Luna Audrey

Chapter 13 - Broken

My legs grew numb the closer I got to Dean's office, almost as if they didn't want to continue this journey. My mind and body were fighting against this. Every instinct within me knew it was wrong, but there was nothing I could do to stop it. I was helpless, as usual.

With another deep breath, I reached out and knocked on the office door, not bothering to wait for a response before turning the knob and pushing it open. Inside, Dean was standing in the center of the room wearing a white button-up shirt and dark gray dress slacks. Today, he was also sporting a dark blue tie, which I had to admit, made him look even more handsome, and it appeared he was straightening it out as I entered the room.

How could a man so handsome be so dark and twisted on the inside?

"Audrey, right on time," Dean said, acknowledging me with a nod. He acted so casual, as if we were about to attend a meeting or a luncheon.

I nodded in response. I didn't know what to say to him, and the event hadn't even taken place yet.

Slowly, Dean approached me and casually wrapped an arm around my waist once he was within proper distance. He then leaned down and pressed a warm kiss to my temple. His touch and the fullness of his lips pressed to my skin made me want to curl my body against his. With one little touch, our mate bond had me melting, and for one, brief moment, I almost forgot the horrific events that were about to take place.

Hand in hand, Dean and I exited his office and made our way downstairs and out front to the courtyard. By now, the entire pack had been notified of the whipping, and a large portion of the pack were already seated outside, eager to get good seats.

As dark and twisted as it may seem, that was just how the majority of Dark Root pack members were. Traditionally, we stuck with strict rules and harsh punishments, and because of that, most pack members avoided getting in any trouble.

More than likely, these girls had either not expected Dean to find out about their misconduct, or they thought that he would have agreed with them.

Dean and I took to the podium as I tried to casually wipe my free hand on the edge of my skirt, desperate to stop the perspiration. It was useless, however, as my anxiety was growing exponentially by the second.

"Welcome, Dark Root pack," Dean spoke loudly, his deep voice echoing off the pack house and surrounding buildings.

"Today, we come together to be reminded that there are consequences for every action. Today, I hope each of you are reminded of what happens to those who are not loyal to their Alpha and Luna, and who disobey pack rules."

As he finished speaking, a couple of guards shoved open the front door of the pack house and proceeded to drag Analea and Jessica towards the stage area. Traditionally, the Alpha would carry out the whipping himself, and just the thought of witnessing my mate do such a thing broke my heart in half.

Once the guards got close enough, they pushed Analea and Jessica onto the stage, only about a foot away from mine and Dean's feet. The girls were crying, and their overall appearance suggested that they hadn't slept much last night.

Could anyone really blame them?

As hurt as I was by their behavior and words, this punishment would hurt a lot more. In fact, many people were never quite the same after experiencing a public whipping, and many pack members never looked at them the same again either.

"Analea Highsmith and Jessica Finnigan," Dean started, his voice still booming and silencing the crowd even further. "You two have been sentenced to a public whipping. You will each receive 5 lashings with a silver-coated whip. Do you understand?"