I'm No Cinderella

Chapter 27

I took an involuntary step forward, but felt Jax's hand take hold of my arm, holding me back. Suddenly, I was ten years old again, watching as my father was whipped to death on that very same post. It had been Ash that held me back then, whispering in my ear that there was nothing that I could do. Jax was whispering similar things to me, but I could barely hear them past the ringing in my ears.

The shifter lifted the whip once more, and I snapped out of my daze. I ripped my arm from Jax's grasp, and he reached for me once more, "Rose, don't be stupid. There's no way to stop it, you'll only get yourself killed."

The whip sounded again followed by another pained cry from my brother and my lips formed a hard line. "Then so be it." We came into this world together, and we could leave it together if we had to. But, first I had to try to save him.

I couldn't let another person I loved be murdered in front of me while I watched. Not ever again.

By the time the shifter raised the whip the next time, I was already running through the open square. I took up a protective stance in front of my brother's bloodied form as he braced for his next strike, a desperate cry tearing from my lips, "No!"

I knew I didn't look like much, standing before the gargantuan man, my chest rising and falling erratically, eyes wild. Regardless, I lifted my head defiantly, calling on every lesson with Signora Flori to help steel my pine as I met his cold, dark eyes.

"Get out of the way, girl," he sneered, motioning me to the side with a flick of his hand. The whip swung like a pendulum with the motion.

"No," I repeated, evenly, maintaining eye contact. Months ago, I never would have dared such a thing, but now I stood unflinching, unapologetic. Perhaps all of those unpleasant encounters with Evelina had been of some kind of benefit, after all. Compared to her penetrating gaze, his was nothing.

The bloody whip in his hand that I refused to acknowledge was a different story entirely.

"Rose." I heard the warning in the quiet, pained rasp from my brother behind me, and I yearned to run to him to check his wounds, but I didn't dare take my eyes off of the man with the whip.

"Has he not had enough?" I asked the man.

"I decide when he has had enough," he ground out, the annoyance growing on his face.

"Hit her too!" Came a feminine voice from the crowd.

"Yeah!" Chimed another.

I finally tore my gaze from the shifter to look out over the leering crowd. Most of them were human themselves, but they were just as hungry for my blood. How quickly they will turn on one of their own, I thought. I couldn't hide my disgust.

There were some familiar faces there as well, a few of the kids from my classes in school before my father's death. I remembered their faces after my father's passing, the cruel whispers behind my back. Heather, the owner of the bakery I had worked at, had managed to find her way to Jax's side and met my gaze briefly with a grim expression. Jax was watching the entire interaction with wide, agonized eyes, but his decision was clear.

He would not step in.

"Last chance," the shifter offered, gravely voice drawing my attention back to him. He twirled the whip before him in a casual manner, but the threat was clear as day.

I only lifted my chin further in response and clenched my muscles in preparation for the sting of the whip. His lips twisted in a sadistic smile and he strolled slowly two steps closer to where I stood.

As he raised the whip, the crowd cheered their encouragement. My eyes squeezed shut of their own accord when the whip began its slow downward descent. The distinct sound of Jax's voice met my ears, desperately crying my name before a deep, inhuman growl tore through the square.