Kayla
The first strike nearly made me convulse. Pain ripped through my entire body as the sjambok tore into my flesh. I could hear the crowd cheering for the Punisher. I lifted my head, and through blurry eyes, I saw his smirk—satisfied and smug. Ohh, that's why they call him the Punisher, he enjoys doing this more than anything. Each lash seems to be making his blood rush. I bet he jerks off to this. Too bad l can't gather enough strength to raise my head and see if he has a tent up at the front of his pants
I woke up in a dimly lit room, a flickering lantern in the corner being the only source of light. Sam sat beside me, her fingers gently brushing through my tangled hair. Her touch was soft, but her eyes were heavy with worry. I tried to surf through my memories, piecing together what had happened, when she realised that l was awake.
"Hey, you're awake. Don't try to move—you're badly hurt," Sam said gently.
I tried to speak, but my throat felt raw, like it had been scraped with sandpaper. Sam must have read my struggle, because she handed me a cup of water.
"I'm so glad you're awake. It's been four days, and I was beginning to worry."
"Whaaa... what happened?" I croaked.
"Don't you remember? The Alpha sent the Punisher to you for backchatting to his mate."
"Don't forget, supposed mate, the girl hasn't even seen the Alpha once in her life, and she is ready to sink her claws into him. My back feels numb, though," I whispered.
"Well, maybe that'll stop you from stirring trouble," she said, half-joking, half-serious. "Seriously, though, Kay. Can't you keep your head down? You know how ruthless the Alpha can be. And it doesn't matter whether she has seen him or not. It looks like he has already made his choice."
"Isn't it you guys wait for the Goddess? And he should because if Anna is his choice, he really has a terrible one. He should just let the Goddess do her job. Plus, he already hates me—and the entire pack does too—so I might as well do what I want. I... ouch! That hurt, Samantha! Why would you do that?"
"That's for saying no one in this pack cares about you. And I might as well beat you myself, since you seem to enjoy getting punished by refusing to keep your head low. Honestly, Kay, one day you won't wake up."
"Okay, fine. No more trouble," I said, though I knew deep down that trouble always had a way of finding me. It was like my second skin. But I hated hurting Sam. She was affected more than anyone else here.
"You know," she said quietly, "when they dragged you off the racks, you were out of it, I thought you were gone. You weren't breathing at first."
I swallowed hard. It must've been traumatic for her
"I'm sorry," I whispered.
Sam shook her head. "Don't be sorry. Just… be careful. You're not alone, Kay. Even if it feels like it."
I turned my head slightly, wincing at the pain. "Why do you even care? I'm just a thorn in everyone's side."
She gave me a look that could melt steel. I knew what she was saying just from that look. That l am the rose, not the thorn, and she needed me to understand that just like she did
I chuckled, then groaned. "Don't make me laugh. It hurts."
"You're stupid," she teased, but her smile faded quickly. "Anna—she's been watching you. I think she sees you as a threat."
"A threat?" I scoffed. "I'm barely surviving. I don't need her hate."
"You are surviving amongst a big pack of wolves. Most of whom have tried to break you and you haven't. And they hate that."
I stared at the ceiling, the weight of her words sinking in. Maybe I was more than just trouble. I was a curse they just couldn't rid of. A human living amongst mythical creatures, with nothing to offer but trouble.
"Sam," I said, voice low, "I will keep my head low. I won't cause trouble for us."
She nodded slowly, letting the silence wrap around us like a blanket. For now, I had her. And that was enough.