Chapter Fifty
‘Just some regular whipping‘, Thane had said, but he had lied. The metallic steel–coloured whip was very much unusual. I couldn’t help but wonder how someone could create an object like this with the sole purpose of using it on people. The whip was a dark, shining metal, and the tip had been split into five. The elders passed the whip to the guards, the same ones that had too many piercings. They dipped the metal whip into the contents of a basin.
“What is that?” I asked
Axel was silent for a while, and that alone was enough to tell me that whatever it was, I wouldn’t want to know. “Wolf’s bane in its liquid form. Leave it up to the elders to devise things like this,” Axel said, and I could sense the anger in his voice.
Thane was right; I wouldn’t be able to bear watching this. How could I stay and watch such cruelty?
I knew what wolf’s bane was; it was one of those many things I’ve heard about a lot of times but never actually seen; it was rare for a good reason; this was a werewolf’s worst weakness. Axel didn’t look shocked by this, nor did Thane; they knew. Axel had wanted to say something earlier; he had wanted to explain to me that Thane had deliberately understated how the punishment was carried out, but he had kept it to himself. Why didn’t they tell me?
I had to stand here and watch, knowing I had caused this.
Thane could have avoided it; he had nothing to prove…
My thoughts trailed off when the whip was set on fire.
A silent whimper escaped my lips as I took a step back, bumping into Axel.
“I… I can’t…”
“Alpha Thane, you will bear your punishment, and the others will learn from your mistake.” The elder in the middle, who seemed to be the only one speaking, said, and the only sign from Thane was the firm nod.
- on.
The one single elder in the middle signalled to the huge man who held the whip to carry The man was just like the other strangers with so many piercings, but he had a tattoo on his bald head, a rather unsettling design.
I didn’t think I was breathing. I was still in doubt this couldn’t happen.
Just then the man lifted up the whip, alight in blue flames, and it came down hard against Thane’s back. I flinched, shoving into Axel again. The sound from the whip resounded, and a dark, blackish burn marred Thane’s skin.
He hadn’t even flinched.
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Chapter Fifty
The whip came again against his back, and I counted silently in my mind. ‘Two‘.
The man didn’t stop. “Three… four… five… six… seven… eight… nine…‘ I went on, barely noticing the tears streaming down my eyes. Thane hadn’t flinched once, but the scars were there; his back was so marred I couldn’t bear to look, and my whole body shook. I had never felt so afraid for anyone in my life. ‘Nineteen, twenty‘.
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They weren’t stopping; they were going to kill him. I looked over to where Alpha Slade and hist mate Freya stood, also distancing themselves from the crowd. Slade didn’t seem satisfied; maybe he thought Thane wouldn’t be able to hold back. I could see the faint surprise in his
and something more–fear? I could be wrong though. But Freya stood still by his side, fully clothed in shades of brown; she did nothing and said nothing as she watched her son being ruthlessly punished. I had always wondered why Thane never went for her rescue; maybe I judged too fast, or maybe there was some history I didn’t know about. None of them caught my pleading eyes.
“Axel, do something,” I pleaded. I hadn’t noticed how quiet Axel had become, but when I turned around, I noticed he was panting. We were a good distance from the crowd, and no one would notice it, but I could. Axel gasped just when another whip landed on Thane’s back.
Everything seemed to click. When Axel spoke about his bond with Thane, he said he could feel Thane’s emotions. I never understood the gravity of that statement until now. Right now, Axel was in so much pain because he had to bear the punishment along with Thane.
I had to do something. I knew I had no power to stop this, but I had to try.
I ran forward, just as I did with Freya. I stood before Thane and the executioner.
“Please stop… please end this. He hadn’t been the one guilty. I had interfered with the Alpha King and his Mate, not him. Let him go,” I begged. All attention was on me now, but I couldn’t bring myself to care. Thane, who had stood unmoving, turned to stare at me. But he didn’t seem in pain; no, he seemed… mad at me.
“You shouldn’t be here, I told him to keep you away” he says. It came out almost as a growl. Soldiers,” he called, and four of the pack soldiers walked forward. He was their Alpha, and nothing could ever change that. They had this look in their eyes, something similar to admiration and respect. “Take her away; lock her up if you must, but she must not return.”
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