Forbidden Mate, Bound by Fate

Chapter 10

SYDNEY

I stood in the center of the hall, surrounded by the pack members. They were all staring at me, their eyes filled with judgment and criticism. I could hear them whispering about me, calling me worthless and saying I had seduced the alpha.

My legs felt weak, and my voice trembled as I spoke. "I didn't drug Alpha Gray," I said, trying to defend myself. "I swear, I didn't do anything wrong."

But the pack members just laughed and jeered. They called me a liar and a seductress. Some of them shouted insults, their voices echoing off the walls of the hall.

"You're just a sly little thing, aren't you?" one of them sneered. "Think you can manipulate the alpha and get away with it?"

I felt tears pricking at the corners of my eyes, but I tried to hold them back. I knew I was innocent, but it seemed like no one believed me. The pack members continued to shout and jeer, their anger and disgust directed at me.

"Stop it!" I shouted, trying to make them listen. "I didn't do it! I didn't drug Alpha Gray!"

But they just kept shouting and calling me names. Alpha Gray raised his hand, and the hall fell silent. "Enough," he said, his voice firm.

The pack members quieted down, but their eyes still burned with anger and suspicion. I stood tall, trying to face the pack's anger with courage, but it was hard to bear the weight of their judgment.

Alpha Gray's expression was stern as he gazed at me with anger-filled eyes.

"Everyone who commits a wrongdoing must be punished," he declared to the entire pack. "And I will impose a severe punishment on Sydney as a warning to all pack members."

The pack members nodded in agreement, their faces filled with anticipation. I felt a chill run down my spine as Alpha Gray's words hung in the air.

A voice from the back chimed in, "She's evil. She's trying to sabotage our Alpha's happiness with our future Luna. She messed up their engagement, so she should face severe punishment."

Alpha Gray's eyes narrowed. "Sydney will be punished in a way that will serve as a reminder to all pack members of the consequences of betraying our trust."

Beta Slade spoke up, his voice neutral. "Alpha, can I punish this slut now?"

Alpha Gray's gaze pierced through me, his eyes flashing with a sharp, menacing glare.

Alpha Gray's expression remained impassive as he responded, "Go ahead, Beta. Sydney's actions cannot go unpunished.”

Alpha Gray's response filled me with terror. I knew I was staring into the face of certain doom, and the punishment that awaited me would be more than I could endure.

"Please, Alpha Gray," I begged, trying to appeal to whatever humanity might be left in him. "Believe me, I'm telling you the truth. I didn't do it. I swear, I didn't drug you."

But Alpha Gray's expression remained unyielding. "Enough, Sydney. Your punishment will be carried out now!"

The pack members began to murmur among themselves, speculating about the punishment. I felt a sense of dread wash over me, wondering what kind of punishment he would give me.

I felt a wave of fear wash over me as Alpha Gray's words echoed in my mind. My life was on the line, and I didn't know what kind of punishment awaited me.

But then, I heard a gentle voice in my mind. It was Katrina, my inner wolf. "Don't worry, I'm with you, Sydney," she whispered. "We'll face this together."

Her words brought me a sense of comfort and strength. I felt my fear recede slightly, replaced by determination.

As I looked around the hall, my eyes landed on my sister Alexis. She was standing in the corner, a sly smile spreading across her face. Her eyes sparkled with anticipation, and I knew she was waiting for me to be punished.

A shiver ran down my spine as our eyes met. Alexis's smile seemed to say, "You're going to get what's coming to you." I felt a pang of sadness and betrayal.

But Katrina's presence in my mind kept me grounded. "Don't let her get to you," she whispered. "Believe me, we're strong, and we'll get through this.”

I couldn't help but think that Alexis was behind the drugging of Alpha Gray. The way she smiled at me, the gleam in her eye—it all seemed too suspicious. But why would my own sister do such a thing?

It didn't make sense. This was her engagement party, and she was supposed to be happy and celebrating her upcoming union with Alpha Gray.

