Page 26 of Bound By Hate (Born in Blood)

I shouldn’t. I don’t want this. But I can’t back down and let him win. He can’t think I’m scared. Viktoriya Morozova doesn’t get scared.

“Fine.” With a hair flip, I lean over the bed on my stomach. This position makes me acutely aware of Aleksander standing behind me. He doesn’t say a word. His breath is loud in the quiet room, which sends a shiver over me. Why? Aleksander doesn’t make me feel anything except annoyance.

“Good girl,” he says quietly.

“How dare you—” I start to say right as he smacks me across the ass. I freeze. He did not just do that.

He does it again.

“Aleksander!” I try to sit up, but he spanks me again. And again. And again. All in quick succession. “What are you doing?”

“I’m showing you what you need.” His next smack is harder than the rest. I gasp and cling to the bedding. Even though I’m wearing leggings, I can feel the heat from his hand every time he touches me.

“I never asked for this,” I growl.

“You didn’t have to. You’re not scared to let me finish, are you?”

Frankly, I want him to stop spanking me. The audacity of this man is astronomical.

But I can’t let him think I’m afraid. My pride is worth more than my ass.

“Good,” he says before spanking me again. I slump against the mattress, closing my eyes. The moment he’s done, he’ll learn not to mess with me.

Aleksander smacks my ass a few more times before stepping back. “There. How do you feel?”

I feel …

For a moment, I didn’t think about my sisters or my future or … dance. All I could focus on was Aleksander’s hand.

It was sort of freeing strangely. Not that I wouldevertell him that.

I stand up and face him. “You want to know how I feel?” I slap him across the face. “There. That’s how I feel.”

He chuckles as he rubs his cheek. “I figured you would do that. Not ready to submit yet. That’s all right. You can lie to me all you want, Viktoriya. But you can’t lie to yourself. Now, come on. I’m taking you back to Mikhail’s.”

“I paid for this room for the entire week.”

“Then you shouldn’t have wasted the money.” He opens the door and stands there, waiting for me to follow him. He’s not leaving until I leave.

With a roll of my eyes, I follow him out the door.

“I can’t believe you took me back here,” I mutter, staring up at Mikhail’s apartment building.

“I think your sisters would have missed you.”

“You did this because you care about my sisters?”

“No. I’m just stating a fact.” He winks as he gets out of the car. With a grumble, I follow.

Just like the last time I snuck out, Mikhail is waiting near the front door when I enter. “You found her. Good,” he says to Aleksander.

Sofiya and Mila are also here this time.

“I’m happy you’re ok,” Mila says, hugging me. “When I saw you weren’t in your room, I told Mikhail. I was worried.”

So, Mila was the one who ratted me out. I know she meant well, but I still pull away from her anyway, too annoyed to let her touch me any longer.

Gleb is standing at the top of the stairs. “You’ve returned.”

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