The punishment

I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t seem to remember how to force air in and out of my lungs as the guards drugged me out of the cell.

The elders of the pack who were walking in the hallway, stopped when they saw the guards dragging me.

“What is her status? What has she done?”, One of the elders asked the guards but exactly as expected, Alpha spat, “she doesn’t have any status in the pack!”,

 “If I may ask, what was her crime to be demoted in such a manner? This punishment is usually given to the rogues”

“Is she a rogue too?”, One of the elders asked.

Alpha looked down his nose at him in disdain. “She’s not your concern. She’s no one’s concern,” he sneered.

“But still she looks weak and sick to be given this punishment. Get one of the disobedient omegas to save her”,

His request only seemed to infuriate Alpha further. “She is also a disobedient omega and only a mate can stand in her place, and she has none.” He made a point to emphasize the last word as if I wasn’t already acutely aware that he was my mate. He just didn’t want anyone to know about me.

I turned my attention away from their conversation then stared at the pole I would be strapped to, and couldn’t stop the tears that silently streamed down my face.

“Strip!” The stupid beta’s command filled me with dread. “After this, I swear you won’t ever disobey me”, He spoke in a low voice. Despite the fact that, the Alpha was around, I still glared at him then showed him my middle finger.

I didn’t say anything as my weak trembling hands tried to remove the already ragged clothes from my body then let them fall to my feet.

 I shivered as I stood in my undergarments, with my arms crossed over my chest. The beta stepped next to me then jerked me toward the pole. I held out my arms for him to tie the straps tightly around my wrists, holding me in place. The restraint wasn’t to keep me from escaping. There was no chance of escape. It was to keep my body in place when my legs failed from the pain.

When I was securely attached, he selected a leather strap. It would cause one hell of a welt at impact, but shouldn’t break my skin.

Without any further communication, he stepped back, out of my field of vision. Fear crashed over me for what was to come. And I was right to be afraid because when the first stroke of the whip sliced across my back, I thought I was going to pass out from the pain. It was ten times worse than anything I’d ever experienced before.... even in the cell.

My entire body slammed forward into the pole from the force he used. I bit down hard on my lip to keep from screaming. Even though he wasn’t the one holding the whip, I knew Alpha would be listening, eager to hear my suffering. I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction.

On the next strike, I gripped the pole tightly, my claws digging in. When it came, all of the air was sucked out of my lungs. I coughed and sputtered.

Strike after strike came relentlessly.

My back was on fire.

Warm liquid trickled down my leg.

He’d broken the skin after all.

No, not a lucky wolf.

My legs quivered out of control.

I could no longer hold myself up. My body sagged, a rag doll to be abused for Alpha’s pleasure. Tears streamed down my cheeks. With each kiss of the whip, my resolve to remain silent became more and more impossible, but I held on. Blood dripped freely from my mouth, where my canines had gnawed my lips to keep me from screaming.

My Wolf was crying out in my head, howling her pain, hurt and devastated. She didn’t understand how her mate could do this to her. How could he just stand by and let her be beaten? I didn’t have any answers for her.

Almost continuous low growls came from my audience. Some elders were voicing their displeasure, but neither could help me...

...not without challenging Alpha.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the strikes stopped coming. Beta Steven stepped forward and cut my bindings. I fell to the ground in a heap, groaning loudly at the impact.

“Take her to one of my rooms, that punishment is enough for her”, Alpha Blair ordered.

And then he was gone.

I couldn’t open my eyes. I didn’t want to. It hurt too much. Every inch of my body screamed in agony. Death was an alluring promise of peace, a sweet dream.

Why was I the holding on?

It made no sense. Why was I trying to survive in a world that clearly didn’t want me...when the sum-total of my existence was pain?

My mate totally didn’t want me. He wanted to see me in pain.

After his departure I felt one of the guards, lift me against the solid wall of his chest. Whoever he was, he tried to be gentle, but the movement caused stabbing jolts of fire in my back. I let out a small cry and bit my lip again to stifle the sound.

“Shh...” he soothed. “You going to be fine so soon.” The guard was kinda gentle. He held me so that I faced his shoulder. My legs hung straight, while his powerful arm wrapped around and his hand tucked under my butt, securely keeping me in place.

And then we were in motion.

He was careful but still I was in pain and to make matters worse, I felt the remaining contents in my stomach start to rise up.

Eyes closed. Teeth gritted. I desperately worked to keep the contents of my belly from coming up my throat.

No, no matter what it took, I determined to keep the contents of my stomach exactly where they were.

Everything was starting to feel good not until I saw the guard heading to the Alpha’s quarters.

Alpha’s house?!

I was seriously dead.