~Daliah's POV~
"I do not want her." Beta Orion stated quickly even before the Alpha words could be passed as law, and as soon as he did, a chorused laughter rang through the crowd.
"She's not wanted by any."
"Nobody wants her."
"She's a runt!"
"Whore!"
"Slave!"
"Slut!"
The series of insults rang around me continuously, hurting me even more than any physical pain could. I clutched at my chest desperately as more tears slipped past my eyes.
And that was when it dawned on me.
Just yesterday, I could've sworn that they would both do anything for me. I could've sworn that the Beta liked me so much due to how he doted on me… and how he watched over me. But today, I was nothing to them. A thief. A criminal. A slave to be passed around at their leisure.
All of which I wasn't.
Ms Jennifer was still clinging to Alpha Zarek… and Beta Orion, he gazed down at me in disappointment. When it dawned on Alpha Zarek that his Beta wouldn't take me as he was showing no signs to, he shrugged.
"Since he's refused to have you… we'll know what to do with you by the time you're out of prison. For now, take her away."
And they did. Two guards leaned in and pulled me to my feet to drag me away.
At first, I had hoped that they would throw me into one of those cold dark dungeons first. I had hoped that I would be allowed a moment of peace and quiet, but I was wrong.
My cries grew louder and my heart ached even more as I was dragged out of the house and into the training field, under the scorching sun. A group of maidens arrived just then with buckets of a steaming substance and my heart plummeted when I caught the first sniff of what it was.
Molten silver.
Dangerous… deadly… even for the strongest wolves.
Throwing caution to the wind, I cried louder, uncaring if I would be jested, uncaring if this would only make Ms Jennifer happier. I went on my knees, crawling through the gravel and the sharp stones, and ignoring the way the hot objects bit into my knees, drawing blood—and I begged. But no one listened to me. No one cared.
"I did not steal…" I cried out, my voice breaking. My body shaking. "I did not steal from the Alpha. I planned to escape but I never did. I could never do it. You need to believe me!"
But no one believed me. No one wanted to.
"Alpha, I didn't do it!" My voice grew louder, more desperate as I noticed some guards dipping leather whips into the steaming jars of molten silver. "I could never do it… believe me! Forgive me!"
From the corner of my eyes, I noticed a familiar figure standing not so far away. It was the pack's doctor, Ava, and her eyes seemed sunken as she regarded me with pity, shaking her head.
Now her words rang in my head. How she had asked me to be careful.
If I had known that she meant being careful against something like this, I wouldn't have left. I would've remained at the hospital. I would've waited until my injuries were healed…. Maybe I would've asked her to kill me.
"I would never steal fro—"
Crack!
The words hadn't fully left my lips when I felt it. A crack on my back. It was loud, it was painful. It dragged out the most heart wrenching cry from the back of my throat. I arched my back and screamed when the pain spread across my skin, momentarily immobilising me.
"Slut!" A familiar voice snarled at me.
Jennifer.
She crouched before me to wrap her slender fingers around my jaw, and for the first time since the last time we were in such a position, I stared into her eyes; and they were beautiful. They were soulless. They were dark.
"I told you you'll not get away with trying to seduce my Zarek. I'll hurt you and I'll hurt that idiotic mini you." She snarled and my heartbeat accelerated as for the first time, my mind wandered over to Amara.
I had been so blinded by my pain, so lost in my world of agony that I hadn't stopped to think about my daughter. And now that I did, I panicked.
"Leave Amara out of this… I beg you." I choked out, sobbing when the smell of my blood hit my nostrils. "She never did anything wrong and is just a child. Let her be."
"Oh shut up and worry about yourself first," Ms Jennifer snarled in disdain, "…for you may not survive what I have in store for you." And with that, she let go of me and pulled away, smiling when my pleading eyes met hers.
She was behind this… that I was aware of; but what proof do I have against her?
Who would even believe me if I told them?
Just then another 'crack' rang through the air and I howled as a sizzling pain had my back arching and pulsating. I cried, I thrashed, I screamed but the more I did this, the more the whips descended against my frail body.
And as I was whipped, the crowd cheered. The people yelled out their satisfaction. They were glad I was being punished. Happy that I was in agony.
I do not know for how long I stayed there, or for how many more times I was flogged but soon my vision began to go blurry. My throat was raw from all the screams and cries and my dry eyes could no longer produce tears as the guards continued to flog me mercilessly.
The stench of my blood filled the air too. It clogged my senses, reminding me of the horror that was my life; and as the sun shone mercilessly down at me and my oppressors, my body burned.
I was in hell…. Not Tartarus, but HELL.
One that had been forced upon me by my mate, and one I wasn't sure I'd ever survive from.
My body soon went limp and my vision darkened. And as I slipped into unconsciousness, the only thing I could feel was pain. Raw unadulterated pain. And heartbreak.
A heartbreak that was by far worse than rejection.