Forbidden Mate, Bound by Fate

Chapter 11

SYDNEY

The pack guards tied my hands and legs with strong chains, securing me to the post. Alpha Gray sat in his chair, his eyes fixed on me with an unreadable expression. The pack members gathered around, their faces a mix of curiosity and horror.

Alexis stood among them, a sly smile spreading across her face as she watched me being punished by my mate. Her eyes sparkled with amusement, and I felt a surge of anger and betrayal.

The first lash cracked down on my back, and I groaned in pain. Alpha Gray's gaze never wavered; his eyes watched me with a cold intensity.

I felt a pang of hurt and despair, wondering how he could watch me being whipped. I'm his mate; we are connected, and we can sense the emotions of one another. We can feel the same pain that our mate is going through, but why does my bond with Alpha Gray seem not to affect him?

As the lashes continued to fall, I couldn't help but look at Alpha Gray, searching for any sign of remorse or doubt. But his face remained impassive, his eyes fixed on me with a calculating gaze.

The pain was intense, but I refused to look away. I wanted to see his reaction, to know what he reacted to as he watched me being punished for a crime I didn't commit but Alpha Gray remains emotionless and cold.

Our eyes meet. He seems to pause for a second as if he's trying to read my mind. I didn't back down. Even though the pain exploded in my body each time Beta Slade hit me with the cane he was holding right now, I didn't look away and remained silent while receiving each punishment that Alpha Gray was giving me.

And then, just as the next lash was about to fall, Alpha Gray's eyes seemed to flash with something—was it satisfaction, or something else?—before his mask slipped back into place.

The lash landed, and I cried out in agony. As I looked up at Alpha Gray, I saw him lean forward slightly, his eyes locked on mine with an unnerving intensity.

As another strong and painful lash landed on my back, I kept my eyes fixed on Alpha Gray. I was in agony, but I wanted to see if he felt the same pain. As mates, we were supposed to share each other's emotions, but his face remained impassive.

With each strike, I felt a pang of sadness. Did he truly not care? The pain was excruciating, but I refused to look away. I wanted him to know I saw him, to know I knew he felt nothing.

The lashes continued to fall, and I felt my strength waning. Still, Alpha Gray's expression didn't change. It was as if he were watching a stranger, not his mate.

I couldn't help but wonder if I had been wrong about our bond all along. Was it just a fantasy? The pain and doubt swirled inside me, making it hard to breathe.

As the next lash landed, Alpha Gray's eyes met mine again. For a moment, I thought I saw something flicker in his gaze, but it was gone before I could grasp it.

The punishment continued, and I felt myself slipping away. But my eyes never left Alpha Gray's, searching for answers that seemed just out of reach.

As I stood there, enduring the lashes, my gaze drifted to the crowd, searching for any sign of support or sympathy. But what I saw only added to my pain. My parents stood there, their faces stern and unyielding, their eyes flashing with anger rather than concern. They didn't intervene or show any signs of sympathy; they didn't even flinch as the lashes landed on my back.

Their expressions seemed to say that I had brought this upon myself, that I deserved every ounce of pain I was feeling. The pack members around me murmured their approval, some even saying aloud that I deserved the punishment. Their words cut deeper than the lashes, making me feel like an outcast, someone unworthy of love or compassion.

Alpha Gray's parents, the previous Luna and Alpha, stood beside my sister Alexis, their faces twisted in disgust and hatred as they watched me. They didn't seem to be bothered by the punishment and didn't seem to care that I was being hurt. Their presence only added to my humiliation, making me feel completely alone in this.

Our eyes met again, and I held Alpha Gray's gaze, hoping to find a spark of empathy or understanding within his piercing stare. But his face remained cold and unyielding, his eyes piercing through me like a knife. The lashes continued to fall, and I felt my heart breaking under the weight of their disapproval. I was trapped in a nightmare, and no one seemed willing to wake me up.

The pain was intense, both physical and emotional. I felt like I was drowning in a sea of rejection, with no lifeline in sight. My parents' anger, the pack's disapproval, and Alpha Gray's indifference—it was all suffocating me, crushing me beneath its weight. I didn't know how much more I could take.

Another lash from Beta Slade hit my back, and I felt my inner wolf, Katrina, stirring weakly; her strength was barely there. The silver collar around my neck was suffocating her, draining her strength and mine.

"Katrina, hang on," I whispered in my mind, trying to reach out to my wolf. "I know it's hard, but don't give up."

"I...can't...hold on...much longer," Katrina's faint voice replied, her presence barely a whisper in my mind. "The collar...it's draining me...and his rejection...it's like a knife to my heart."

"I know, Katrina. I'm feeling it too," I said, trying to offer what little comfort I could. "But we have to hold on. We can't give up."

"What...what's the point?" Katrina's voice was laced with despair. "Our mate doesn't want us. The pack doesn't accept us. What's left?”

"We have each other," I said, trying to sound stronger than I felt. "We have our bond, our love for each other. That's what will get us through this."

Katrina's presence grew even fainter, and I knew she was struggling to stay with me. I focused all my energy on her, trying to make her stay strong.

I felt tears pricking at the corners of my eyes as I realized that I might lose Katrina, might lose myself if this punishment continued. The thought was terrifying, and I reached deep within me, trying to find the strength to hold on, to keep Katrina safe. But it was getting harder, and I didn't know how much longer I could endure.

"Hold on, Katrina. Please don't leave me," I pleaded.

I'd waited for her for what felt like an eternity, and now that I'd finally found my wolf, I couldn't bear the thought of losing her.

Katrina's response was barely audible, but I felt her determination. "Alright, I...won't...leave you...Sydney. We'll...get through...this...together."

A fresh lash sliced across my back, sending my knees crashing to the ground. The pain was suffocating, and I felt my strength slipping away. If my hands weren't tied to the whipping post, I would have collapsed to the ground.

As I struggled to stay upright, I saw Alpha Gray's eyes snap towards me, his expression twisted in a mix of anger and confusion. He clutched his chest, as if he, too, was feeling the pain of the lashes.

The air seemed to freeze as our eyes met, and for a moment, I felt a strange connection to him. Despite my weakness, I clearly heard his voice in my mind, his words laced with pain and bewilderment.

"What did you do to me?" he growled, his eyes blazing with intensity. "Why does it hurt so much?"

I tried to respond, but my voice was barely a whisper. I was about to receive another lash when Alpha Gray's eyes flashed with fury.

"Enough!" he roared, slamming his fist on the armrest of his chair. The sound echoed through the hall, and everyone around me gasped in shock.

The beta who was administering the punishment hesitated, his hand hovering in mid-air. Alpha Gray's eyes never left mine as he spoke in a low, menacing tone.

"I said enough. She's had enough.”

Beta Slade nodded hastily and stepped back, relief washing over his face. Alpha Gray's eyes were still locked onto mine, and I felt a shiver run down my spine.

What did he mean? Why had he stopped the punishment? And what had I done to him? The questions swirled in my mind as Alpha Gray's expression turned darker, his eyes burning with an intensity that made my heart pound in my chest.

And then, just as suddenly as it had begun, everything went silent. Alpha Gray's eyes seemed to bore into my soul, and I felt like I was drowning in their depths.

The silence was oppressive, heavy with unspoken words and unresolved tension. I knew that this was far from over, and that Alpha Gray's actions had only just begun to unfold.

But what came next, I couldn't even begin to imagine.