Page 55

Lilith

Three Days Later

O ver the last three days, my mates and I have spent every moment just existing together. After our long and much-needed shower, we went to bed and lay together in silence. There wasn’t much to say that hadn’t already been said. We just needed to be together. We spent all three days either in bed talking or on the couch watching movies. We handed off all of our responsibilities to the council and saw not one.

Last night I called Leli to let her know that we plan on coming to City Hall for the council meeting and our first official public appearance since I was crowned. I am more excited than I am nervous. So much so that I wake up before the guys. I go downstairs to let Thuly run around and be weird outside for a bit before I come back in and feed him. He has taken a liking to simple raw meat rather than whole people. He also loves fruits and vegetables. I did some research on his species, and it turns out that he is sensitive to evil and attracted to peace. They will only ever imprint on a being that is peaceful but will devour evil. I’m curious how he didn’t pick up on Fermin.

I go back upstairs and tiptoe past the bed to get to the bathroom to get dressed. At the last second, hands wrap around my waist and pull me back onto the mattress. “You snuck out,” Kael says as he pins me to the bed, straddling my body.

“I let Thuly bounce around the courtyard,” I laugh.

“You get a pass this time,” he says as he leans down and kisses me softly.

“I thought you all were asleep,” I say.

“We were until we heard the bedroom door close,” Daemon says.

“So you just laid in bed together and waited on me?” I ask.

“Yeah, basically,” Callum laughs.

“Can I get up, or do you have me pinned for a reason?” I ask.

“Well, I was going to let you up. I think I’ll play with you now,” Kael says with a wicked grin.

“We have to get ready and meet the council,” I laugh. “You can play with me tonight.”

“Deal,” he says as he kisses me again.

He lets me up, and we get dressed for the day. I feel more confident going into public put-together rather than looking disheveled like I was when we first got free.

When we are ready, we load up Thuly and drive to City Hall. Upon arrival, we see that there is a massive crowd already forming. They know we plan on meeting with the council first, but they all seem excited to see us when we pull up. Vash, Leli, and Draik meet us so we can get inside without being stopped. People keep their distance but cheer for us as we walk into the building.

“It’s good to see you, Lilith,” Draik says with a smile.

“You too, Draik. I’m happy to see you came to a council meeting,” I say.

“I figured I should show up, or the Queen might be upset with me,” he says with a smirk.

“Oh, she would be disappointed. That’s for sure,” I say, and he laughs.

We go to the conference room, and everyone stands up. “You’re fine, guys. Sit,” Daemon says as he pulls a chair out for me.

“Let’s do attendance so they know the names and affiliations of everyone,” Leli says. “Oh… My bad. Got a little too used to that.”

“No. Go ahead. You are head of the council, right?” Kael asks.

“Uhm… yes,” she says.

“Then do your thing,” he says.

“Alright,” Leli says. She takes a moment to gather her thoughts before continuing. “Mazvyn Deverell and his mate Brenna representing the demons. Vash Wyverstone for the dragons. Eldric Shadows for the panthers. Draik Hellfang and his mate Vruna Hellfang for the hellhounds. Arenie May for the foxes. Kragan Dungrell for the lions. Alasdair Erdritch for the wolves. Me, Leli Deverell for the witches. We also have Volis Deverell with his mate Kira Ebonwood and Striker Deverell with his mate Maple Ganleya here as advisors to the crown.”

“Perfect,” Callum says. “Thank you all for coming in today. We don’t really have much to go over, but we would like an update. I know we were having some issues with the wolves, yes?”

“Yes, sir,” Alasdair says. “I have a few outliers that I need to take care of, but we are working on getting things under control.”

“Can I talk?” I ask Daemon quietly.

“Baby, you are just as much of a leader as we are. You don’t have to ask,” he replies softly.

“Alasdair, right?” I ask.

“Uhm… Y-yes, ma’am,” he studders.

“I have something I need you to do for me,” I say.

“Anything,” he replies.

