Asher's POV
I threatened Kai again, "If you don't give me an answer, I'll hurt Dahlia." Still, he remained silent.
"Maybe he thinks I'm joking," I thought, anger rising within me.
"Well, I'll have to prove it to him," I muttered, striding towards Dahlia's bedroom.
I burst into her room, finding her asleep. Her puffy eyes suggested she'd cried herself to sleep, but I didn't care.
Without warning, I dragged her out of bed. "What... what are you doing to me?" she stuttered, struggling to break free.
Enraged, I slapped her hard. The sound echoed through the room, shocking everyone.
"Tie her up," I commanded, tossing Dahlia to the ground. My eyes blazed with fury as I rolled up my sleeves.
The chief guard looked stunned but obeyed. Dahlia's confusion deepened, but I blamed Kai for her predicament.
"Get me three whips," I ordered, my voice devoid of emotion. The room fell silent, with shocked expressions all around.
"I'll use them all on her, at once," I stated, my eyes cold and unyielding.
Dahlia's POV
I slept soundly until Asher's rough grip on my hair jolted me awake. His angry face loomed over me.
"What now?" I wondered.
Asher dragged me out of the bedroom, leaving me bewildered. "What... what are you doing?" I stuttered.
He remained silent, his expression unyielding. I tried to break free, but he struck me. The pain was overwhelming, and tears threatened to fall, but I refused to let them.
Nyx growled angrily within me, but her voice was trapped, silenced by my latent state.
Asher's command echoed through the room: "Tie her up!" He threw me to the ground, and the guard, though initially surprised, obeyed.
Asher rolled up his sleeves. "Get me three whips," he commanded, his eyes empty of emotion. "I'll use them all on her at once."
I struggled to comprehend the reason behind his brutality. "Why? Why are you doing this to me?" I demanded, anger boiling within me. "I did nothing!"
Asher ignored me, his silence deafening. I initially suspected Stella's involvement, but her surprise seemed genuine. However, when our eyes met, a sly smirk spread across her face.
I felt a chill run down my spine as Asher's words hung in the air. "You'll be receiving two hundred strokes of the whip."
I stared at him, stunned. Surely, he wouldn't be able to carry out such a brutal punishment alone. He'll tire eventually, I tried to reassure myself.
But Asher's next words sent a wave of terror through me. "I'll handle the first hundred strokes. The guards will share the remaining hundred amongst themselves."
His voice was cold, devoid of any emotion. I shivered at the thought, my mind reeling with the sheer brutality of the punishment. Survival seemed impossible.
Asher's POV
I expected Kai to respond after witnessing the brutality of the punishment. But even after the twentieth stroke, he remained silent. Dahlia's agonizing screams were the only sound.
By the hundredth stroke, Kai still hadn't uttered a word. Dahlia's screams had ceased, likely due to her biting her lip or tongue.
"Take over," I commanded Darwin, the chief guard. "I'll see it to the end." My words sent a chill through the room, with everyone's faces reflecting shock and sympathy for Dahlia.
The guards completed the remaining strokes, yet Kai remained unresponsive. His silence infuriated me.
Dahlia lay motionless, having fainted from the pain. I walked over to a nearby bucket, filled with water, and poured it over her. She jolted awake, screaming in agony.
"Clean up the entire pack house," I commanded, my voice and face devoid of emotion.
My sudden outburst left everyone stunned. Dahlia, however, didn't even acknowledge me.
One of the pack members attempted to speak up, "But, sir-"
I cut him off, my voice firm and authoritative. "Anyone who assists her will receive fifty strokes of the whip."
The room fell silent, with the pack members exchanging nervous glances.
I turned to Dahlia. "Get up."
When she didn't move, I kicked her in the groin. "Get up!" I repeated, continuing to kick her until she struggled to her feet.
Tears welled up in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. I scoffed at her stubbornness.
Once she was standing, I added, "And there will be no rest, food, or water for you until you've finished cleaning the pack house."
My words were met with shocked expressions from the pack members, but Dahlia's face remained impassive as she shuffled towards the pack house.
Dahlia's POV
I slowly regained consciousness, my wounds screaming in agony as Asher poured a bucket of icy water over me. The shock of the pain brought me back to reality.
"Clean the entire pack house," Asher's voice echoed through the room.
I glanced around, noticing the shocked and sympathetic expressions on the faces of the pack members. I searched for Ella, but she was nowhere to be found. Perhaps her father had sent her on an errand. I was relieved she wasn't present; I didn't want her to see me in such a state.
Tears threatened to fall, but I bit them back. I refused to look at Asher, disgusted by his cruelty.
My thoughts were interrupted by a pack member attempting to speak up. "But, sir..."
Asher's response was swift and menacing. "Anyone who dares to help her will receive fifty strokes of the whip." His face was set in a firm, authoritative expression.
I scoffed inwardly at his remark.
"Get up," Asher commanded, but when I didn't respond, he kicked me in the groin. The pain was excruciating, and he continued to kick me until I managed to muster the strength to stand.
As I stumbled forward, Asher added, "And there will be no rest, food, or water for you until you're done cleaning the pack house." His voice was cold, detached.
I kept my back to him, unable to bear the sight of his face.