by Maren Smith
“I liked you calling me Daddy. How did it feel to you?”
“Horrible!” she spat out.
I could tell she was lying.
“I guess we are going to have to get that bar of soap out of the bathroom after all.”
“For telling you the truth?” She couldn’t look me in the eye; she was lying and we both knew it.
“Is that the hill you want to die on? Why might I have suggested getting the soap? What are the two things that I told you would result in having your mouth scrubbed?”
She squirmed in my arms, trying to stand up.
Tightening my grasp, I held her onto my lap. “Morrigan, I asked you a question.”
“Cursing and lying,” she mumbled.
“And did you curse?”
“No.”
“Then why did I say that?”
“I don’t know,” she growled. “You said it, shouldn’t you know?”
Her attitude was a defense mechanism. She was feeling vulnerable and was trying to cover it up. I used my powers of discernment and knew what she needed. In one motion, I grabbed the paddle off the ground while I stood, carrying her with me. In the bathroom, I deposited her to standing and stood in front of her.
“Look in the mirror.”
“What?”
“Look. In. The. Mirror.” I nudged her to stand in front of the sink. Grabbing her hips, I pulled her back until she was leaning forward on her elbows, staring at herself. She looked from her reflection to mine and back again. I swung my arm back and met her bare butt with the broadside of the wooden sword, flattening the flesh. I anticipated her trying to rise up and was ready for it, pushing her back down onto the counter with my left hand.
“Oh my God! That fucking hurt!” Her hand shot up to cover her mouth, her eyes growing like saucers.
Sighing, I sat the sword next to her and reached for the liquid hand soap. I’d much prefer a bar, but since one wasn’t readily available, this would have to do. Grabbing the hand towel from the hook, I ran the edge of it under water and pumped several large squirts of soap onto it. Lathering it good between my fingers, I turned back to her.
“Open.”
She shook her head no.
“Morrigan, I am going to wash that naughty mouth of yours out and cleanse from it the remaining traces of the disgusting word you keep saying. The only question is how many swats with my sword will it take for you to comply.” Lifting the sword, I stepped behind her, ready to swing it again.
“No! I’ll open my mouth!”
“That’s my good little goddess.” I moved her to sit on the toilet. Reaching down, I tapped her chin with the tip of my forefinger, and she opened her mouth. I made sure to scrub the inside of her cheeks and her teeth. “Stick your tongue out.”
With a scowl, she obeyed. I ran the cloth over her tongue several times.
“Now, because of your defiance, you will receive the rest of your punishment with the taste of soap in your mouth. Back over the sink.” I waited for her to do my bidding. Raising her dress over her back, baring her again, I rubbed my hands over the swollen flesh. It had dulled slightly, and was more of a hot pink than a red, warm instead of hot.
“Let us try this again. Look at yourself in the mirror, Morrigan.” I waited for her to do as she was told. This time, she was quicker to obey. “Good.” I rewarded her behavior by rubbing her bottom gently. “Why are we in the bathroom, little goddess?”
“Because I didn’t answer your question.”
“And what question was that?”
“You asked why you threatened to get the soap.”
“Very good. You have a keen mind. You come from a strong stock. Your father is one of the most intelligent beings on Asgard. Now, I repeat the same question. Why did I threaten to get the soap, Morrigan?”
She looked over her shoulder at me, her eyes begging me not to make her answer. I pointed back to the mirror and she slowly turned her head, looking into her own eyes again.
“Because I lied.”
The whisper was barely audible. I brought the sword down, watching the paddle flatten the flesh before raising it again, three times in succession, across the fullness of her cheeks.
“Because you lied. What did you lie about?”
“I… I… I lied about how calling you Daddy made me feel.”
“And how does calling me Daddy make you feel?”
“I’m not sure.”
