Chapter 9 Reason For Hating
Addison had no idea what kind of punishment awaited her, but she knew she wanted no part of it. She felt that the pain she had endured from the decaying mate bond over the years was already more than enough torture.
If Alpha Zion laid his hands on her, she wasn't sure she'd live to see the next sunrise. Panic surged through her, and she thrashed wildly in desperation, but Zion remained unfazed, his grip unyielding as he steadily ascended the stairs.
He climbed several floors until he reached the fourth, then sent out a pack-wide mind link: "No one is permitted to step onto the fourth floor. Anyone who disobeys this order will be sent to the dungeons and receive 100 lashes."
The warning was enough to freeze everyone in place. Those who had considered following him exchanged uneasy glances, their eyes wide with shock, before hesitantly stepping back.
For a werewolf, being whipped was usually no more than a temporary pain because wounds would heal quickly, and the pain would fade. However, the whip that Alpha Zion mentioned was no ordinary one.
It was crafted from silver-tipped thorns, designed to tear into skin and scrape the flesh with brutal precision. The silver ensured that the wound wouldn't heal easily, and it could leave permanent scars as a grim reminder of the punishment.
A hundred lashes? That was a sentence reserved only for traitors and prisoners, the kind of punishment reserved for the most severe of offenses. The thought of it sent a chill through the pack, and the severity of the threat was enough to make everyone pause, shuddering at the idea of such a brutal fate.
Beta Greg, noticing Claire's intent to follow his alpha up the stairs, immediately grabbed her arm with a firm grip, causing Claire to flinch slightly. "Miss Claire, please," he said, his tone more urgent than usual. "You can't go up. My Alpha gave a direct order that no one is allowed on the fourth floor."
"Anyone who disobeys will face a hundred lashes with the silver whip, and that includes you. I'm sorry, but for your own safety, especially with your condition, you need to rest. Please, let me escort you back to your room."