The Commander's Daughter Read online

  She pulled away from him, wiping her tears away with an angry glare. “I hate you!”

  “This will not always be so,” he informed her indulgently, knowing it was not unusual for a woman to react thusly after correction.

  * * *

  Izzy and Grayson froze as they came out of their room in response to the sounds of Liam spanking their daughter.

  Melody ran up the stairs, stopping for a moment in front of them in the hallway outside of her bedroom. “Did you know?” she asked them softly.

  Izzy knew the discomfort on her face was all the answer her daughter needed.

  Melody gave them a look of betrayal before running into her room, slamming and locking it behind her.

  How could they have let her be blindsided by such a thing? She knew it was intolerable to think Liam had been acting as merely a guard for over a month and they had all known what he was to her. All of them had known and no one had even tried to warn her.

  Izzy felt so guilty that they could have betrayed their daughter in such a way. She knew Melody’s feelings must be terribly hurt by their actions.

  Izzy leaned gratefully into Grayson’s embrace. “Oh, Grayson, I feel we’ve done our daughter a great disservice in not telling her about Liam.”

  He sighed and placed a gentle kiss on her brow. “It will work out. God chooses our mates and he is never wrong.”

  She nodded and followed her husband downstairs to greet her new son-in-law.

  * * *

  Melody sat in the window seat of her bedroom with her legs folded beneath her as she looked outside. The stinging in her bottom had long since abated, but the sting in her heart still hurt.

  She heard a soft knock on the door, and then she watched the reflection in the window as her mother entered the room. She didn’t acknowledge her mother, but simply continued to stare out the window and at the world she now knew she would never get the chance to be a part of.

  “Melody, we need to talk about this,” her mother began, stroking a soft hand over her hair.

  “What’s to talk about? You’ve let that Neanderthal follow me around for a month and never thought to mention I was his property,” she said bitterly.

  “Not his property!” her mother protested. “Do you feel your father treats me as property?”

  Melody had the grace to flush. “No, but I always thought I would have a choice in when I chose to mate and some ability to pick one myself.”

  “I’ve explained the ways of the Ramelians to you again and again, all your life. Why would you think this would never affect you? I admit I hoped it would be a long time before your mate found you, but it cannot be undone now that he has.”

  “Mama, how did you stand it? At least I had some idea of what could happen, but you really had no warning at all. How can you love him?” Melody voiced the question in a whisper.

  Melody’s mother smiled. “I didn’t at first. I fought him daily, I was rude and disrespectful… often disobedient and punished accordingly, I’m afraid. But then he would hold me tenderly and comfort me and at night he gave me pleasure I could never have imagined.”

  Melody blushed hotly at the thought of her parents being intimate. “TMI, mother! Please!”

  Her mother laughed. “Don’t be silly, love, you know we didn’t find you and your siblings under the turnip patch. Your father and I have a very healthy sexual relationship. And he loves me. He loved me from the moment he saw me; it took me a while to understand how it was possible and longer to really believe it. While I can honestly say I will never enjoy punishment, feeling cherished and treasured opened my heart in a way I couldn’t have understood until it happened. Now I understand the gift of my submission to him gives me freedom I could never have had without it and it’s a beautiful thing. He would never abuse that gift in any way.”

  Since she loved her father and saw how much he treasured her mother, Melody really couldn’t argue the point. “But that’s you and daddy. Liam is frowny and stern; how can I trust he will ever treasure me or love me for who I am?”

  “Your father assures me Liam has no choice. The Ramelian males are hardwired to treasure and love their mates beyond measure,” her mother assured her as she leaned down to wrap Melody in her arms.

  Melody leaned into her mother’s embrace. “I thought I had more time.”

  “I thought you did too,” her mother told her quietly. “But it was not to be. Liam has agreed not to claim you right away.”

  Melody looked hopefully up at her mother. “He’s going to leave and come back in a few years?”

  Her mother laughed again. “I think you know that wouldn’t be possible. He has agreed to give you a few weeks to get to know him before the bonding.”

