Pain

Pain
Evie Pov

I feel the panic start to sink into my bones when I hear what the King just said to Damon. What does he mean the hard way? How is Damon managing to stay so calm and almost appear bored? I fight the urge to scream at the King and ask what he means knowing I might just be making things worse for Damon at this point if I do. He finally clears his throat and speaks to his father "I think this is a conversation better have in private father not here in front of our esteemed guests who quite literally just arrived." Damon says and uses his hands to gesture to my family who have gone white and extremely still. The king looks to my family then back to Damon and I before speaking "I think it is important for you and your mate to remember your place in this court and so be it if her family see's and hears the punishments I deem fit for you. You did not deny that you deserve them." The King stares at Damon growing colder with each word that he speaks. Damon sighs removing his hand from mine and moving me closer to my family before he begins speaking. "Fine father we can do this now. I feel as if Alpha Thomas deserved my apology because he was a gracious host who showed me nothing but respect, and as he said I knew he was looking for his daughter and failed to inform him of her location when I found her. However father respect is something that is earned and through his behavior while we stayed at the Bloodmoon pack this summer he earned mine, you on the other hand have not as of recent years. Pressuring me to take over the Kingdom when I am far from ready and only being willing to give a year when I tell you my mate is no more ready than I am. These are not things that tend to lead to respect from a son father. You have been a great ruler fair and just... but as a father after mother passed that part of you turned off." Damon states trembling in rage and something else that I don't recognize. This is one of the first times I have really heard him mention his mother and I have heard how loved she was through the Kingdom I can only imagine that she was that much and more for her son. I don't even know how she died just that it hurt Damon more than he cares to admit. The King steps closer to Damon and I see pure rage in his eyes. "How dare you speak to me this way boy." He spits out. "I am your King you will give me the respect that title deserves. I took over this Kingdom at 19 when my father passed away and I was no more ready than you are today, thats what great ruler's do they adapt and overcome their challenges not make excuses and cower behind the excuse of your mate not being ready. Don't ever speak to me of your mother again she is gone and I don't need any more reminders of that. I see that you have indeed chosen the hard way to remember so lets waste no time in the demonstration shall we. " The king says walking towards some of the servants calmly pressed into the corner. He whispers something to the man and the color drains from his face as he quickly leaves the room. Damon rolls his eyes and follows his father to where he is standing about twenty paces behind the head of the table and gets on his kneed fiddling with his buttons as I hear the doors and see the servant rush back in holding something. Damon now has his shirt off as he kneels in front of his father and I don't recognize him at all he looks small almost weak with his father looming over him and although it is clear he doesn't fear this punishment he looks to be bracing himself for what is to come. Carter leans forward and whispers in my ear "Don't watch Evie." I look over my shoulder to him and I feel the pain and anger on radiating from him as he looks at his future Alpha and best friend. Thats when I hear it and I have to work hard to swallow the bile that has crept up. Then I hear it again as I turn my head towards my mate and see the whip in his father hands.. no the Kings hands because a father would never do this. He raises his hand again and finally the shock has warn off when the whip comes down this time it feels like it hits my own back. I bite my lip to keep the scream in, this must be what Damon has felt all the times that I have been attacked I didn't understand what he meant when he said he could feel it. His father pulls up the whip again and I move so fast that no one saw it coming as I leap on Damon and cover his body with my own. The whip rips my back open with a crack and I feel the blood running down the dress that his father gave to me. "Are you okay?" I ask Damon who is shaking. "No, I will rip his head off for hurting you." Damon says standing and fighting the urge to shift as he looks to the King. "Did I say you were done?" The king asks. "No get back down their I will allow your mate to take one of your lashings but you have three more left boy." His father spits at him. I look between the King and Damon and see nothing but hate and rage a relationship that seems beyond repair. Before I can think better of it I say "I will take them all." Then I drop to my knees in front of the King. The King hesitates before saying "It is not you who needs to be punished it is my son. If you wish to take them you may, but he will learn nothing." The King states calmly like this is completely respectable and expected behavior from a King. "NO!" Damon roars and reach's for the whip in his father hands ripping it from him. "You will not touch my mate again or so help me goddess I will rip you apart." Damon says standing between us and before the King can respond I stand next to Damon and say "Whether you whip him or me I feel it and so will he. His pain radiates through my body as mine does to him we are one. Whatever punishment you push onto him will always affect me the same. So remember that your majesty the next time you want to teach him as lesson." I say shakily barely able to get the statement out as I prepare myself for the next blow. The King seems to deflate a little as he glances between Damon and I. "What do you mean you feel his pain?" The king asks inquisitively.