.”
Maxum strides over to where I’m perched on Flint’s lap. He cradles my chin and leans down, staring into my eyes just inches away. “I’m not rushing to leave our safe haven if we don’t have to. As much as I want Calder to be healed, I won’t risk your well-being, running off half-cocked.”
I nod with a smirk, feeling extra spicy. I cross my arms and sass, “Come on, I’ve recently been fully cocked. So stop arguing with me and get on board. We are going .”
“No.”
My hackles rise. “I will do whatever the fuck I want.”
Maxum narrows his obsidian eyes, fire burning in their depths. With a calculated, even tone that sends chills up my body, keeping his eyes zeroed in on me, he says, “Flint, your mate needs a bit of punishment to remind her who the leader of this pack is.”
My gargoyle holds me tighter. “What kind of punishment?”
“A spanking.” Maxum grins wickedly. “She wants to act like a brat, then I’ll meet that accordingly.”
Why does his fiery gaze send a thrill down my spine? I’ve forgotten what I was arguing about.
Flint must sense my interest because he releases his hold. “Then we should all watch,” he says with a glint in his eye.
Maxum breaks my gaze to eye him appreciatively for a moment. “I’m loving this new side of you, brother.”
I pout at Flint since he’s offered me up. But I’m blushing, thinking about how I love the new dynamic too. “You’re just making up an excuse to punish me.”
“That’s not it,” Maxum breathes in deeply and adds, “well, not exactly.”
My demon sits down on one of the dining chairs and pats his knee. I feel the bond thread between us flare back to life. He enjoys me challenging him, but I sense his worry too.
Sure, I’ve written and read plenty of scenes like this, but I never had more than a sloppy swat on the ass during sex. I never had a lover I trusted or wanted to play with before now. My heart is pounding more than I expect.
Glancing around the room, I see Arran leaning forward, his corded forearms braced on his thighs. By the smirk on his handsome face, he is highly interested in this display. Even Calder has heat simmering in his eyes. Although his head is lowered and he’s looking through his eyelashes as if he shouldn’t really be watching.
When my gaze lands on him, he nods to the door. “I can leave.”
“You don’t have to.” I walk over to my crimson demon. Before I surrender to my funishment, I say, “Unless you aren’t comfortable.”
Calder shakes his head and the auburn locks fall forward and over his brow, giving him a roguish appearance.
I take the last step to Maxum. He’s looking deadly serious now as I stand between his muscular thighs.
“You think this is going to be a sweet, little punishment, don’t you?”
I swallow and take a half step back.
He snatches me by the waist and has me face down over his lap before I can blink.
“It’s gonna hurt, little witch.”
“I’m not just a witch anymore!” I huff. “And I didn’t do anything wrong yet!”
“Oh, I heard your admission of insubordination . ” He pulls down my pajama bottoms along with my underwear, exposing me to the room.
His hand comes down swiftly over my right cheek.
“Ow!” I jerk and instinct has me squirming to get away.
His thumb sweeps over my ass. “Oh, yes, I knew you’d mark beautifully.” He rubs the sensitive sting out and says, “Do you know why you’re being punished?”
“Cuz you’re a meanie,” I answer.
Smack! Dang it, that really smarts.
“Try again,” he orders.
“Because you’re a grumpy demon?”
“No.” Smack! “You’re willing to risk yourself for some intuition. I’m not just your potential mate, more importantly, I’m your pack leader now. You accepted that by bonding with my pack members. And none of us can run off without thinking through our actions. Look where that recklessness got Osen? Killed.”
“But I want to help… Do something.” I’m frustrated now. “I won’t be controlled. Not anymore.”
His hand soothes me up and down my back. “I understand. And your voice is important and valued as much as the rest of us. And you will help, but when the time is right. When we all agree. When we are prepared.” Maxum’s voice is cracking with pain. “Do you know what I would do if I lost you? If we lost you?”
I didn’t think asking to go to Calder’s death spot was completely impulsive and ridiculous, but was it? I refocus to answer his question, “Uh… you’d be upset.”
“No.” Smack! “We’d be devastated. Without you, we would die.”
“I…” Tears are gathering in my eyes, partly from the sting of his swats and partly thinking about how they would suffer without me. Then another level of pain slams into my heart. “No one really cared about me before.”
Not even the woman who raised me really cared. My mother—or rather, my older sister—never showed me much affection or concern. And now, looking back with my new knowledge, when the spell was lifted, she resented and despised me. When I left home at eighteen, that was it, there was no more contact.