“That is a fair answer. You should have gone with that in the first place. Morrigan, lying will never be tolerated. I want you to watch your reflection in the mirror as I discipline you for lying to me.” The paddling was less to do with the lying and more to do with the warring emotions I felt radiating from her. She needed this, and I needed to be the one to give it to her. “Don’t look away.”
Chapter 5
Morrigan
I must have made some terrible mistakes in my life to end up with my belly pressed against the beautiful, cold marble of an expensive sink counter, having my bare ass paddled by Thor.
No, I mentally corrected myself, Thor’s nephew.
This wasn’t at all how I’d imagined receiving my first spanking at the hands of a sexy man would be. I’d imagined a lot of foreplay; a couple quick swats to my behind before being tossed onto a bed and being ridden to an amazing orgasm. Never, not in a million years, could I have imagined being bent over, staring at myself in the mirror, about to have my ass paddled with the taste of soap still fresh in my mouth.
A second after giving the command, Forseti’s arm swung back. It was surreal seeing each movement clearly behind me. The sword landed in the mirror before I felt it, but I did feel it. Raising up on my tiptoes, I bit down on my lip, tasting blood, willing myself not to cry out.
“Do you see yourself, Morrigan? Do you really see yourself? You aren’t a human, and I think you have always known that. Deep inside of you, you’ve known you were different.”
He wasn’t wrong. I searched my eyes in the mirror, weirded out by the woman staring back at me. The sword fell again and again. I felt it bite into my behind. The impact, the thud, stung like the dickens. The pain was building to an unbearable level.
I had always longed to feel pain and now that I was feeling it, I realized how ridiculous I was for wanting it.
The sword hit right below my cheeks, causing the first cry to fall from my lips. It was the first time I had ever made a sound like that, the first time a low, guttural whimper was drawn from my lips. I writhed in pain, grasping the counter tighter, causing my knuckles to whiten.
“That is it, my sweet goddess, allow yourself to feel.”
The crack of the paddle against my upper thighs ripped another whimper from my throat and then another. The whimpers turned to cries and the cries turned to wails as he swung it high and hard, over and over again. I saw my life flash before my eyes. The beautiful childhood I had, all the questions I asked, the answers I had accepted from my mother, the woman who gave birth to me. All of it was all a lie. I knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that his words were true. I wasn’t human. I hadn’t wanted to admit it because to admit it meant recognizing that my past was all one giant ball of deception.
“Daddy, please.” I lifted my eyes from my own reflection and met his in the mirror. He had been watching me intently, waiting for something.
“Who are you, Morrigan?”
“I am…” My voice caught in my throat. I knew the answer, but could I say it out loud? It would be real if I did. Saying it took it even further than thinking it. I wouldn’t be able to deny it anymore. The sword fell again, once more. This swat was the hardest of them all, hitting the tender underside of my cheeks, pushing me forward. I let go of the edge, my arms flailing. “I am Morrigan, demigod and valkyrie, conceived on Asgard and raised on Earth by my adopted family. I am who you say I am.” I dropped my head to my arms and wept.
“I say”—the sword fell with a thud to the floor—“that you are mine, Morrigan.”
I fel
t his strong arms around me, pulling me from the counter. He scooped me up and I wrapped my arms around his thick neck, nestling my face into it. I sobbed, for the first time in my life, gut wrenching, ear-coveringly-loud, sobs. The tears were salty on my lips mingling with the soap taste that lingered in my mouth. It was as if I were a toddler; there were so many first times happening.
Forseti carried me back to the living room and to the couch, settling me onto his lap. He held me in his strong arms, brushed my hair back and whispered promises into the air. “It will be alright, Morrigan. Everything will be alright. Everything. I’ve got you.”
He let me cry for a minute and then, as he had done earlier, laid his palm flat between my shoulder blades. It was as if a cool breeze entered my body, a calming air. My lungs felt like they were taking in more oxygen, my heartbeat slowed down and, the chaotic emotional storm that had been brewing, halted. I had heard of people having a calming presence around them, but this was a bit much.
“How do you do that?” I asked, finally able to speak through my tears.
