Page 61 of Her Destined Alpha
“Do you know the punishment for running away?” I looked at her sharply. Running away?
“I never-”
“Do not speak unless spoken to!” she thundered, snapping her fingers.
A surge of pain rushed through me, numbing my hands as it spread from my wrists, up my arms, and through my body. The cuff tightened, and only when I stopped struggling did it ease up ever so slightly.
“You ran, Delsanra Diana Silver. You assisted Endora, and you delved into dark magic. You will atone for your crimes, daughter of darkness. And you will fulfil your purpose,” she spat icily.
“I didn’t run away,” I tried again quietly. I gasped when the collar tightened, and my eyes stung from the pain. She scoffed, shaking her head.
“Your father told us what happened. Don’t you dare lie! But what more can we expect from an abomination,” she hissed as she came over, removing a coiled whip from her belt. My stomach sank.
Flashes of painful memories passed before my eyes and I closed them tightly. I knew what would come next… but I was calm. It wasn’t like I wasn’t used to it. When the first lash struck my back, my breath hitched as the stinging pain slammed through me.
“You will learn to respect your elders and not answer back.” She struck me again, and a small whimper escaped my lips. “Stubborn… you have pride? Do you think you are worthy of that?” She chanted a spell, and when the whip touched me next, I screamed in agony. It felt like a hundred whips had lashed me at the same time. “Better. Now, let’s begin.”
I tried to summon my powers, to break the bonds around me, but they only tightened. The pain only grew, and no matter how hard I tried, there was nothing I could draw on, and soon I couldn’t even focus.
Lash after lash, the pain was crippling me. It had been a while since my last beating… but the memory was all too fresh. This pain? You don’t forget it… Warm liquid ran down my back, and I knew she had drawn enough blood to paint the very room in.
She didn’t stop, and I tried to count to focus on anything but the pain.
Rayhan.
His face swam in my mind, and I grabbed onto his memory, trying to think of him and only him.
She didn’t stop, and I could no longer cry out. My heart was palpating fast, and my vision was blurring. She breathed heavily, looking at me.
“Look at your arrogance. Even now, you won’t lower that head of yours?” she spat, backhanding me across the face.
“High Witch Eldridge, surely we are not meant to be dealing out a punishment like this without a proper Council meeting.”
I looked up to see the woman who had spoken, and I felt a sliver of hope. High Witch Magdalene, the strongest of the high witches. She was here too… Her stoic face was cold as she looked me over, her lips pursed.
“High Witch Magdalene, with all due respect, we can all agree she deserves this,” Eldridge said quietly. Both were powerful, but I was sure Magdalene held more prominence.
“Perhaps. I don’t disagree, but if she is beaten without us first finding the answers, it is wrong no matter how low of a criminal she is,” she said, snapping her fingers as she whispered a spell, and the cuffs vanished.
I crumbled to the floor, not even realising they were holding me up. I couldn’t move. The agonising pain that blistered through my back held me captive, and it was taking my all to simply not give in to the darkness that was calling me so welcomingly.
“My daughter and I will do the honours tomorrow,” a voice I never wanted to hear ever again came.
I looked up slowly, my gaze falling on my so-called father. He hadn’t changed much. The contempt and hatred in his cold blue eyes were still the same. Amoria stood by his side, arms crossed.
“Elder Samson, as you wish. After all, she caused you great distress by running away,” Magdalene said with a nod. How was that even fair? It was his word against mine! Could no one see that I was not lying? But I couldn’t speak. I was barely keeping my eyes open; my body was too weak to move.
One word stood out as I stared at the man before me. ‘Elder’ – meaning he was a senior of the Coven now.
Great, give power to the abusers.
“We will perform the spell in public, and everyone can see what happened that night,” he said coldly.
I didn’t get it… how could he promise to do that? Surely they would see he was lying? Unless he had another plan… My stomach twisted as I looked at him fearfully.
Magdalene and Eldridge nodded.
“Very well. After that, we shall see what will happen next,” Eldridge said. The two women walked out, leaving me alone with my father and sister.
