Chapter 88: The Trial’s Verdict And The Growl!
Bella finally started paying attention when Soren began listing her punishment.
Ten floggings.
And she had to grovel to Neve. She had to go to him and apologize. She had to kneel before him and ask for his forgiveness for trying to kill him.
Bella felt her stomach drop.
"That’s my punishment?" she asked, her voice coming out sharper than she intended. "I’m not doing that. That’s humiliating. I’m a princess. I’m the daughter of a former chief. You can’t make me—"
"You can refuse," Soren said calmly, cutting her off. His expression was cold and unmoved by her protests. "But then the punishment becomes exile. You’ll be cast out of the leopard tribe territory. You’ll be left to fend for yourself in the wilderness during winter with no supplies and no protection."
Bella’s mouth closed.
Exile was worse than flogging and groveling combined. Exile meant death, probably. Slow death in the cold snow with no one to help her.
"Or," Soren continued, "you can accept your punishment, do the flogging, and grovel to Neve. After that, you’re free to stay in the tribe. You’ll be monitored, but you’ll be alive."
The choice was simple when she thought about it that way.
"Fine," Bella said through gritted teeth. "I’ll do it. I’ll do whatever you want."
Soren nodded once.
"Good," he said. "Go wash up. Clean yourself before you go to Neve. Make yourself presentable. I’ll be there to watch the entire thing. If your groveling is not sincere enough, if I think you’re not truly sorry, you’ll do it again. You’ll keep doing it until I’m satisfied that you’ve learned your lesson."
Bella wanted to argue more but the guards were already moving toward her, ready to escort her wherever she needed to go.
She stood up and followed them.
.
.
Bella soaked her body and hair in cold water like Soren had instructed.
The cold was shocking at first. It made her gasp and shiver. But she forced herself to stay in the water until she felt truly clean. Until she felt like she was washing away the guilt and the schemes and the anger.
Or at least pretending to.
She washed her hair carefully, making sure every strand was clean. She wanted to look presentable for Neve. Not because she cared about his opinion, but because if she looked nice, he might be more lenient with her. Might be more willing to forgive her.
When she was done, she dried herself off and got dressed in clean clothes. Clothes that were simple but respectable.
She was heading toward the cave when her two girls appeared from the shadows.
"What did you find?" Bella asked them immediately.
They glanced around nervously before leaning in close.
"Cael has been poisoned," one of them said quietly. "By an outcast snake. But Neve treated him. He sucked out the poison himself and applied herbs to the wound."
Bella felt something twist in her chest.
Cael was poisoned. Cael, who had always been kind to her even when she was obsessing over him. Cael, who had chosen Neve over her. Cael was hurt.
"Is he alive?" she asked, her voice softer than before.
"Yes," the other girl said. "But he’s still unconscious. The poison was very strong. Neve is waiting for him to wake up."
Bella nodded slowly, processing this information.
She had wanted Neve gone. She had wanted to hurt him. She had wanted revenge.
But hearing that Cael had been hurt made everything feel different. Made her realize that her schemes had consequences that went beyond just Neve. That innocent people like Cael could suffer because of her actions.
She pushed the guilt aside.
"I need you both to do something for me," she said, looking at them seriously. "Find the snake. The one that bit Cael. Find it before dark."
The girls’ faces went pale.
"But Bella, we could get poisoned. We could die," one of them said, trembling.
"I know," Bella said coldly. "But I need you to do this. Can you do it?"
They wanted to refuse. Bella could see it in their eyes. They wanted to say no and walk away.
But they were afraid of her. And fear was a powerful motivator. They trembled as they bowed and left without another word, heading into the forest to hunt for a deadly snake.
Bella felt a flicker of satisfaction watching them go.
At least she still had some power. At least there were still people who feared her enough to do what she asked.
.
.
Bella walked toward the cave where Neve was supposedly sleeping.
The snow crunched under her feet with each step. The village was quiet. Most beastmen were either resting or dealing with their own problems.
She saw Soren standing outside the cave entrance.
"Hey, chief!" she called out, waving a hand in greeting like she was visiting a friend.
Soren pointed at the ground directly in front of the cave entrance.
Not inside. Not in the warm cave. But outside. In the cold. In the snow.
"What do you mean, chief?" Bella asked, confused.
"Neve is asleep," Soren said flatly. "So you have to remain here until he wakes up. You’ll kneel right there on the ground and wait."
Bella felt her face go hot with anger and humiliation.
"What? I’m not doing that! I’m a female! I’m the daughter of a former chief! You can’t make me kneel in the snow like some common criminal!"
"Neve doesn’t care about your status," Soren said, his voice steady and unmoved by her protests. "He doesn’t care that you’re female. He cares that you tried to kill him. So you’ll go down on your knees and you’ll kneel there until he wakes up. That’s your punishment."
"I’m not—" Bella started to argue.
A sound cut through the air.
A growl.
It was so loud, so deep, so full of rage that it shook the very ground beneath Bella’s feet. The sound came from inside the cave. It carried a power that made her realize something immediately.
Whether it was someone inside the cave had heard her. Someone inside the cave was angry.
Very, very angry.
"What was that?" Bella whispered, her voice suddenly small.
"I think," Soren said quietly, his own expression shifting to something like concern, "that was probably Cael. Or maybe Ryker. Or possibly Kelly. Or Aldric. Or Sorin. Or Popi. Or even Gideon." He paused. "I hope it’s either of them because if it’s something more dangerous... we’re all going to die."
The growl sounded again, even louder this time.
It rattled Bella’s bones.
It made her understand immediately that kneeling outside in the snow was not the worst thing that could happen to her. There was something far more dangerous waiting inside that cave.