CHAPTER 69: 69: PUNISHMENT

Sue

I was dragged like I had stolen something, and the dragging didn’t stop till I was thrown to the ground like a sack of rice. My head spinned for a bit and when it finally slowed down, I noticed three people approaching me, and when I glanced up, my eyes fell on Blair, Gina and Angelo’s betrothed— cause I still didn’t know her name yet.

"Oh, my! Look what we have here, guys!" Gina crooned to the two other women who quickly boasted into laughter, while I felt anger slowly engulfed every inch of my body. I slowly got to my feet, taking in their exquisite clothes and the tiaras on their heads as they all grinned at me.

"Can you see the crowns on our heads?" Blair asked as she stepped forward, a confident and pleased look across her face. They were all gloating so hard, clearly very happy about being crowned Luna, but as I stared at them right now, all I could feel within me right now was anger and irritation.

Anger because they ordered for me to be dragged over here like I had committed a crime, and irritation because after the very perfect dinner I just had tonight, I’d have liked to retire straight to bed instead of having to stare at these women’s faces tight now.

"What has that got to do with me?" I demanded as I scowled at them, while looking between them. "You ordered for me to be dragged here just cause you wanna show me your tiaras?" I hurled at them while glaring. They were previously grinning, but now they were also frowning at me, anger across their faces.

Angelo’s betrothed was the one who stepped forward to sleek this time. "No, love. We ordered you here because you’re gonna get punished."

I stared at them for a bit before bursting into laughter, unable to believe my ears. "What now?" I demanded. "Punished for what? You’re making no sense right now!"

As soon as I finished speaking, before anything else could happen, I was being slapped hard against my face. The slap was so hard that it made my face turn sideways.

As my ears rang for a few seconds, I waited till my head stopped spinning then I was turning back to focus on Angelo’s betrothed who was grinning whine looking snug as hell, the other two women wearing pleased expressions behind her.

"Are you missing the tiara on my head? You can’t speak to me anyway anymore!"

I stared at her, too stunned to speak just as she stepped forward, grin still intact. "Times have changed now, dear Sue. Gone are the times where you used to feel like we’re all in the same league. That’s not the case any longer, is it?"

As she spoke, I noticed a few guards and maids present here in this room as well.

When I didn’t respond, Angelo’s betrothed slapped me hard again, this time, I let out a scoff of disbelief.

"I know you wanna hit me back so bad. Go ahead and do it. That would give us the perfect opportunity to finally have you locked up." She gritted out as she stepped into my face and spoke, then her eyes flashed evilly at me before she pulled back and dramatically clocked her tongue.

"I’m still waiting for a response. Don’t keep your Luna waiting." She drawled leisurely.

"You’re not my luna." I bit out before I could stop myself and they all laughed after exchanging glances.

"Technically since you’ve been staying in this palace for the time being, I’m definitely your luna, we all are... so you’ll give us the respect we deserved or the normal punishment. Is that understood?." Angelo’s betrothed continued.

I let my eyes wander around the room, trying to weigh the amount of damage I’d be able to do before these guards come in to separate us. It won’t be much from the looks of things cause these guards seemed at alert and they were all largely built and clearly strong as hell.

Rationally, I know that I’d never be able to emerge the victor in this situation no matter what, which was what made me slowly exhale.

"Slave, answer me!" Angelo’s betrothed cried out abd I rolled my eyes, wishing I could finally get this over with at this point.

"Fine." I muttered, gritting the word through my teeth. I wanted to still remain stubborn, but these women looked like they were ready to go at this all night long if I still kept refusing them.

They all exchanged pleased looks and identical grins, then they were facing me again.

"Good. So, as my fellow Luna was previously saying, there was a time you thought we were the same, that you could speak to us anyhow and do whatever you like—- that has all ended tonight, clearly, as you can see, we’re now lunas, and you’re what? A literal slave."

They laughed at the end of that sentence and I heard some of the guards and maids present snicker quietly, making embarrassment wash over my entire body.

"So, where are we getting at? Never cross us no matter what. Never forget your place. Never forget that we now have your life in our hands. Never question us, or mouth off towards us. Always respect yourself, and stay in your lane at all costs. Are we clear?" Gina was the one speaking this time and I let out a sigh before stiffly nodding.

"Words, Slavs:" she bit out and I had no choice but to do just that. I was so enraged, but I had to force myself to not react, or give them what they clearly want, which is me losing control right now.

"Yes, understand." I sighed out through clenched teeth.

When they were still staring at me, I just know they were still gonna try something else to make me lose control from their facial expressions right now,

In the next moment, my hunch was proven right.

"Now, why don’t you go down on your knees and kiss our feet." Blair drawled and I flinched.

"What??" I cried out and they all grinned before Blair was shrugging, looking serious as she spoke.

"What? It’s not anything special, it’s just the usual way a Luna gets shown respect. Now, do it,"

I flinched again, feeling extremely disgusted as I looked between them.

I don’t know what they were playing at this time, but I absolutely can’t do what they just asked of me. The fuck?

"I can’t do it, sorry," I breathed out and they all folded their hands.

"Are you dumb? Did that sound like a request? It was an order, so go ahead and do it right now." Gina snapped as she scowled at me, but I really couldn’t imagine doing that even though it wouldn’t take anything from me.

"I still can’t do it, sorry," I muttered and they all bristled.

"If you can’t do it, you’ll be punished!" Blair yelled, pointing at me. Remember that the princes don’t give a fuck about you any longer even though you might be their mate, cause I mean, they clearly married us over you. And as for your new mates whom you were apparently just having dinner with, they’d not be able to save you either cause outsiders can’t meddle with the decision of a pack’s luna regarding a mere unimportant slave." Angelo’s betrothed— his bride, rather, was speaking this time through clenched teeth.

Once again, I exhaled while shaking my head.

"I still can’t do it."

After that, Blair held a hand up. "Guards."

I watched with my heart beat starting to pick up when about five guards stepped forward, looking very dangerous.

"Take her and flog her! Don’t stop flogging her even if she says she’s ready to apologize for disobeying a Luna’s order, just still keep flogging her till we come to say otherwise." Gina barked out and the guards bowed fast, then they were grabbing me, and my heart lurched in my throat.

I had thought these women were bluffing a little about punishing me. So they’re really serious???

"Wait!" I called out just as the guards grabbed me roughly, my eyes still on the grinning women as I struggled to push through pride and self respect.

"I- I’ll do it. I’ll kiss your feet." I whispered, the words bitter in my tongue and shame flooding my entire body. I guess I didn’t have any other choice, cause I wasn’t stupid, being flogged is gonna be a hundred times worse than being forced to kneel and kiss someone’s feet.

However, the women laughed in my face. "It’s too late to change your mind now, you’ve missed all your chances."

My heart dropped into my stomach.

"Take her away right now!" Gina ordered and the guards were pulling me out at once, taking me to where I was strapped to a strong pillar.

Then the first whip met my skin, and it burned so much, tests instantly sprang to my eyes.

It was so horrible and so painful, each hit stronger than the previous.

I was sobbing hard as I got flogged till I passed out.