King Bailey POV
He was panicked as he looked at the condemnation of the crowd, his lips parting helplessly, his head sinking slightly as he remained kneeling in front of us all, before his lips flattened.
"You would condemn me for doing what was necessary" he shot out, narrowing his eyes and glaring at the crowd, my mate moving closer, "the sirens are stronger than any other race we have encountered. Stronger, smarter, their powers have barely been controlled by the technology we created. If we hadn't done what we deemed was important for our race, they would have overcome us, ordered our destruction and had us bow down to them" he spat, "we would have been nothing but slaves for their amusement."
I wondered if he honestly believed his own words. "You don't deny the innocent killing of sirens" my mate's voice was low, her eyes blazing.
"Deny it" he drew his shoulders back proudly and stared down his nose at Riley, while the other leaders remained tight-lipped. "I'm not ashamed of it, I'm proud of what I did, of what we did" he growled, "and I would do it again if it came down to survival between our species. Yours is an abomination" he snarled as several sirens let out warning growls, "who should never have been allowed to exist in the first place."
"One could argue the same about your species", Queen Titania's voice was soft, but cold. "It is not our place to question the creators who have given birth to us all, merely to abide by their design."
"That is why you Fae have always been considered so weak" Dominic spat as Queen Titania's lips pinched, "Because you'll never evolve enough to become the predatory species that is necessary to thrive in this world."
"He's guilty, there's no sense in prolonging this" Dustin's voice cut in, abrupt and harsh.
He stared down at the elder, a mutinous expression on his face. I could tell by the way he was clenching his fists together that he was having a difficult time controlling himself.
"Fuck you" Dominic growled before Thomas smacked him over the head, causing him to inhale sharply, from the pain and humiliation.
"He has no wolf" Riley said, addressing the crowd. "I have already separated him from what he boasts about so proudly" she cast the elder a disgusted glance while he glared at her.
"It's not enough" Sarah's voice was dark. "Not nearly enough. A quick death is too good for the likes of him."
I frowned "Lowering ourselves to his level will not bode well for anyone here. Whatever punishment we deem suitable will need to be enacted today, before the others are placed on trial and executed."
"Then the leaders of the races should decide" an Alpha suggested, the other Alpha's and Luna's nodding thoughtfully.
"I have already taken his wolf", Riley's voice was curt, "and therefore will step away and allow the rest of you to make your decision."
I was slightly confused as she stepped back, joining the rest of the sirens who looked bloodthirsty. Queen Titania stepped forward first. "I take from you the nails that you used to cut us, to claw and to injure those who could not escape your wolf form."
She didn't move. Dominic's mouth moved open, and he screamed as the nails from his fingers began to slowly peel away from his hands, one by one, leaving them bloody, dropping to the ground as he sobbed and flailed, the queen's magic, relentless until not a single nail remained on his fingers. Without a word she stepped back.
"Bastards" screamed Dominic, his eyes wide.
Dustin stepped forward. "I am satisfied with the punishment that the sirens gave you" he growled, "I cannot think of anything worse than losing my shifter form."
He stepped back. Sarah stepped forward. There was a small smile on her face. "I can see what you did" her words were angry ", as they screamed and begged for mercy. How you forced them to do your bidding, how you threatened them with the lives of their children, their families when they wouldn't cooperate. My brothers, my sister's" her voice broke "were dragged from their peaceful existence by a selfish and manipulative coward. You have a silver tongue" she said, raising her hand, "but that tongue will no longer serve you. Just like you silenced my people, like you silenced the sirens, now you too shall be silenced."
Dominic's eyes bulged. His body lurched to its feet. His jaw began to force its way open as he made a strangled sound, his body shuddering violently. Sarah's eyes narrowed. Light streamed from her hand, the crowd watching in awe as it swirled its way into his open mouth as he valiantly tried to move away, caught in the grasp of her magic. A tearing sound, vicious and bloodcurdling, before the offending item was dropped wriggling to the ground, before stilling. His tongue. She had ripped his tongue from his mouth, and now he would no longer be able to speak, just like he had done to the sirens. Sarah's voice was low as she dropped her hand, Dominic's mouth trickling with blood as he spat it out on the ground, sobbing silently.
"In memory of those who have been silenced forever" Sarah's voice rung out, causing the crowd to hush "may they finally find the peace they are owed."
