SOULLESS

CHAPTER EIGHT

Beta Lionel was with Arnold and Ash as he questioned Sinder who had been tied up in chains inside on the many cells in the pack dungeons. She explained how she found a strange wolf with an unfamiliar smell lurking in the bushes and when she couldn't create a mind-link, she deduced he was a spy.

'Why didn't you signal for back up, before attacking Sinder?', asked Lionel.

'The intruder was close to our future Alpha and his concubine, I feared he was a threat to either one or both of them. Waiting for back may have proved to be a fatal mistake sir', replied Sinder

'Attacking was the fatal mistake in this scenario Sinder that is why regardless of your intentions you cannot go unpunished for attacking a royal', said Lionel sighing.

'What do we do now?', asked Arnold

'We wait for alpha Ramos to arrive, he will...', the beta's words were cut short by the arrival of Ricard.

'Ricard, what are doing here? Where's the alpha?' asked Lionel.

'I am here by the orders of prince Kohan. He has ordered that Sinder's punishment will be fifty lashes with a silver whip', replied Ricard.

'What? Fifty lashes for capturing an intruder?' asked Arnold

'For attacking a duke', Ricard replied looking sympathetic.

'What has the alpha said?', asked Lionel

'My father has just arrived at the scene, he is talking to the royals now', replied Ricard.

'Then we will wait for his command', replied Lionel

'I am afraid I cannot do that beta Lionel', Ricard responded shocking everyone around him.

'Ricard, this is my sister?', said Ash

'Which is exactly why it must be done Ash', replied Ricard

'What are you saying?' Ash responded

'There is little or nothing father can do to change the mind of the prince. You know how dangerous he is when he feels disrespected. I am not willing to risk many for the sake of one', replied Ricard

'So you would sacrifice my sister?' Ash growled but the future alpha was unfazed.

'Sinder is a elite warrior, she understands the duties that come with her position', Ricard responded leading to an argument between Ricard and everyone else present.

Meanwhile Sinder's wolf, Starblaze was talking to her through the link, 'Mate will save us, tell them you want to see mate.'

'I hurt him, Star. I poisoned him. He won't be here. He doesn't want us and it's my fault', Sinder responded with sadness in her voice.

'No, Sinder that's not true. He is protecting us. He tried to protect us last night remember and told me to wait for him before he passed out', Star responded

'Then why isn't he here?', Sinder asked

'Give me a minute', Star responded and stopped talking. Sinder took the time to listen to her father and brother with beta Lionel trying to protect from Ricard, who was hell bent on carrying out the prince's instructions.

'Sinder agree to the punishment', Starblaze suddenly said out of the blues.

'What? Are you serious? We are talking about a silver whip', Sinder screamed back in her head.

'Trust me Sinder, they won't get the chance to touch you, just go with the flow', Starblaze responded.

'Beta Lionel', Sinder said gaining the attention of everyone in the room, 'I agree to take the prince's punishment.'

'Sinder, we can meet the prince and ...'

'And risk angering him the more? This is my mistake father, I wish to bear the consequences alone. I will not drag the pack with me', Sinder responded, not allowing her father to finish.

'Sinder, you did nothing wrong', her father told her.

'When I was a child, a wise man told me that it is our duty to protect the pack as warriors No matter how much we bleed or burn, no matter how may times we break, we do it gladly because it has been our responsibility for generations to lay down our lives so others may live peacefully. I didn't understand him then, but now I do. This is my mission, please give the order lead warrior Arnold', she said to her father.

He moved closer to her and said, 'I will not deter you from your resolve warrior', before holding his head to hers for a moment. He turned to Ricard and said

'We submit to the will of his royal highness, you may take the warrior with you.'

'Sinder was taken by the shoulders and led outside her cell in chains. She was taken to the pack warriors fighting arena and tied to a stake to the shock of many who were there training. Murmuring and a few growls could be heard among the crowd who were discontent with the sight of their leaders daughter tied up like a criminal. Many had already heard the news but no one could find fault in her actions, except that the victim was a royal.

Beta Lionel announced Sinder's crime to the crowd and stated that her punishment would show the impactions of attacking a royal. Ricard stood beside Lionel while Ash shook physically, trying to control his wolf Loki, which was very protective of Sinder.

Sinder's father gave her a leather strip and told her to bite down hard on it. She obeyed and nodded her head in gratitude. When he walked away, Starblaze finally spoke again.

'Sinder, listen to me very carefully ...' she said

'Where were you? I thought you had abandoned me!', Sinder replied

'I could never abandon you, you're my human. I was trying to make a connection with our mate and needed to concentrate.'

'Have you?', Sinder asked

'It proved a bit difficult because we haven't marked each other but yes, I got through. Now listen, we don't have much time. I tried to get him to come but he's in really bad shape so he proposed an idea that should give his human an idea we are in danger. However, for it to work you will need to take the first hit from the lash so you can scream realistically. We will take care of the rest but you have to do everything I tell you so they don't suspect foul play. Do you understand?'

'I guess', Sinder said but screamed really loud at the unexpected sting of the whip on her back. Her entire body felt like it was immersed in flames and she smelt her blood before feeling it drip down her back. The second lash hut but not as badly as the first, but she screamed yet again as instructed. When the third lash struck her, she felt nothing but still bucked against her shackles.