So, why would she ruin her own engagement and risk losing the alpha's trust? And what was the point of framing me for it? If Alexis was the one who drugged the alpha, allowing him to be drawn to me, it would only lead to trouble and accusations. It seemed like a reckless and pointless move.

I tried to think of any possible reason why Alexis would do this, but nothing made sense. Would she benefit from my punishment? Or was there something else at play here?

No matter how I think, I couldn't shake the feeling that there was something I was missing, something that would explain why my sister would betray me in such a way.

Katrina, my inner wolf, seemed to sense my confusion. "Maybe there's more to it than we think," she whispered. "Maybe Alexis has a motive we don't know about."

But what could that motive be? I thought back to our past, trying to remember if there was anything that could have triggered this kind of behavior. Alexis had always been a bit spoiled and entitled, but I never thought she was capable of something like this.

As I stood there, waiting for my punishment, I couldn't help but wonder what secrets lay beneath the surface. What were Alexis's true intentions? And how far would she go to achieve her goals?

The uncertainty was suffocating, and I felt a sense of desperation wash over me. I needed to uncover the truth, but how? And would it be too late?

Alpha Gray's voice boomed through the hall. "Sydney, you're accused of drugging me on my engagement night. As punishment, I sentence you to one hundred lashes.”

The pack members murmured among themselves, some looking shocked, while others seemed to enjoy the spectacle. A chill of fear ran down my spine after hearing Alpha Gray’s punishment.

"Don't stop until she bleeds," Alpha Gray added, his voice cold and unforgiving.

I felt a chill run down my spine. One hundred lashes would be brutal, and the thought of being whipped until I bled was terrifying.

Alpha Gray's voice continued to speak, causing his words to cut deep into my aching heart. How can he punish me like that without considering that it may affect him too, since we are mates?

"And once the punishment is done, burn her worthless body in front of the pack members. Let this be a warning to anyone who dares to betray me or my mate,” my mate ordered as if im not to him and he wouldn't die too if I die.

The room fell silent, the pack members staring at me with a mix of horror and fascination. I felt my heart racing, my mind reeling with fear and despair. This was my punishment for a crime I didn't commit.

Katrina, my inner wolf, growled softly in my mind. "We'll get through this, Sydney. We have to stay strong."

But as I looked around the hall, I wondered if staying strong would be enough to save me from the punishment that awaited me.

I stood frozen, a mix of emotions swirling inside me. Fear gripped my heart as I thought about the punishment that awaited me. One hundred lashes and being burned alive were very harsh and cruel punishments. The thought of the physical pain was overwhelming, but it was the alpha's words that cut deepest.

Alpha Gray's sentence wasn't just about punishing me for a crime I didn't commit; it was about destroying me completely. He didn't care that I would die under the punishment. In fact, he seemed to relish the idea.

Before he sent me to the dungeon earlier, it was just fifty lashes, but now that he’s back, he has doubled the punishment he gave me.

As the reality of my situation sank in, fear began to give way to hurt. How could the man who was supposed to love and protect me be so ruthless?

He is my mate, and I'm the future Luna of this pack, but I guess he already had a chosen mate, and that was my sister, Alexis.

But beneath the fear and hurt, a spark of anger began to ignite. How dare Alpha Gray treat me like this? I was innocent, yet he still condemned me to a brutal death? The more I thought about it, the more my anger grew.

It was clear that Alpha Gray didn't want me. He never did. He was willing to sacrifice me without a second thought, just to assert his authority and please his chosen mate, my sister, Alexis.

The realization fueled my anger. I thought about the night that Alpha Gray had touched me, held me, and whispered sweet nothings in my ear. I can still remember a few moments from that night. It's not much, but I know I didn't drug Alpha Gray, and even if we were the last people on this earth, I wouldn't do that, even if I knew he was my mate.

My anger simmered just below the surface, waiting to erupt. I knew I had to be careful, but I couldn't help feeling a sense of defiance. I would not go quietly into the night. I would fight, even if it meant nothing would change the outcome.