“It is one of my powers. Often, when people are seeking out justice, there is a sense of emotional chaos. The offender carries defensiveness, guilt and oftentimes anger. The victim is also normally very mad, hurt and anxious. Being overly emotional will never produce a logical reaction. Emotions are necessary but having control over your emotions is important. I’ve let you feel and now I need you to vocalize and try to make sense out of some of those emotions. What are you thinking, little goddess?”
It took me a second to arrange my thoughts in such a way that I could tell him.
“I feel… abandoned, which doesn’t make sense. I was raised by a beautiful family, I wanted for nothing. I had the best education. My brothers adore me. I never knew I was adopted; I never knew we didn’t all share the same DNA. Yet, now, knowing all of this, I feel like I was abandoned, and I don’t understand these warring emotions. You keep saying, ‘your mother’ and ‘your father’ but to me, they are no more than biological tissue donors. I don’t know these strangers and, when you speak like this, my thoughts go to my human family.”
“I am a firm believer that a family is made up of more than just blood. I have had quite a bit of drama in my own family. I know what it is like to feel betrayed.”
“Oh, God!” I yelled out loud as the class I had taken on Norse gods came back to me. I knew exactly who Forseti was.
“I’m not sure I will ever get used to you saying that,” he said. “The God of Mankind is very different than the gods above. I am often amused by the human belief in one god. I mean, the thought that one god would be enough to rule all of the universe…”
I laughed at his tone. I had never been religious, although I had grown up attending church every Sunday.
“I was remembering my classes on Norse history. If you are who you say you are—” I started.
“Are we back to that again?”
“I guess not.”
“Morrigan.” His voice was a low growl, full of warning.
“No, Daddy.”
“That’s better.”
“Then,” I continued, exasperated at the interruption, “Loki arranged your father’s death with his trickery and your mother abandoned you after he died. How does one who went through so much trauma end up the God of Justice, of all things?”
“That is a rather long story, best left for another day.”
“But, Daddy”—I pouted, batting my eyelashes to see how far it would get me—“I want to hear about it now. You were barely mentioned in history class. I want to know more about you.”
“You pout prettily, my little goddess, but the answer remains the same. I will tell you later. There is a real and credible threat approaching, and we need to be focused on keeping you safe. Once that threat is neutralized, I will answer all of your questions.”
“But—”
“I said no. If you feel like arguing with me, I will take the time to paddle your butt again. You have a hard time recognizing that I am in charge around here, don’t you?”
“Fine.” I was not happy. I was a researcher, a list maker and an answer finder. I didn’t like questions or the unknown. Before I could blink, he had me back over his hard thighs, his gigantic hand playing my butt like a conga drum. The swats, although not as hard as before, came down on my already tender behind. This time, the tears spilled freely.
“The attitude needs to go,” he said, punctuating each word with a matching swat. “I am in charge. I make the rules and you follow them. Understand, little goddess?”
“Yes! Yes! I understand!” There was no avoiding his punishing hand, no matter how hard I rocked. Soon, my feet were beating the floor in a rhythm that matched his punishing blows.
“Yes what?”
“Yes, Daddy!”
“Good.” He stopped then and pulled me back onto his lap. “This feels right, Morrigan, having you in my arms. I think I’ll keep you.”
“You can’t just keep me,” I giggled. “That isn’t how it works.”
“No? Well, what if I say it is? What if I stake my claim right here and right now on you? What if I want to make you mine?”
“I’d say you were silly. You don’t even know me.”
“I know you enough.” He wrapped his hand in my hair and with a gentle tug, tilted my head back.
I felt his lips descend. Warm, luscious, delicious lips. There was nothing tender about this kiss. It was fierce and domineering. His lips bruised over mine, claiming them, searing his intent. With a possessive growl, he tugged on the back of my head, opening my mouth more to him as his tongue dipped inside to mate with mine.
