“It’s been a while since I was allowed to play at Torch Light,” said Shasta, excitedly.

“I’m aware. You should be aware, I had to post a ten-thousand-dollar bond to ensure your good behavior,” growled Hudson.

“That’s not too bad. We can afford it,” she quipped, yelping as Hudson’s hand smacked her ass with more sting than she’d expected.

“I also told Linc and Damian that if you misbehaved in any way whatsoever, I’d give you thirty, naked over the spanking horse, followed by me fucking your mouth while you were still strapped down. Still think you want to pay them that ten grand?”

“Shit!” Smack! Yelp! “Let me guess that’s the public portion of my punishment and what you’d do once we got home would make that look like fun.”

“Exactly,” he said as he caressed her ass. “You behave yourself.”

“Yes, Sir,” she said nuzzling him.

She adored her mate and doubted there was anyone, even Darby, who loved hers more. When they entered the famed San Francisco BDSM club, he escorted her to the women’s lounge, kissing her cheek and patting her bottom.

Helped into one of the new corsets that Hudson had purchased for her in a very exclusive corsetry in London, she was ready to join him in the bar. She was ready before he was and was greeted warmly by Grace, Lincoln’s mate.

She was sipping a drink when Hudson joined her. God he was gorgeous—everything a male alpha wolf should be—tall, incredibly muscular with broad shoulders, perfect pecs, and eight-pack abs that had a pleasure trail that started just below his navel and ran down past the waist of his low-slung leathers.

Shasta realized she wanted Hudson to be proud of her. Slowly she sank into the classic submissive pose—on her knees, legs spread wide, eyes down and hands resting on her thighs with her palms turned upward. He rumbled to her in a way only she could hear, but no one could miss their connection—a shudder ran through her entire body. He placed his hand on her head, stroking her winter-wheat tresses.

“You, my mate, are the most gorgeous temptress.”

“Thank you, Master,” she said softly.

Hudson ran his hands over her body. She wasn’t naked, but she might as well have been. She didn’t need to have skin on skin to feel his touch. Slowly, patiently, he untied the lacings of her corset and cut away her thong—she’d known that wasn’t going to last long. She shivered as her nipples stiffened and she could feel her skin flush as goosebumps rose all along her arms. He extended his hand and helped her to her feet.

Without a word passing between them, he led her back into one of the smaller exhibition rooms. Someone had set out his things. There was a small table with several lengths of rope.

“Sit up straight; fold your arms in a U, forearms together, fingers pointing towards opposite elbows.”

Shasta loved the way his seductive voice wrapped around her in the same way he was about to wrap rope her body. He began by tying her arms into position with a double column tie, passing the rope around her torso, tying it off in front with an overhand knot. She’d found submitting to Hudson came far easier to her than she’d ever imagined.

“So beautiful,” he crooned as he brought the rope up her body between her breasts, which in this position were upright and thrust out.

He tied another overhand knot in between the valley of her breasts and the hollow of her throat, just below her collar. He stopped to kiss the alpha’s claiming mark that she wore as proudly as she did the exquisite piece of jewelry that evidenced his possession of her. He split the ends of the ropes, bringing them over her shoulders and around her arms, rumbling seductively at her as he did so.

Shasta’s breathing became erratic and thready, and her nipples were now hard to the point of painful.

“Don’t you dare come until I give you permission,” he crooned.

God, she hated orgasm denial and it was rare for him to use it.

“Hudson…”

“No, Shasta. If you come without permission, I’ll cut you loose, give you twenty hard over my knee and then we’ll start over.”

She took a deep breath, trying to reel in her arousal, but it was very difficult. Hudson turned her on in a way no man ever had. His hands went back to working the ropes with precision and care, wrapping her in the intricate tortoiseshell pattern. He wanted her bound tight enough that she could feel it and that it would leave proof of his skill and love for several hours after he released her. He continued to bind her until he had tied the last knot.

Hudson stood back and allowed several couples to approach and admire his handywork. When the men got too close, he growled. He kept an eye on her at all times.

“Are you comfortable sweetheart?” he crooned.

“In your ropes? Yes, but I want to fuck you so bad it hurts.”

He chuckled the sound lighting up her skin and causing arousal to surge to the forefront again.

“Please Hudson. Can you untie me and take me upstairs to one of the playrooms?”

“No, I don’t think so. You need to relax and just be for a bit.”

She bit back the snarl that was quick to try to escape.

He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. “Good girl.” He rumbled to her.

Hudson left her tied up and on display, never once taking his eyes off her. Being bound had not come easily to her, but she’d found that it gave her a sense of security and peace she only found in his arms or in his ropes. Finally, he helped her to stand, released her and taking his time untied every knot.

“Nic, would you mind putting my things in the locker Linc reserved for me?” he asked of one of the Resident Doms.

“Happy to do it. I hope we’ll see more of you and Shasta in the future.”

“You will,” he said leaning down and handing her the corset and what remained of the expensive thong. “Go back into the women’s area and get dressed.”

“Are we staying here in the city?” she asked hopefully.

“No, we need to leave tonight. Go get dressed. I’ll expect you in the foyer in fifteen minutes or less.”

