"Rylee, come on, you are stronger than you know," Cameron said, seeing the fear in her eyes that she was trying so hard to hide.
Rylee nodded. "I know, it's just..." she sighed.
Cameron smiled and kissed her forehead. "Hey, don't worry. I promise I will make it up to you later."
Rylee glanced at him with furrowed eyebrows. "Make it up to me, how?"
Cameron winked and leaned closer to her ear. He whispered, "You know how. Maybe, when you are completely healed, both of us would go to the same human realm and club with them."
Rylee's eyes brightened immediately, and she spanked his chest playfully, "bad boy." Then she said with the mind link, 'I can't believe you want to take me back to the very same place I'm being punished for.'
Cameron grinned and replied, 'You only get punished if you get caught,' he winked.
Rylee shook her head while smiling, 'Ah, Cameron, why do I love you so?'
He ruffled her hair with a light chuckle and then helped her out of the bed. "Let's get this over with, okay?" She nodded and leaned half of her weight on his as he helped her out of her room. She was surprised to see a lot of wolves her age waiting outside her house. Some had sympathizing looks on their faces and some were gloating. Some like Natasha and her friends.
"Uh oh, it looks like the alpha's daughter is going to be a limp from now on," Natasha said.
"How sad. I wonder how she is going to find the strong future alpha for us," Olivia mocked.
"Tut tut tut," Jessica clicked her tongue, "which strong male would mate a deformed wolf?"
"Hey, you girls should learn how to have some sympathy," a male wolf yelled at them.
"Sympathy? Why should I have sympathy? I didn't ask her to go to the human realm; everyone knows it's a crime. And what is done to people who commit crime? They get punished. She thinks because she is the alpha's daughter that some certain rules don't apply to her, or even if she gets caught, Daddy Alpha is going to save her, right?" Natasha replied without an ounce of pity.
"That's enough," a voice said, and they turned to see a young male approaching them. He had long black hair that was tied up in a low ponytail and was dressed in torn jeans and a black jacket with black boots. Natasha rushed into his arms. "Why are you always this way?" he asked her.
"Why can't I taunt her? She brought it upon herself," she pouted.
Eric sighed and glanced at Rylee, who was resting in Cameron's arms with a mocking expression on. He smiled at her, "Hey, you are a tough girl; you can handle this."
"I don't need you telling me that; I know I'm tough." Rylee replied nonchalantly. She said to Cameron, "Please, Cameron, let's get this over with."
"Of course," he replied, and they left the area, taking the path created for them.
"Why do you always protect her when she never acknowledges it? Do you like embarrassing yourself so much?" they heard Natasha berating Eric behind them.
"You do know that I can have them beaten up for you," Cameron whispered.
"Come on, Cameron, when does the future beta meddle in girls fight?" Rylee asked with a raised eyebrow.
Cameron sighed. "That's what you always say, and yet I have to stand and watch them treat you that way all the time."
"Don't worry, Cameron; when I need help from you to deal with Natasha, I will let you know. As for now, she is all barks and no bite."
Cameron smiled and said nothing else. He half carried her to the execution ground, where all the wolves were waiting, including her parents. Although he didn't want to, he had no choice but to leave her on her own in the center. He looked at her with saddened expression and said, 'Be strong.'
Rylee nodded with a smile and gave him a light push so that he would leave. She glanced up at her father, who was sitting on his throne, and although he tried to look expressionless, she could see the sad look in his eyes. She smiled and linked her mind to him, 'Don't worry, dad, I hold nothing against you. You are an alpha, and the decision of the pack matters. I understand, honestly.'
Alan closed his eyes, hearing what she said. When he opened them, he sighed and nodded once at her before giving his signal to the executioner to carry on with the punishment. Rylee heaved a deep sigh and limped to the spot she needed to be. She slowly—while wincing in pain—knelt down with her back to the executioner and her front to the wolf pack that was watching her. She felt the executioner tie her hand up with a rope, and he went to the other side and tied the other one as well. With this position, her back was clearly exposed to him with no hindrance. She shut her eyes, waiting for the sting of the whip she knew was coming.
