Page 44 of Guardians

“Every human on this planet went through hell tonight. We deserve a little compassion,” she defended.

Kane swept her up in his arms and Diego tugged off her boots and thick wool socks. She kicked and squirmed, not caring if Kane dropped her, but Diego was just too damn fast. After setting her back down, Kane stripped off her coat and then her sweater. She slapped at him and twisted away. He simply ignored her efforts and accomplished his task in seconds.

The cabin was cool, not cold, but Lexie still shivered. She kicked out at Malik as he took off her jeans, yet he easily eluded her barefeet. Clad only in her bra and panties, Lexie felt her senses begin to stir. Her nipples pebbled beneath her bra cups, her pussy ached, and goosebumps lifted on her arms. It was so unfair to battle her own body when she already had three powerful adversaries.

“It’s too damn cold in here for this nonsense,” she muttered, crossing her arms over her breasts.

“We need her focused on the lesson,” Kane said without taking his eyes off her. “Someone stoke up the fire.”

Diego stood on Kane’s left, hands clasped behind his back. When Kane looked at him expectantly, he simply turned and looked at Malik.

Chuckling, Malik went to the fireplace and deftly built a small blaze. Despite its diminutive size, the flames quickly chased the chill from the air.

After Malik returned to Kane’s right, Kane began. “You will be spanked for being disrespectful to the village leader and one of your mates. If you finish stripping and willingly submit to the punishment, it will be less severe. If you continue to rebel, we’ll be forced to restrain you and the punishment will be harsher. The choice is yours.”

Lexie tensed, anger rolling through her in expanding waves. “And who deals with Zion’s disrespect? His callousness and arrogance?”

Diego turned to Kane and said, “Sounds like she’s made her choice.”

Kane nodded, but he didn’t look pleased with the outcome. “Go on.”

It was the only warning Lexie got before Diego lunged for her. He backed her against the nearest wall and held her there with one of his large hands wrapped around her throat. He didn’t squeeze. He collared and controlled her with the subtle demonstration of his strength. Their gazes locked, clashing as Lexie glared up at him.

“Reach back and unhook your bra,” he ordered.

“Fuck you,” she whispered.

“Oh, we’ll get there, pet. Have no doubt about that. But you’re not ready for the privilege of our cocks.”

She rolled her eyes. “Only a narcissistic pig would consider his cock a privilege.”

His fingers tightened, warning her without hurting her. He reached behind her and released the clasp on her bra with a snap of his strong fingers. “Now take it off.”

She just glared at him. She was tired of being bullied, tired of submitting her will to theirs. She’d made this much too easy for them. From their first encounter in the lodge, she’d given in. Well, this situation was different because she’d done nothing wrong. “I don’t deserve this,” she insisted, “so I’m not going to cooperate with any of you.”

Apparently tired of her defiance, Diego ripped her bra off and threw it aside. Her breasts bounced as she twisted and arched, trying to stop him. He spun her around and pushed her against the wall. Lexie gasped and yelped as her naked flesh collided with the cold wood planks. He dragged her arms to the small of her back and held them there while someone else pulled down her panties. She kicked out blindly, but it did no good. They soon had her naked and on her knees.

Their manhandling only fueled her fire. They could spank her, humiliate her, and fuck her until morning, and it wouldn’t change a thing. Zion was a heartless asshole, and she would not apologize for telling him off!

“Last chance, sweetheart,” Malik warned. He moved in front of her and tilted her face up until their gazes locked. “We won’t offer you mercy again.”

His role in these sessions was usually minor, so it surprised her that he was right in the middle of things tonight.

“I did nothing wrong,” she stated emphatically. She’d always believed in standing up for what was right, or at least those things she believed in strongly. She tried to fight for human and animal rights, to defend those without the strength or the means to defend themselves. That was why she became a conservationist.

Malik wrapped a braided cord around her wrists and pulled her to her feet. He led her into Kane’s bedroom and positioned her about four feet away from the end of the bed. Working with Kane, they stretched her arms over her head and secured them to a bracket on the ceiling using a long, coarse rope. Thank God they hadn’t used the rope to secure her wrists. That thing would have rubbed half her skin off.

Diego knelt in front of her and wrapped a wide cuff around each of her ankles. She glanced around, but didn’t see a way to fasten them down. She must not understand their purpose. Then he took a metal bar and fastened it to the inside of one of the cuffs. Confused more than concerned, she watched what he was doing. Kane pulled her legs apart,wideapart, and Diego quickly extended the bar. What the hell? Diego fastened the bar to the other ankle cuff, and she realized that she couldn’t close herlegs. The device kept her open, helpless to prevent whatever they chose to do.

“I didn’t agree to this,” she said as fear welled inside her. They’d never restrained her before, had never needed to. And thanks to the bar between her ankles, she couldn’t move in any meaningful way. She was helpless, utterly at their mercy. “Untie me, right now!”

Kane slapped her ass just hard enough to draw her attention. “No mercy. Remember? The opportunity for leniency has passed.” His hand smacked one side of her bottom and then the other, making her gasp and twist her hips. “Now, you’ll pay the price for indulging your pride.”

“What about Zion?” she protested. “Who’s going to deal with his pride?”

“We’re not bonded with Zion,” Diego stressed. “You’re our mate, which means we are responsible for your behavior.”

“There was nothing wrong with my behavior,” she stressed, though she sounded less confident than she had a few minutes ago.

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