MATED TO SERIES COLLECTION

47. VALERIA: GOOD GIRLS GET REWARDS

"Yes," he said softly. "I realized that I had made a mistake."

I sank down onto the edge of the couch when his words penetrated my mind. Tears filled my eyes. I knew it! I knew they would regret it. Kelsey's image flashed through my mind. She was everything I would never be. She could shift too. I pressed a hand against my chest. It did nothing to ease the sudden pain that filled me.

"Val."

I turned away from him when he reached for me. Devon growled, muttered something under his breath, and sank down on the couch next to me. Before I could stand and move away, he had picked me up and placed me onto his lap. Strong arms wrapped around my waist and hugged me close. He growled loudly when I tried to move off his lap.

"Sit still and listen or I'll put you over my knee."

I scoffed but struggled harder against him. He wouldn't dare do that to me! In the next instant, I found myself upside down on his lap with my ass in the air. I was too shocked to stop him when he tugged my pants and panties down. The first slap had me scrambling to get away. Another spank had pain shooting through me. Tears filled my eyes, followed by shame.

"I warned you," he growled. "Will you sit still and listen to me?"

I pursed my lips, refusing to answer him. His hand squeezed my ass before he slowly started rubbing the spot that burned. I tensed. Any minute now he was going to spank me again. Why was the thought of it make me hot? A tear dripped down my cheek. I lowered my head and pressed it against his leg. My hands gripped his pants to hold on.

"We told you, baby, good girls get rewarded and bad girls get punished."

"No."

"No?" His hand paused briefly. "I'm sure we told you."

A squeak fell from my lips when his hand lifted and came down hard. I sucked in a sharp breath but a whimper escaped my lips. It burned so fucking bad. The man had big hands and he wasn't being gentle at all. Why did I like it?

"I think you need a good spanking. Maybe it will teach you to listen to your masters."

Masters . . . now that made me think of everything I saw in the locked room—in the playroom. The thought of being tied up and at their mercy made heat flood me. I remembered those dreams I had when I first arrived here—those dreams that confused and scared me.

"Val?"

I pushed myself up and to my surprise, he let me up. Stumbling backward, I reached down to pull my pants and panties back up. He stayed seated on the edge of the couch and silently watched me. I swallowed and reached up to wipe the tears.

"I'm sorry you feel that way," I whispered. "It was never my intention to make you regret mating me."

"Val—"

I spun and run for the door, but Devon was right behind me. His loud growl filled the hallway. I made the mistake of glancing over my shoulder. The air left my lungs when I slammed into a hard body. My eyes snapped up to find my other mate standing right in front of me. David frowned down at me as he reached out to grip my hips. Devon was suddenly right behind me. I felt his heat seep into my skin. He wasn't touching me, but he was close.

"What's going on?"

"Our mate thinks I regretted mating her," Devon answered before I could. "She has been listening to the gossips."

David glanced down at me. "You know better than to listen to gossip, Val."

"It's my only source of information since my mates refuse to tell me anything," I yelled. "I have the right to know. You know everything about me." I pushed his chest but he didn't budge. "I know you regret mating me. Just say it!"