Page 110 of Off-Ice Misconduct
“Language. Now, c’mon. Hit me.”
He’s infuriatingly good. I can’t land a punch to save my life. He mostly catches my punches in his meaty werewolf hands, dodging, deflecting, bobbing, and weaving. An hour passes—or an eternity, it’s hard to say. My legs are jelly. My lungs are crying. He hasn’t even broken stride.
I’m dying for a break. No, scratch that. I’m dying to die in a heap on the ground, but it’s clear Luke’s not gonna let me. Unlike me, his stamina is never-ending.
“You ready to talk to Daddy, princess? I could do this all day.”
“Arrgh!” I take a swing that he evades so easily; his being an actual werewolf is the only explanation.
He laughs.
“A bunch of stupid shit I have no right getting pissed about,” I huff.
“Try me, and don’t fucking drop your hands again or the spanking I’ve got planned for you later’s really gonna smart.”
“There’s a spanking on the line?” I squeak.
“Always.”
Bastard.
I launch into it—Dad’s engagement, Shep and Hudson. Bender. I’m a mess of gasps and footwork, but he listens like I’m telling him something sacred, somehow managing to fit boxing advice in while I talk.
“See? It’s stuff I don’t have much control over. I just needed to blow off steam.”
He yanks me forward by the waistband of my shorts. “You done, princess?” His breath is hot against my ear.
“Yes, Daddy,” I breathe. “There’s nothing left of me.”
Luke lets go, pointing to my water bottle with a grunt I translate into “drink”. I guzzle the water, huffing and puffing. I’m not even gonna pretend he didn’t kick my ass. Oddly, thisfelt like a spanking. He worked me over hard enough that I feel reborn. My feelings aren’t gone, but I’m a little more removed from them than I was earlier.
“I’m not an expert on either,” he says as he removes his wraps. “Love or fathers. I lost mine when I was barely old enough to remember him.”
“I’m lucky to have my dad around to argue with,” I murmur.
“True, but not where I was going. You and your dad’ll work things out.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right. He’s not doing anything wrong, and it’s been years. I can’t expect him to become a monk … Can I?”
He raises a brow.
Sigh.“Guess not. What about the thing with Bender?”
“Simple. You like protecting people.”
“Yeah, so do you,” I accuse.
“I do, and it’s not a bad thing, but sometimes you’ve got to let people work through things on their own.”
I cross my arms at him. “Oh really. And you’re sooooo good at that, huh?”
“Didn’t say I was, but I’ve been forced to do it a time or two.”
“And what if it were me? Would you stand idly by and let me work shit out on my own?”
“I think mehunting you downis proof that I would not, but I own your ass, McKinnon. That’s different.”
I smile. First real one all day.