“Hudson?”

“Shasta? Do you want to ride home on the Harley with a well-spanked ass?”

“No, Sir,” she said forlornly.

Shasta returned to the lounge, jumped into a cold shower, which did not have the desired effect, and got dressed. She met Hudson in the foyer, and they walked out to their motorcycle.

He helped her aboard the big touring bike and headed out of the city. She tapped the com button on her helmet.

“Hudson, you aren’t going to drive us home tonight, are you? Aren’t you tired? It’s an eight-hour drive.”

“Tired or horny, sweetheart?”

Shasta had behaved all day. She’d enjoyed the ride up to the City yesterday, behaved in their motel room while he conducted business and saw to her getting a full body massage that had left her wanting to fuck. Then they’d gone to Torch Light where he’d tied her up and basically showed her off and now was headed home.

They were headed down the Pacific Coast Highway when she lost her temper.

“This is stupid, Hudson. You got me all hot and bothered with that fucking massage, then tied me up, put me on display and now expect me to just ride along like I’m not going out of my mind?”

“What I expect my sweet mate is that you will behave yourself. If you’re having trouble focusing on the proper behavior for the Mistress of Coronado, I can find a nice place to put you over the seat of the bike and warm your backside for you. Would that help?” he asked pleasantly.

She shrieked in frustration.

“Message received,” he said turning off her comm set so that she was effectively silenced.

They were nearing Monterrey when he turned down a large, wide drive. They were waved past gates that said Earthly Spirits, the home of Jameson Sinclair’s vineyard. Once they neared the house, they were directed into a garage where they could park the Harley.

“I can take care of it for you, Alpha,” said a staff person.

“No, but I do require a few minutes alone with my mate.”

“That’s not a problem. Jamie has put you in the guest house. It is on the other side of the mansion and has access to the pool and a private hot tub.”

“I’m sure we can find it. I know it’s late. Please don’t have anyone stay up on our account. We can manage quite well.”

“As you wish, Alpha,” he said with great deference.

When he’d left, Hudson helped her off the Harley, took her helmet and to her dismay, pulled her black leather leggings down to her knees, bending her over the seat of the motorcycle. Before she could utter a word of explanation or apology, his hand connected with her ass in a decidedly angry manner.

“I believe you and I have talked about your seeming inability to understand who does the fucking and who gets fucked.”

Her answer was cut off when she yelped as a flurry of swats landed on her upturned rump, igniting a sting she’d become all too familiar with since being claimed by her mate.

“Hudson, no! Please! Someone might see,” she wailed.

“What they will see, my beauty, is a naughty she-wolf being disciplined by her loving mate,” he said calmly as he continued to spank her.

The worst part was that in addition to it being painful, he was only increasing her level of desire. Arousal surged through her system as he continued to smack her bottom. His hand crashed down on her ass cheeks in a pattern she’d grown all too familiar with. The spanking was especially painful as she’d just been spanked two days before for riding a horse that had been forbidden to her.

Her biggest fear was that when he had punished her to whatever extent he deemed appropriate, he might not put her in a corner or on her knees and fuck her. Shasta wasn’t sure which was increasing more dramatically, the agony from the spanking or her need to feel his hard cock thrusting inside of her before he spilled himself deep within her pussy.

He proceeded to cover the entirety of her buttocks, spanking her intensely. Shasta kicked her legs and tried to squirm from out of his hold, but only received several harsher swats for her efforts. Hudson peppered her cheeks, fanning the sting of the spanking as well as the flames of her desire. Shasta knew he wouldn’t let up until she gave over and surrendered to his mastery.

Wailing, she began to cry. He spanked her several more times and then blissfully he stopped.

“Who is in charge of when you get fucked?”

“You are,” she said sniffling.

“And what happens when you forget that and take your temper out for a spin?”

She hated this part of any punishment. “I get spanked.”

“Had enough?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“That’s my good girl,” he said helping her up and hoisting her over his shoulder, her leggings still down around her knees.

She tried to pull them up and was rewarded for her efforts by being put down, bent back over the Harley and receiving a flurry of six more painful swats.

“Who decides if and when you get to cover your pretty red backside.”

“You do,” she said in abject misery.

“See that you remember that,” he said once more tossing her over his shoulder.

This time Shasta lay limply in the position he put her. Hudson picked up their shared duffle and walked behind the house and through the pool area. There were several of the Monterrey Pack’s members enjoying a cool night swim.

Shasta held her tongue knowing haranguing him would only get her an additional spanking. She’d noticed not only the way his jeans were tented from his own arousal, but lust had been laced in his tone and now flowed between them freely. He opened the gate into the guest house’s private courtyard.

“Hudson?” she asked sweetly.

“Yes, my beloved,” he crooned.

“Are you going to fuck me?”

He chuckled. “After you’ve spent some time in the corner while I enjoy a glass of Jamie’s excellent merlot. I may well share some of that with you as well as some of their artisanal chocolates before I plow that pretty pussy from behind.”

“Thank God,” she whispered.

His laughter filled the night and her heart as he took her inside the Earthly Spirits guest house and proceeded to do just that.