  “A few weeks?” Melody frowned.

  “It’s better than tonight, but you have to try to know him. You can’t stonewall him or rebuff him at every turn. If you challenge him too much, he will bond you immediately,” her mother cautioned her. “He was relieved once your father explained the relationship between you and Jackson. Now he knows you weren’t running off to have relations with a strange man, but were with one you consider to be a brother.”

  “Is he sorry he spanked me?” Melody demanded, hoping for a humble apology.

  “Not at all; in Liam’s eyes you disobeyed, period. Discipline is the natural consequence. At least it was a very mild spanking from what I heard in the hallway.”

  “Mild? It hurt!” the girl exclaimed.

  “I bet your bottom isn’t even pink,” was her mother’s response.

  Melody pouted. “Maybe not, but it still hurt.”

  “I’m afraid, my dear, you are in for a very rude awakening,” her mother said, giving her own behind a rueful and very telling rub under Melody’s watchful eyes. “I will see you at dinner.”

  “I’m not hungry,” Melody pouted.

  “You better develop an appetite quickly, my dear. I don’t think you want Liam to be forced to come get you.”

  As the door closed behind her mother, Melody gave a resigned sigh, knowing she would be at the table at seven along with everyone else. Maybe her little brother and sisters would serve as a buffer between herself and the big Ramelian.

  Chapter Four

  Melody entered the dining room and headed toward the seat between her little brother and youngest sister. “Sorry, squirt, that seat’s taken,” Jackson said, sliding into the seat before she could reach it. “I think your seat is over there,” he said with a wink.

  She ignored the twinkle in his eyes as she walked toward the seat next to the glowering male she apparently belonged to. Melody sat down with a frown, determined to look anywhere but at Liam.

  “I like not your pouting,” Liam leaned over to whisper into her ear.

  “I am not pouting!” she hissed up at him with fire in her bright emerald eyes. “Forgive me for taking a moment to get used to the idea of being miserable for the rest of my life.”

  He looked taken aback by her words. “Why would you say this?”

  Melody looked around the table at her parents and Jackson who were trying their best to pretend they couldn’t hear the conversation.

  Her youngest sister Maggie had no problem being obvious in her eavesdropping, watching the building scene with great interest.

  “You! You frown all the time. Are you ever happy? I see my life suddenly absent of all laughter and fun.” Melody blinked furiously, trying to hold back the tears rapidly gathering in her eyes. “You’ll take me from all I know and love into a dark cold world with no feeling. Please excuse me, I can’t eat right now.”

  Melody stood, intending to flee and return to her room where she could grieve her future in private.

  Liam stood and caught her by the wrist. “You will return to your seat this instant and stop this display. It is unseemly to have what should be a private exchange in front of these good people.”

  Melody wrenched her arm away, and he let go as she glared up at him. “These good people are my
family. They already know how unhappy I am.”

  Plopping back down, she stared at her plate, unwilling to talk with him further.

  “I don’t see it,” Maggie said loudly.

  “What don’t you see, Magpie?” Melody’s mother asked her youngest daughter, obviously trying to shift the attention off Melody.

  “The stick,” Maggie said matter-of-factly.

  “What stick are you talking about, love?” Jackson asked the little girl.

  “The stick Melly says Liam has up his butt, I didn’t see it, but wouldn’t that be uncomfortable?” she asked with all the aplomb of the seven-year-old she was, obviously totally unaware of the mixed reactions of the adults around the table.

  “Margaret! Apologize at once, you’ve embarrassed your sister and her intended.” Melody’s father rose in reprimand.

  The little girl’s chin quivered slightly. “I’m sorry, daddy.”

  “She was speaking only of what she’d been told by her sister, who should be plenty old enough to know better.” Liam’s rebuke was not missed by anyone at the table.

  Jackson, ever her little sister’s ally, bumped the little girl’s shoulder with his own and tweaked the end of her nose with a grin. “See, imp. Everything’s okay. Melody’s in trouble, not you.”

