Page 32 of Daddy’s Hunted Bride

“All right.” Bending down, he hoists me up onto his hip and glances over his shoulder. “Colt, if it’s all right with you, we’ll meet you up in Tabby’s nursery to pick out some clothes.”

“Of course. I have my own naughty Little girl to deal with. Come on, little firecracker.”

“Aw, but Daddy. I don’t want a spankin’!”

Tabby’s protests fade as Colt carries her up the stairs to her fate. I don’t have long to worry about her, though, before Dane makes his way into the living room where Axel is still seated on the couch, watching us with a smug look that makes me want to punch him in his stupid face.

Granted, I’d probably break my fingers on his jaw, but it would probably still be really fucking satisfying.

“All right, little fox. Your Uncle Axel is going to spank you for ignoring him and leaving the room without permission, and then you’re going over Daddy’s knee to make sure the lesson sticks.”

“Hey!” Jumping to her feet, Josie plants her fists on her hips and glares up at Dane. “That’s not fair! Tabby isn’t getting two spankings!”

“And that was a decision her Daddy made,” Dane explains calmly. “But Vanessa broke a rule I specifically laid out for her, so she is getting the punishment she was promised.”

“That’s not⁠—”

“Josephine.” Dane’s voice is hard in a way that speaks to the finality of his decision. And judging by the way Josie’s bottom lip puffs out and she huffs with annoyance, the tone isn’t lost on her. “Sit down, or I will spank you myself and then you and Vanessa can both get double spankings.”

With another loud huff, Josie drops down onto her butt and folds her arms. Despite her outward obedience, she never stops glaring at Dane, but that doesn’t seem to bother him in the least.

“Thank you for listening, Josie-Posie.” Turning to me, he fixes his expression into what I’m starting to think of as his “stern Daddy” face, but unlike last night when I kicked him, this feels more for show than actual anger.

I’m not sure how to feel about the fact that knowing he isn’t really mad settles the nerves jumping in my stomach, at least somewhat.

“When Daddy leaves you with another grownup, I expect you to listen to them and do as you are told. It was very naughty of you to leave the room without permission, Vanessa Dawn.”

“I don’t see why,” I mumble, feeling more like a Little girl than I have this entire time. “We weren’t doing anything bad!”

“That is not the point, little girl. I heard Uncle Axel calling for you all the way down the hall, so I know good and well you heard him too. Come here and let me get that diaper off you so we can take care of your naughtiness and then you can go outside and play.”

I really do want to get outside, though for my own reasons. Regardless of the why, it’s pretty clear I’m only getting there if I submit to this punishment, so when Daddy reaches for the tabs on my diaper I don’t fight him. And when Axel pulls me over his lap, I resist the urge to kick him in the face like I did with Daddy last night.

But just barely.

“When you are under my supervision, it’s my responsibility to ensure you’re safe and cared for, Vanessa,” Axel lectures in his deep, rumbling voice. “I cannot do that if you leave my sight and ignore me when I try to call you back. Hopefully this will help you remember that going forward.”

His heavy hand connects with my bottom, and it’s all I can do not to cry out at the pain. It’s impossible to say who spanks harder, but Axel definitely spanks faster. Far too fast for me to keep track of the swats he rains down on my bare skin.

All I know is that it’s too much for me to bear with the stoicism I’d imagined when I first let myself be pulled over his lap. Only a few swats in I’m kicking and squirming for my life to try and escape his punishing palm.

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” The plea bursts out of me without my permission, humiliating me all over again. “Please, Uncle Axel! I won’t be naughty again!”

To my complete and utter shock, he stops spanking and a deep laugh rumbles in his chest. “Oh, little one. Nobody is expecting you to be perfectly well-behaved all the time.”

“It sure seems like it.” Again I feel impossibly childish, sulking over this giant’s lap with my bottom on fire from the spanking he’s just delivered.

“I’m sure it does.” His voice isn’t unkind, which somehow I find both comforting and humiliating. “But I promise we don’t expect anything of the sort. You are free to be as naughty as you want.” Chuckling again, he pats my aching bottom. “You are not, however, free from the consequences of that naughtiness.”

That makes sense, more than I want it to. “Got it.”

“Good girl. Do you want a snuggle before it’s your Daddy’s turn to spank your naughty little bottom?”

Some part of me—I suspect the same part that was pushing me to act so submissive with Dane earlier—really does want a snuggle. To be held and comforted and told I’m a good girl in spite of what my red ass might say.

But that way lies madness, so I shake my head. “No, thank you.”

“Very well.”