Kaila Wynter

My feet dragged on the ground of the execution grounds. Every step felt like torture as the silver in the chains burned me. The guard stationed behind me shoved me forward, and I crashed onto the stony ground, scraping my knees and cutting large wounds on my thighs. I bit my lip to stop myself from yelping out, but it couldn't stop the hot tears from spilling out.

"Rise."

His cold, emotionless voice rang in my ears. My bloodied fingers crawled on the ground, trying to stand up, but I fell back. I knew what was coming next. Even though I had braced myself for it, the moment the silver whip struck my back, tearing a chunk of my flesh, my eyes turned wide, and an agonizing scream escaped my throat. I could feel the silver burning into my bones.

"Rise!" he repeated without an ounce of compassion.

Gnashing my teeth, I grasped the steps of the sacrificial altar with my painfully splintered fingers, using them to pull myself up.

Traitor!

Bastard!

Betrayal!

That had been their chant whenever I was brought out to this place and whipped, watching me scream as if my cries would break through the sky, feeling my unhealed wounds ripping open all over again. The harsh whip tore my flesh as though it were meat tossed to a tosa, but my cries were like a melody as they chanted for my head.

Alpha Gabriel and Luna Aurora, along with some significant council members of the pack, sat at the high part of the execution grounds in their iron chairs. If only my parents were alive; if only they would believe that I didn't do it, that I didn't kill him. If only my mate James were here.

"Arghhhh!"

I screamed in agony when the first strike landed. A wave of pain surged through my body, rippling through my bones. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't… it hurts... I want to die... it hurts!

No, James shouldn't be here. He shouldn't see me like this—half-naked in a thin piece of clothing and as ugly as I was sure I had become, if not worse.

I shut my eyes as another strike landed on my back, sending me to the ground without the strength to stand.

.

..

...

"Wake up…"

"Kaila… wake up… wake up!"

I kept regaining consciousness to an indistinct voice calling me. I couldn't see clearly. I shifted uncomfortably until I jolted awake, rolling back from the wall covered with wolfsbane, which had burned me just now.

Right, I'm still in the dungeon.

"Kaila?" I flinched when I heard the voice again. Were they here to take me away? I'd heard from the guards earlier that I would be executed when morning came.

Panic surged through my body. Was this it? I'm going to die without getting a glimpse of his face, even for one last time. Fresh tears streamed down my face.

"Kaila…" I felt a hand on my shoulder, and I hissed in pain, blindly swinging my arm to touch the person right in front of me. "Who are you?" I asked, because the guards never called me Kaila, only runt or traitor.

"Did I hurt you? I'm sorry, I'm sorry, but you have to cooperate with me because I'm here to help you."

"Help me? How—are you going to help me? Escape?" I asked, gulping at how tempting that sounded.

"Yes, we can still make it. We just have to get far enough. I know you didn't do it, Kaila. I knew it wasn't you. I owe you my life. Please let me help you this once."

I shivered at that thought. As much as I wanted to escape, the Moonstone pack had very tight security. We wouldn't be able to escape. I knew enough. "I didn't save you from the fire that night so you could exchange your life for mine. Please go, Simeon, before you get caught here."

Now I realized it was him. Simeon was the son of the pack's locksmith. I had saved him when he fell into his father's furnace. I had no idea how it happened, but after pulling him out, he was suddenly healed of all the injuries he had sustained from the fire.

"Let me help you, please…" he exhaled. "I will sneak you past the borders. There is a place after Lunaria. It's called the human world. You can go there and be safe."

"Before we get to the borders, we'll be caught… not only will I be killed tonight, you'll be killed along with me."

"I didn't choose tonight because the sentence is tomorrow. The pack is having a banquet for Luna's birthday. Most of the guards are drunk; the pack is almost empty of people as they're all in the hall. We'll sneak past the tunnel leading outside. We'll be gone before they find out."

Would he really be able to escape? Would I be saved and not have to die tomorrow? Giving up all resistance, I said, "I… I… my legs…" I helplessly sighed. "I don't think I can walk…" Right, it hurt so much to know my legs were now broken, rendered useless.

I couldn't see his expression. "No problem. I will carry you."

I groaned at the pain that hit me as soon as his hands touched my legs and back while lifting me up. "It's okay. It will go away soon. I won't be able to remove the shackles now until we're far from the pack. I hope you'll understand."

I nodded. It hurt so much. I shut my eyes tight, tears squeezing their way out. With me in his arms, our pace was slightly slowed down.

But after a while, we were able to make it to the woods. He was running as fast as he could, bolting through the trees while taking occasional glances back to be sure no one was following us.

I never knew I would be able to escape this easily, taste freedom. However, something suddenly occurred to me as I grabbed his arm. "Simeon, how are you able to unlock the always-locked dungeon?"

He stiffened for a short time, then as if he hadn't heard what I said, he continued to run. "Put me down, Simeon, please take me back—"

He stopped by a cliff. Stone debris rolled down the cliff, and their sounds faded into the distance, signifying how deep the cliff was.

Simeon set me on the ground and stepped back as I muttered in disbelief, "How could you—?"

His eyes turned red as he continued to step back slowly, tears streaming down his face as they were also streaming down mine. "I'm sorry, but they have my sister."

"They…?"

He didn't have to say their names because I already guessed it.

They took that moment to reveal themselves. Kylie came out from behind a huge tree, followed by Joana, her twin sister. They must have masked their scents; even if they didn't, there was no way I could have known they were there.

"Do you really think you could run?"

"Tomorrow's sacrifice aside, do you really think I believe in traditional old shits? I mean, if I watched the whole pack drive a knife into you, it wouldn't be as satisfying because they won't allow me to be part of it. Exactly why I had him bring you here so I could take your life myself." Joana grinned evilly, walking toward me.

Kylie remained in the spot where she stood as I kept shifting until there was nowhere left to shift.

"How about my sister… where should I get her?" Simeon asked impatiently.

She whipped her head to look at him. "Your sister? She might be burning right now in the furnace of your father. If you're fast enough, you can still save her before she's completely cooked!"

"You promised…" Simeon trailed off. I guessed he realized there was no use speaking with Joana as he bolted in the opposite direction.

Joana continued to step closer.

"If you're going to kill me, get it over with as quickly as possible." I sneered, knowing no amount of pleading would change her mind. She's Joana, after all.

"Do you want to hear something fascinating before you die? My brother—your knight in shining armor, James—doesn't love you. In fact, he never did." She grinned.

"Liar! James loves me! He's my mate, the man fated to me by the goddess, so how could he not love me?" If James were here, none of this would have happened. He would have protected me. He would have believed me. She's trying to poison my mind.

She stopped dead in her tracks for a moment, then threw her head back, laughing boisterously. "It doesn't matter what you think; you're dying anyway."

"Joana, wait!" Kylie yelled, trying to stop her, but it was already too late because she had already kicked me down the cliff. I shut my eyes, feeling gravity pull me down.

But my eyes snapped open when I heard Kylie yell, "What have you done! Father just mind-linked me to the fact that James has returned!!!"