Chapter 16: The judgment and punishment part:2-1

Sofia’s pov:

Elder Philip’s voice rang out, cold and unyielding, as he delivered the judgment. “ Tiffany Roy, your punishment is as follows: you will be stripped of your title as a warrior, reduced to an omega. All privileges you once held as a warrior’s daughter and future pack warrior will be taken from you. You are to work in the pack house and on the pack farm for two years. You will remain an omega until your punishment is complete, with no shifting into your wolf form for four months.

He turned his gaze to Tracy. “The same fate befalls you, Tracy Thomas. You will share Tiffany punishment, stripped of your status and forced to labor as an omega for two years.”

Then, his eyes locked onto Vanessa, and his tone grew harsher. “Vanessa Valkor, for hurting your sister, for attempting to kill her, and for masterminding the pain and torture she has endured for years, you will face a far greater punishment. You are hereby stripped of your beta powers.

All privileges you once enjoyed as a beta’s daughter are withdrawn with immediate effect. You are no longer allowed to set foot in the beta’s quarters. You will be reduced to less than an omega, and all powers from your beta bloodline will be stripped away. By midnight tonight, your powers will be sealed, and your wolf will be banned from shifting for a year. You will remain in your human form, unable to shift.

Elder Philip’s gaze then shifted to the warriors who had betrayed their oath. “As for you four, who were supposed to be protectors of this pack, you have let greed and cruelty consume you. For this, you will not shift into your wolf form for three years. All your warrior powers will be banned, and every privilege that comes with being a warrior will be withdrawn. Your families will be demoted to omegas, bearing the shame of your actions.”

As the punishment was read, screams erupted in the courtroom. The families of the condemned warriors were outraged, their pride shattered as their sons, once warriors of generations, were reduced to mere omegas. Tiffany and Tracy’s mothers wept, their cries echoing through the hall. A wolf unable to shift for a day is torture; let alone for three months or three years, it’s a punishment worse than death.

I glanced at Damian, seeing a proud smile on his face, and a chill ran down my spine. My mate had orchestrated this brutal punishment. Oh, dear MoonGoddess, what have I ended up with? My parents will surely kill me now.

I couldn’t help but wonder—if I wasn’t Damian’s mate, would Vanessa and the others have been punished? Would this court hearing have ever taken place? That question kept gnawing at me, and I couldn’t shake the uncertainty of what would become of me in the pack. Most people didn’t like me before, and now, the families affected by this punishment will surely hate me even more.

I looked at my father—his face still expressionless but my mother was sobbing, eyes swollen, because a punishment worse than death had been handed down to her precious daughter.

I honestly didn’t know what I felt. Was I happy? Relieved? Scared? I didn’t feel relieved or happy about any of this. If I wasn’t Damian’s mate, no one would have cared enough to bring Vanessa and her friends to justice.

The Alpha stood, his voice cutting through the tense air. “With this punishment handed down, none of the families are allowed to appeal. You will face the punishment and serve your time.

As for you, Matthew, hurting a member of my pack is a sign of disrespect to my pack. You should know better than to hurt anyone from the Black Wood Pack. My pack and the Silver Fern Pack have a treaty.

That’s why your Alpha has given us permission to act. Not that we needed it. For laying your hands on a member of my pack, a beta's daughter for that matter, you will serve in our pack as a slave, stripped of your warrior title and any other honors. Any future punishment deemed fit by the Rhi’la’’ of the black wood pack, you shall receive. You are still allowed to go to school and finish your studies, your family will only visit you once in a month.