Alpha Adrian stood motionless on the large white stone platform. Above him, a full moon hung bright and cold, the only light source illuminating the Punishment Grounds and casting long, stark shadows over the hundreds of kneeling figures. The silver light seemed to intensify the sheen on the tightly bound silver wire cutting into the defectives' hands.
In front of him, the defectives were forced onto their knees, their bodies trembling. Their hands were bound tightly with silver wire, the cruel metal biting into their skin regardless of age. From the youngest defective of two years old to the oldest, every one of them was compelled to kneel. Those captured recently in the forest, along with the delinquents who had started the chaos at the school, were in far rougher shape than the others.
All of the pack's Warriors and warriors in training surrounded the perimeter, a solid wall of muscled bodies bearing silent witness to the justice their Alpha was about to dispense. Behind each defective, their wolf families stood—parents, cousins, siblings, or whoever held guardianship. They watched with a mixture of fear and grim resignation.
Groans of pain and labored breathing echoed across the field. The heavy, metallic smell of fresh blood stained the air, and patches of grass were soaked crimson. Even as a brisk wind swept across the grounds, the stench of violence remained.
"Alpha!" A Warrior hurried toward the platform, stopping just below Adrian and bowing his head respectfully. "We have found the last of the defectives' hiding places. But two are still missing."
A sharp, defiant scream cut through the tense silence. "Get the fuck off me!" Jess yelled, thrashing her body as a Warrior gripped her upper arm with painful force and shoved her down. She cried out as her knees struck the ground, sharp stones immediately biting into the tender skin.
Nearby, four Warriors struggled to control Timothy. Three held his large frame down while a fourth kept a knife pressed lightly against Mona's throat. Timothy and Mona's had been dragged from treatment room, causing him to go ballistic. He froze instantly at the sight of the blade against Mona's skin. This seemed to be the only leverage they had. The Warriors roughly pushed Mona into Timothy's arms, forcing both of them down onto their knees to join the long, anguished line of defectives.
Alpha Adrian slowly surveyed the hundreds of kneeling figures. It took no great deduction to realize who was missing. Trinity. Boris's daughter was not here, and the boy who perpetually shadowed her was also absent. He could barely recall the boy's name.
"Find them!" Alpha Adrian ordered, his voice deceptively mild. But beneath the calm surface, he was seething. He had intended to make an unforgettable example out of all the defectives. And whether or not Trinity realized it, she was a leader. As a Beta's daughter, she held a level of inherent authority, and the defectives were, in the pack's eyes, her people. He could not perform the main punishment until the entire audience had arrived.
George could no longer hold himself up. His consciousness felt as if it was fading in and out with every ragged breath he took. He had long since crumpled forward from his knees, falling face-first onto the hard dirt. With his hands tied cruelly behind his back, he hadn't even been able to brace for the impact. His entire face was bruised, swollen, and bloody, but he couldn't suppress the stubborn sense of satisfaction swelling in his chest. He didn't regret it. He had expected the regret and remorse to sink in eventually—the realization that he had killed someone, that he had killed TJ—but the feeling just never came. All he felt was satisfied, a fierce, internal certainty that he had finally won a sliver of justice for the defectives.
All eyes in the gathering turned toward the dense forest as they heard the unmistakable sound of a heavy wolf approaching. A few moments later, a large brown wolf emerged, dragging a limp, battered body behind it. The wolf's massive jaw was clamped tightly onto the ankle of the smaller, unmoving form.
Alpha Adrian's lips curled into a cold smirk as he recognized Ryan's inert body being hauled into the light. "Call the Warriors back from the forest," he commanded.
The Warrior who had reported earlier hesitated slightly. "What about the last defective, Alpha?"
Trinity's personal guards, standing among the witnesses, exchanged quick, nervous glances as they watched Ryan's body being dragged across the ground. Their nerves snapped to high alert. They wondered if Trinity would soon be dragged back from the same forest, or if she had managed to escape. They knew she had the capacity to slip away, given what they had seen her achieve, but they weren't sure she would actually take the opportunity to abandon her people. Kael shook his head minutely at the man assigned to Trinity's care. It wasn't safe to speak now, not even telepathically.
"She'll come soon enough," Adrian dismissed, his focus returning to the kneeling figures. He raised his voice, a cold whip of sound. "Whip every defective. One at a time. Five lashes each. Start now." The cold command settled across the people who had been standing and kneeling for hours, waiting for the Alpha's definition of justice.
