CHAPTER 33: CHAPTER 33: TRAITORS’ SACRIFICES

A traitor is always afraid of fellow traitors. And Atticus is proving that.

My heart thuds as an oppressive silence settles over the scene. No one admits the truth to Atticus, provoking him to follow through with his cruel threat.

As George and the two others are dragged away, Atticus orders his Gammas, "Take every single family member they have! And before sunset, gather the entire pack to witness how they’ll die!"

Then,...

He turns his glare, that’s brimming with suspicion, on me. "I don’t believe they’re acting alone. How the hell did they find out Torrin is still alive and locked up in the prison’s underground? Of course someone told them, right?"

I force myself not to look at him, refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing me flinch.

When he storms back inside the mansion, I turn to Damian. "Are you just going to let your father do this?"

"If we let traitors get close to us, we’ll fall just like Torrin did," Damian replies flatly, as if none of this disturbs him. "This act may be cruel, but it’s necessary. If the pack sees what happens when they betray us, they won’t dare try."

Fear coils inside me, not for myself, but for the innocent lives now dragged into the disaster I started.

Is this yet another omen of the destruction I seem to bring?

Back in my bedroom, Eric floods my phone with texts and missed calls. He’s panicking after hearing what happened to George and the others.

-[Their families were forced out of their houses and taken to the prison. There are twice as many Gammas guarding the prison now. No one can enter anymore. So how do we save them?]-

Unfortunately, my mind is too distressed to form a plan.

Suddenly,...

Damian enters my room, dressed up. "The Alpha’s mansion feels too stiff. Let’s go to the pack’s business center and enjoy the atmosphere there. We can book a hotel, or maybe enjoy the seaside and get a yacht for a few days."

Disbelief wriggles through me. "You want a vacation while innocent people are going to be punished because your father is paranoid that traitors will come after him, when he’s a traitor himself? Where are you getting the audacity to..."

"Watch your mouth," Damian snaps.

"She’s right," Atticus’ voice echoes as he steps inside the room. "Don’t go on a vacation. I’m inviting you to witness my show at the front of the prison gates."

Damian is unhappy with my refusal and Atticus’ demand. But he doesn’t complain and just quietly accepts his defeat.

Atticus smirks wickedly at me. And that smirk continues to haunt me until the time comes for his show to take place.

At five in the afternoon, everyone with a steel heart gathers around the makeshift platform standing before the prison gates. George and the others are chained and dragged toward it.

George and the two who were caught with him try to hide their fear, but they fail. Their eyes glisten with tears, their jaws tremble.

My heart breaks while some in the crowd can barely watch as the children cry and beg for their lives.

They remind me of Harper and myself during the Shadowfang Ambush: terrified, hopeless, shoved into cruelty without understanding why.

While my tears spill uncontrollably, Damian stays unmoved beside me.

Then,...

Atticus anxiously and furiously addresses the crowd. "For one last chance! I’ll let these traitors’ family members live only if their mastermind steps forward to take their place!"

Murmurs ripple through the pack.

Until,...

Silence falls when Beta Samuel raises his hand.

No! Is he going to take the fall?! But what if his own family will get punished too?!

"So it’s you?! You’re the mastermind?!" Atticus growls.

"No, I’m not," Samuel answers calmly.

My heart suddenly stops.

Is he gonna spill our plans?! Is he gonna expose everyone that’s involved?!

"I’m just wondering,... Actually, we all are. What crime did these three commit? Is it so heinous that you need to involve their families?" he asks, pretending to be oblivious.

That’s a smart move, which lessens the tension in my body. Now, will Atticus fall for it and spill that Torrin is still alive?

The crowd murmurs in agreement, while Atticus and even Damian look caught off guard.

"Well,..." Atticus stammers, searching for an excuse. "Th-they’re traitors! They tried to overthrow me!"

"How?" Eric follows up, also acting innocently confused.

Then a Delta steps forward. "Isn’t it unfair they didn’t undergo court trials first as they should? And what part of our law says innocent loved ones should be punished too?"

The crowd grows louder, heads nodding.

"Silence!" Atticus roars. "This is how I will lead! If you have a problem with that, then I’ll punish you and your family too!"