'Pretend to faint' comet said to her, making her fall forward with her hair down.

'I don't feel anything', Sinder said to comet

'That's because he's the one feeling the pain', Comet replied.

'Who? Our mate', asked Sinder

'Yes, he somehow synced my mind with his to share our pain but when he heard you scream, he asked me to give all the pain to him, I told you he loves us', Comet responded.

'Is he alright? He got poisoned yesterday and now he's getting flogged, we have to stop by him', Sinder said frantically.

'Have faith in me Sinder, I would never risk my mates life. Anyway I have looked your conciousness in our mind for now, to prevent the link from breaking abruptly.'

'STOP! STOP', said a familiar female voice.

'Oh No! it's Ari's said Sinder to her wolf as she felt soft hands holding her face amidst soft sobs.

'Why didn't you call me you fool?', Ari asked unaware that Sinder heard all that was going on around her.

'Mistress Ari, this is not a place for you. Kindly step aside', said a voice Sinder didn't recognize.

'I won't. How can you stand there and hit her knowing she has done nothing wrong?' Ari responded.

'Please don't do this Ari? Just walk away', Sinder said

'Ari, I ordered you to stay in your quarters till I called to you, did I not?', Ricard asked sounding angry

'What, when did that happen?', Sinder asked.

'You did say so Ricard, but I will not stand back and watch my pack members be bullied into submission. This is wrong', Ari replied

'Did I give you permission to talk?', he asked rudely shocking everyone around them.

'You are not my true mate and you are not yet my alpha, I don't need your permission to do anything', Ari sat back at him, making the crowd gasp. Ricard looks at her with eyes as black as night and jumped into the sand filled arena.

'You will leave this place at once', he growled as he walked towards her grabbing the whip from the soldier but Ari stood her ground unafraid of him.

'She has never abandoned me, I will not abandon her Ricard', Ari responds defiantly.

'Comet, do something!', Sinder screamed at her wolf.

'I can't, breaking the link can kill our mate, he says he's on his way. Let's hope he gets here in time', her wolf responded

Beta Lionel stands to calm the situation but Ricard stops him with his alpha voice, 'Stay right where you are! I want you to see this. I want you all to see the price of disobedience, the price of disloyalty' he said looking at the surrounding crowd and finally he turned to Ari who has turned her back to him holding her friend saying 'of betrayal' and began flogging her with Sinder together.

Ari he'd unto Sinder as long as the pain would allow, but soon fell to the ground but Ricard was blinded by the and didn't stop hitting her to everyone's horror.

Arnold's eyes glazed over and he shouted to Ricard from the podium, 'Ricard stop! the prince has recalled his order', but Ricard kept hitting her on the ground. Ash jumped down to and held the whips end, making Ricard growl at him.

'Calm yourself Ricard, the prince has ordered the punishment to stop. Stand down, everyone is watching you', Ash said to him through the mind link before letting go to check on his sister. Ricard looked around him and saw the crowd staring at him in horror and rage. He looked at the whip in his hand and saw it dripping with blood and turned to find beta Lionel holding his nearly unconscious daughter in his arms.

'Ari?', he whispered, the realization of his actions finally dawning on him.

'What happened here Ricard? Why were you blocking your mind link?', Ricard heard his father ask from behind him. His father walked to his side followed by royals and saw Lionel cradling his daughter in his arms.

'What have you done?', his father whispered, staring at the sight before him in disbelief.

'I...She...', Ricard stuttered, unable to form words as medical personnel rushed into the arena to give aid to Sinder and Ari.Alpha Ramos moved forward and Ricard followed behind him but stopped when Lionel's wolf came forward growled at them in warning.

'Easy old friend', Alpha Ramos said to his beta trying to calm him. Lionel noticed the royals behind his alpha and closed his eyes to control his wolf so as not to cause a scene.

'I thought there was only one offender, why are there two girls now? Answer me Alpha Ramos!', asked duke Whitman.

'This obviously a pack matter and doesn't involve us. We have seen all we need to see and will leave the alpha to tend to his pack while we return to our quarters,', said duke Frugard who was the king's best friend and the prince Kohan's god father. Everyone bowed to him surprised because he had barely said anything since his arrival to the pack.

Everyone heard an earth quaking roar and turned to see Farad staring at an unconscious Sinder as officials were trying to stop her back from bleeding. He moved slowly, trying desperately to hold on to the last nerve of human resolve he had to prevent his wolf from causing chaos. His pitch black eyes stared at the criss-cross lashes of torn flesh and blood and whined.

'Wake up mate, we're here', his wolf kept repeating over and over trying to reach his unconscious other half, holding her hand.

'Mine', he whispered shocking everyone close to him including Arnold and his son. Sinder reacted to his touch, applying a little pressure to her held hand.

The royal entourage joined him, with Farad's uncle instructing that Sinder be taken to the royal suite to be examined by the royal doctors immediately. Farad said nothing and simply followed her stretcher out of the building with some of the dukes following him, leaving Ari.

'We are ready to move her Alpha', Frank said to Ramos who simply nodded back.

Ramos instructed his son to return home while he followed Lionel with is bleeding daughter to the hospital.