She needs to be punished

She needs to be punished


BASIL’S POV

“Are we really going to act like nothing happened?”

Bernard barged into my room, and he didn’t just do that, he raised his voice while asking me a question.

We had separate rooms now, even though he hadn’t liked the idea at first. I insisted, and he had no other choice but to respect my decision.

“What happened?” I rolled the duvet off my body and inquired.

At first, I was going to ignore him and act like my ears hadn’t caught his voice, even though he spoke in a really high tone.

He remained standing close to the door while I sat up. I knew he would come to me so we could speak because he had always been the type to talk things out.

Two days ago, he, Willow, Serena, and I met in the woods. Serena wasn’t supposed to meet with us there, but somehow, she did, and her presence ruined everything.

“You had plans to take Willow to another pack, and you didn’t think to tell me,” he accused.

“Don’t you think that’s the least thing you should be worried about right now?” I asked.

The rogues weren’t done with us, and rather than thinking of a way to get rid of them, he was here asking questions about Willow.

“Serena would love to have a word with us downstairs. She’s waiting,” he announced.

I saw this coming. I knew she would demand an explanation for why we were willing to let Willow go while her brother, Dean, remained in prison.

I knew my brother had plans to help Willow elope, and I had just tried to be one step ahead of him for my selfish interest, but I ended up being caught.

Willow had just one assignment, which was to hide in the woods while I came for her, but she failed at it, and it cost her freedom. She was back to being locked up.

“I’ll be downstairs waiting. I thought it would be cool for us to have a conversation before showing up in front of her, but it’s clear you don’t want it.”

I watched him walk out of the room just like he had walked in. For no good reason, I wasn’t interested in having a conversation with him.

Serena had waited for two days before addressing the situation, and that was surprising. I had expected her to speak the same night we all returned to the mansion in silence.

She didn’t go easy on us after she caught us with Willow. I was convinced someone had told her about Bernard’s and my plan. That had to be the reason she showed up at the right time.

“Fighting Bernard isn’t necessary if you ask me,” my wolf howled.

“Well, I didn’t ask you.”

“I knew that would be your response and it’s fine,” he replied.

I found myself heading downstairs. The only reason I hadn’t attacked Serena two days ago after she caught us was because she was still useful to the pack.

Normally, I was the type to get rid of whoever got in my way, but I couldn’t do that with Serena. Just when we thought we had gotten rid of the rogues, we saw their handiwork again, so anyone would agree that we still needed her.

“It took you so long to show up.”

I was almost at the living room when Serena spoke. She was there with Bernard, and she could have waited for me to arrive before saying anything.

Besides, she lied. It hadn’t taken me long to show up. Bernard had informed me that she was waiting and had left the room, and I followed minutes later.

“Young lady, I would love for you to watch the tone you speak to me with,” I cooed after sitting on the sofa.

I could have raised my voice while speaking to her, but I didn’t. Bernard remained seated next to her, and I didn’t get why. He could have sat elsewhere.

“I intend to make this as brief as possible. I don’t enjoy having conversations with you both, so I don’t want this to last.”

Serena’s courage never ceased to amaze me. The same Serena who couldn’t breathe the same air as us ten years ago could now say mean things to us.

“I gave you both time, thinking you would do the needful, but I’ve realized that I might have to tell you what to do.”

“This is about Willow and your brother, right?” I asked, even though the answer was obvious.

“Yes,” she responded.

I didn’t like that she was the only one doing the talking. Bernard was acting like a coward and wouldn’t say a word. I used to be the one like that.

Serena must have been surprised by my attitude toward her. She must have gotten used to me being on her side and trying to make her see that I was sorry.

The truth was that I had no idea why I suddenly woke up one morning and decided to go back to being the dominant twin instead of keeping up with being a weakling.

“When do you both plan to let him go?” she inquired.

“And not just that, when do you both plan to announce to the pack members that he’s innocent?” Before I could respond to her first question, she asked another.

Bernard acted as though she was speaking to me alone and as if this didn’t concern him. I guessed we had both gone back to default, him being the coward and me being the dominant twin.

“Inform the head of security to let him go, and as for his innocence, Bernard and I will think of what to do about it,” I remarked after clearing my throat.

“Why don’t we think of what to do now?” Bernard eventually spoke. I didn’t see those words coming.

“You both can sit and discuss how to do that when I leave,” I mumbled.

Bernard would see that as a good idea. It was another opportunity for him to stare at Serena face for longer. It might have become his favorite thing to do.

“One more thing, Willow has to be executed in the presence of the pack members, and it has to be done as soon as possible,” Serena said.

Willow had committed a crime. I knew that, and everyone did, but I believed she deserved a second chance, a chance to make things right.

“If you ask me, we have more pressing issues to attend to,” I said.

“You two are trying to buy time again so you can help her by...”

“I seriously think you need to watch the way you speak to us, me especially,” I cut in.

She no longer addressed us like we were Alphas of the pack. Bernard had always had an issue with it, but I was always condoning her. I caused this.

“I’m sure the pack soldiers have told you about what some rogues did a few days ago,” I said.

She had plans to leave the pack, but for me, it wasn’t the right time for her to go. Her eyes were on me, and she dared to look me in the eye.

“If you aren’t ready to do the needful as regards Willow, I might have to tell the pack members what you’re up to. I’ll let them know that their Alphas are...”

“You won’t threaten me,” I cut in again.

“I’ll be back,” Bernard mentioned and stood to his feet.

Serena and I were left alone in the living room. I avoided her eyes for reasons best known to me. Besides the fact that the pack still needed her, I wasn’t ready to let her go.

The mate bond occasionally did its thing between us, and it was one of the reasons I wasn’t willing to let her return to her love interest.

I had plans for her, but she didn’t know about them yet. Bernard didn’t know either. I only wanted us to be done with the rogues phase before unveiling my plans.

“Oh wow,” I mumbled.

Bernard was back, and he didn’t come alone. He was with Dean. Serena was supposed to go get her brother, but Bernard had decided to go on her behalf, for what reason?

Serena was all mushy with her brother. He looked so unkempt that I didn’t even have a good time staring at him. He must have been through hell in prison.

The head of security showed up and walked up to me. His head was bowed, and it was a sign that he had something to say.

“Speak.”

“There’s something you and Alpha Bernard need to know. It’s really important,” he mentioned.

Bernard rose up after hearing what the head of security had to say, his words did catch everyone’s attention.

“Does it have to do with what we found out?” Serena inquired.

It seemed as though there was something important they weren’t telling us.