“I want every member of Zypher Fallins’ pack found and brought to me. I don’t care where they say their loyalties lie or if they are currently compliant,” I say. “Pre-war, there were thirty-seven. Last week I knew of twenty.”

“I can have them here by the end of the day,” he says. “They have rejoined as a pack and are currently abiding by the laws as far as I’ve heard since…”

“Since I was taken. I know,” I say. “How many?”

“There are still twenty left, Ma’am. The remaining eighteen are confirmed deceased.”

“Good. I want all twenty brought to me,” I say.

“Yes, Ma’am. Am I doing this as an executive order, or is there a specific charge that you need me to file paperwork for?”

“An executive order,” I say. “They lost their right to a trial when they came into that building and assaulted me last week,” I say bluntly.

“Alasdair,” Vash says.

“I know,” he sighs.

“Is there something we should know?” Daemon asks, narrowing his eyes.

“Yeah,” Alasdair says. “I was a part of Zypher’s pack a while back.”

“What?” Kael snarls, making Alasdair flinch.

“Relax,” I say softly. “I don’t remember you, so I assume it was before I was assigned to Zypher.”

“Yes, ma’am. When you were assigned to him, I was invited to… uhm… Zypher wanted all of the men in the pack to come over and assault you. I didn’t want to do that, so I filed paperwork to leave the pack. He signed it without question.”

“Well...” I say. “Thank you for not raping me. I guess. Is that why you look scared?”

“That and the kings look like they’re going to maul me,” he says.

“They won’t,” I smile. “They’re just being protective.”

“I understand,” Alasdair says. “I apologize for not finding a way to help you.”

“You saved yourself. That’s what’s important,” I say. “The fact you didn’t come to that house and rape me is more than enough for me. Thank you for being honest.”

“You’re welcome, Your Majesty,” he says, bowing his head with a nod.

“Anything else, guys? Everything running smoothly?” Callum asks.

“We are integrating our rescues back into society. Many of them are reluctant yet, but they are all welcoming of the change,” Draik says.

“It will take time,” Daemon says.

“They are welcome to come see us anytime they wish if they need reassurance of the situation,” I say.

“I’ll let them know,” Draik says with a smile.

“What is happening with Fermin?” Arenie asks.

“I know you, don’t I?” I say.

“We grew up in the same orphanage,” she says.

“Oh shit. You were the one who almost got assigned to Zypher,” I say.

“Indeed. I was supposed to, but he…” She starts.

“What?” I ask.

“Zypher specified that he wanted an untouched maiden,” she says. “I had a boyfriend at seventeen that made it to where Zypher didn’t want me as his maiden.”

“Ah. That’s creepy,” I say. “But to answer your question, Fermin will be executed today.”

She nods and says, “His family has expressed that they do not wish to be responsible for his body after his death.”

“He will be cremated then,” I say simply, and she nods.

“Anything else?” Damon asks, and everyone shakes their heads. “Okay. So that we don’t have to go through this explanation twice, we encourage everyone to be present for the news conference to know what exactly happened last week.”

“I’m going to go next door to see Fermin,” I say to my mates.

“Do you want us to come with you?” Kael asks.

“Uhm… sure. I want to talk to him myself, though.”

“Okay. Let’s go then,” Daemon says before turning to my family. “We will see you out front.”

We walk next door to the jail. Fermin is being held in a solitary cell with a guard. My mates wait at the door while I go down to his cell. Down here they can’t hear me talking. I don’t mind if they hear me, but I don’t want Fermin knowing that they’re here. I want him to think it’s just him and me.

When I get to his cell, he’s lying on his cot with a book. He’s been cut off from the world, so he has no idea that I’m alive. “Good book?” I ask.

Fermin looks up and the color from his face instantly drains. He jumps up from the bed, dropping his book. “L-Lilith,” he stammers. “You’re here.”

“I am,” I say simply. I move to the door and slip the key to his cell into the lock. When it clicks open, he moves to back himself into the corner. I grab a chair from outside his cell to sit just inside the door. I want us to talk face-to-face.