The kiss was broken a second later when Edda appeared before us. I don’t know how long she stood there until we heard her clearing her throat.
“Edda,” Forseti growled. “This better be important.”
“It is, very. We need to talk.”
“Do you think I’ll ever get used to you all just popping in and out of places?” I asked.
“Someday, hopefully soon, you’ll be able to do the same,” Forseti promised, laying one last quick and tender kiss on my lips before turning his attention to Edda. “What news do you bring?”
I could still feel his lips on mine, the tingling continuing. The last few hours had been something out of a dream. It was hard to separate reality from fiction at the moment. If it was a dream, I didn’t want to wake up. I leaned back in Forseti’s strong arms and tried to pay attention to the conversation.
“They are closer than we would like, and Loki called for reinforcements. There are groups of dark elves everywhere and Loki anticipated Odin sending you. He has them ascending here. Our intel anticipates them arriving in our area tomorrow. They don’t know we’ve taken her yet; they are still lying wait for her in Chicago.”
“Can’t they teleport like you?” I asked.
“Not exactly. They aren’t gods or valkyries. Their powers are more limited than ours are. They can go between worlds, but it takes more effort. The energy they would use would drain their ability to fight. This is why Loki has discharged so many teams,” Edda explained. “If they could teleport, he would only need to send one team.”
“I guess that makes sense,” I responded thoughtfully.
It didn’t. It didn’t make a lick of sense.
“It will all make sense someday,” Edda said, reading my mind again. “Once you are safe, we will take a trip to Asgard and you will be educated on everything.” She turned to Forseti. “Odin has approved.”
“That is fantastic news. What changed his mind?” Forseti asked.
“You.” It was one word, but it held a lot of weight.
“I see,” Forseti said, a hint of concern in his voice.
“What am I missing here?”
“Odin had forbidden us from bringing the valkyries back to Asgard. Your job was to protect the Earth. Forseti had wanted to bring all of you back for protection and training, but was shot down. Now that you are th
e only one left, and with your connection to Forseti, Odin has changed his mind.”
“Connection?” I saw the exchanged look between Forseti and Edda.
“Yes, Odin sees all,” Edda said with a shrug.
“Well, that is creepy as fuck,” I muttered before realizing what I had said. I heard Forseti’s growled response a second before I found myself staring at the floor. His large hand came down on my already punished behind, rewarming it.
Kicking and squirming, I was quick to apologize.
“Your lesson didn’t last very long, did it?”
“I’m sorry!” I yelped. “It is a habit, Daddy. I can’t just stop automatically. It takes a while to break a habit!” I was acutely aware of the other set of feet on the ground near me. I was mortified by the fact that I was being spanked in front of Edda.
“It isn’t the first time someone has been spanked in front of me,” Edda answered my thoughts. “I’ve also been over his knee in front of Kara.”
“Edda!” Forseti scolded.
“She’s embarrassed,” I heard her respond. “Just trying to help.”
“She wouldn’t be embarrassed if she hadn’t just dropped the f-word.” He smacked my thighs a couple times and, although I was grateful he hadn’t lifted my dress, I realized again just how little protection it offered. I would need to throw out all of my skirts and dresses if I was to be with a spanking man. I was sure pants would offer much better protection.
He sat me back up then. It wasn’t a long spanking. It didn’t hurt too much, but it stung my pride, and it taught me a lesson. He would correct me, no matter where we were or who we were in front of.
“That is because he is the God of Justice,” Edda said. I groaned. “Even if you do call him Daddy!” She howled with laughter.
“Edda!”
“You have got to teach me how to block my thoughts from her.”
Chapter 6
Forseti
A few minutes later Kara arrived. Her information wasn’t any better than Edda’s had been. The dark forces were on our trail, and I needed to get us ready for what was to come. I left Morrigan in the women’s capable hands and went to speak with Odin myself. I needed clarity and a game plan, but mostly, I needed to get away from Morrigan for a few minutes and clear my mind.
