Page 32 of Mastering their Maiden

“Tell you what?” she snarled, her voice shaky despite the malice inside it.

“What about that letter made you so angry? What is so upsetting about your sister having a baby?” I waited, noting how she stiffened against me, her fingers tightening in my trousers. “Is it because you fear she will forget you? Or that she’s forgotten—”

“Esme would never forget,” Aria snarled. “And she was taken from me. Lavan stole her—”

“And what would her life have been if she stayed?”

Aria snarled unintelligibly, but I slapped her ass hard, listening to her sharp gasp before I pressed on. “Is that what you would have preferred? Her here with you where she’d fight for food? All while watching over her shoulder for one of the Elders to drag her off to their bed? Would that have been a better fate? One that kept her close to you even if it meant she suffered?”

Aria’s breath hitched, and when I felt her fists tighten in my trousers again, I gave her another sharp strike. “Answer me, girl.”

“No,” she growled, twisting around to try to glare at me. “No, of course I didn’t want that for her!”

“Do you want that for yourself?” I asked. “You’d rather stay here, forever, than take us as masters and let us cherish you?”

“You call this cherishing me?”

“I do,” I murmured, giving her three more quick strikes. “You need to understand that even if you push, or deny us, or fight tooth and nail, we are going to keep you. You are ours, Aria. You are mine. And I will bind you, discipline you, and ravish you each time I feel you’ve forgotten that fact.”

My hand raised, and I brought it down hard on each of her rounded cheeks, enjoying the shake and jiggle of her pink ass and thighs. She took the spanking, squirming in my hold, her hands fisted in the fabric of my trousers. I stopped counting, deciding to go until she asked me to stop.

She didn’t.

Stubborn girl.

My arm started to grow tired, but still, she didn’t relax. Her grip on me remained tight, her body tense instead of turning pliant like I was used to seeing. I released her from my side and pushed her toward a tree, smiling when she bent over and braced against it, offering her pink ass to me.

As she should.

Because she was mine.

“Who do you belong to, Aria? Answer me.”

Her response was an angry, snarling breath, then she stood and whirled around, skirts still in disarray as she faced me.

“No one.”

I narrowed my eyes. “You are ours.”

“I am not.” Her hands clenched so hard her arms shook. “You are not going to claim me and march me quietly out of the village like a broodmare being led to the stables!”

“Is that what you think of the other maidens?” I challenged, watching her face flush with rage. “Is that what you think your sister did?”

Her voice lowered, and rage flashed across her face. “Leave her out of this.”

“Did you watch her leave with her head hanging in shame? Her body quivering in fear? No, that’s not what Lavan said. He told me she was brave as she marched alongside him. That she was proud and strong—”

“No.”

Aria’s face was red with rage, and I barely heard the word when it passed her lips. She shook her head, stalking toward me and pointing to the village. “No, that isn’t true. She didn’t walk willingly with him. Lavan forced her to go. Esme tried to run. I heard them say she tried to run!”

Her voice pitched higher, chest heaving with frantic breaths as she gestured wildly to the fence behind us.

To where Esme was supposed to come back to had she managed to escape.

“There were soldiers talking about it for the next few days.” Her voice shook, anger twisting her pretty features. “Esme tried to get away. She tried to get back to me.”

She jabbed a finger at her chest, her shoulders rising and falling with each forceful inhale and exhale.

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