The Execution At The Marketplace

“One of the vendors?” A person came to my mind. And my intuition was telling me it had to be her. “Do you mean that this was because of me?”

“Whatever the reason is, Lord Varick probably found out anything that could cause harm to you.”

Oh no. I stood up, worry and anxiety was shown and my finger touched my trembled lower lip.

“I need to get there as soon as possible.”

“Going on foot would be too late. And turning into a wolf would rouse Lord Varick’s anger.”

“Then, I don’t mind taking his anger out on me.” I turned my heel, ready to transform until the High Mage grabbed my wrist.

“Worry not, I will get you there,” he said with a casual-like tone.

“How–?” Suddenly the floor where we were situated shone bright red and our bodies were emitting with a strange light.

I couldn't react before we vanished from the tea room and we were now in a new familiar environment.

I gaped at Phineas. Teleportation was a rare spell.

“Well, consider yourself lucky that teleportation happened to be my specialty,” Phineas said as he winked.

I shook my head and decided to ignore him as we were now back at the marketplace.

The pack were all centered in the main avenue and I rushed to blend in the crowd.

“H-Hey, wait for me!”

I hastily pushed myself in, gave them quick polite words of excuses and apologies until I managed to reach a closer distance to get a clear view of what was going on.

My eyes widened.

Before me was the Skollist counselor and adjudicator, Magellan, looking strict and stern as he observed the crowd. Next to him was the messenger who ordered everyone to be in silence, Varick from the corner as he crossed his arms as he shut his eyes. He showed as iff he wouldn’t be disturbed, especially when he was just behind Magellan and the messenger.

But what shocked me was the center of everyone’s attention.

“I didn’t do anything! I swear!”

Jerri cried with desperation as her hands and feet were chained in silver and the chain was held by the executioner.

He roughly threw her on the ground and she gave a painful groan.

As silver weakened any wolf, she couldn’t stand up and forced herself to lay there while the eyes were at her demise.

“I d-don’t know what’s going on!” She cried as tears streamed from her eyes.

“Silence!” Magellan yelled, giving him a disapproving look. “If you have any pride left, you better stop showing your pathetic behavior, beta.”

Turning back to the messenger while they ignore the hopelessness of her voice, he gave a nod of approval and the messenger made his announcement.

“We will commence the execution of the beta from the marketplace, Jerri, for the cause of the near-death of the Luna of the Skollist Pack.”

What?

“Therefore, for the severe punishment caused for the future of our pack, the Skollist council would hereby declare Jerri the Beta sentenced by ripping out her heart out by the executioner."

Murmurs circulated around the area and I felt a cold sweat dropped from my cheek.

Meanwhile Jerri had the face of anguish as she struggled to set free from the silver chains, screaming for help.

“That is all. We shall start the execution—”

“I object!”

All eyes turned on me as I stepped in to the circle.

I glanced at Magellan and the messenger who were shown to be surprised and didn’t expect to see me.

Varick stepped in from the corner, looking annoyed before he gave me a glare.

I ignored all of them as I was now a short distance to Jerri.

“This…isn’t a trial, our Luna,” Magellan said. “We are simply executing a Skollist beta who doesn’t know her place.”

“Without my knowledge?” I refuted.

He sighed, massaging his forehead. “Many eye witnesses had seen the beta talking badly towards you before you transformed and rushed to the woods.” He crossed his arm. “If the Alpha Leader wasn’t there, we would have lost our Luna.”

“But I did not ask for someone’s death after my foolish mistake,” I said. “Besides, Jerri spoke whatever she said in her mind.” I glanced at the townspeople.

“I am sure that all of you aren’t happy to have me as the Skollist luna. Why would you punish someone who spoke about what she truly felt about me…” I closed my eyes.

It was only yesterday when it happened. Yesterday when I was scared of being alone and scared of seeing their eyes of disapproval.

