CHAPTER 267: CHAPTER 267 CLAIRE’S PUNISHMENT

"I understand, Your Majesty. Allow this humble servant to keep watch over the matter," the Royal Advisor said, bowing deeply before withdrawing to make his own preparations.

The Alpha King remained where he was, eyes fixed on the grand doors. He didn’t want to doubt his own brother, nor imagine him ruthless enough to raise a dagger against his kin.

Yet in their world, survival of the fittest was the only law, and the Royal Advisor’s words were a sharp reminder not to lower his guard. His daughter had already been harmed more than once, something he swore would never happen again while he still drew breath.

If protecting her meant suppressing his brother and treating him with caution, then so be it.

But he couldn’t simply kill Dimitri on a mere suspicion, nor could he easily move against Claire. The Royal Capital was rife with hidden currents, and any reckless action without solid justification would make him no different from the Rogues.

Worse, it could brand him a tyrant, giving rival factions the very excuse they needed to topple him. In the end, it would be Addison and his mate who suffered most.

For now, all he could do was heighten his vigilance and ensure that any information in their hands remained firmly under his control. As for whether his brother would truly rebel, only time would tell.

While the Alpha King contemplated his next move, Claire was dragged before the castle gates on his orders. Her punishment was not meant for her alone, but as a reminder to anyone who dared harbor malice against the Alpha King’s family.

As the newly acknowledged daughter of Dimitri, Claire became the perfect example, proving that not even Dimitri or any member of the royal bloodline would be spared from punishment if they committed wrongdoing.

At the same time, this was the Alpha King’s way of venting his fury on behalf of Addison for what Claire had done to her. By publicly disgracing Claire, he ensured that her first impression within high society would be tarnished beyond repair.

Even if she managed to step into social circles, she would be forced to associate only with factions driven by ulterior motives, precisely the kind of people the Alpha King wanted to gather and expose.

Once the time came for him to purge those corrupt groups, he could eliminate them all in one sweep, while safeguarding decent werewolves and nobles from being entangled in Claire’s schemes and shenanigans.

As Claire was dragged before the crowd, her heart seethed with burning hatred. Dimitri rushed after them, desperately invoking his status as the Alpha King’s brother, begging the Royal Guards to show leniency in her punishment.

But how could they?

The royal guards had received a direct command through the Alpha King’s mindlink to ensure that every lash of the whip tore away a layer of Claire’s flesh.

After all, when Addison had been rescued and brought back to the Royal Palace, her back bore no patch of unscathed skin.

Her back had been reduced to a mangled mess of flesh, shredded by the deep, brutal spikes of the silver whip. It was nothing short of a miracle, and a testament to her unyielding will, that she had survived at all, despite the blood she had lost and the torment she had endured.

Perhaps Addison hadn’t known she was already pregnant at the time, but her body had known—and her instinct to protect her unborn children might have driven her to cling to life.

Or perhaps, even stripped of her memories, she was still the same indomitable warrior who refused to surrender no matter how dire the fight. Now, as Claire was about to face the same ordeal, the Alpha King wondered whether she could endure it.

The thought alone made his lips curve into a satisfied smirk as he leaned lazily against the throne’s armrest.

When Claire was dragged before the castle gate, Royal Guards were already waiting. They had built a makeshift stage so all could see. On it were silver cuffs and a silver whip. Just the sight of them made Claire tremble.

"No! Let me go! I’ve done nothing wrong!" Claire screamed, thrashing in vain against the grip of the two Royal Guards. They were far too strong for her to break free, and no matter how much she struggled, she couldn’t even budge them.

In her mind, she clung to the belief that she was innocent; after all, she hadn’t been the one to whip Addison in the dungeon. That had been Greg.

But Claire conveniently forgot the truth: it was she who had goaded Greg, who had whispered the suggestion to use a silver whip and to make every strike excruciating.

She had wanted Addison to suffer, to ensure that even if the fall hadn’t killed her, the torture would. And if by some cruel chance Addison survived both, the infections from those deep, unhealed wounds would finish her off. A slow, agonizing death was far more satisfying than a swift one.

After all, Addison couldn’t shift, and without her wolf, she had no way to heal or dull the pain of the torment. Fever, festering wounds, and unbearable pain were supposed to be her inevitable end.

Yet fate had turned. Who would have imagined that Levi would defy the second-in-command, risk his life, and save his Luna? Or that Addison would be rescued and returned alive to the Royal Capital?

Claire never considered those possibilities. If she had, she might have chosen differently. Rather than leaving Addison to suffer, she would have ordered Greg to kill her outright.

A dead woman could tell no tales. Even if Zion lost control and massacred everyone in his grief, Addison could never return, and in time, it would have been far easier for Claire to seduce him.

Even now, Claire felt no remorse. Her hatred had only deepened, and her single regret was not ending Addison’s life when she had the chance. As the crowd began to gather, eager to witness her humiliation, Claire’s thoughts turned once more to vengeance.

She wanted to strip Addison of everything: her position as the future ruler, the love of the people, and even her fated mates.

As Claire’s mind churned with thoughts of vengeance against Addison, her jaw tightened until her teeth ground together. Only one sentence echoed endlessly in her head: ’Survive. Kill Addison and everyone she loves.’ That mantra became her sole driving force to endure the punishment.

Each lash seared into her flesh, the pain unbearable, and yet her wolf refused to aid her. Though it suffered the same torment, it recoiled deep within her mind, turning its back on Claire. It offered no healing, no relief—only cold silence, leaving her to face the agony alone.

"Ahhh!" Claire’s banshee-like screams pierced the air, echoing across the palace gates. The crowd began to murmur, desperate to know what crime could warrant such brutal punishment.

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