For so many times, she had sat with the wolves and watched as another was in the position she was in. Never for once did she think she would one day be at the receiving end. Although she knew she broke the rule every night, she had always believed she wouldn't be caught, and as she thought about this, all her hate and resentment went to that handsome nightwalker she had met that night. If he hadn't pursued her, there was no way she would have stepped into the trap. So it was his fault, and she wished one day she would have the chance to whip him back. Oh, how she wished the next nightwalker that would be captured for their experiment would be him.
A sharp stinging pain on her back cleared every other thought from her mind, and she winced and her hands tightened in fists. The sting came again, and again, and again, and again. Soon, the smell of blood surrounded her, but the sting kept coming as the executioner kept whipping her. Her eyes never opened for once, and tears trailed down her cheeks like waterfalls. Her back felt like a thousand soldier ants were biting her continuously, and it wasn't helping if the position she was in was now affecting her leg, and the pain from that side and her back merged together were almost making her lose consciousness.
The whip kept coming, and the stinging pain continued until she became numb and was silently praying for death to come to rid her of the pain. Cameron was wrong; she wasn't that strong, she wasn't tough, and she can't take the pain. She started praying for anything—anything that would just stop the pain, to stop the whipping, and to free her. Whatever it would be, even if it was death, she would gladly welcome it with open arms, for anything would be better than the immense pain she was in right now.
***
In the majestic palace that was sitting on the hill, Jacob laid a lot of beautiful royal robes he had gotten from a costume shop for Kieran. He smiled at the man who glanced at the robes without a single ounce of interest. "What do you think, my prince? Which one do you think you would wear to the party in eight days?"
Kieran sighed. For no reason tonight, he had been feeling kind of odd, like something was happening, but he doesn't know what. He waved Jacob off while dropping, "Anything would be fine."
"But my prince, Lady Sabrina, said that everyone would be dressed in historical times to honor you and the early time of your existence. This kind of clothing isn't being made by humans anymore, and I paid a lot to get it for you, but if you don't want them, I will go back to the shop and have the man sew new robes for you. If I offer him a good amount of money, I'm sure he would have a kingly outfit for you ready in less than five days. You know what? I think that is what I should do. What do you think?"
Kieran glared at him, his eyes glowing red, and Jacob took a fearful step back before dropping on his knees. "Please, my Prince, this servant doesn't know where he has wronged you, but he is willing to take punishment," he bowed.
Keiran closed his eyes. He too doesn't know why he felt irritated, and he knew that Jacob had done nothing wrong to him. So what is wrong? He growled and stood up, "Get up, Jacob; you are not being punished for anything."
"Thank you for your merciful heart, my prince," Jacob said and took a sigh of relief before standing up.
"Any of the robes is fine," Kieran said.
"Alright, my prince," Jacob nodded. "I will have all of them ready on the day so that you can choose the one you like."
"Mm," Kieran nodded and walked to the window. His head was suddenly painful, and he rubbed his temple, trying to ease the unnecessary headache. 'Kieran,' a voice called in his head. 'Kieran,' it came again. He knew that voice; it was what woke him up from his slumber. Why was it calling to him again? "Ah," he groaned, his eyes shut tightly.
"My Prince," Jacob rushed to him immediately, "are you okay?"
Kieran took a long sniff, and his eyes snapped open. His glowing red eyes turned to Jacob, "Do you smell that?"
Jacob sniffed around and then shook his head. "Smell what, my prince?"
"That scent," he sniffed, "that...tantalizing scent."
Jacob took a long sniff, but he perceived nothing. "I can't smell anything, my prince."
Kieran glanced outside to the darkened forest; he knew that scent. He had perceived it once before and for some reason; he knew it was coming from the forest, and before Jacob could even say a word again to prove to him he could smell nothing, he vanished.
"My Prince," Jacob yelled, but the man was long gone.