Kneel.

**Isabella**

My heart plummeted in my chest as he approached me like an irate tiger ready to devour his prey.

He leaned and grabbed my arm roughly, pulling me along.

"Let me go," I tried to jerk my arm away from him, but his hold on me tightened.

He said nothing as he pulled me towards the large bed and turned me to face him. A huge lump formed in my throat as I gazed into his blazing red eyes.

"I already warned you about what would happen if you ever dared to disobey me, didn't I?" My lashes fluttered under his scrutinizing gaze as he scolded me. "Well, after I'm through with you, you'll think twice before even thinking of disobeying me."

"I didn't do anything," I protested, and he turned me to face away from him as he swiftly unzipped my gown, causing it to slip to the floor. "What are you doing?"

My heart raced in my chest. Was he trying to strip me bare?

"Bend over." I drew a relieved sigh when he pushed me towards the bed, glad that I was still wearing my satin undergarment.

"Hands on the bed," the intensity of the command propelled my hands to automatically obey his orders before my mind could register them.

"Don't let go of that bed, or I'll start all over from the beginning."

And without warning, the first smack landed on my bottom with a loud whoosh, causing my body to jerk instinctively. I bit my lips, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of hearing me cry, but before I could recover from the sting, another one landed, and it hurt much worse than the first.

I bit my tongue and gritted my teeth. No, I will not beg him for mercy just because I wore my mother's fucking wedding gown. He can beat my ass, but I'm not going to accept this crappy marriage.

But it hurt so badly. I tried to stay still, but my whole body was visibly trembling and jerking on its own. The belt came down repeatedly over and over again, and to make matters worse, the bastard didn't even utter a single word.

Whack! The belt landed on the fleshy part of my ass, and the pain exploded, causing my legs to turn to jelly.

"How long are you going to keep this up?" I spat angrily at him, feeling my eyes prick with unshed tears. "I've fucking had enough."

"As long as I want to," his authoritative voice echoed along with an especially painful smack, causing a loud gasp to escape my lips. "And don't ever let me hear you curse."

Thwack! The belt landed on the underside of my bottom, the pain registering in my brain, I let out a loud cry as my body jerked up, and my hands flew to my bottom to relieve the searing pain.

"Ahh ahh ahh!" My cries echoed aloud throughout the room, and before I could even find some relief from the pain, I felt his hand pushing me back over the bed.

"What did I say to you, Isabella?" His voice was dangerously low. "We're starting all over." He grabbed my wrists behind my back and held them together tightly.

"No, no, please. Please," a raw and guttural shriek erupted from my throat as the tears fell freely onto the duvet beneath me, soaking it, as he underscored his point with a particularly hard swat.

I kicked my legs and began to struggle violently, unable to take any more smacks. "Please, please, no. I'm... so..." I cried miserably as he continued to haul at my ass.

As the smacking continued, I clenched and unclenched my butt to relieve the pain and the heat radiating from it, but it was useless, so I just wept bitterly aloud, no longer worried that the whole pack could be hearing my voice.

"Have you learned your lesson?" He halted the punishment, but from experience, I knew he wasn't through yet.

I let out a watery sigh. "Ye... Yes, sir, please have mercy." I didn't care if I sounded defeated and subdued; I just wanted this nightmare to end.

And whack! Another painful smack was accompanied by a scream from me.

"What did you learn?"

Oh, to hell with him! He knew exactly what he was doing. He was breaking me and molding me to his will, and there was absolutely nothing I could do about it.

"Not to disobey your orders again."

Another whack!

"And how did you disobey me?"

"Ah ahh, please... please... I... I didn't wear the dress you asked me to wear! Please, Razor."

Whack!

"And." His cool voice urged me on, and I had to search my fuzzy mind for the right answer.

"I... I didn't strip when you asked me to."

Whack!

Oh God, when will he stop? Oh, I'm dying. I'm so fucked.

"And the last one."

Go to hell, you brute, my mind screamed at him.

"I... got up without... permission..." I paused, unable to form coherent words. "And... I... cursed at you. Please, I won't do it again."

"Good girl. These are just love taps, my darling Isabella, and I promise you I barely used my strength. The next time you try something like that, I'll whip you senseless. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir," I burst into fresh tears. Did he call them love taps? I could feel the heat radiating from my ass!

"Nice. Five more, and we're done here." I steeled myself for the incoming smacks as he proceeded to deliver five more stinging smacks to my already sore posterior. I bawled miserably.

Finally, it was over. Immediately, he let go of my arms, my whole body collapsed on the bed as I wailed and bawled my eyes out. My ass was throbbing so hard as I rubbed furiously, trying to relieve the pain, but it was no use. It hurt so freaking much. I missed my parents, and I hated this man for hurting me. Oh, I shouldn't have gone to that damn club.

I lay crunched over on the bed for some minutes, and just when my sobs were beginning to die down. "Come here," his voice ordered me.

I didn't want any more punishment, so I obeyed instantly, got up from the bed, and forced my aching legs to walk gingerly and slowly to where he sat cross-legged on the couch, his back against it.

I stopped just a few steps away from him, my arms wrapped around my midriff as I dared to steal a glance at him. His face was set sternly, his fine lips tightened in a frown, and his green orbs narrowed and darkened.

My lashes fluttered, and I lowered my gaze to the floor, unable to hold his eyes.

"Kneel."