Brought To Heel (Wayward Mates Series Book 1)

by Delta James

  Jean-Michele had no desire to mark and knot his mate in her wolf form. He shook her by the scruff as she fought to free herself from his possession. He pinned her to the ground in such a way that she could feel his need for her. She needed to know that if he chose to, he could make her his and none would be able to say a word. He felt the mark of another alpha—it was a bitter taste in his mouth. His need to remove it from her body was overwhelming. He shook her again.

  He felt her yield and shift back to her human form. He did the same, ensuring that he still had her pinned beneath him. He desperately wanted to mark and mate with her, but he could feel both fear and anger emanating from her being. He nuzzled her, inhaling her scent deeply.

  “What a naughty mate you are. You heard me calling you, but resisted my call,” he said in a pleasant and soothing voice.

  Darby thought his voice sounded like molasses. “I am not your mate,” said Darby, shaking from both anger and fear.

  He chuckled and nuzzled her again, enjoying finally having found her. “Be still, mate. I won’t hurt you. Well, I suppose that’s not really true, is it? After all I will have to discipline you for both disobeying Dylan and then for not coming to me when I called you. Then there’s the matter of ridding you of another’s mark and giving you my own. But then, sweet, I will take you to my bed to knot and tie you. I will make you forget how I had to punish you.”

  He whispered kisses along the back of her neck and her shoulders as he ran his hand down her flanks. How he would have preferred not to have to spank her before they mated for the first time. She, however, had left him little choice in the matter. He would see to her discipline for this silly bid for her freedom. She would be mated to the alpha of New Orleans and would come to love her life and him… of that he had no doubt.

  His cock was hard and a knot was already forming in anticipation of the night ahead. She struggled against him as it made contact with her naked buttocks.

  “Get off me, you bastard.” She bucked and struggled, which did nothing to improve her position but did bring her in closer contact with his groin.

  He wrapped his arm around her middle and pulled her closer while his other hand went up to fondle her breast. He cupped it and squeezed it gently and then rolled her nipple between his thumb and forefinger. His possessive handling of her infuriated her. He rained more kisses along the tops of her shoulders. He rubbed his groin along her buttocks. It was best that she become used to his engorged cock being in contact with her body. Both her wolf and human form were very appealing to him. He anticipated many hours spent within her warm embrace proving that she was his and his alone.

  “Get off and get that thing away from me.”

  He chuckled. “Before long, you will be well pleased to have my thing as you so charmingly named it nestled in your wet, silky warmth stroking you to ecstasy before I force my knot and then tie you to me.”

  Jean-Michele could hear the others approaching. His mate was as naked as he and he growled a warning to keep clear. He looked over his shoulder to see that between his and Dylan’s men they had recaptured all the naughty girls who had thought to escape them.

  “So that’s the way it is,” said Dylan, grinning.

  Jean-Michele laughed. “I’m afraid the fair Lacey is meant for another. JD, did you happen to find my clothes?”

  “I did, my friend.”

  “If you would toss them to me and then all of you turn your backs so my mate may have a little privacy…”

  The clothing hit the ground next to him. He was glad he’d worn a long-tailed button-down shirt. Wrapping his hand in Darby’s hair to prevent her from trying to run again, he reached out and got his shirt, handing it to her. “Put this on, sweet. I’d prefer it if the first time you met some of your new pack mates you weren’t unclothed.”

  “They are not my pack mates and you sure as hell aren’t my alpha or my mate.” She made sure to say the last part loud enough so all could hear.

  “Do not try my patience, mate. I am both; you will submit to me and call me such. If you continue to misbehave in a manner unworthy of your position, you will find yourself over my knee having your first taste of my displeasure with an audience. Now cover yourself.”

  Darby took the offered shirt and put it on. Once she was sufficiently covered. Jean-Michele rose and helped her to her feet, pulling her into his embrace, kissing her soundly and holding her close by slipping the hand not tangled in her hair under the shirt and cupping her buttocks. She squirmed. He chuckled and rubbed her backside. He had the distinct impression his mate was going to become very accustomed to his hands being on her bottom—for pleasure, discipline, or both.

