Page 7

Chapter

Seven

A ZALEA

Denali and Mr. Crux talk among themselves while Cassandra digs a pack of smokes out of her leather jacket.

“How could you, after everything you did to her?” I ask Cassandra. She pops her hip, lighting a smoke before stepping closer.

“My husband is dead because of her. Your mate killed him. I now have to raise my kids without their father because of that bitch,” Cassandra spits at me. I growl, my canines slipping past my gums as anger courses through me. She turns to face the council members who are now whispering among themselves behind me.

“She still commanded them, but I have one more question before we proceed.”

I turn my head, and he steps closer.

“Did you know it was against the law to break a mate bond against their will?” Denali asks. My brows furrow, wondering why he is asking. I fight the urge to answer instantly.

“Yes,” I breathe.

“And you still did it?” Denali asks.

“He was hurting her, so yes.”

“Well then, regardless of whether the King commanded you, you knew better. Being his mate, you are capable of fighting his commands, therefore will be held accountable,” Cassandra smirks at his words puffing on her cigarette.

“What are they going to do to me?” I asked Mr. Crux, who was still standing beside me. Though I already knew by the whip in Kendricks’s hand. My heart raced a little faster when Mr. Crux started ripping the back of my dress open.

“You broke a sacred law, you may be the King’s Mate, but you abused your authority, so you will be punished. 1000 lashes, or until Cassandra deems fit,” he chuckles. “About time the King is held accountable for errors,” Mr. Crux sneered. I swallowed and chuckled.

“Silly girl, just because you’re the King’s mate, that doesn’t give you the power to break the law,”

“He was abusing her,” I scream at him.

“And where is your proof?” Mr. Crux demands.

“Ask me, or is your truth serum, not 100 percent,” I spit back at him. He grips my chin, pinching it tightly.

“Truth or not, you broke the law. We uphold it. We were looking for a reason to take him down, but if we can’t, you will do,” he laughs.

“Coward,” I retort. Mr. Crux grips my hair, yanking my head back painfully.

“Oh, Kendrick will. He won’t hold back, not after the King took his sight.”

I swallow, and my breathing becomes a little harsher.

“Your people are coming. Tell them who you are. It will buy you some time, I didn’t want to risk it but we have no choice.”

“What?”

“Your parents-”

I don’t get a chance to listen to what he says when I feel the crack of the whip bite into my flesh, making me scream. Hooks slash up my spine and dig into my shoulder. My scream reverberates around the castle grounds when he rips them out.

My knees buckle underneath me. My blood sprays across those on the other side of the fence when all hell breaks loose. Kade’s pack starts running toward the fence, suddenly trying to get in. My knees drag across the ground from the force of the gate being pushed inward. I can’t see past them to see what is happening and don’t even care when the whip tears into me again.

Gunshots ring out, and I hang limply in handcuffs, my wrist bent backward painfully and on the verge of snapping under my weight. I feel the barbs tear out of my skin, ripping my flesh away. My head feels too limp to hold upright and all I can think about is the pain radiating through my back when someone’s head is shoved through the iron-barred gates beside me. I blink deliriously, finding it odd. How did it fit through the bars?

Screams ring out loudly, but all I can do is blink at the man’s head stuck between the bars. It takes me a few moments to realize that the bottom half of his body is missing. My head rolls to the side, and I see the men in armor backing up, guns trained down the driveway as they fire. I thought my eyes were deceiving me when I watch around 50 Lycans ripping into Kade’s pack members and the council’s men, ripping them limb from limb. People run everywhere to escape as chaos breaks loose.

I can’t tear my gaze away from the horrors on the other side of the gate, my eyes wide, and I feel sick to my stomach. Hearing screaming, I turn to find Cassandra. Her hands cup her mouth as she watches, helplessly, as her pack is torn to shreds. Suddenly I drop to the ground, and I don’t even realize someone is uncuffing me. My body is limp as I stare around at the slaughter. Hands grab me, ripping me against someone’s chest. My back arches as I try to get the pressure away from my back.

Seconds later, the iron gates burst open. And there’s a knife pressed to my throat by the person holding me. Out of the corner of my eyes, I see a group of Lycans stalking into the castle grounds.

I am vaguely aware of Kyson talking to me, yet I cannot understand what he is trying to tell me.

“Get the car ready?” Denali says. The Lycans circle us before dropping on their knees around us. The whole thing is surreal as I look around, trying to figure out what is happening, when I notice Dustin roll over as he starts to wake.

“Take so much as one step toward us, and I will kill her. You have all just interfered with the council. There are severe penalties for obstructing justice,” Denali says, walking past me to address the Lycans kneeling. They growl and snarl, watching him. But the council members are all Lycan, and I feel his aura demanding them to submit, forcing them to remain where they were.

“Now, I am willing to let this slide, so back up,” Denali ordered.

“She may be King Kyson’s Queen, but she will be held accountable for her actions,” Denali snarls, causing Dustin to laugh maniacally.

Denali turns his head to look at him as Dustin sits up, his arms still cuffed behind his back. He starts ripping at his handcuffs, once, twice, thrice, and I hear his wrists snap and shoulders dislocate before he rolls his shoulders, bringing his hands around to the front. Kendrick runs at him, but Dustin moves quickly, sweeping his legs out from under him and pivoting on his knee, so he was suddenly on Kendricks’s back, his knee pressed to the back of the man’s neck.

“And who are you? Let Kendrick up now,” Mr. Crux growls, dropping me at Denali’s feet. Dustin rebreaks his wrist before gripping Kendricks’s hair and ripping his head back.

“No, wrong question Denali. The question you should be asking is, who is Azalea? Does her name ring any bells to you?” Dustin sneers.