Maxum must sense my shift in emotions. Instead of giving me another swat, he curls over my body and hugs me. “That changes now. You have me. Flint. Arran.”
“Me,” Osen whispers in my head.
Calder clears his throat and says, “And me.”
My head whips up to look him in the eye. What I see surprises me—adoration. How did he change his feelings toward me so quickly? I guess after I stopped being his enemy, his hate shifted into something else.
Maxum sits back, and his hand caresses my ass. “Did you learn your lesson?” He asks.
“Yes.”
“Then I’m going to make you come now.”
Relief overwhelms me and I almost come with his promise. “Yes, please,” I say, still gazing into Calder’s eyes.
Smack!
I whimper with the burn.
Maxum’s fingers slide down over my crack to my exposed pussy. His fingers sink into my folds, then inside me. “So wet for us. And so perfect since you’re healing like a supe now.”
With his observation, I realize the soreness I should feel from Flint’s cocks and our bonding ceremony is non-existent. Well, this solves a significant problem that having a harem would cause.
Magically resilient pussy… check.
“Just have to remember to stay hydrated,” Osen chimes in with amusement.
“Then that’s your job,” I quip back. “Water boy.”
I hear his chuckle.
Calder kneels in front of me. I brace my forearms on Maxum’s thigh to look him in the eye.
His gaze drops for a moment to my cleavage. My tits are about to fall out of my shirt. Then he searches my face for a moment. “I crave to capture and swallow all your whimpers and moans.” He brushes away a stray lock of hair and tucks it behind my ear. “But I don’t feel I’ve earned the right.”
“You saved my life twice now. Once in the alleyway and then hiding me from Rob in the bunker. But if you’re with me, you should know it isn’t about owing you favors or earning my affection. I want you to touch me… kiss me…” Should I say it? “I want more when you’re ready.”
“And I want more with you… when I’m ready.” Calder then glances at Flint, Arran, and Maxum to judge their reactions. He must see something in their eyes that gives him the encouragement to lean forward and claim my mouth.
His kiss consumes any worries I might have. Calder is passion and fire, pent up need just like my other mates and desperate to channel into someone.
Fuck yeah, I’ll be that for them.
Maxum’s long, thick fingers sink into my cunt, and I clench around them.
There’s some movement in the room, and then I feel a tongue fondling my clit, working around Maxum’s hand. I’d know that talented tongue anywhere—Arran.
“Why do you taste like rock candy?” I hear him whisper when he pulls back.
I’m about to break my kiss with Calder to answer, but right next to my ear a deep voice of my gargoyle says, “That would be my cum.” Then he frees my tit, squeezing and rolling my nipple.
“Goddess damn.” Arran frantically laps at my inner thighs and pussy.
I groan happily into Calder’s mouth.
“That’s it, baby,” Calder whispers over my lips. “Let me hear your pleasure. And I told you Arran had a sweet fang. He won’t ever leave your pussy alone after Flint cums inside you.”
A shiver runs down my spine and my pussy flutters around Arran’s probing tongue that has replaces Maxum’s fingers.
Maxum reaches around and works my clit, and I detonate.
My body spasms and arches against Maxum’s lap. I cry out in bliss into Calder’s hungry mouth. Arran’s clawed hands clamp down on my ass as he licks up my release.
I tremble for a few minutes before I collapse like a wet noodle over Maxum’s strong thighs.
“See! Birdman likes licking faces!” my bunny Sage yells out in triumph.
“She’s not wrong,” Calder says with a blush and a wink.
My demon lifts me up and carries me the short distance to the bed, setting me down in the center. “You need more rest.”
I yawn and feel the hazy contentment and exhaustion hit me again.
I hear Flint, Arran, and Calder whispering out in the main room, but I don’t pay it much mind. I’d pay more attention, but I don’t think they’d give Calder a hard time about kissing me and joining in.
Arran slips into the bed next to me, fully back in his human form. He smiles that megawatt smile that could ignite panties. Pulling me to him, he kisses me sweetly.
Flint curls up against my back.
“Everything okay?” I tilt my head toward the main living area.
“Yeah. Calder was just checking in with us.” He skims his thumb over my cheek. “And I was demanding some snuggle time. I missed you last night.”
“We’re going to have to set up a schedule.” I chuckle when everyone grunts a yes.
“I’ll get on that, my sweet witch,” Maxum says and pats my foot before heading out of the cabin with Calder.
Flint tucks a blanket over us.
In the safety of my two mates’ embrace, I instantly fall asleep.