  “Dylan, might I ask you to hold onto my mate while I get at least part of my nakedness covered?”

  JD looked at his friend and his engorged cock and grinned. “That thing going to fit back in your jeans?”

  Jean-Michele looked down. The knot was continuing to swell. Darby got her first glimpse of him. He wasn’t as tall as Dylan, but he had the same muscular physique common to alphas. His hair was a golden brown with dark streaks running through it. He had a muscular chest with chiseled abs and well-defined arms and legs. What she had seen of his cock was large and well made.

  “Why do you think I brought my loose-fitting ones?”

  There was laughter from the men and renewed struggles from the girls. Jean-Michele handed Darby over to Dylan. He quickly pulled on his jeans and boots and took possession of Darby again.

  He kissed her and said, “I missed you, mate. You were gone too long from my arms.”

  Dylan smiled. “I take it you are declaring your intention to take Darby as your mate?”

  “I am. Apparently it was my Darby’s presence and then her intoxicating scent that called to me.” He turned back to Darby, smiling at her. “We have yet to make introductions. I, my beloved, am Jean-Michele Gautier… your mate.”

  “I will not be mated.”

  “You will, and we shall be very happily so for the rest of our lives.”

  “I will shorten your life the first chance I get,” Darby growled.

  Jean-Michele gave her bottom a hard swat. “Naughty mate. You do not growl at me. We will discuss that further tonight when I am punishing you for your foolishness this afternoon.”

  “So you mean to discipline her yourself?” asked Dylan cordially, knowing full well what the answer would be.

  “No one but me will ever touch my mate again,” said Jean-Michele with a threatening note in his voice.

  They turned back toward the house. Dylan and Jean-Michele were in the lead. After taking his hand was rejected by Darby, Jean-Michele had once again grabbed a handful of her hair by the nape of her neck to keep her close to him. Dylan found it intriguing that he didn’t really seem to mind her trying to dislodge his hand or force him to release her.

  “Tell me, Dylan, is my mate always this naughty?”

  Dylan laughed. “She’s been the most misbehaved of the lot. She also has a nasty habit of encouraging others to join her in her misbehavior. This is the second time she’s tried to run.”

  “I can tell she’s a spirited thing, but that isn’t a bad trait in an alpha’s mate, n’est pas?”

  “I agree. As you know I took the alpha of Bae Diogel as my mate just recently.”

  “And yet, it is my mate who causes trouble.” He laughed. “Apparently, you’ve marked and bedded yours to great success.” Dylan laughed with him. “So, who is the alpha who marked my mate and do I need to deal with him?”

  Darby pulled at the hand holding her by the hair. “Let me go. And anything you want to know about me you can ask me, you arrogant sonofabitch.”

  Jean-Michele stopped and faced his mate. The other men, especially those of his pack, held their breath. Jean-Michele did not release her. He smiled, but some of the amusement had left his eyes. He gently shook her.

  “You, my beautiful mate, and I are going to need to come to an understanding about the manner in which yo
u speak to me. Up until this moment you have been disinclined to say anything other than telling me what you will and will not do and calling me names. If you wish to tell me about this man who put his mark on you, you may do so once we’re adjourned to our room. I will be happy to listen to anything you have to say to me once we have addressed your misbehavior and nasty attitude… both of which I will curb you of.”

  “Let go of my hair. You’re pulling and it hurts.”

  “I offered you my hand earlier and you slapped it away. If you would prefer now to walk with me hand in hand, I would be happy to do so. However, you will need to ask me nicely to release my hold and walk with me like a good girl with your hand in mine.”

  “Fuck you!” she spat at him.

  He laughed and kissed her. “That too will come after you have spent what I fear will be a considerable amount of time over my knee getting your bottom spanked. As you once again seem disinclined to take my hand, we will continue on as we did before.” He turned back toward the house.

