Chapter 11: CHAPTER 11

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Sienna’s POV

~CELL, DARKMOON PACK~

Pain.

It was the first thing I felt when I gained consciousness. It was everywhere—from my body, pressing against my ribs, throbbing in my skull, my head hurting very hard

My body felt like wood, too heavy to move, too weak to fight. My throat burned with dryness, my lips cracked and dry.

I tried to move, but even the slightest shift sent a dull ache through my bones. Then, suddenly, I heard the clanking of metals which jolted me fully awake.

The cell gate opened forcefully. I slowly looked up. It was a guard.

His deep and gruff voice cut broke the silence. “Get up.”

His rough hands grabbed my arms harshly before I could even react, bringing me to my feet. My knees buckled, my legs too weak to support me, but the guard holding me didn’t care. He dragged me forward, my bare feet scraping against the cold and hard floor. I winced, trying to hold myself, but the man’s grip was merciless.

The golden-yellow eyes.

The last words of that stranger from before echoed in my mind.

My Father is a murderer

I swallowed hard.

I wanted to run. I wanted to fight. But where would I go? There was no escape. I was trapped in the heart of my enemy’s land, caged like an animal. My fate had already been sealed. There's nothing I can even do.

The only person who can save me is the reason I'm in this mess

The guards pulled me out of the cell and dragged me out of the building and into the daylight. My eyes burned and I blinked rapidly, trying to adjust. The air outside was full with people, filled with murmurs and whispers.

Seems they've been waiting for me.

Then I saw it.

A massive open courtyard, the torment hall was boldly written in blocks on it.

Hundreds of people stood in a semi-circle, their eyes locked on me with a mix of cruelty and hatred. This was a public display. A warning. Meant for me.

My stomach twisted painfully.

At the center, raised above everyone else, was a throne made of dark stone.

And sitting upon it was him.

Alpha Kieran.

His expression was cold and undefinable as if he were merely watching an event that had nothing to do with him. His grey eyes were stormy and filled with something close to anger .

Like I was nothing.

Like I wasn’t his mate.

Beside him was a brunette who sat like his queen. She wore a silky red dress that hugged her body, her golden hair cascading over her shoulders. A smirk curled on her lips as her gaze met mine, mocking, triumphant.

Who was she?. My heart sank as I saw her put her hand over Kieran's hand.

My heart twisted.

She has him. And I have… nothing.

The guard forced me forward, shoving me to my knees in the center of the courtyard. I was weak, but I refused to let them see me break.

Not yet.

Kieran finally spoke, his voice filled with authority.

“Strip her.”

My brain stopped for a while.

The crowd erupted into a shout of joy and my stomach clenched in horror.

Two guards stepped forward, their faces void of emotion as they reached for me.

“No—” I struggled weakly, but they were too strong.

With ease, they tore away the tattered remains of my clothes, leaving me in nothing but in my thin bra and panties. My body shivered at the cold, and a wave of humiliation crashed over me.

Laughter erupted through the crowd.

I clenched my jaw, forcing my chin up even as shame burned through me.

Don’t cry. Don’t cry.

I wrapped my arms around myself, my fingers digging into my skin. But there was no hiding from their stares, from their judgment.

Then, Kieran gave his next command.

“Biggy, you can start.”

A cold silence fell over the crowd.

A guard looking very huge with a deep frown on his face stepped forward, holding a long whip, its ends soaked in salt water.

I braced myself, sucking in a sharp breath.

The first lash came down on me

A blinding pain tore across my back, pain igniting in my skin.

I gasped out loud in pain.

Then another.

And another.

Each strike was like a blade cutting through my flesh, the salt burning deep into the wounds. My body jerked with every impact, my nails digging into my palms, my teeth clenched down to stop myself from screaming.

But by the tenth lash, I couldn’t hold it in anymore.

A scream escaped from my throat before I could stop myself.

Laughter erupted from the crowd, but I barely heard it.

I fell forward, my hands barely catching me before my face hit the ground. Blood trickled down my back.

I couldn’t breathe.

I couldn’t think.

Just pain. Only pain.

I lifted my head, my vision blurry

Kieran hadn’t moved.

I hated him.

The lashes continued.

By the twentieth strike, I had stopped screaming. I had nothing left. My throat was raw, my voice hoarse. Tears streamed down my face, but I refused to let them see me break completely.

Not in front of them.

Not in front of him.

The final ten lashes came down, each one slicing deeper than the last. My body trembled violently.

Then, finally, it was over.

I slumped forward, my body too weak to hold itself up any longer. My vision blurred, my ears ringing. My bloodied back throbbed with unbearable agony.

Silence erupted across the courtyard.

I felt the weight of a hundred eyes on me.

I wasn’t sure how much time passed before I heard Kieran’s voice again.

“Take her back to the cell.”

The guards grabbed me once more, lifting my broken body off the ground. My legs refused to work, my head moved to the side, exhaustion pulling me deeper into darkness.

But before I completely lose consciousness, I managed to lift my gaze one last time.

Kieran’s eyes met mine.

Cold. Empty. Unloving.

As if I wasn’t his mate.

Then, finally, I let the darkness take over

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