Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Leah knew she should stand her ground. Stay against the railing or even move off the porch and put more distance between them, but she couldn’t stop herself. She felt possessed by a power far stronger than her freewill.

She knew everything would change when he touched her this time. They were stepping into new territory. Her heart raced from nerves. It seemed like her blood was pumping through her body too fast. She couldn’t stop it any more than she could continue to deny him.

As soon as she lifted her hand and set it in his, the world stopped spinning. A strange peace settled over her. She was scared out of her mind, but she was calmer at the same time. He did that to her. He made her relax.

Elias pulled her gently closer until he released her hand, reached for her hips, and lifted her onto his lap.

She gasped but didn’t fight him. It was futile. Whatever was going to happen between them was inevitable. She could stall it, but in the end, she would only be buying hours, not days. She knew that in her soul.

Elias wrapped his arms around her and hugged her close to his chest.

She was sitting sideways across his lap, and she leaned her head against his shoulder. He was so huge. When he held her like this, she felt every bit as Little as he said she was.

“I’m going to tell you more about what life will be like here, Leah. I want you to know everything so you don’t feel blindsided later. Can you sit with me and listen without panicking?”

She licked her lips. “I’ll try.”

“Keep in mind that my top priority is and will always be you from now until the end of time. It doesn’t matter that I tried to fight it. You’re here now, and there’s no denying Fate is correct.” He nuzzled the top of her head. Was he inhaling her scent?

“Okay,” she whispered. She understood because she felt the same way.

“Some of what I’m going to say will make your hackles rise. Know that we will take our time figuring out what works for us, but most of the traditions of Alpha Protectors are universal. Even if the customs may sound strange to you at first and make you want to run for the hills, I’m confident that in time our lives will not look very different from any other union among my people.”

Leah took shallow breaths, trying to control her reaction to his vague words. It was hard to focus with his scent surrounding her.

Elias had removed his jacket at some point, but he was still dressed in the suit he’d been wearing when she’d first met him. With his arms wrapped around her, he unbuttoned the cuff at his wrist and rolled back his sleeve before holding his inner wrist up for her to see.

She gasped. She’d known all her life that he would have a matching mark on his wrist—an exact duplicate of her own—but seeing it was eerie. She lifted a finger as if to stroke it, but he jerked his arm out of her reach.

“Don’t touch it yet, Baby girl,” he whispered against her ear.

She shivered as goosebumps rose all over her skin. “Why not?”

“That bond we feel that keeps growing will intensify out of the stratosphere when we set our marks upon each other. When we line them up and press them together, we will lose our minds.”

She squeezed her thighs together and squirmed on his lap. She knew what he meant, though it was hard to imagine ever feeling closer to him than she did right now. A strange desperation was creeping in on her.

Elias rolled his sleeve back down. “I will touch you with my mark before this day is over, Little one. I want to so badly I’m practically salivating, but I’m going to hold off for a while.” He set his huge palm on her thigh.

She stared at his arm, his hands, his fingers… They were so large. Everything about him was large and made her feel small. She liked the way he was holding her. Liked it too much.

She could still see the edge of his mark under his sleeve. It wasn’t touching her directly because the sleeve of her dress was preventing contact, but she felt the same pull he did to reach out and touch it.

“I’m going to tell you more, Leah. I want you to be informed.”

“Okay,” she whispered. She told herself to remain calm. Whatever he was going to say would be facts, information, details. He was no more in control of social norms than she was. She shouldn’t blame him for anything.

“Daddies have rules, Little one. Lots of them.”

“Rules?” She continued staring at his hand where he patted her absentmindedly, mesmerized by his every movement but also not wanting to make eye contact. Every time she looked him in the eyes, she melted.

He nodded. “Most of them are for your safety. I’ll tell you, as my brother and friends have claimed their mates, I have watched them often with a raised eyebrow. Some of their practices have seemed outrageous and unnecessary. Overboard. I’ve often wondered how it was that all three of them have instituted very similar rules in their homes. Rules they expect their mates to follow. It baffled me. But I get it now.”

