Page 35 of Arion
He watched her closely as he swatted her firmly, over and over until she was crying. When he stopped, she finally seemed contrite. He wanted to hold her, rock her, pop her binky back into her mouth, and cradle her in his arms, but first she needed to spend some time in the corner.
Arion stood her on her feet and tipped her chin back. “You need a timeout now.” He turned her toward the naughty corner and pointed. “Nose to the wall. No fidgeting.”
She pursed her lips and lowered her face.
“The longer it takes you to get there, the longer you’ll be standing there.”
After taking a deep breath—during which he figured she was trying to decide if she should argue or not—she met his gaze. “Can I have panties?”
“No. When you’re in timeout, you can display your red naughty bottom for Daddy. And your time is growing.”
She humphed and then shuffled toward the corner.
He watched her until she was in position. “Clasp your hands behind your back and spread your feet wider, Little one.”
It was hard not to react to her mumbling discontent. She obeyed him though.
Arion used the time to start dinner. He put all the ingredients for a hearty beef soup in a pot. He didn’t hurry. It took a while. His Little mate needed some time to think, and she needed to understand that his word was law.
When the soup was compiled, he put the lid on and turned toward her. “Okay, Little one. Your timeout is over. Come sit with Daddy.”
She turned around, looking far more chagrined than she had when she’d first stepped up to the wall.
Arion held out a hand and led her to his favorite armchair. After lowering himself into the seat, he lifted her onto his lap.
She winced when her bottom touched his jeans.
He tried not to jostle her more than necessary. “I’m proud of you for taking your punishment so nicely.”
She shrugged. “I didn’t like it.”
“Then you learned a lesson.” He patted her thigh. “How about we go outside for a while?”
She lifted her gaze. “Can we?”
“Yep. I’ll take you out on the back patio, and we can watch the sun set. How does that sound?”
She gave him a smile. Finally. She also didn’t put up a fight when he lifted her in his arms and carried her to the nursery. She didn’t argue as he put a fresh pair of panties on her either. Nor did she complain when he added a little pink skirt that matched her pink shirt.
She giggled when he picked her up and settled her on his hip. “I’ve never gone outside without more clothes on than this, Daddy. I’ve never even left my bedroom dressed like this.”
He smiled. “New home. New rules.”
“What if someone sees me?”
“No one is going to see you on my patio today, Little one. Every Alpha Protector is aware we are recently mated. They won’t come by anytime soon.” He opened the sliding glass door and stepped outside.
“It’s so pretty out here, Daddy. I always wondered where you might live and what it might look like high up in the mountains.”
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” he asked as he took a seat on one of the Adirondacks, holding her on his lap. He hadn’t given her shoes. He didn’t intend to let her touch the ground.
She stared at the scenery in awe. He was glad she enjoyed the view. He thought it was the best place on earth. Mountains and trees in the distance as far as the eye could see. The air was pure and clean. He took deep cleansing breaths.
After a while, she looked at him. “What happens when I shift? Will you tell me about it?”
He held her close and nuzzled her neck. “Well, first we would have to have sex.”
Her cheeks turned pink. “I know that. When are we going to do that?”
