Chapter 22
Punishment
Remididashewas told without hesitation. Dimitrios opened the door and Remi got in, buckled his seatbelt, and looked straight ahead out of the windshield. The omega watched as Dimitrios walked around the car and got into the driver’s side.
Remi already had tears streaming down his face by the time that Dimitrios got in. The omega was trying his hardest to be strong, to sit still, and be quiet. He wanted to be a good boy. Remi hadn’t wanted Cade to hug him. Remi had just wanted to get to Dimitrios. He’d had a terrible day and he just wanted his Daddy to take away the unyielding weight of his stress. The omega’s chest was heaving as he tried hard to keep his cries inside. His face was hot and his mouth felt sticky as he tried to bite his lips to be quiet.
Dimitrios was tired, frustrated, and possessive. Seeing Remi get held against the other alpha’s body had woken the animal part of him that wanted to possess Remi completely. He recalled telling the omega not to let his ex touch him, and yet he’d allowed himself to be hugged, lifted off the ground without any protest or resistance.
For Dimitrios, it had been a long, hard day. However, now he was filled with the prospect of something that had his heart racing in his chest.Punishment.
The alpha was doing his best not to be angry, but Dimitrios knew himself well enough to know that he was angry somewhere deep down. He could feel the unrest of his inner alpha, but Dimitrios still turned on Remi’s seat warmer and cranked the heater up that extra few degrees like he usually did when the omega got in his car. He glanced over to see that Remi was crying, sobbing silently and he felt a little bad for the omega. But he had to learn this lesson. He needed to be a good boy if he wanted to be rewarded
"Dimitrios?" Remi asked, softly, his voice watery and thick with tears.
"Don't call me that right now." Dimitrios' voice wasn't raised, but it was stern.
"Daddy?"
"You know you messed up, don't you, Baby?"
"Y-yes... but I didn't mean to. He just hugged me! I didn't want it."
Remi made a soft crying sound and Dimitrios felt a pang of sympathy. He knew Remi was a good boy, his little one wasn't the type to tease him purposely by touching or flirting with other alphas, but he'd still broken the rule.
"We'll talk about it when we get home."
The rest of the car ride was awkward. Remi didn't know what to do or say, so he stayed quiet. He tried to rein in his tears and take deep breaths, but he felt raw like an exposed nerve. Remi’s day had been long and emotionally draining. All the omega wanted was his Daddy to make him feel better.
Remi was only realizing how dependent he’d become on Dimitrios to bring him back down to that calm, cool headspace where everything was quiet and all that mattered were his commands, his touch, his praises. Remi knew he was going to be punished, but that wasn’t what bothered him. Remi had known what he was in for with Dimitrios, and part of him was incredibly aroused by the prospect that lay before him. What bothered Remi was thatCadewas the one who caused it. Remi wanted his first punishment to be for something he had control over.
The ride up the elevator made Remi want to cry all over again, because Dimitrios didn’t push him up against the wall and kiss him. The atmosphere was tense and electric, buzzing with the strength of the connection between them. Dimitrios' control and Remi’s submission were clear in their body language. Dimitrios' back was straight, jaw set, one hand in the pocket of his slacks. Remi’s face was turned down, thin arms wrapped around his middle and shoulders hunched.
When the elevator stopped, Dimitrios reached over and wrapped a hand around the back of Remi’s neck, slipping under his scarf to guide him out into the hallway and to his door.
Inside the apartment, Dimitrios shrugged off his own coat quickly before turning to Remi and removing the omega’s hat, scarf, mittens and coat to hang on the hooks in the entryway. The alpha wrapped that commanding hand back around Remi’s nape, and led him further into the apartment, to the living room. Only then did Dimitrios finally look at the omega and speak to him.
"Do you know what you did wrong?" The alpha asked, eyes dark and intent.
"I let Cade hug me."
“And?”
“I didn’t push him away.” Remi whimpered softly, fresh tears rolling down his cheeks and further ruining his already destroyed makeup. Dimitrios moved forward and cupped his jaw in his hand, turning his face up so that he could stare into the omega’s teary eyes.
Remi looked up at the alpha and something in him relaxed. Even if he received a punishment, he was still there, with Dimitrios. The alpha still wanted him.
"That's right. So... the question is, what do I do with such a bad boy?"
Goosebumps tightened Remi’s skin at the words, and he let out a soft whimper. He wasn’t a bad boy. He was good. He wanted the alpha to tell him he was a good boy and touch him with gentle hands and speak to him in soft praises.
"Daddy... I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to–" Remi apologized quietly.
"How long would you say that hug lasted?" Dimitrios interrupted, holding their eye contact.
Remi’s mind whirled and he tried to come up with an answer.
"Um... Maybe five seconds?"