Page 52 of His to Hunt

“Last night and this morning seemed more intimate than that,” I scoff.

“We skipped ahead. Now a few things will have to catch up,” he says. “Now. Next question. What do you deserve, Taryn?”

The question startles me back to the reality of my position and his hand on my ass.

“Um, I don’t know,” I begin. “What do I deserve? I… I honestly don’t know.”

“You told the truth, but I didn’t like that answer, so here’s your penalty,” he says, pulling his hand back and lazily smacking my ass five times. “You deserve every good thing, Taryn. And now that I’ve found you, you’ll get it.”

I blush a little. He says that so easily. Like I haven’t been living in a moldy basement and mostly wearing the same clothes from high school. But everything has a price. I’m not used to being able to ignore that part of life.

“I’ll get it right the next time,” I mumble, processing the light sting. “I get to ask you a question now?”

“That’s how it works,” he sounds like he’s having fun as he casually rubs my ass enough to soothe the sting.

Several questions rush through my mind and I have trouble settling on one, but I finally do. “Is it always going to be this intense with you?” I ask. “I mean, like… will you always want to be near me and… want me?”

“I’ll let that be one question,” he concedes. “After the frenzy passes, what we both feel will not be this intense. I’ll always want to be near you because you’re my mate, but it won’t feel like I’m going to die if I let you out of my sight.”

“You really feel like you’re going to die if you let me out of your sight?” I murmur.

“It’s my turn to ask the question,” he deflects my follow-up question, patting my ass. “What do you deserve, Taryn?”

“Um, everything,” I say hesitantly.

“You told the truth again, but I didn’t like your answer because you don’t actually believe it,” he says, delivering five firmer slaps to my bare bottom.

“Ow!” I whimper, shuffling my feet.

“The penalty doubles if you get it wrong again,” he warns, rubbing my ass.

I have to believe it? How do I believe I deserve everything? Apparently, I’m going to get my ass spanked until I do. Is that the point of the game? Make me believe I deserve better than the life I’ve had?

“Ask your question,” he orders.

“Right, um, in the basement, you said you weren’t sure if you even liked me,” I say carefully. “Do you like me now, or is it still just the mating bond?”

“I like you better than I did last night,” his answer makes me feel weird, not exactly reassured. “Finding out the mating bond was real changed something in me. That’s why I’m so determined to change something in you.”

“Fine,” I sigh, leaning forward, preparing myself for more punishment.

“What do you deserve, Taryn?” he growls.

“Everything! I deserve everything!” I say, forcing conviction into my voice.

“Better, but you still don’t believe it. You’re just pretending you do, like when you smile at Frank before returning to the basement where you think you belong,” he grumbles, peppering my ass with a flurry of hard, stinging slaps.

“Ah! Aaiiiiyyy!” I squeal, squirming frantically against his hardness. I assume I get ten, but I don’t count them. “I’m trying, Victor.”

“Don’t try. Believe,” he demands, like it’s that easy. “In your soul.”

“Okay,” I whimper, blinking away the beginnings of tears. I was thinking of a question right before he started spanking me again. Oh. “Do you… do you think we’ll fall in love? Or is this going to be more like… an arranged marriage?”

“Wolves believe the bond is stronger than love, but like I told you before, it can wither,” he answers me with an undercurrent of strength in his voice. “Since you asked what I think, and not what wolves believe, the answer is yes. I do think I could fall in love with you. In fact, I think I’d like to.”

Warmth fills my chest. I mean, I know Shana and Madison love me in their own way, but it’s not the same as having someone who cares about… everything. And if he cares about it, then maybe I should too.

“What do you deserve, Taryn?” he repeats.