She stepped back quietly, joining the crowd, some who looked quite ill, several Luna's burrowing their heads into their Alpha's chest as the men looked on with grim expressions. I cast a glance at Riley, but she remained stoic, her gaze fixed on the elder who was almost prone on the ground now.
I stepped forward, a warrior handing me the item that I'd instructed him to hold until now. I approached the man, bending down and placing the offending collar around his neck as he looked up at me with beseeching eyes that I ignored, my Lycan purring as he smelt the man's desperation. I pressed the button on the remote and was rewarded as his body began to seize, convulsing on the ground. I let go and gave a vicious grin. "These are the collars you ordered placed on the sirens. The collar that was placed on my mate", I growled, "Do you feel the pain of the electricity coursing through your body?" I pressed the remote again, the man folding over, releasing it and watching as his muscles relaxed "I have the power to control you, to force you to do whatever I want, or have you feel this pain for the rest of your miserable existance."
I pressed the button down, held it. His body shook, convulsed as he spat blood. I let go. I made a point of walking to my mate and presenting her with the remote. She took it, held it in her hand as Dominic gazed at her helplessly, recognizing the viciousness of her smile.
Without warning, she dropped the remote and stomped on it. Over and over again, until it had broken into pieces, scattered across the grass, leaving everybody open-mouthed. "I'm not like you" Riley shouted, as Dominic stared "none of us are. You relish others' pain but we, we never have" she gestured to her sirens, who nodded adamantly. "As much as I despise you" she said, while I stood there, putting a hand on her shoulder and feeling her body tremble, overcome with emotion, "I will never let myself become the monster that you are."
Dominic blinked, but I stared ahead. The elder might not have realized it yet, but there was still one more to decide on his punishment, one more to dole it out. I had left him to go last, certain that this was not going to be pretty. Out of everyone, King Julian had lost the most because of this man. He had lost a son, a family member and a cherished blood relative. Nothing could compare to that type of pain. I couldn't even begin to imagine the amount of agony King Julian had gone through when he'd been given the news.
"You are truly a compassionate queen, Riley", King Jullian's voice was filled with admiration as he cocked his head and looked at her. "And I admire the courage and bravery you show in standing here today, you and your kind."
I watched as his eyes began to turn a crimson red, the crowd deadly still as they turned their heads to watch the handsome Vampire King step away, his eyes fixated on the man who was now back in a kneeling position.
"But I fear that I am not as kind," his voice was pleasant, "or as compassionate and loving as the rest of you are. In fact, my race is known to be bloodthirsty, aggressive creatures with a penchant for violence. An apt description for the most part, although only when the situation calls for it," he added, before glancing at me and pausing for a moment.
"We grieve just as you do, we bleed as you do" he told the elder, stalking towards him like Dominic was prey, every movement slow and deliberate "We hurt like you do. The day I was told that you and your people had murdered my son in cold blood. It was the worst day of my life" his voice dipped lower as his hand reached out and gripped Dominic by the throat, lifting the man with ease and holding him up in the air while his feet dangled.
"I swore revenge on that day, I swore that I would avenge my son and make sure that those who were responsible would not be allowed to live" he smirked, while Dominic tried helplessly to struggle out of his grasp "A vampire can choose whether it's painful or pleasurable to take somebody's blood. I wonder" he looked towards the Alpha's and Lunas and then back at me "if your research ever told you that?"
He lowered Dominic down, his canines appearing out of his mouth and then tore into his neck with such viciousness that it was difficult to watch. It was obvious he had chosen pain. Dominic's face contorted as he struggled, his mouth open in a silent scream while the Vampire King ruthlessly began to drain his victim dry. It took moments, but it felt like much longer. There was blood stained around King Julian's mouth as he dropped a dead Dominic Mathias to the floor, licking his lips and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, his eyes very slowly returning back to their normal state.
"The prisoner is no longer alive and the Vampires find the punishment for his crimes acceptable" King Julian said emotionlessly, striding back to his men, who quickly moved to surround him once more.
Silence. Several Luna's looked on the verge of passing out. I saw some Alpha's turn their heads, unable to look at the sight of Dominic on the ground, his body practically a wasteland. There was satisfaction on other's faces, including the siren's, who looked triumphant. Nobody was going to mourn the loss of this man. Thomas was swallowing hard. I glanced at him and nodded subtly.
"Take his body to the forest and leave it for the wild animals to claim" I said stiffly.
The body was dragged away while Riley remained unmoving beside me. I met the crowd's gaze "Bring out the next prisoner."
It was going to be a long day.