“W-What are you doing h-here? “ he asks.

“Sit,” I say, pointing to his bed. He does as he is told and sits on his cot.

“Lilith… I’m,” he starts.

“Here’s what I’m going to do, Fermin,” I say, interrupting his apology. He’s not sorry. He’s just trying to save his ass. “I’m going to tell you what they did to me. You are going to sit here and listen to what you did to me… To what your betrayal did to me.”

He nods and stays quiet but he looks terrified.

“Zypher and Morwen raped me almost immediately. Brutally, I might add. I learned that with those collars, my magic doesn’t protect me from the pain. I felt every single thrust; every single second of the pain. Every tear that they made in my body as they forced themselves inside of me. Want to know what I saw when they took off my blindfold?”

“What?” he asks quietly.

“My mates. So now their lives were at risk. I was quickly faced with the fact that my mates just saw two men rape me. They had those stupid collars on so they couldn’t do anything to help. They stayed chained to a wall like a stray dog while having to watch Zypher and Morwen rape me. Not only that, but the twenty men he brought in. Do you know what that feels like?”

“N-no. I don’t.”

“Twenty-two men raped me in one day. Then… then Zypher forced me to have an orgasm. This is when things got bad for me,” I say. “You see… I am half-succubus. I emit a warm red light when I have an orgasm. I’m not sure why, but Zypher saw this. I was forced to tell him that I was half demon. His response to this was to chain me up and whip me until I couldn’t move. I was covered in blood and cuts from my neck to my knees. Zypher treated the wounds, but it came at a cost.”

“Lilith…” he starts to say, but I speak over him.

“The entire week was filled with me pretending I wanted to be raped. I made him believe that he had a chance at having me for real, but it didn’t stop him from turning my mates on me. It didn’t stop them from getting a witch to possess their bodies. They made my mates brutally rape me. Past the point of just them holding me down and fucking me. No… no, this was different. They forced them to partially shift. Did you know that without my magic, I am no more protected than a human? That means getting raped by a dragon shifter when he partially shifts leads to what certainly felt like internal damage. It led to Daemon leaving gashes in my sides from his claws. My throat was bruised, and coughing led to more blood. The worst part was we could still mind link. I was able to hear every plea for forgiveness from them. I heard every single time they told me they couldn’t stop. They wanted to stop, and they couldn’t. After, when I was curled in a ball because I was in so much pain, they were sobbing. The three kings were so beside themselves at what they had done that they couldn’t contain their emotions anymore.”

“That’s awful,” he whispers.

“But… Zypher is an idiot and fell for it. He believed that I was going to choose him, so he let down his guard. Now they’re dead, and I’m alive.”

“I’m glad you’re okay,” he says.

“Are you?” I ask. “You didn’t seem too concerned about me when you walked me right into my kidnapping. Why, Fermin? Why did you betray me?”

“I thought you were evil. I was ignorant and let Zypher convince me that everyone was safer if you weren’t allowed to be free. I’m sorry, Lilith.”

“I wanted to free you and your people. That’s all I wanted. I wanted equality and peace for those who had never felt it. I wanted you to feel the peace that I had when I was with my mates. Instead, you led me into getting raped by twenty-five people. The three of them were also assaulted because they didn’t want that either. You caused me so much pain and suffering, Fermin.”

“I know, and I’m sorry. Truly.” Fermin says softly. It’s not until this moment that I realize that he is just as bad as Zypher. He has the same conniving look on his face. He is a narcissistic psychopath. He always was.

“So, what should I do with you?” I ask. “Do I kill you, or have mercy on you?”

“I… I don’t know. I want to make it right,” he says.

“I want to believe you can be redeemed,” I lie. I don’t give a fuck if he can be redeemed or not. By the end of the day, he will be dead, but he doesn’t know that yet.

“I’ve had a lot of time to reflect while I’ve been here,” he says.

