Chapter 79 Sophia’s Punishment

Chapter 79 Sophia’s Punishment
APOLLO'S POV

One month later…

Finally, my strength had returned. My body no longer ached from the wounds of the battle, and Ragnar surged within me, stronger than ever before. The bond with my wolf felt deeper, more powerful, as if the Moon Goddess herself had reforged us in fire and blood. It was time to face what remained unfinished before we could set foot in Aurelia.

Martin had already met his fate at the hands of King Theoron, and the thought of it was enough for me to celebrate. A fitting punishment for a demon who made my Luna's life a living hell in his pack. But Sophia still remained. Her betrayal was a wound that ran deeper. She had been part of my pack, my responsibility. Yet, she had chosen to disgrace herself with Martin, bearing his child and plotting against me. That kind of treachery could not be ignored.

With Reika at my side, I returned to the Shadow Claw territory, which now lay under my control. My warriors guarded the borders, their presence a reminder of Thunder Howl’s dominance. The land still smelled of Martin’s corruption, but slowly, under my watch, it would heal.

Sophia was already in the Shadow Claw pack's dungeon when I instructed my beta, Orion, to be with Martin when my punishment would be imposed.

We descended into the dungeon where Sophia was kept. The air was damp and heavy, laced with the stench of fear and despair. She was on her knees when the guards dragged her out, her hair tangled, her clothes torn, her once-proud frame reduced to trembling weakness. The moment her eyes landed on me, she crumbled completely.

“My Alpha!” she cried out, her voice breaking as she fell forward, pressing her forehead to the filthy stone floor. “Please! Forgive me! I was a fool, I was blind, I never meant to betray you!” Tears streamed down her face, smearing the dirt on her cheeks. Her hands clawed desperately at the ground as she tried to crawl toward me, but the guards restrained her, shoving her back.

Her sobs echoed through the dungeon walls, raw and pitiful. “I was weak, Alpha Apollo! I thought Martin cared for me, but he used me! Please, please, I beg you, please forgive me.”

Her desperation filled the chamber, but my heart remained stone. I had given her my trust once, and she had shattered it. Now, she wanted mercy? No. She had made her choice when she chose Martin over her 

pack.

“I will not waste time with your excuses,” I said coldly, my voice carrying the weight of Alpha command. “You betrayed me. You betrayed Thunder Howl. And for that, your punishment is the same as Martin’s.”

Her eyes widened in horror, her body shaking violently. "What was Marin's punishment?"

"Martin is just a mere human now, not a wolf," one of the guards said.

“No! Please, not that! Not my wolf! She’s part of me, please, Alpha Apollo!” Her screams turned frantic, her voice cracking as if she could tear her throat from the effort. She struggled against the guards’ grip, but they held her firm.

I stepped forward, Ragnar pressing at the edges of my control, his power flaring within me. My eyes burned gold as I summoned the ancient bond between Alpha and pack, reaching into her soul. She gasped as the invisible tether that tied her to her wolf was seized in my grasp.

Sophia’s screams pierced the dungeon as I began. She convulsed violently, her body arching against the guards’ hold as her wolf thrashed within her, trying to resist. But she could not fight me, not here, not now. 

I was Alpha. I was the one who held the power of command.

I tore at the bond, piece by piece, unraveling the threads of her connection. The room filled with her howls, raw and animalistic, as if her wolf cried out in agony alongside her. Light shimmered faintly around her, a faint silver glow that pulsed like a heartbeat, and then flickered, dimming with every tug.

Her voice broke into sobs, her strength giving way to despair. “Please… no… she’s all I have…”

With one final surge of Ragnar’s strength, I severed the bond completely. 

The glow shattered into nothingness, and the silence that followed was deafening. Sophia collapsed to the floor, limp, her screams fading into hollow sobs.

The guards released her, and she lay there, broken and empty, her body trembling but her wolf… gone. She was no longer a wolf, part of our kind. Just a shell of the woman she once was.

I looked down at her, my chest heavy with the weight of justice, not mercy. “You chose this fate, Sophia. You and Martin both. May the Moon Goddess have mercy on your soul, because I will not.”

Reika’s hand found mine then, grounding me. There was nothing left of Sophia worth saving. She would never run under the moon again, never feel the fire of her wolf’s spirit within her. She had chosen betrayal, and this was her price.

But death was too simple for her. I wanted her to live, to carry the weight of her choices every single day. I wanted her to look Martin in the eye and see in him the reflection of everything they had destroyed together.

“I will not end your life,” I told her, my voice cold and firm. Her eyes flicked up to me, filled with a fleeting spark of hope. That hope died with my next words. “You will live out your days as a servant. You and Martin, both of you human, left with nothing but the memory of what you’ve lost. Even the child you carry will be born human. A reminder of the damage you caused the Thunder Howl pack.”

Sophia’s mouth opened as if to plead again, but no words came out, just a broken sob. She collapsed forward, pressing her face to the stone floor, her body shaking with despair.

I turned away from her, my decision final. Let her suffer beside Martin, powerless, forgotten, a shadow of what she once was. It was more fitting than any execution.

After everything was settled, I needed to turn my focus to the future. The 

Thunder Howl and Shadow Claw territories were vast, two of the strongest packs on the continent, now united under my leadership. But I couldn’t be in two places at once, especially when my path was leading me to Aurelia with Reika.

I called Orion to me, my most trusted Beta and one of the fiercest warriors I had ever known. He bowed before me, his sharp eyes gleaming with loyalty.

“You will oversee both Thunder Howl and Shadow Claw in my absence,” I told him. “Every warrior, every wolf will look to you. Keep them strong, keep them loyal. These packs are the foundation of everything we’re building.”

Orion straightened with pride, his chest swelling. “It will be my honor, Alpha. I will guard both territories with my life.”

I clasped his shoulder firmly, knowing no one else I trusted more for this task. With Reika carrying my child and the call of Aurelia before us, I needed Orion’s strength here more than ever.

When Reika and I arrived at the Kingdom of Aurelia, the sight before us was breathtaking. The city stretched wide and tall, its walls shimmering with silver banners that bore the crest of Aurelia, the crescent moon surrounded by blazing light. Every street was alive with voices, the air thick with the scent of incense and fresh flowers laid along our path.

We were welcomed not just by a few, but by an entire kingdom. The great gates opened, and beyond them, King Theoron himself stood at the head of the council. His presence was commanding, his dark cloak sweeping behind him, the silver crown gleaming upon his brow. Around him, the council members stood in solemn rows, their expressions respectful, curious, and watchful all at once.