Cassie’s scalp tingled as Karliah’s fingers ran through her curls, dragging out the dredges of frightening thoughts leftover from the nightmare she had woken from an hour earlier. It had only been a nap, how could nightmares get you in a nap? They had spent the first twenty minutes talking about it in bed but Cassie quickly grew tired of that, it was always the same nightmare anyway, what was the point in rehashing it? So they quickly slipped into cuddles, it was late and Karliah had finished most of her work on her laptop while Cassie had slept after getting back from the Scarlett Moon pack house anyway.

Cassie snuggled in closer, she knew this physical affection was only a short-term solution but she craved it so much when the panic struck. She only went to therapy once a week now, and although it helped a lot, she still needed that instant security that came with her mate’s embrace. Nothing bad could happen to her with Karliah holding her.

Before she was marked, relying so heavily on another living person, even her own family, would have scared Cassie shit-less, but there was no fighting the safety she felt at the mere scent of the towering blonde. Although… her mate’s wolf was giving off a strange scent, her emotions leaking out.

“What’s wrong?” Cassie asked curiously, although she didn’t bother to raise her head from Karliah’s chest.

“Nothing.” Karliah whispered into her hair. “Just thinking about things.”

“Things that are making you feel… worried?” Cassie guessed, she was getting better at identifying emotions with precision, at first she could only get a general feeling of good or bad, now she had a couple of emotions she could pin-point like excitement and pride.

“It’s something we’ve already spoken about, babes.” She sighed. “If I bring it up again it will start a…” She kissed the top of Cassie’s head, “disagreement.” she finally said.

Cassie turned her face up and pouted, “Tell me anyway.”Karliah sighed again.

“I don’t feel comfortable with you staying at the Scarlett Moon pack house, I didn’t before because you were away from me all the time but now that feeling has gotten even stronger with the… vampire situation.” She squeezed Cassie in closer. “I don’t want to argue, I know I can’t convince you not to spend time there,” Fingers slid through her curls tenderly. “but I can’t stop my brain from fixating on it - you wouldn’t be able to stop thinking about it if you thought I was in danger.”

“I know, I love you.” Cassie pecked at her check. “I don’t want you to feel those feelings though, not just for you but for me too! Your bad emotions ruin my good ones.”

“What do you mean?” She seemed genuinely confused, Cassie stared into her eyes for a moment just to be sure though. “I can feel your emotions but they don’t, like, leak into mine?”

“Really? Yours always mixes with mine - it can be very confusing!” She complained.

“Maybe we could find a compromise, then I wouldn’t have to worry so much?” Karliah’s voice was much softer and Cassie felt her heart strings being pulled.

“Have you got something in mind already?”

“Well, I know my ideal situation would be for you to stay here and have Sam visit you, but I think second best would be for you to only visit the pack house once a week, then I could take you and stay because I wouldn’t be missing too much work.”

“Once a week?” Cassie spluttered. “Don’t you think you’re shooting a bit too low there? I was thinking I would go one day less a week!”

“That’s a great start, sweetie.” Karliah pinched her cheeks and pulled an overly fake sympathetic expression. “What if we make this a one day a week cut-down plan? In seven weeks you will be clean and sober!”

“That’s not funny,” Cassie pushed her hands away grumpily. “this doesn’t just affect me - Sam is stuck there twenty-four-seven.” A sigh merged into a groan. “He couldn’t leave if he wanted to, I can’t just leave him!”

“I know it’s hard for him and I know you care-”

“And you owe him.”

“Yes.” Karliah huffed. “But I would rather pay him back in any form of currency that isn’t your life - every minute you’re over there is a minute I lose from spending with you!” She paused for a moment. “Also,” She pulled Cassie forward with a sudden yank, bringing them nose to nose. “did you just interrupt me?” She growled the question into Cassie’s ear in that deep, sultry voice that made the sub’s thighs tremble. Cassie took a soft breath and squeezed them together.

“What’re you gonna do about it?” She climbed up, pressing herself chest-to-chest against her mate, staring into her steel-grey eyes. “Alpha.” She added, with extra attitude peppered over the word. She could tell Karliah was fighting (very poorly) against a grin as she ran a hand up her back and into her hair, grabbing the curls in a sudden jerking motion to pull her face in close. It hurt, but it also made her cunt squeeze. Dominant Karliah was her favourite Karliah.

“I’m going to do what any self-respecting alpha would do when faced with disrespect.” Her voice was firm but not raised.

“Run away with your tail between your legs?” It was not something she would ever say in front of an audience, Cassie would never undermine her mate in the presence of others, but she loved to play the naughty submissive behind closed doors and she was worryingly good at it. Karliah groaned, leaned in and nipped at her jaw.

“Ugh, I know I’m supposed to be annoyed but I fucking love it when you give me attitude.” Her canines rested against the soft spot beneath Cassie’s ear. “Even that first time in DSH,” She chuckled, “do you have any idea how turned on I was when you called me a- what was it again?”

“Inbred?” Cassie snorted, partly in amusement and partly from the tickle of Karliah’s lips against her neck.

“And troll.” Karliah mimicked her snort. “And I’m pretty sure ‘the b word’ was used?” She kissed her neck gently.

“ME? Swear?” Cassie pulled back, laughing even harder. Karliah flicked her forehead with an easy grin. “I am nothing short of an angel!”

“When you want to be.” Karliah chuckled. “Sometimes you can be a little demon.”

“And sometimes you can be an overlord.”

“That’s my girl.” Karliah stole her lips in a harsh kiss, sucking on them roughly.

When she finally released the sub’s lips, Cassie managed to gasp, “I’m thinking that could catch on as your new title,” she grinned cheekily. “forget ‘Alpha Karliah’, I’m gonna have everyone calling you ‘Overlord Karliah’.” she teased.