  Dylan smiled. “She was mated to an abusive bastard. She ran from him—that seems to be her MO when dealing with unpleasant things. He tried to get her back from Bae Diogel and failed miserably. They sent him home with his tail between his legs—the preferred MO for that pack,” he said, laughing.

  Jean-Michele laughed with him. “They are a spirited group of women. And they wonder why they are so highly coveted as mates?”

  “I too find it interesting that they fail to see their desirability. In any event, she lived at Bae Diogel until we had to disband them. He came here to claim her but she declared me her alpha and asked for my protection at my Skylar’s suggestion. She has repeatedly told anyone willing to listen that she will not be mated again.”

  “She has no choice.” Dylan nodded in agreement with him. “How did he abuse her?”

  “He used to beat her.”

  Jean-Michele stopped in his tracks and turned to Darby. “Do you wish me to kill him for you and bring you his head on a platter, my beloved?”

  Darby searched his face and realized he was deadly serious. “No, that won’t be necessary,” she said in a meek voice.

  “Are you sure? No man worthy of that designation mistreats any woman, but most especially his own. Any man, mated or not, in my pack who does not treat the women of our pack with respect and kindness answers to me.”

  “And to whom do you answer when you beat me tonight?” she challenged.

  Jean-Michele laughed and kissed her. “Naughty mate. I will not beat you tonight. I will turn that pretty bottom of yours a deep shade of red for your naughtiness this day, but never will you suffer abuse at my hands. Would you care to walk hand in hand the rest of the way with me?”

  “I suppose it’s better than having you drag me by the roots of my hair.”

  He laughed again. “Then ask me nicely to walk to the house with me and put your hand in mine.”

  He waited. Darby stood rooted to the spot and once again tried to free his hand from her hair. Jean-Michele did nothing but wait. Finally, she let go of him.

  “Would you please release my hair and hold my hand while we return to the house?” she said as she offered him her hand.

  Jean-Michele took her offered hand, brought it to his lips to kiss, and then released her hair and put her hand in his. “See there, ma cherie? That wasn’t so difficult, was it?”

  They turned back to the house and resumed their walk. Once there, Jean-Michele accompanied his mate upstairs.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Dylan was a bit surprised to see the other women of Bae Diogel mingling and seemingly enjoying themselves on the patio with the men who had been invited to the house party. Seeing Dylan return, Nick walked over to him. The men who had gone in search of the girls who had tried to flee remained with Dylan and with the women within their grasp.

  Nick watched as Jean-Michele escorted Darby into the house. “I didn’t see that coming.”

  Dylan smiled. “Nor did I. But I think he may be exactly what she needs. He has declared her his and will discipline and mark her tonight. I’m a bit surprised to see the other girls out on the patio.”

  “After speaking with them, I don’t believe they knew anything helpful before this small group decided they needed to see what proper discipline feels like. Apparently Darby, Gina, and Megan didn’t spread the word.”

  Dylan laughed. “Yes, that must be it. They were just looking for you to spank their bottoms for them. Why don’t you put them up in their rooms? Have a man outside each door and two walking the house perimeter. Let’s let them have some time to consider their misbehavior. You go and join Bianca and enjoy yourself. Good call on letting the ones who remained behind enjoy themselves.”

  Nick took Summer by the arm and motioned for Gina to be brought with them into the house.

  “Should I disperse the men who came with us to help guard the perimeter?” Matthew asked Dylan.

  “No.” He turned to his men. “Go get cleaned up, join everyone else, and enjoy yourselves. Good work on rounding our miscreants back up. Matthew, will you give my apologies to our guests and tell them I will join them shortly. I need to go up and deal with my mate’s defiance this afternoon. I’ll want to talk with you and Nick this evening once the house is settled in for the night.”

  The men dispersed and Dylan reluctantly mounted the stairs to deal with his own mate. He opened the door and was gratified to see her standing naked in the corner awaiting his discipline. The welts he had been forced to give her were healing and now showed as faded stripes across her backside.

