DEREK IS MORE THAN THE DEVIL

Carly woke up to noises outside.

“Mandy, what's happening?”

“Oh, you're awake, get up, we need to leave now. A boy tried to run away, his father was to be beheaded.”

“What?” Carly exclaimed, sitting up.

“The Supreme Alpha wants us all to come and watch” Mandy added. 

“Why?” Carly was baffled and wondered why Derek would demand their presence.

“He wants us to note what happens if we go against his command, I was waiting for you to wake up before we go. I could not bear to disturb your sleep, seeing that you've lacked it lately.” Mandy said while washing her face on a bucket.

“Let me wash up first” Carly replied.

After Mandy was done, Carly took the bucket and washed her face too “I reek of sweat”

“We can't take a bath now, maybe when we get back.” Mandy replied and Carly nodded.

They both left the room and as they drew closer to the torture square, Carly grew pale. The groans and wailings she heard woke up memories of what had befallen her father.

She got within a viewing distance and halted, not wanting to move further.

“We can't stay here, Whitney. We have to stand with the other slaves” Mandy pointed at the cubicle where the other slaves stood.

“Please spare my son!” The old man pleaded, with tears running down his face.

Carly trailed her eyes on the young lad. The son in question was very young and was weeping uncontrollably and Derek sat in a chair, amused by the scenario.

“Give me a substantial reason why I should have mercy on your son?” He asked aloud. 

“He is innocent and knows nothing.” The old man cried out. 

“The lad tried to run away, a bold move, I must admit, I wonder where he got the spine to think that he would succeed.” Derek drawled.

“I did not run away I just wanted to get something nearby” The boy tried to explain.

“Jack, don't…” The father tried to stop his son but he was too late. Derek yanked the boy and held him by his throat, raising him up until he was suspended in the air. 

“Watch what you say, young wolf. How dare you accuse me of lying?!” Derek thundered. His voice alone sent shiver down many spines. 

The boy's face went red from the pressure of Derek's hands on his neck.

“Watch what happens to anyone who defiles me” Derek said, holding everyone's gaze, daring them to look away.

When his eyes got to Carly, he saw that her face was pale and she was struggling to keep her face on his.

“Looks familiar, right?” He smirked at her.

She wished she could shoot daggers with her eyes to take him down.

'I will make sure I kill you myself’ she vowed silently. 

Jack… the name sounded familiar to Carly and she pondered on where she heard it before..

Then as if struck by lightning, she remembered her escapade with Rick. They mentioned a ‘Jack’ that his father was to be executed. “Please don't let it be the same person” Carly prayed but she knew within her that it was the same boy, the situation was too similar to be a coincidence.

What happened..?

How did they fail..?

She kept those questions to ask Rick later.

Seeing that the king really intended to kill him, Jack’s resolve broke, his forehead was glistered with beads of sweat. He struggled to free himself. As though to grant him his last will, Derek dropped the young lad and he fell to the ground in a loud thud landing head first. 

Jack immediately scrambled to his knees and attempted to grab Derek's leg but the Supreme Alpha had no intention of showing mercy. He kicked the young lad's stomach away from him. The boy doubled over grabbing his stomach in pain. 

It was then Carly saw the cut on his head, it must have come from the fall, tears rolled down her eyes as her heart broke for the poor boy and his father who wept in a corner as the guards held him down while the executioner watched over him. 

She knew how it felt, she was familiar with the pain that came with watching your loved ones die.

“Have mercy Alpha.” Jack breathing came out in slow pants. “I don't want to die.” 

But Derek smiled evily and picked the young boy up by the scuff of his neck.

The crowd were too scared to even gasp, they feared that any display of emotion would make them the next victim.

Smirking, Derek took Jack to stand in front of the father and slit Jack’s throat with his claws, letting the blood splatter on his father. 

“Let this be a lesson to all those who dare to go against me.” He warned as the body of jack fell to the ground and shook.

Carly was stone still. Her eyes were fixed on the eyes of the very young and promising lad, his eyes were frozen in fright, they remained open and unstaring, she knew the sight was going to traumatized her for days but she couldn't bring herself to stop staring.

‘He was right when he said that the devil paled in comparison.’ Carly thought in her head, afraid to voice out her thoughts, lest he hears them.

“You are cursed Derek” the man cried out, obviously not scared again since he had nothing to lose. “I wonder why I even begged a heartless monster like you! If you can kill your mate, my son pales in comparison. A murderer.”