“Call me that outside of this room and I will have to make you cry.” Karliah warned, although her eyes were still sultry.

“I would love to see you try.” Cassie murmured, gazing up at her with an expression of heavy arousal. Karliah’s grin told her that’s exactly what she had been hoping she would say. Karliah stood, tossing Cassie onto the bed where she landed on her back, arms up and legs half-open. Karliah took one of her ankles in her hand and yanked her down to the edge of the mattress.

“Turn over.” Karliah ordered. Cassie obeyed, despite having had trouble submitting to other dominants, it was increasingly easy to do as her mate commanded. She didn’t feel her pride bubbling with indignity when she was given an instruction by her. She felt peace, a sense of security and even accomplishment when she could follow orders perfectly.

Karliah lifted Cassie’s skirt and let it fold back on itself, leaving her barely-covered-bottom out on show, she suddenly regretted wearing such tiny panties. She pushed her weight from foot to foot, bicycling her legs as she waited for whatever her lover had in store for her.

“When was the last time you were spanked?” Karliah’s hands trailed over her upper thighs, the crease of her cheeks, over the mounds…

“By you?” Cassie asked cheekily. A sharp pain cracked across her butt, the sound made her jump more than the feeling. She whined as she released her breath, sounding almost winded. “Maybe a week or two?” She begrudgingly answered.

“Mm.” The hand that had struck her slid over her skin again, her fingers spread wide. “Do you think you could handle something.. more?”

“More?” That pricked her interest.

“More than my hand or a plastic ruler…”

“Like what?”

Karliah leant over her, bringing her lips in close to Cassie’s ear, “Belt?” she murmured. Cassie hesitated, her panties were already becoming damp and she wanted a hot dose of pain to mix with her pleasure… But this was a leap, one that she had no experience in… But it was Karliah, she would never take it too far…

“Yes.” She whispered, keeping her eyes down on the bedding.

Karliah took her curls between her fingers again, tilting her head to force eye contact, “Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“You tell me if it gets too intense.” Cassie tried to nod but the grip in her hair held her steady. “Say it, promise me you’ll tell me if it’s too much.”

“I promise.”

“Good girl.” She peppered light kisses down her throat and sucked on the nape of her neck, Cassie keened at the soft attention. When Karliah stepped away she felt a rush of excitement and nerves hit her and shivers threatened her thighs. The sound of a leather belt unbuckling and slipping through the hoops of Karliah’s jeans silenced every other noise in the room, Cassie’s mind filled with the soft rustle.

When the leather brushed against her skin, her fingers clenched in the sheets and her eyes squeezed shut, she could do this, she could do it. The belt pulled away. When it snapped back to her behind, the pain bit at her skin with an intensity she had never experienced before, sharp and wicked in it’s strike but also leaving a throbbing warmth when the belt drew away again. Her mouth had fallen open and her eyes squeezed shut from the initial strike but when it’s follower arrived her eyes flew open again and she gasped, loudly.

“You okay, baby?” Karliah asked, her voice unwavering.

“Uh… yes.” She breathed. Yes, this wasn’t as bad as she could have imagined, and a spanking is what she had been hoping for when she started back-talking, she would feel disappointed and pent up with energy if she didn’t get it now.

“You know you can tell me if it’s not.”

“I know.” Before the second word had fully left her lips another swipe sliced diagonally across her cheeks, she whimpered pitifully in response. The second hit quickly followed and the real spanking began.

This time she didn’t get breaks between hits, they continued with a steady rhythm, biting at her skin and drawing heat to the surface of her blushing bottom. Cassie cried out at every single hit without fail. The centre of her panties were sticking to her from arousal, her mate’s dominance rolling over her in waves, so strong, so powerful, so controlled. She loved her, so much.

The sensations built and built, not just the delicious and shocking initial contact but the agonising and bruising pain of all the previous blows. Tears had pooled in her eyes but she managed to hold them there, blurring her vision. She was panting a little, more from her own sexual desire than physical exertion - after all, Karliah was the one doing all the work.

The pain layered up until Cassie lost count of how many strikes she had taken but still she managed to hold back the tears, crying out verbally only. With a particularly punishing swat, it was over.

Cassie heard the belt clatter to the floor, felt her mate’s hands on her, rolling her over. Face to face with Karliah, her lover, her alpha, her everything. When their eyes met, Cassie felt her face crumple, her lips trembling and her tears finally spilling over. The release of so many pent up emotions she didn’t know had been waiting to be detoxed in the form of tears. Karliah took her face in her long fingers, running the pads of her thumbs over her cheeks, collecting the dewy droplets resting there.

“You’re even beautiful when you cry.” Karliah’s own face was painted with a mixture of sympathy, satisfaction and admiration. “You did so well baby, I’m so proud of you.”

Cassie sniffed, “I know, I can feel it.” she tried to crack a smile but her lips were still trembling and she could tell that made it wonky. Karliah smiled warmly and scooped her up, her splayed legs resting either side of the alpha’s hips.

“Stop eavesdropping on my emotions.” She laughed into Cassie’s wild curls. Her hands adjusted themselves under Cassie’s butt, squeezing at the welted flesh until she jerked away with a whine. “So cute.” Karliah murmured.

“So sore.” Cassie mumbled back, although she also felt so complete… she didn’t always like to admit how much she liked Karliah putting her in her place, she had never understood how someone could take pleasure in being submissive before Karliah kicked her way into her life. Karliah laughed again and climbed onto the bed, lowered Cassie into the centre, adjusted the blankets and pulled her in for cuddles.

“Such a good girl.” Cassied keened at the praise, snuggling in closer and mewling when Karliah pressed a kiss to her forehead.