  “Darby, Summer, and Gina are back. The latter two will answer to Nick this evening and I would think will have trouble sitting down for breakfast tomorrow as will their former alpha.”

  “What about Darby? Are you planning to discipline her yourself?” she asked quietly.

  “No, that responsibility now falls to her mate.”

  “Her mate?” Skylar turned around but remained in the corner. “Dylan, you can’t mate her just because you’re pissed at her or at me.”

  “First, little girl, you’d best turn back around and face the corner before I decide you need to be spanked for that as well. When I send you to stand in the corner, that’s where you go and where you stay until I say differently.” He waited until she turned back around. “Second, I would never mate a woman, especially against her will, out of spite or anger. And last, it’s a fated match. He called and she responded. She doesn’t like it, but it’s as clear as Oliver and Roz or you and I.”

  “May I ask to whom?”

  “Jean-Michele Gautier.”

  “The alpha of New Orleans? I thought you had him earmarked for Lacey.”

  “I did, but fate had other ideas. Have any thoughts about your behavior while you’ve been standing in the corner?” he asked, bringing her back to the task at hand.

  “Yes. May I come and sit down and talk to you?”

  “No. You can tell me from right there. By the way, you did yourself a favor by being in the corner when I got up here. I don’t think I’ll ask if you were there the whole time.”

  “You can ask. I was. I thought about just sitting down until I felt you coming and then decided that wasn’t the thing an honorable mate would do so I didn’t.”

  He laughed. “Good decision on your part. Too bad you didn’t make a better one before you got sent to the corner to begin with.”

  “I know. And I know that I shouldn’t have growled at you and I shouldn’t have disrespected you or Nick to begin with. But Dylan, I’m trying. I really am. And I did apologize to Nick. If Ioan was honest with you, and it sounds like he was, he would have told you that doing as I’m told was never easy for me. Combine that with being on my own and being alpha of my own pack for a number of years makes it even more so. And you know I have strong feelings about my…” she stopped and amended what she was about to say, “what’s happening to women I pledged to protect.”

  He came up behind her and ran his
hands down her sides, cupping her bottom with one hand and her mons with the other. He smiled as he slid his hand down from her front, then between her legs and found her clit. She moaned with desire and allowed her body to lean back into his. She was reassured to feel his manhood hardening in his jeans and to feel him sniff her scent. She knew it pleased him to find her aroused.

  “Regardless of your reasons, you were naughty, weren’t you?”

  “Yes, Dylan.”

  “I ought to wash your mouth out with soap and take my belt to you for your behavior.”

  “Dylan, please, not your belt…”

  “You ever, and I mean ever, growl at me again, no amount of pleading will keep my belt from welting your ass a minimum of five times, are we clear?”

  “Yes, Dylan.”

  “I would think something more than yes would be appropriate, don’t you?”

  “Yes, Dylan. I’m sorry for growling at you. Truly. I do know that you’re doing as much as you can for the girls and more than anyone else would have. You don’t deserve my disrespect nor does Nick for doing what you asked him to do.”

  He circled her clit with his fingers and then rolled it between them. Her breathing became shallower and she rubbed her derriere against his groin. That caused him to chuckle.

  “You know, mate, I think leaving you to stand in the corner for an extended period of time gave you some time to reflect on your naughtiness, didn’t it?”

  “Yes, Dylan. I mean it when I say I’m really trying to understand your position and to adjust to my new status, but it’s difficult.”

  “You don’t seem to find it as difficult when I hold you in my arms at night and mount you. And you seem quite happy when I knot and tie you to me.”

  She purred at him. “That side of being mated to you is very much to my liking.”

  He chuckled again as he brought both hands up to fondle her breasts and nipples. “So tell me, mate, how should I punish you for your behavior earlier?”

  “You could always just mount me where we stand and hammer my pussy until I promise never to misbehave again.”