I was also scared of being worthless. Jerri could have been the catalyst, like a destructive spell that could ignite after absorbing all the mana.

She might have given me the wake up call to my weakness but it was far from that.

I had been troubled with my worried all this time.

I was… scared of the new environment I lived in without the Hatiist Church sheltering me to have a good life. An environment when I was forced to give birth and to hold the responsibility of a Luna of the pack.

“Rosaria.” Varick stepped in front of me.

“Please, Varick. She didn’t mean it. And I would regret knowing someone died due to my foolishness.” I shook my head.

Varick didn’t say a word and the expression he showed was indecipherable. Yet he was the one who taught me that if I wanted the pack to take me seriously, as a Luna..

…I should act like one.

“Release her, executioner.”

The executioner hesitated and I frowned.

“If you don’t wish to anger the Alpha Leader, it would be best to do as I say.”

The executioner did as being told and with his gloves, he removed the silver chains cuffed on her limbs.

“Why are you doing this, Luna?” Magellan bellowed, his face turned bright red with fury. He then turned to my husband. “Lord Varick, surely you won’t embarrass yourself for letting her do as she pleases?”

“She is my Luna, Magellan,” was his answer. “I would prefer if she continued this way.”

Honestly, I couldn’t understand his words but enough of that, I kneeled down as I tried to reach out to Jerri as soon as she slowly regained her strength to move.

My hand reached out to her.

“Are you okay, Je–”

Her hand slapped mine.

She glared at me. “Just because you saved me didn’t mean anything to me, you cultist whore!”

She stood up, staggering from her weak limbs. “I don’t feel shit from a cult that killed most of our pack.”

She turned to the audience. “You can’t deny this, Skollist pack! You know at the bottom of your hearts that having a Hattist follower as our Luna meant more bloodshed in the future! Our loved ones…m-my father and my mother perished due to this sickening war. I’m just fed up!”

She kneeled down and wept.

“I’d rather die than to wait an inevitable death that would soon come!”

I could only stand there, unable to say anything. After all, many did die to protect this pack and to protect the Hatiist followers from ever being killed.

Varick made a move as he was facing Jerri. He pulled her up, forcing her to stand and making her look him in the eye.

“As long as I am alive, I won’t let any foolish pack enter our territory.” It felt like a promise and hope just those words alone.

“Do you believe that I would lose?”

“N-no of course not, Alpha!”

“Then stop worrying about such things."

He released her and she was approached by her two friends Ella and Naureen.

Now, Varick turned his attention to me.

I felt worried about what he would do after I did something…different than I usually do.

“Varick..I—”

He wordlessly grabbed my hand dragging me on my feet as we walked out of the crowd.

“Alpha leader! Wait!” Magellan called.

But it was in deaf ears as we walked straight, where the crowd scurried away from our direction, giving us a free path to leave the main avenue.

He caught sight of Phineas and he shot him a glare.

“Salutations, Alpha Leader.” He swirled his hand as he gave a nervous laughter. “I thought it would be fun to bring her to an execution day.”

I gasped and I observed my husband if his words would anger him. But instead, Varick ignored him and walked past him.

I glanced behind and Phineas gave me a wink before he teleported before the wolves realized he was within the crowd.

Seeing that Varick’s hand is gripping to mine and going in a familiar direction, that would mean we are going back to the mansion.

“When we get there..” I looked up to him surprised that he was talking to me.

I mean he was unusually quiet so I thought that he was mad at me.

“Are you listening, church maid?”

“Huh?” I snapped back and shook my head. “F-Forgive me, I wasn’t paying attention.”

He sighed in annoyance. “I said when we get back there, we will continue where we last left off last night.”

I blinked.

“Excuse me?”

He raised his brow. “What? Is there something wrong with what I’ve said?”

Wait, I thought he would be angry of my actions today or anything that made me speak my mind.

And h-hang on, our intercourse was usually in the evening so why would he propose for it now, especially since it hadn't reached sunset?!