"Please, Alpha, our daughter had nothing to do with this," a man pleaded desperately, pulling his small daughter behind him, shielding her tiny form. His wife wept openly, cradling their two-year-old baby.
"My son wasn't involved!" another voice cried out.
"Wanda was at home during the attack!"
"I haven't harmed anyone!"
"This isn't right!"
A single, quiet voice, strained but firm, cut through the clamor. "Why have wolves never been punished for what they've done to us!" George's words, though barely above a whisper, landed like a small explosion. Around him, the Warrior wolves growled low in their throats, a wave of guttural dissatisfaction passing through them at the sheer audacity of the question.
The Alpha Female, Harlow, stood among the Warriors, hearing the deep, rumbling growls around her. He has a point, she thought, a rare flicker of dissent against the pack's ingrained prejudice. Unlike many purebred wolves, she felt no inherent animosity toward the defectives; in truth, she had rarely interacted with them. They seemed like everyone else, only smaller. She wanted to implore her mate to calm the pack's agitation, but she understood pack mentality. Justice didn't need to be fair; it needed to be swift, visible, and brutal. But her eyes kept drifting back to the couple cradling their small, vulnerable daughter. She didn't know if she could watch a child being whipped with silver, all because that boy, George, had killed a pup. The three-year-old girl was a pup, too.
The Alpha ignored the cacophony of protests. Only George's preposterous words had truly registered. Stepping down from the stone platform, Alpha Adrian walked deliberately over to George's crumpled form. He had to admit that if George had been a wolf, he would have been a relentless one. He didn't give up; he didn't quit. No matter what state he was in, he still pushed.
Squatting down, Adrian grabbed the back of George's neck, his fingers digging in, and easily yanked him back up onto his knees, holding him in place. George's brown eyes were sharp and cold, still challenging, as if he remained the predator and not the prey.
"You look so proud!" Adrian said in a casual, almost conversational tone.
"I am!" George rasped weakly, his teeth gritted against the pain. His body was battered, but his mind was still clear, his resolve intact.
"That old man did a number on you," Adrian observed. "He really made you his soldier."
George could only assume the 'old man' the Alpha referenced was Jonathan Meyer. Jonathan, George thought, a surprising warmth spreading through his chest, despite the blood. He's safe. He's not here. The realization that Jonathan had escaped, that part of their plan had actually worked, made the pain marginally easier to bear.
"You influenced me more," George retorted. Even with his cracked and bloodied lips, he managed a faint, defiant smile.
"I wonder how long you will smile for," the Alpha mused, rising slowly. "You haven't won anything. You killed a pup. And for that, your entire species will suffer." Adrian kept his firm grip, turning George's head to force him to look down the line of his fellow defectives. They are not wolves. They are a subspecies, a failed branch. They are something 'other,' Adrian thought, the belief settling his conscience. They were bloodied and beaten, eyes hollow and scared, all forced onto their knees. "Don't close your eyes now," Adrian instructed, a light, almost joyful tone entering his voice.
"Being whipped five times is nothing. Now you wolves know that you're not invincible," George hardened himself, refusing to let guilt eat him alive. He had a fleeting thought that he had doomed the defectives, but he refused to let that become another tool the Alpha could use to torture him. He had noticed earlier that Jonathan was nowhere to be found. He got away. That was enough to make George feel victorious, because he would come back with help, and then they could all be free.
"We will see!" The Alpha smirked, suddenly releasing George. The younger man crumpled immediately, falling back to the ground without Adrian's support.
Alpha Adrian slowly walked down the line of shaking defectives until he reached a girl whose head was held too high, her back far too straight, as if she, at seventeen, were mentally preparing for whatever came next. He stopped in front of her, his gaze lingering. He patted her head gently, then looked to the nearest Warrior.
"She may go first," Adrian said, his voice cheerful. He then raised his voice to address the entire crowd, his smile widening. "A small warning to all of you. Every single one of you, wolf and defective, will watch this punishment. If anyone averts their eyes, if anyone looks away from the lesson, Diamond's punishment will continue. Her five lashes will become eight."
