Chapter 100: The Announcement And The Village’s Shock!
De-fanged meant removing the fangs or the primary weapons of a beastman.
For Bella, who was a leopard, it meant removing her fangs and claws in a ceremonial way that would mark her as a pariah forever. It meant she could no longer hunt. It meant she could no longer fight. It meant she was stripped of her status as a full member of the tribe.
But worse than that, the Pariah Status meant something even more severe. It meant she would remain in the village but completely stripped of her name. No beastman was allowed to speak to her. No one was allowed to look at her. No one was allowed to offer her food or shelter or help. She would become a living phantom. Invisible to everyone around her. Completely alone while surrounded by people.
It was a harsh punishment. But it was warranted.
Bella’s face went completely white.
All the color drained from her skin like someone had pulled a plug and let it all drain out.
"No, no, please," she pleaded, stepping forward desperately. Her voice was breaking. Her eyes were wide with panic and fear. "I didn’t mean to. I didn’t know what I was doing. Please, don’t do this. Please, I’m still the daughter of the former chief. I deserve better than this."
But Soren did not even look at her anymore.
He had already turned his back to her and was addressing the crowd again.
"This is the punishment for betrayal," he said, his voice carrying the weight of authority. "This is what happens when you put your personal desires above the safety of the tribe. This is justice."
The crowd erupted into noise.
Some were cheering at the harsh punishment. Some looked shocked by the severity of it. Some looked like they felt pity for Bella despite what she had done.
Neve just stood there, feeling a complicated mix of emotions swirling through his chest.
Relief that the threat of Bella was being handled. She could not hurt him anymore. She could not betray him anymore.
Sadness that it had come to this. Bella had once been a princess. She had once had everything. And now she was being stripped of all of it.
Worry about what would happen next with the outcasts knowing about his ability to cure poison. This was more dangerous than Bella’s schemes. This was a threat to the entire village.
He groaned a bit as he felt the pain in his stomach again. It was a sharp ache that reminded him of his pregnancy. He was sure that Soren had called for this meeting because he wanted to teach a lesson to every other beastman. A lesson about what happened when you betrayed your tribe.
Neve could tell that Bella was feeling helpless with the kind of punishment given to her. But the question that lingered was simple. Would she change? Would this punishment actually teach her anything?
At least they had not given her something worse. At least they had not stripped away her ability to have mates again. At least they were giving her a chance to live, even if it was as a ghost.
"Should we head back?" Sorin asked, already able to tell that Neve was feeling hurt and tired. He was picking up on Neve’s discomfort both physically and emotionally. "I’m sure whatever this is, it’s already over."
"Yeah, I’m sure," Neve said, nodding slowly. "Let’s go."
Ryker held Neve’s other hand gently.
"Let’s head to the cave then," Ryker said. "You need to rest. You need to recover."
"Wait!" Someone yelled.
Neve’s heart sank. He was praying it was not from the tiger tribe. He did not want them bothering Ryker if it was nothing important. The tiger tribe was already hostile enough toward him.
But it was not from the tiger tribe.
It was Bella.
Neve watched in disbelief as Bella crawled toward him on her hands and knees. Her movement was desperate and pathetic. She was crawling through the dirt like an animal, abandoning all pretense of dignity.
"Please, forgive me, Neve!" she screamed, her voice high and desperate. "I can’t lose my fangs. I’m a princess. I can’t let these commoner’s hands touch me. Please, Neve! Please forgive me!"
Neve looked at her crawling on the ground.
He felt no sympathy. He felt no pity. He just felt tired.
"What am I supposed to do?" Neve shrugged, his voice calm and detached.
Bella lifted her cold eyes to look at Neve. There was something dangerous in those eyes now. Something that suggested she was past begging and moving into rage.
"What are you supposed to do?" she asked, her voice becoming sharp and cutting. "I just went on my knees for you to forgive me. Forgive me already, you bastard!"
She aggressively charged toward Neve suddenly.
Dangerous, like she was going to attack him with whatever strength she had left.
But Ryker was faster.
The tiger prince took her arm and twisted it in one smooth motion. Before Bella could even scream, Ryker slammed her to the floor with enough force to knock the air from her lungs.
She continued to thrash around, screaming and kicking, but she was no match for him.
Several men came forward and grabbed her, dragging her away from Neve. They were rough with her, not caring about hurting her. She was a pariah now. She was no one. No one had to be gentle with her anymore.
"Can we leave already?" Neve asked, just wanting to get away from the chaos and the crowd.
That was when he saw them.
Cael and several other beastmen coming from the woods. They were carrying hunted meat. Cael had kept his promise. He had gone hunting for fresh meat for Neve.
"Huh? Did we miss a party?" Cael asked as he rolled his eyes, looking around at all the people and the commotion. He seemed to be looking for someone in the crowd. "Looking for neve."
But then his eyes landed on Neve.
Everything else seemed to fade away.
Cael saw him and immediately ignored the men who had been walking with him. The leopard rushed toward Neve without hesitation, dropping the meat he had been carrying.
"Neve," Cael said, reaching him.
His hands went to Neve’s shoulders immediately, checking him over like he was making sure Neve was not hurt. His eyes scanned Neve’s body for injuries.
"Cael," Neve said, taking his hand.
He placed Cael’s hand directly on his stomach where the cubs were growing inside him.
"I’m pregnant," he said.
He said it loud enough for his voice to carry across the entire village. Loud enough that everyone could hear. He did not shout exactly, but his voice was clear and it traveled.
The effect was immediate.
The village erupted into chaos.