Page 82 of Claimed By My Fiancé's Brother

Forget about a hundred. It would flay me open in less than five strikes, and I’d bleed out in less than twenty.

Micah hadn’t decided to spare me. This was inhumane callousness disguised as mercy. She didn’t just want to see me die—she wanted me to suffer first.

And even if she hadn’t chosen the whip as the punishment, I would never, ever apologize to her.

She drifted close to me, the very depiction of an angel as she met my gaze.

“I forgive you, Eleanor,” she said, loudly enough for the people around us to hear.

I spat at her, my phlegm hitting her squarely on the cheek.

“You lying, traitorous bitch,” I growled, my gaze steady on her, and the crowd broke into an impassioned frenzy.

Micah’s benevolent smile disappeared, and she raised her hand to hit me.

Closing my eyes, I braced for a slap that never landed.

The direction of the wind shifted, carrying a familiar scent of cinnamon and spice to me.

My eyes flashed open, and my jaw dropped as I saw Alexander standing between Micah and me, holding her raised hand.

Micah couldn’t disguise her shock either. Her hand still hung suspended in the air even after Alexander let go of her.

He spun to face the warriors who held me.

“Unchain her and let her go,” he commanded, and the guards immediately complied. The silver chains slipped off my hands, but I barely noticed.

I was looking at Alexander. Just Alexander.

He came back for me.

I hugged him, burying my head in his chest and inhaling his scent, knowing he would push me away as usual, but I couldn’t have cared less.

Alexander didn’t return my hug, but he didn’t push me away either.

“You can’t do this!” Micah shrieked, all semblance of sweetness gone. “Your mate attacked me and put the heir to this pack in danger! The council and I have decided her fate. You can’t overturn our sentence and?—”

“I don’t intend to,” Alexander interrupted her, his voice soft but steely.

I froze in his arms. He didn’t intend to overturn her unfair sentencing?

Alexander pried me off him and handed me over to West, who had somehow mounted the podium while I was distracted. Then he faced Micah head-on.

“I apologize for my mate’s transgressions. I will take the punishment for her,” he said.

Shock raced through me at Alexander’s words and I pushed against West’s hold, trying to get back to him.

“You can’t!” I cried, but he didn’t even look at me. His gaze was solely focused on Micah, who seemed confused at this turn of events. But when she saw the pain in my eyes, a smirk tugged at the corner of her lips.

I hit West harder than I ever had, but his hold on me was as secure as ever.

If Alexander took that beating, he would die.

No.

No.

If Alexander died, then I…no, he couldn’t die.

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