“I’m not going to kill you,” I say. “I’m going to talk to the guys so we can figure out a fitting punishment. Okay? I don’t want to be the monster that you think I am.”

“Thank you,” he says. “I promise I won’t let you down again.

“I know you won’t,” I say with a smile. “Someone will come get you after a while so you can come talk to me and the kings. Okay?”

“Okay,” he smiles, looking relieved. Good. He believes me. He thinks that he’s safe.

I stand up and return my chair to its home before locking his cell. Without another word, I go back to my mates. “Ready?” I ask them.

“Yeah,” Kael says slowly. “I didn’t hear any screams, so I assume he is alive?”

“For now,” I say as we walk out of the jail. Outside my family is waiting. “Vash. Can you have Fermin brought to me when we get done with the news conference?”

“I can,” he says. “Are you publicly executing him?”

“I am,” I say. “He thinks I’m forgiving him though, so don’t say anything.”

“I see. I won’t say a word.” Vash chuckles.

We walk back to City Hall and stop in front of the news reporters. Once everyone is quiet, I begin speaking. I explain the prophecy and how we really didn’t know what the ending would be, but with my visions, we knew that someone would get ahold of me. We go through the events of the week we were held captive but leave out the graphic details as well as what the witch forced my mates to do. I explained my magia reserve and the years of abuse that led to a buildup of it, so once I was able to grasp that magia and control the flow, I was able to free us. I don’t explain how Zypher and Morwen died, but I make it clear that they got what they deserved. I move on to explain the betrayal by Fermin and my plans to execute him. I receive an overwhelming amount of support for my decision. I think that if everyone had rejected that idea, I might’ve changed my mind, but the fact that everyone demanded his head made me feel like I was doing what was right.

The thing is, I don’t want to be the monster who executes people in public… but I will be. I will make him an example of why you should not betray those who are trying to help you. Arenie and Alasdair set up everything for his execution, while I stand back and watch. I’ve chosen to have him beheaded. At first, I was going to do it. I think that Daemon should get to do the honors. Out of my three mates, he was the one who was most affected by being forced to assault me. He did the most damage to my body.

“You are good to go. Vash is on his way,” Alasdair says.

“There he is,” I say as I watch Vash walk a very confused Fermin to us.

“What is this?” Fermin asks.

“Fermin Radi, you have been accused and found guilty of treason. The punishment for that is death,” I say simply.

“Wait. Wait a minute. You said I wouldn’t be killed. Lilith, please,” he says tearfully as he panics.

“And now you know what it felt like to be betrayed by someone you trusted,” I say through gritted teeth. “You had countless opportunities to come clean before you walked me into my kidnapping. All that pain and trauma that I endured is just as much your fault as it was theirs. You are no better than them. Today… you die.”

“Lilith. Please. Please, I’m begging you. Please don’t do this,” he pleads, dropping to his knees.

“Do you think begging for mercy kept Zypher from raping me? Do you think it stopped him from whipping me bloody? Do you think he listened when my mates begged him to stop hurting me?” I ask, raising my voice. “Any last words?”

“I’m sorry, Lilith,” he says, crying.

“That’s not good enough,” I say before turning to Vash. “Put him in place.” Vash nods and sets him up so that he is knelt over the block. Maybe I should feel some sort of remorse for this, but retribution is the only thing I’m concerned about.

“I love you,” I say to Daemon. “I know you still blame yourself. With his death, I want you to move forward. He is the last piece of the puzzle before we can put it all behind us. You are a victim, just as much as I am. We are all survivors. Take your revenge and move on with me. Stop blaming yourself.”

“I love you too, Lilith. I will work on moving forward,” he says before kissing me.

Vash hands Daemon the massive ax and he grips it in his hand, getting a feel for the weight of the weapon. Kael, Callum, and I are by his side as he lines up the ax, with the back of Fermin’s neck. The only thing you can hear is the sound of his sobs echoing off of the buildings around us. They sound almost as pained as mine and my mates.