The Warrior nodded stiffly. Two other Warriors grabbed Diamond, pulling the teenager roughly to her feet. She did not resist, her body surprisingly rigid. As they dragged her a few feet, two other Warriors flanked her. With sharp, practiced movements, they slashed their claws across the back of her shirt, slicing the fabric from her neck to her waist. The scraps fell away, leaving her entire back bare and exposed to the cool night air and the judging eyes of the pack.
They pulled her toward the gleaming white stone platform—the whipping slabs. Her hands, already bound with silver cuffs, were separated and attached to heavy chains bolted into the stone, keeping her arms spread wide and high above her head. She stood tall, her feet planted, staring straight ahead at nothing, taking a few deep, shuddering breaths.
The Warrior designated as the punisher unwound a long, braided length of silver wire. The crowd of wolves and defectives leaned forward, the silence so profound it felt like a physical weight.
The Warrior raised the silver whip high above his head.
"Watch closely, everyone," Alpha Adrian advised, his voice dangerously light.
The Warrior brought the whip down. A sharp whistle cut through the air, followed by a harsh, wet sound as the silver tore across Diamond's skin.
Thomas's face never changed, but inside he was flinching. These weren't just nameless faces to him; these were some of his students—kids that he was supposed to look after. He wanted to implore the alpha to revise his punishment, but he knew he never would. And if he spoke up, it would just make everything so much worse. So he gritted his teeth and tried to keep his eyes open. He didn't want to be the cause of their suffering.
The first sting of the silver whip ripping across her skin made her body seize and her legs instantly give out. The force of the blow combined with the unexpected pain made her emit a horrifying, piercing scream that cut the silence like a knife. Her knees slammed into the cold stone, but the cuffs kept her arms yanked high above her head.
Whistle! CRACK!
The sound of the lash was wet and loud, and a collective, involuntary sound of discomfort—a series of gasps and small, choked noises—rippled through the onlookers. Diamond's scream hitched in her throat, dissolving into a ragged cry. A dark red line immediately sprang up on her pale skin.
Whistle! CRACK!
The second lash landed diagonally across the first. The skin on her back tore open, blood welling and oozing down her spine and across the smooth white stone slab. Her cries were hysterical now, uncontrolled sobs mixing with sharp gasps of agony. More sounds of distress came from the crowd, but all eyes remained fixed on the slab, terrified of the Alpha's command. As diamond screams became more desperate.
Whistle! CRACK!
The third blow was delivered lower, causing fresh skin to break. The defectives watching were shaking violently, some burying their faces in their laps but keeping their eyes locked on the girl. The blood flowed faster now, pooling slightly on the slab and trickling down, soaking into the fabric of her pants until there was a dark, bloody rim ringing her waistband. They knew if they looked away, it would be far worse for her. So no matter how gruesome they kept their eyes forward.
Whistle! CRACK!
The fourth strike. Diamond was whimpering, her voice reduced to a thin, tortured sound.
Whistle! CRACK!
The fifth and final lash landed, a perfect, agonizing strike.
Jess felt her entire body shake with fear. She wondered how she would be able to endure this kind of pain. Her eyes wandered around the grounds, looking for his comforting face. She saw Noah; his face was contorted into a look of apprehension. But he wouldn't meet her eyes. He just looked straight ahead as the girl was whipped over and over again. She realized that he either wouldn't save her or couldn't.
The Warrior let the silver whip drop. Diamond's body sagged, held up only by the chains securing her wrists. She was crying hysterically, small, broken sounds escaping her lips. Two Warriors immediately unhooked her cuffs. Before she could collapse, one of them gripped her roughly by the back of her neck, ignoring her desperate whimpers, and dragged her back to the line of kneeling defectives. They forced her down onto her knees.
"Watch," the Warrior hissed in her ear, "and remember."
Alpha Adrian, his expression one of calm satisfaction, began his slow walk down the line again. It was a cruel game of 'duck, duck, goose.' He stopped in front of the man who had pleaded for his small daughter. The three-year-old girl sat on the ground, clinging to her father's thigh, her face tear-stained and terrified.
Adrian knelt down, bringing his face close to the child's. She let out a small, muffled cry and hid her face against her father's jeans.
"Such a small thing," the Alpha mused, stroking her cheek gently before standing up. He looked directly at the father. "I think the child is too young to appreciate the lesson. And the silver will taint her too severely." He paused, his eyes gleaming with malicious calculation. "The sentence is five lashes. One of you, her parents, may take them in her stead."