  Melody glared into Jackson’s eyes, sniffing at the amusement she saw twinkling there. Sometimes he was worse than her brothers.

  The rest of Melody’s siblings at the table snickered, enjoying themselves at both Melody’s and Maggie’s expense.

  “Children,” the quietly voiced reprimand from Isabella brought all of them back in line; their mother’s rebuke would have been enough, but their father’s steely glare met each eye one by one and soon five very subdued children were quick to get back to eating.

  Melody merely ignored the whole conversation, continuing to stare morosely at her green beans and poking them like they were the enemy.

  “This we will discuss later. Now you will eat your food and cease playing with it,” Liam told her firmly.

  “I can’t,” she said hoarsely.

  “You can and will.” His tone brooked no argument.

  “Grayson?” Melody’s mother looked at her father, as if begging him for permission to intervene. At his nod, she turned toward the big warrior. “Melody has always been very sensitive; she is often unable to eat when upset or highly emotional. If forced, she will only become ill.”

  Melody gave her mother a half smile in appreciation for her words; both her parents were watching her and Liam with worry in their expressions.

  “Very well.” Liam pushed away from the table and stood. “Perhaps a moonlight ride would perk your appetite back up, little mate. Come.”

  Melody stood from the table and took his upturned palm with a resigned sigh, knowing her father would insist she accompany Liam and give him a fair chance to win her heart.

  Melody allowed Liam to lead her outside.

  “Melody, I miss the smiles you used to wear before I told you that you were to be my mate, and I want to see your eyes light up again. So I have planned a little surprise to show you that I care and will be a loving mate,” Liam said earnestly.

  He led her quickly out the door to the driveway, stopping in front of a large motorcycle. Melody blinked at it in surprise.

  “You wanted to ride one, yes?”

  “Yes,” she said hesitantly, totally unprepared for this gesture from him.

  “Come, let us have some fun.” Liam smiled at her for the first time and Melody had to bite back a gasp at how much it changed his features. Laugh lines formed around his dark eyes and twin dimples appeared in his cheeks.

  She found herself a little breathless as she looked up into his eyes, feeling her own lips turn up in a soft smile as he helped her onto the back of the bike.

  Liam placed a small helmet on her head and secured it firmly before pulling his own on and climbing in front of her.

  In a matter of moments they were gliding down the highway at a speed that made Melody squeal and clutch him firmly around the middle. Liam easily controlled the powerful bike, obviously enjoying the ride himself.

  Melody loved the thrill of speeding down the road, feeling the pressure of the wind against her; she wished she could ride without the restrictive helmet and feel the wind in her hair, but she knew Liam would never allow that. It was surprising he’d even allowed her on a bike at all.

  After they’d ridden for a little over an hour, Liam pulled the bike into a somewhat secluded picnic area, assisting Melody off the bike and sitting down at one of the tables, pulling her to stand between his knees.

  She smiled at Liam hesitantly. “Thank you. That was wonderful.”

  “You are welcome. I would like to win more smiles from you. Unfortunately, we must also deal with the disrespect you showed earlier,” he said firmly.

  “What?”

  “Earlier, you showed great disrespect toward me with your siblings as Maggie’s words demonstrated and you demonstrated disrespect for both myself and your parents with your behavior in the dining hall. I would not have our beginnings shrouded in discipline, but I cannot allow such behavior to go uncorrected.” With his little speech out of the way, Liam made short work of unsnapping her jeans to tug both them and her panties to her knees before tumbling her face down across his waiting lap.

  Melody was mortified; no man had ever seen her without clothing and now he was staring down at her naked bottom. “No, Liam! You can’t!”

  “Yes, little mate, I can and will,” Liam said sternly before bringing his hard hand down sharply across her vulnerable bottom. She couldn’t believe the difference between the few swats she’d received over her jeans earlier in the day and the blazing fire his paddle-like hand left in its wake on her naked backside.