“I hope you found peace with what you did… That you regret the things you’ve done… Of all of the things I have done, this won’t be one,” Daemon says to Fermin before drawing the weapon above his head. With a grunt, as he swings the blade down, Fermin’s head is easily separated from his body. As it rolls a few feet to the side, the crowd of onlookers starts to cheer and shout in celebration of his death.

Daemon drops the ax before turning and hugging me tightly. “Thank you,” he murmurs into my neck. I gently stroke his head, and I hold him. Kael and Callum join us in our hug as everyone continues to celebrate.

“You’re welcome, baby. I wanted you to get your revenge also. Not that Kael and Callum don’t deserve to seek retribution for what happened, but I think you are the most deserving of it,” I say before cupping his face and kissing him.

I pull back and smile when the crowd cheers louder. “I think they like you,” Daemon says with a smirk.

“I think it’s the big strong man chopping the head off of the treasonous man,” I laugh.

“My Queen,” Alasdair says as he jogs over to us.

“Stop calling me that,” I frown.

“What?” he asks. “Oh. Sorry. Lilith, I have them in custody. They are being transported here as we speak.”

“Good job,” I smile. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” he says. “They are here in the city. Presumably, they were here for the news conference.”

“Ah. Wonderful,” I say. “Twenty-one executions in one day should make for a memorable event.”

“How would you like things set up?” Alasdair asks.

“Gallows,” I say. “I will give them the chance to step off on their own otherwise we will do it for them.”

“We?” Leli asks with a smile.

“Yes. Trauma affects more than just the survivor. It affects everyone close to them as well. You all deserve peace as well,” I say. “I will inform the public.”

I turn away from everyone and walk back over to where the press is still standing. They all perk up when they see me and my mates walking toward them.

“I just have one last thing before we take a little break,” I say. “The twenty members of Zypher Fallin’s pack that assaulted my sister, numerous fox shifters, and myself not only while I was a maiden but also while I was a captive have been apprehended. By executive order, they are being charged with treason and rape. At one time they will be hanged. Please bear with us while we set everything up. Thank you.”

The crowd is larger now. There are hundreds of people gathered to watch the queen and her three kings hang a pack of wolf shifters. I expected some backlash for this, but no one is coming to their aid. No one thinks they are deserving of mercy. The only complaint that I am getting is that some citizens were hoping that the twenty men would also be beheaded like Fermin was. People are a sucker for morbidity, I guess.

I watch from below as the twenty men are led up to the gallows and a noose is fashioned around each of their necks. I expect at least one of them to look confused, but they don’t. They know why they are here. None of them look at me at first. They all keep their heads bowed. I have my back to the crowd with my mates standing behind me.

“I will save my breath and skip the spiel about why you were here. You know why you are here today. You know what you did to me… to my sister… to so many other innocent women. You put your pleasure and desire for power above basic morals, and for that, you will hang,” I say simply. “You may step off your box, or we will come remove the box ourselves. You have five seconds to decide.”

None of the men move in the allotted time, so members of my family, the council, and their mates happily take a spot behind each of the twenty. “May the gods have mercy on your soul,” I say with a soft smile. Burlap bags are placed over their heads before Leli gives the countdown.

“5… 4… 3… 2… 1… let ‘em hang,” Leli says just loud enough for us to hear, but not the crowd. The boxes are swiftly kicked out from under each of the guilty to allow the noose to tighten and cut off their airway when gravity takes over and their bodies free-fall before being caught by the rope. My mates return to my side, and we all watch as their jerky movements slowly come to a stop.

“Burn them,” I say.

“Transport is already here,” Alasdair says. “Thank you for allowing us to be a part of this.”

“You’re welcome, Alasdair,” I say with a smile. “Thank you for choosing to walk away that day.”

“If I could do it all over, I would’ve saved you, no matter the outcome for me,” he says. “That will always be my greatest regret.”

“Alasdair… We live and we learn. I do not blame you for protecting yourself and getting away,” I say with a smile. “Go home and enjoy your evening.”