The father instantly moved forward, his shoulders squared. "I will take them, Alpha. My wife is not well. I will take her lashings."
Adrian smiled, a cold, frightening expression. "A noble gesture. And since you are a full-blooded wolf, I will be generous. You will not be as breakable as these... defectives."
Adrian's gaze swept dismissively over the line. "For your daughter's sake, you'll be whipped five times. And because of my benevolence in allowing you to take her punishment, another five will be added. There is a cost to things, after all."
The man, a full-blooded Wolf named Elias, swallowed hard but held his chin up, casting a quick, loving glance at his wife and daughter. His wife was sobbing silently, clutching the little girl tighter. "Close your eyes!" He said softly to his mate.
The Alpha didn't wait. "Take him!"
Warriors immediately seized Elias and dragged him toward the slab where Diamond's blood still pooled. He was larger than the defective girl, and the Warriors had to work harder to bind his hands in the silver cuffs, yanking his arms wide and high.
Harlow, the Alpha Female, watched the entire transaction from her position. Her gaze flickered between the weeping child and her mate on the platform. Ten lashes. For a wolf. Silver was far more painful to a wolf's skin than a defective's, designed to burn and inhibit healing. The child's father, despite his full blood, would be in agony.
Adrian caught her eye and gave a small, almost imperceptible shake of his head—a silent warning to stay out of it. This wasn't about justice; it was about power, control, and intimidation.
The Warrior with the silver whip—the same one who had whipped Diamond—stepped forward. Elias's broad, muscular back was exposed, and his skin was already taut with tension.
"Begin," Adrian commanded.
The first lash was a devastating blow. The whistle and CRACK were louder this time. Elias roared, the sound an inhuman, primal expression of pain that ripped from his chest. Unlike Diamond, who had fallen immediately, Elias fought to stay on his feet, his muscles bulging as he strained against the silver cuffs. A deep red, smoking welt immediately appeared on his back.
Wesley thought that the original Justice they were seeking had become muddied because the alpha wasn't just punishing defectives but anyone who even sympathized with them.
One.
The sound of the second lash was met with another roar, but this time it was cut short, dissolving into a ragged gasp. Elias's head snapped back, his eyes squeezed shut against the burning pain.
Two.
Harlow stepped forward slightly, her hand subtly reaching for the warrior in training next to her. She couldn't watch this break a full wolf for a crime a defective committed, even if she agreed with George's unheard point.
The third, fourth, and fifth lashes followed in rapid succession. With the fifth blow, Elias's legs finally buckled, and he collapsed to his knees, his entire body convulsing in shock. His mouth was open, but no sound came out—only wet, tearing gasps. The blood now streaming down his back was thicker and darker than Diamond's had been.
Five.
The Warrior paused, expecting the command to stop. But the Alpha's voice was cold. "Continue. He has five more to go."
Harlow took a single step out from the line.
"Alpha!" she called out, her voice sharp with sudden urgency. At times she knew, she had to be her mate's conscience.
The Alpha's head snapped toward her, his eyes narrow. He did not speak, but the challenge in his posture was clear.
"He is a wolf!," Harlow said, trying to keep her tone authoritative yet placating.
"The point has been made. He is injured."
Adrian held her gaze for a long moment, then looked down at Elias, who was barely conscious, shaking violently on the stone. He wanted to break the will of every wolf who dared to show sympathy for the defectives. But stopping now, when his mate had intervened, would show weakness. He gave a sharp nod to the Warrior holding the whip.
"Three more," Adrian ordered, compromising, his voice tight with displeasure. "Then his debt is paid."
The Warrior raised the whip. Elias let out a deep, defeated groan.
Whistle! CRACK!
Whistle! CRACK!
Whistle! CRACK!
The eighth lash landed. The Warrior immediately released the whip and grabbed the unconscious Elias.
"Drag him back to his family," Adrian commanded, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, daring anyone to challenge his authority again. "Next defective!"
He walked past the father's sobbing family, past Diamond who was now staring blankly ahead, and stopped in front of a teenage boy who had been staring at the ground, trying to hide.
Authors note:
I think I'm going to put out another chapter today. I'm just working on a couple of chapters. But I don't mind just trickling one out while I get the other bunch ready.