Adrian's POV
Without another word, I turned and left the room. My face was stone-cold as I walked down the stairs, each step hitting the floor hard. The rage in my chest had turned into something way more dangerous—a cold anger that made my wolf restless inside me.
I couldn't get that damn image out of my head—her beautiful back covered in whip marks. Someone had actually dared to hurt what was mine.
When I entered the dining hall, everyone was still sitting there like frozen statues. The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. All eyes turned to me, and I could practically smell how scared they were.
My eyes swept across the room before landing on Alpha Daniel. He was rubbing his hands together nervously, sweat dripping down his face even though it wasn't hot.
"Alpha Adrian, I-I..." he started, his voice shaking bad.
I cut him off, my eyes flashing with murder. "Did you use pack punishment rules on her?"
Alpha Daniel looked like I'd just slapped him. "Pack punishment? Alpha Adrian, what do you mean?" But I could see it in his eyes—he was starting to figure it out.
"My mate was whipped," I said, my voice deadly quiet.
All the color drained from his face instantly. "What? How is that even possi..." But then he stopped mid-sentence, his eyes quickly darting toward his daughter Lira. She had gone completely white and was shaking in her chair.
It was just for a second, but that was all I needed. I took a slow step toward her, and suddenly the whole room felt smaller. "Did you do it?"
She flinched hard, her eyes jumping between her father and me like she was looking for somewhere to run. She shook her head, her lips trembling. "N-no... I don't know what you're talking about," she whispered, but even a blind man could tell she was lying.
I didn't say anything. Just took another step forward and let the silence crush down on her. The old clock in the corner kept ticking, and each second felt like forever.
She swallowed hard, trying to look me in the eye but failing completely. "It wasn't me," she said, trying to sound confident. But I could see everything—the guilt written all over her face, the fear making her shake, the way she was leaning away from me.
Alpha Daniel jumped between us. "Alpha Adrian, please, let me explain—"
I ignored him completely and kept staring at her. She was shaking so hard now that her chair was actually moving. Her hands were white from gripping her dress so tight.
"Aren't you aware that only an Alpha can give pack punishment?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper but somehow scarier than yelling.
She bit her lip so hard I could smell blood. Her whole body was shaking like she was freezing to death.
"Alpha Adrian, please—" Daniel tried to get between us again, desperation all over his voice. "Please forgive her. She's young. She made a mistake. I swear this will never happen again—"
I looked at him once, and he shut up immediately. Then I turned back to the little brat and smiled. It wasn't a nice smile. "You like giving out punishments without permission? Perfect. You'll get exactly what you gave her."
Everyone in the room gasped. Alpha Daniel went white as a sheet. Jake, her younger brother, started to stand up, but one look from me had him sitting back down faster than lightning.
COWARD, Blake muttered in my mind, and I couldn't agree more.
"Daddy!" Lira screamed, tears pouring down her face as she reached for her father. "Say something! He can't do this! You are the Alpha of this pack, not him!"
"Alpha Adrian, I'm begging you," Daniel tried again, his voice cracking. "She's just a child. She made a terrible mistake, but surely we can work something out—"
"Since you're so worried about her," I said smoothly, "you'll be the one to give her this punishment." His mouth dropped open, and before he could say no, I continued. "Or would you rather I take this whole thing to the Council?"
His eyes went wide. I watched as the blood drained from his face when reality hit him. Everyone knew what the Council meant—public shame, losing everything, and jail time for his precious daughter.
Lira's crying turned into complete hysteria. "No! I'm not accepting this! Why should I suffer for dealing with some worthless bitch? I'm the Alpha's daughter, and she's nothing but a slut!"
"Lira!" Alpha Daniel yelled, but it was too late.
I felt my control snap. My hands clenched into fists, and I could feel my wolf pushing to get out. The air in the room turned ice-cold.
"What did you just call her?" My voice came out as a growl that made everyone freeze.
Lira's eyes went wide with terror, but she was too stupid to stop. "Why are you protecting that whore? What, do you actually love her? Shouldn't you be killing her like you killed her father? Or has that little bitch worked her magic on you, too?"
The silence that followed was deafening. Even Alpha Daniel looked horrified at what his daughter had just said.
I took a step toward her, making her flinch. "That woman," I said, my voice so quiet you could barely hear it, "is my mate. To kill her, keep her, punish her, protect her... these are all MY decisions. And if you EVER dare to disrespect her again, I will kill you myself."
Lira was shaking like crazy now, tears and snot running down her face as what I said really hit her.
I turned to Alpha Daniel. "Take her to the training grounds. Call the rest of the pack. She'll get her punishment in front of everyone."
Alpha Daniel's hands were clenched into fists. I could see the anger and helplessness in his eyes, but there was nothing he could do. He knew it, and I knew it.
Finally, he nodded stiffly. He looked at his son, and Jake immediately stood up on shaky legs and grabbed Lira's arms.
"No! Daddy, please! Don't let him do this to me!" she screamed, fighting against her brother. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean it! Please, Daddy, save me! Save me!"
Alpha Daniel clenched his jaw and looked away. Jake just tightened his grip and started dragging her toward the door, her screams echoing through the hall.
I looked around at everyone still in the room. "Remember this. Seraphina is my mate. Any disrespect toward her is disrespect toward me."
With that, I turned and walked out. I didn't know why it felt so good to do that, but it did. It felt right.
Good, Blake said in my head. Now they know what happens when someone hurts what's ours.