Leah’s breath hitched as she glanced at him. Their faces were inches apart. It was difficult not to lean in closer and rub her cheek against his, and she kind of wished he would stop talking and kiss her. Curiosity about what it would be like to be kissed was making it difficult to focus on what he was saying.

“Why do you get it now?” she asked.

“Because I feel the same way about you as they do about their mates. I knew in a heartbeat before I even stepped into that ceremonial room that I would lay down my life for you.”

She bit her lip. Emotions overwhelmed her. He was so intense. “What are these rules?”

“I don’t want you to ever leave the house without me. You may not even open a door for any reason, not even to step outside onto this deck.”

She frowned, her heart beating faster. She searched his eyes. “You’re right. That’s over the top, Elias.”

He nodded. “I know, but I also know I will insist that you obey me on that. An intense fear creeps into me at the thought of you unprotected. So intense that I also understand why my brother and friends discipline their Little girls when they break the rules.”

Leah gasped. Her body went rigid. She sat stiff and confused on his thighs. The thought of him insisting that she obey such a ludicrous rule frustrated her, but at the same time, her private parts clenched.

It was his dominance. The way he stared at her, the promise that he would ensure she obeyed him on this issue. “How…” She cleared her throat. “Discipline them how?”

He slid his hand up to stroke her back, his fingers threading in her hair. “Usually a firm spanking helps a Little girl remember to obey her Daddy.”

Leah held her breath as she tried to process his words. So many incongruent thoughts went through her mind, colliding into each other. She clenched her butt cheeks and everything between her legs. A strange rush of something she didn’t understand made her tremble at the thought of him spanking her. “I’m not a Little girl…” she argued in a barely audible voice.

He continued rubbing her back. “You’re my Little girl, Leah. Mine to protect no matter what.”

“Spanking is for toddlers.”

“Spanking is for naughty Little girls who misbehave like toddlers.” He lifted a challenging brow. “And let me tell you something else.”

She wasn’t sure she could handle much more. It was overwhelming.

“Most Little girls like to be spanked. They misbehave on purpose because they crave the dominance their Daddy will provide to correct their behavior.”

He stared at her while she tried to let that sink in, but it made no sense.

“I’m confident you will be no different, Leah. You will jump right in with the other mates and conjure up something disobedient intentionally.”

She shook her head. She would never do that. He was wrong.

He gave her a soft smile. “You will, Baby girl,” he said softly. “I know you will because the mention of me spanking your naughty bottom has sent your arousal through the roof.”

She swallowed, still shaking her head. She hated that he could scent her, and she really hated that her body was reacting so absurdly to his suggestion. She needed to put some distance between them, but when she tried to push off his lap, he gripped her thigh and steadied her.

Leah turned her head to glare at him, shocked to find him giving her a sharp reprimanding shake of the head. “Stay where you are, Little one. Sit still.”

She froze. How was he able to so easily control her? She hated it. After a moment, she squirmed again. “Let me down.”

He held her in place with one hand on her hip with no effort. He lifted the other hand to tip her chin so that she was forced to look at him. “You will sit still and listen to Daddy, Little one. What I’m telling you is important. Do you need me to pause and show you what it feels like to have your naughty bottom spanked before I continue?”

She gasped.

He waited for her to answer.

“No.”

He lifted a brow.

She wasn’t sure what more he wanted from her, and her heart was beating so fast it was going to thump out of her chest. His intense stare continued, and she finally recalled something her mother had pounded into her from birth. Respect. Especially for her mate. She cleared her throat. “No, Sir.”

He gave her a small smile. “Good girl. Are you going to sit still on Daddy’s lap while I continue?”

“Yes, Sir.” Or faint. She might faint. Every molecule in her body was behaving erratically. Her skin felt hot. Her dress was suddenly suffocating her.

A strange need she did not understand consumed her.