At the accusation, Derek’s eyes turned a dark shade of red. “I'll give you a death worse than you can ever imagine, Antonio.”

“Do your worst” the man retorted and spat in his direction. Everyone gasped in shock. Carly wasn't surprised, the man was driven mad by grief. 

Soon, blood dripped out of his eyes and he struggled to speak but it was like his throat was shut closed.

After what seemed like forever to Antonio, he got his speech back.

“You are indeed cursed” the man cried out again “You will die a painful and lonely death, I pray that the goddess turns her back on you,”

“Keep on praying.” Derek drawled then he turned to two guards nearby and nodded, they bowed and matched towards him.

They held out their whips that had thorns all over it and descended it on Antonio's back, earning a cry from him.

“You still won't beg for a quick death?” Derek taunted.

“Like it wou… change any…thing” Antonio stuttered his eyes were fixed on his son's blank eyes, Carly knew he was no longer scared, instead he was longing to be with his young boy again.

“You're right about that but I like the sound of pleas, you know” Derek smirked. “Now, let's begin stage two… shall we?”

The guards with the whip stepped out and two other guards came forth, holding a satchel filled with daggers and a vial.

They shoved a liquid down Antonio's throat, making his claws stay partially at his wolf state without turning back.

Derek took a dagger, held Antonio's furry fingers “I would have said I'm giving you a last chance to beg but that would be unnecessary” then he proceeded to picking his claws off, earning a gut wrenching scream from Antonio.

“You dare to plan treason against me, Antonio. Let this be a lesson to all those who would ever dare to think of such nonsense!!” Derek warned loudly and then he cut off the entire fingers making the old man scream in pains.

“I promised you something worse than just death, right? My crows will feed on you till your last flesh is gone and you will remain in your wolf state the entire time. No reincarnation for you, Antonio” Derek finished with a cruel smile.

He then whistled and five crows flew towards him like they've been waiting for his call, they rested on Antonio’s face and waited orders.

“Feast” Derek ordered them and they proceeded to feast on Antonio's eyes.

“I'll let you keep your sense of speech but merely for my benefit, I want to hear you scream and beg for mercy, you pathetic fool!”

Antonio tried to hold back his cries, not wanting to give Derek the pleasure of his screams but the pain was excruciating that he could not hold it.

The crows feasted on his eyes like they were feasting on grains and when they were done, they feasted on his bare flesh.

Carly was mortified, this was nothing compared to what she experienced.

It seemed like Mandy sensed that she was about to talk because Mandy signalled her to keep shut.

Her eyes searched for Rick in the gathering but he was nowhere to be found.

Maybe… he felt too guilty to come….

She spotted Matt and Sarah in the gathering and she nodded when she made eye contact with them.

‘I wonder if they think I have a hand in this…’ she thought to herself.

Just as she was about to turn to leave, she heard a loud scream.

Derek had another man in his grip.

“What did he do now…? Just can't help slaying your people?” She muttered before she could help herself.

Derek turned to her like he could hear her and she held her breath and only released it when he turned to face his prey.

“Repeat what you said just now!” Derek thundered.

“ I said no..thing…” the man stuttered.

He was clad with just a brown tunic like the one Rick wore on the day he took her to the tavern.

“I command you” Derek said with eyes ablaze.

As if under a spell, the man sputtered “I said you are the cruelest being under the moon. You don't deserve to rule us, you monster”

“I take it that you're tired of living” Derek smirked and snapped his neck, until the head was separated from the body, the body slumped and Derek threw the head at Carly's direction.

Carly could not hold her scream, tears ran down her face, her father had the same lifeless eyes when he was killed.

She could still remember the way the eyes looked at her, how could she forget when the eyes haunted her in her sleep every night. Sometimes it was as if it was telling her to run and sometimes they were accusing her for letting herself get captured, sometimes it blamed her for letting Derek touch her, it was stuck in the horror.

She raised her eyes to glare at Derek

‘How dare he taunt me in this manner…

Shameless brute…

I hope you rot in hell…’

Her eyes seemed to say but she could not voice it out.

“Hope you like my little present, Wench?” Derek asked, taunting her to see her reply.

“Of course, my lordship” She replied with eyes filled with hate.

“Then you won't mind doing the honours, would you?” He smirked.

“I do not understand what you have asked of me. Please, what do you mean? ” She asked, confused and trying not to let her voice tell what she feels. 

He gestured at Antonio that was on his knees, still on his shackles and barely breathing.

“Finish him off” He commanded her, holding up a knife to her direction.