Page 23 of Lion's Little Scamp

He rumbled in response and decided to remain shifted until they reached their apartment. And it was their apartment.

He began to move a little faster, and then faster still until he was racing down the mountain back towards Bratburg.

Though he wanted to run straight to the hangar and the bed in his apartment, Harrigan reminded him that he was a Daddy and his Little girl needed care and punishment before he spent the next two days mating with her.

They had just reached the edge of the large clearing Bratburg inhabited when the storm broke. By the time they reached the hangar, they were both soaked to the skin.

Chapter Fourteen

Irish held tight to Harrigan as he galloped behind the houses that sat near the beginning of the forest. He did not stop until they were in the hangar at the base of the stairs to his apartment. Once he stopped, she slid off his back and took two steps back.

What would he do to her now? Renounce her as his mate because she had gone off with Talia and Poppy? Or would he allow his lion to feast on her until there was nothing left but bones?

She watched wide-eyed as the lion rose on his back legs, and then disappeared, to be replaced by the human Harrigan.

A naked, human Harrigan.

An extremely pissed-off Harrigan who looked like he wanted to tear her to pieces even in human form.

He had told her several times over the past two weeks not to run from him, but it was hard. Instead, she took a deep breath, clutched the clothing she held and stood her ground.

When he turned his back to her, she found herself distracted by all the golden skin that covered him. He muttered something, but she did not understand.

“Excuse me?”

“Go upstairs and get cleaned up. Don’t bother with dressing once you’re done, just dry off and go to your naughty corner naked.” His voice was low and threaded with so much power, the hairs on her arms stood on end.

“Yes, Daidi,” she whispered.

She scurried around him to the stairs. After dropping his clothes on the first tread, she raced up the staircase and into the apartment. She did not stop until she reached the bathroom. Fear of what was to come had her moving as fast as she could to strip down and get into the shower.

It took a few extra minutes to get out because the water felt so warm as it pulsed down on her. Then she remembered that Harrigan would probably want a hot shower as well, and she flipped off the water. After drying off, she took another minute to dry the floor in the bathroom before wrapping her towel around her wet clothes.

There had been no noise from the rest of the apartment and as she crossed the main room to the corner he had designated as her punishment corner, she looked around. Harrigan was nowhere in sight.

Corner time was not her favorite punishment, which was probably why Harrigan had chosen it. Standing with her nose pressed to the corner, she had too much time to think. Meeting Talia and Poppy and the beginning of their adventure in the woods had been fun but getting lost and remembering the disappointment she had seen in lion Harrigan’s golden-brown eyes had been scary.

She thought she felt the air moving behind her but did not hear footsteps or any other sound that would give Harrigan’s presence away. Had Harrigan gone to dinner without her? It would serve her right if he did.

She didn’t deserve dinner.

She didn’t deserve anything.

She especially didn’t deserve a man as wonderful as Harrigan as her Daidi and mate.

Maybe she was just a fuck-up like she had been told her entire life. But today had not been her fault. She was the victim of a Little-napping.

She sucked in a sharp breath when the shower turned on. So, Harrigan had come into the apartment, he just had not spoken to her.

Tears filled her eyes and overflowed, running down her cheeks to drip off her chin. She remained very still, not wiping them away, remembering the first time she had been sent to the corner to think over her naughtiness, and having to restart her punishment over three times because of her fidgeting.

By the time the shower turned off, she was silently sobbing, her entire body trembling as she cried for everything she would lose if Harrigan decided not to keep her.

After all, wasn’t that why he had not claimed her yet? Because she was not worthy of being his mate?

That thought made her cry even harder.

“Scamp? What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”