"That’s not right! That’s injustice!" the crowd shouts, their anger swelling until Atticus visibly stiffens.

Cassandra, watching nervously at the side, also looks rattled because if this ends Atticus’ reign, she loses her shot to become the future Luna.

In the heat of the moment, Damian casually steps forward, facing the furious crowd. "I apologize on my father’s behalf. He didn’t mean to scare any of you. He’s just overwhelmed that his trusted Gammas and doctor tried to poison his food this morning."

The noise softens, the crowd simmering under his lie.

Damian continues, "I agree they should be allowed to defend themselves in court. And their families shouldn’t be punished."

With a subtle nod from him, the Gammas free the prisoners’ family members, which offers a wave of relief through the crowd.

But,...

Atticus refuses to be overshadowed.

He strides to the platform, grabs the doctor by the hair, and slits her throat with his claws. She collapses instantly and dies.

Gasps erupt, but no one speaks as boldly as before.

When Atticus seizes George next, I step forward and scream, "Stop!"

He smirks, eyes glinting. "And what will you do if I don’t?"

I force down my fear. "I’ll tell everyone the whole truth."

He snarls, while Damian grabs my arm and whispers, "Do it, and Torrin dies."

The crowd’s earlier courage ignites the hope in me that maybe they’ll fight back once they know their real Alpha still lives.

As Atticus kills George by also ripping his throat open, I shout, "Alpha Torrin is still alive! He’s locked in the prison’s underground!"

Shock ripples through the crowd like lightning.

A Gamma tries to cover my mouth, but I wrench away and continue, "These three were only trying to save him! That’s why they were branded as traitors!"

The crowd erupts once again, their voices and forces overpowering Atticus’ loyal Gammas and Betas’ line of defense.

Damian drags me to his car and speeds away. His fury vibrates through the silence until we reach his former house.

"You think what you did will save Torrin and those traitors?!" he growls.

"I won’t know unless I try," I counter.

His hand clamps my jaw as he slams me into the wall. "See? Being nice to you never works. You’ll watch Torrin die, gruesomely. If you think I’m bluffing, then you’re absolutely wrong."

Somehow, I manage a sarcastic laugh. "If he dies, I die. You’ll lose me forever. You’ll never feel our bond again."

A dark, animalistic growl rumbles from him before he throws me to the floor. He straddles me and squeezes my throat, forcing me to wolf out to free and defend myself.

Instinctly, I throw him off and snarl.

I expect him to wolf out too, but he doesn’t... or, maybe he can’t?

"What? Are you going to kill me?" he taunts. "Go ahead, if you can!"

Just as I lunge at him, the door bursts open. White wolves flood the room, some leaping in front of Damian to defend him, others tackling me.

Damian roars, "Send her to the prison, now!"

After what I did, he still can’t bring himself to kill me or even order these Gammas to kill me. That’s the one advantage I have left, and I need to use it while it lasts.

As the Gammas drag me away, I shout, "If you kill Torrin, I’ll end my own life! Don’t forget that!"

Fury tightens Damian’s face further, but for a split second, sadness flickers in his silver eyes. Only that, I feel no guilt this time, but just pure hatred.

Chaos continues at the prison gates, which forces the Gammas to turn around and drive toward the hospital instead.

They bring me back to the underground level where Dr. Reyes’ laboratory sits. And I’m strapped to a cold, stainless bed again.

"Welcome back, my most precious subject," Dr. Reyes murmurs with a cruel smile.

Atticus storms in moments later. He glares at me before addressing Dr. Reyes. "Finish your experiment quickly. I want her killed soon."

I glare right back, refusing to show fear even as the odds crush me.

"You deserve every bit of suffering coming your way," Atticus snarls.

With a violent motion, he grabs at my clothes, tearing at them until I’m completely n.aked.

"No!" I scream, twisting against the restraints.

The Gammas ogle at my exposed b.reasts and womanhood. One even mumbles, "She’s beautiful."

Atticus steps back, and says to his Gammas, "Enjoy yourself, boys. Violate her all night long until she sores."

While Atticus and Dr. Reyes leave, the Gammas close in on me like lecherous predators.

Terror breaks through my voice. "No, please! Don’t!"