Chapter 35(The Lesson)

Chapter 35(The Lesson)
Roman's pov

Back in my chamber, my blood boiled with both anger and relief. But I wasn't going to let this go, if I did, something like this will repeat itself again. Seems they have forgotten who I am, I needed to remind them. How dare they send me petitions, how dare they spread rumors.

“Joshua.” I yelled, and he came running to me as usual. “Find every single wolf who dared speak this rumor. Every man, every woman,even the elders. Bring them to the punishment hall. Tonight.”

Joshua hesitated for the briefest second, then bowed his head. “Yes, Alpha.”

When he left, I stayed alone in my chamber, staring at the fire until the logs cracked and fell to ash. My wolf stirred beneath my skin, restless and eager. They think they can test you, it growled. Show them what an Alpha is.

They will cry blood today.

I stood up, and slowly walked down to the punishment room, with each step I took, the word of the physician echoed in my ear. I'm glad she is pregnant, but I hope this one stays. As I got into the punishment room, my eyes moved from one corner to the other. It was so empty and quiet. Flashes of my father locking me down here, flashed in my memory.

Soon I heard footsteps coming closer. Slow at first then louder. Joshua came in first. His face was hard and unreadable. Behind him came the people who had dared to challenge me. There were men, women and even some elderly people. Guards walked close to them and pushed them forward when they slowed. Some tried to stand tall but their shoulders shook. Some kept their heads down like they wished to hide inside their own skin. A few stared at me then looked away fast like my eyes were frightening.

I stood in the middle of the room. The stone under my feet felt cold even through my boots. My hands stayed loose by my side but inside I could feel the heat of my own blood. I let my eyes move from one face to the next. Slow, and Careful. I wanted them to feel the weight of my look. I wanted them to know I saw every breath they took and every small twitch of fear.

“Why aren't any of my elders here?” I asked Joshua.

He bowed and replied. “They weren't part of the rumors, they only received the petitions.

I slowly paced the room. So they were able to cover their part very well, because I know very well that they started the rumor. My feet tapped the floor repeatedly. I need to use these scape goat to show them an example.

I turned to Joshua,”Gather all the elders and pack members to the arena in an hour's time. This punishment will be carried out publicly. Let them all see and learn.

Joshua nodded, and walked away.

In an hour's time, the arena was crowded with people, their voices and noise echoed to my chambers. Immediately I stepped to the seat placed for me, they all kept quiet and bowed.

I stood up, and stepped to the center of the Arena. My voice loud and clear. “Today, we gathered here to learn a valuable lesson. In this pack, rumors will not be tolerated, gossip will not be tolerated. And nobody has the right to question the Luna or me. Today, you learn what happens when you go against these rules.

“Bring them out!” I ordered.

Joshua and some other guards dragged them to the center of the arena. The crowd gasped as they saw them, the eyes of the elders opened wide.

Good, I liked the fear in their eyes… let them see the consequences of messing with power.

I turned to the prisoners,“Do you know why you are here?” My voice echoed in the arena

No one answered, they all just buried their faces to the ground.

“Speak,” I snapped.

An older man opened his mouth, his voice, trembling. “Alpha… we..we only repeated what we heard…”

“What you heard,” I cut in, “was a lie. And you chose to spread it. You chose to defile the name of your Luna. My mate. Your Alpha’s mate.”

I stepped closer, my eyes never leaving his. “Do you understand what that means?”

He swallowed hard. “It means we… we disrespected you.”

“It means,” I said, my voice hard, “you challenged the very heart of this pack. And that is a crime that cannot go unanswered.”

I gave a signal to the guards, chains rattled as they moved among the group, forcing them to their knees.

“Begin,” I ordered.

The guards made them hold heavy stones high over their heads, as they whipped them. They cried, begged, but they didn't stop, they kept whipping them. The crowd screamed. fear, the elders turned their eyes away.

“The stones should not fall off your hands,” I ordered. When someone let the stone drop even a little the guards dragged them up and made them kneel again and again till their knees scraped the cold floor, while flogging them.

Their cries filled the whole arena. My eyes buried on them as they flogged them. Let them remember this. Let them feel the weight of their words until their bones ache with it.Let them fear me more than they fear their own tongues.

One woman dropped her stone and collapsed.
I stopped in front of her, looking down into her tear-streaked face. “Do you understand now?” I asked softly.

She nodded, choking out a desperate “Yes, Alpha.”

I raised my hands, to signal them to stop.I turned to the rest. “All of you…remember this night. Remember the pain in your muscles, the fire in your lungs, the shame in your hearts. This is mercy. The next time you speak against your Luna, and question me, there will be no stones, no flogging, you would pay with your lives.

The arena was silent except for the sound of labored breathing. I let the silence stretch until it became unbearable. Then I spoke again, each word measured and deadly.

“All of you here, will be sent to the outcast wing as slaves for one year.”

The crowd gasped. That was worse than any punishment, that was slow death. The outcast wing as slaves, meant more torture than they have ever seen.

As I raised my head up, no one dared meet my eyes. Heads bowed. Shoulders shook.
The fear in the arena was suffocating.

My eyes moved from one elder to the other. “And for those of you that were smart enough to escape this punishment…I promise you, your day will come.”

“This gathering is over,” I commanded.

They stumbled out in silence, some leaning on each other, some barely able to walk.

When the arena was empty, I finally let out a slow breath. My wolf still hummed with savage satisfaction, but beneath it a hollow ache began to form. This was the price of power. This was the weight of being Alpha.