  As the shock wore off, Melody began to fight him, but Liam only pulled her in tighter to his torso and lifted one leg to scissor hers between his strong thighs. He put a stop to the slight rebellion almost before it began, never once losing the rhythm with his rapidly falling hand.

  “Owww! Please… stop… owwwie! Owww! Please, Liam… please…” Melody’s pleas seemed to fall on deaf ears as his punishing hand continued to fall again and again, leaving no skin on her bottom and upper thighs untouched.

  When Melody fell limp and sobbing across Liam’s lap, every trace of resistance leaving her body, he stopped. He ran a gentle hand soothingly across her punished flesh as he continued to hold her in place until she quieted. “Shh, little mate, you took your punishment well. You will soon see things are not as bad as you think. I will love and care for you always.”

  When her sobs subsided to the occasional sniffle, Liam lifted her to sit on his knee, cradling her against his chest, “Sweet, sweet Melody, it is all over and forgiven. Next time you will know better how to handle your displeasure, will you not?”

  “Y-you beat me!” Melody looked up at him, her breath catching again on a partial sob.

  Liam smiled down at her indulgently, lifting her to stand between his legs and cupping a sore bottom cheek in each hand. “I spanked you, little one. I did not beat you nor would I ever do so, but leave you with a sore bottom I will if you misbehave again in the future.”

  “It hurt!”

  “It was intended to, how else would the lesson be learned?” he asked her reasonably.

  “I don’t like you.” She glared up at him, crossing her arms over her chest. Melody tried to ignore the fact that he was literally holding her scorched and naked bottom in his hands.

  He smiled again, leaning down to kiss the tip of her nose. “Yes you do, little mate. You may not want to like me, but you do. You wonder what my kiss will be like.”

  Melody gasped in outrage, “I do not!”

  “You do and you know it, shall I show you?” Liam asked with a twinkle in his eyes.

  “No…I…” The pressure of his mouth over hers stilled the rest of her protest. Liam’s mouth pressed insistently against her own, his
tongue tracing the seam of her lips, tapping lightly against them for entrance.

  When she continued to keep her mouth stubbornly closed, he ran his nails across the burning flesh of her bottom in a sharp caress that made her gasp. Taking advantage of her open lips, Liam took possession immediately, sweeping his tongue inside to conquer everything in its path. His tongue seemed to be everywhere at once, stroking along the roof of her mouth before twining with hers and leading it into his own mouth where he suckled it gently.

  Melody found herself getting restless and achy, whimpering into his mouth, needing something more from him—what, she wasn’t sure.

  Liam responded to her need by cupping her bottom and urging her pelvis against his own. Melody tried to open her legs to him but found them hampered by the jeans still bunched around her knees. Liam lifted her easily and pulled them off with her panties, leaving her bare from the waist down. Melody found her legs lifting to wrap around him almost of their own volition, and she moaned as he tilted her so her naked heat pressed against the ridge of his desire, encouraging her to grind against it.

  Freeing her mouth from his for a moment, Melody grasped his shirt tightly in her fists. “Please, help me Liam!” she begged.

  Liam untangled her limbs from his own and laid her back on the picnic table, seating himself between her wantonly splayed thighs. Melody was beyond caring about her lewdly displayed nakedness, need governing her will.

  He pressed his thumbs to her wet core and spread her lips wide before placing his mouth against her wet heat.

  Melody jerked in a silent scream as his tongue thrust up inside her with bold powerful strokes, leaving her helpless to do anything but respond. As Liam drove his tongue deep inside, licking along her sensitive walls, his thumb began to rub circles on her ever tightening little bud of desire.

  Her thighs tightened around his head, pulling him in closer while her hands tried to push his head away, so overwhelmed by the pleasure she didn’t know whether she was begging him to continue or to stop.

  When her body stiffened in his arms before shuddering in ecstasy, he lapped up every bit of her essence as if he couldn’t get enough of the taste of her. Liam pulled Melody’s limp body up and into his lap, tugging her shirt up then lifting her breasts free from the cups of her little lace bra.