CHAPTER 263: CHAPTER 263 PUNISHMENT

「Back to the Present...」

’It’s not as if she’s any different from your other illegitimate children!’ The Alpha King wanted to say those words, but he held them back. No matter how mischievous or wayward his younger brother was, he was still his brother, and as the Alpha King, it was his duty to correct him, not to wound him.

Instead, he spoke firmly, his tone steady with authority. "I understand what you mean. If she is your daughter, then so be it. But placing her into the royal genealogy as your legitimate child cannot be allowed."

"It would be unfair to your rightful daughter, no matter what you say. This is not me refusing to understand you; it is the rule of our royal family. And though she is indeed your daughter, she cannot hold any power within the palace."

The Alpha King paused, as though recalling a memory that stirred his anger. His eyes narrowed, his aura thickened, and the tension in his body grew stronger as he continued in a low, unyielding voice.

"Besides... even if she is your daughter, she is not exempt from punishment. She dared to harm the heir apparent—an offense that warrants nothing less than death. But because royal blood runs in her veins, her life will be spared. Instead, she will face one hundred lashes with the silver whip..."

"Impossible!" Dimitri roared.

The Alpha King’s aura crashed down on him, a crushing force that pinned him to the ground and demanded his submission. His body trembled under the weight, powerless to resist, and instinct forced him to bow his head, baring the nape of his neck in surrender.

But the moment his brother’s words registered, something within him snapped. Defiance flared like wildfire, burning through the chains of submission. They were talking about his pup, his blood, his child, and for that, Dimitri was willing to stake his very life.

The Alpha King’s expression darkened, his face clouded over like a brewing storm."Impossible? This is the Royal Family’s rule! More than that, hurting the heir apparent is already punishable by death."

"Yet because you are my brother, I have already lessened the punishment by more than half, and still you are dissatisfied? If your daughter is precious, then is mine not? Does my child’s life mean nothing to you?!"

His voice did not rise to a roar like Dimitri’s, but the fury behind it was undeniable. His oppressive aura surged, heavier than stone, wrapping around Dimitri like invisible chains.

The crushing pressure made his organs feel as though they were being squeezed by unseen hands, every breath a struggle. Pain seared through him, yet this confrontation remained theirs alone; fortunately, no one else was present in the throne room to witness the clash of brothers.

Although the Alpha King longed to kill Claire then and there, to avenge his daughter, who had been pushed down the stairs despite not having a wolf, he restrained himself.

His mother had entrusted Dimitri to him before her death, making his younger brother both his responsibility and his family. Severing that bond outright would mean betraying her last wish.

Yet the conflict in his heart was bitter. His daughter’s life would always come first, but if he pushed Dimitri to the brink, his brother might lash out against his family, or worse—revolt.

Such a rift would hand Mila’s faction the perfect opportunity to advance their schemes. And though he was the Alpha King, he was not beyond judgment; if he acted too harshly, the other factions in the palace would see it as tyranny.

Dissatisfaction would spread, unrest would fester, and in the chaos, Addison herself could be dragged into danger.

For now, he could only rely on his authority and strength as the Alpha King to maintain order. Yet he knew too much oppression could plant seeds of resentment in the hearts of the werewolves, resentment that might one day turn against him and his family.

His crown rested not only on his royal bloodline, which granted them unmatched strength, but also on the fact that he was the strongest of them all. Still, if a dark horse among the Alphas, dissatisfied and ambitious, chose to challenge him, the outcome could not be predicted.

It wasn’t that he doubted his own strength; he was confident, but the royal palace was already rife with undercurrents, many circling around Addison. And in such turmoil, it wasn’t only Addison who was in danger; even the Alpha King and Queen themselves had become targets.

And if he killed Claire now, with only the justification that she had harmed Addison, it might drive Dimitri to the edge. Worse, others could seize upon it as an excuse to stir trouble, while enemies lurking in the shadows would exploit the chaos to plunge the kingdom into deeper turmoil.

Their hands were already full; they could not afford another crisis. Yet at the same time, keeping Claire alive posed its own dangers. She was a threat to Addison, and though he valued testing Addison’s judgment, responses, and strategies as the next Alpha King, she was still his daughter—his precious child.

He couldn’t ignore the risk. Claire was not only scheming and malicious; he was certain she bore guilt for what Addison had endured in the Midnight River Pack’s dungeon. Innocence was something she had long since abandoned.

The decision to subject Claire to one hundred lashes with a silver whip was meant to give her a taste of her own medicine, to force her to endure even a fraction of the pain Addison had once suffered.

But even that punishment was far from enough. Addison hadn’t had her wolf back then; she couldn’t heal, couldn’t fight the pain, and had nearly died from it. The memory alone made the Alpha King’s blood boil.

His glare bore down on Claire, who trembled as she hid behind Dimitri, his fury darkening into something vicious and merciless. The weight of his rage pressed on her like an invisible predator ready to strike.

Her knees buckled, her chest tightened until she could barely breathe, and her face drained of all color. Fear and pain consumed her, leaving her unable to make a sound, save for the single pitiful whimper that slipped from her lips as she clung desperately to Dimitri’s back, head bowed low.

"Brother, that’s enough!" Dimitri roared, his voice breaking with both fear and defiance. He could barely stay on his feet beneath the crushing weight of the Alpha King’s aura, his body trembling, his wolf forced into submission. Yet the instinct to protect his pup drove him to resist, giving him strength even as he faltered.

"Enough?" the Alpha King growled through gritted teeth, his eyes blazing. "No, Dimitri. She will face the punishment I decreed, whether you accept it or not."

Hearing the punishment, Claire’s face drained of color. She knew a hundred silver lashes could strip flesh from bone; she might not survive it. Trembling, tears spilling down her cheeks, she shook her head and forced herself to look up at the Alpha King.

"You can’t do this to me!" she cried, her voice cracking before sharpening with bitter defiance. "Besides... is Addison truly the Princess? From what I’ve heard, the Royal Princess is said to be gallant and strong, with a majestic silver-white wolf."