5. WHIP.

Melissa.

I was placed on the table in front of our house, my body stretched out like an offering meant for slaughter. The wood beneath me was cold and unforgiving, pressing into my skin as rough hands secured me in place. I could feel every splinter, every uneven edge, as if the table itself was preparing me for what was to come.

My father was already seated a few steps away, his posture rigid, his expression carved from stone. He did not look at me as a daughter. He looked at me as a sentence waiting to be carried out.

My gaze drifted despite myself.

Amelia clung to Fredrick, tucked into his arms like a fragile child seeking comfort. He held her tightly, one hand resting protectively on her back. They both looked at me, Amelia with wide, glistening eyes that reflected nothing but cold triumph beneath the surface, Fredrick with open disdain. Neither of them looked away.

“Start!” my father ordered.

The word had barely left his mouth when the first whip cut through the air.

The sound came before the pain, a sharp, whistling crack then agony exploded across my back. Fire erupted along my skin, searing and blinding. My body arched violently against the restraints as a scream tore from my throat. I was certain my flesh had split open, that my skin had already peeled away under the force of it.

I gasped for breath, my chest heaving as tears burned down my face.

Then came the second whip.

This time, the pain was deeper, heavier. It crashed into me with brutal force, driving the air from my lungs. A sickening numbness spread through my body, replacing the sharp agony with something far more terrifying. I heard a sound, sharp, unmistakable.

A crack.

My breath hitched in panic. Fear flooded me, cold and paralyzing. What if I never walk again? The thought screamed through my mind as my legs trembled uselessly beneath me.

Inside me, my wolf roared.

She stirred violently, pacing, snarling, her pain mirroring mine. I felt her shift uncomfortably within me, her fury and fear clashing as she strained against the bonds holding us both captive. Her anguish only amplified my own, doubling the torment.

The third whip came down before I could recover.

By then, I was no longer fully present. The world blurred at the edges, sounds becoming distorted, distant. Faces melted into shadows. My cries weakened, fading into hoarse, broken sounds as my strength drained away. My vision swam, darkness creeping in like a slow, merciless tide.

My eyelids fluttered.

I fought to keep them open, fought to stay conscious, but my body betrayed me. Everything hurts.

Then came the fourth whip.

My body jerked violently against the table as unbearable pain tore through me one final time. Something warm filled my mouth. I choked, coughing as a mouthful of blood spilled from my lips, splattering against the wood beneath me.

I couldn’t hear anything anymore.

I couldn’t see.

The world slipped away as the last bit of strength left my body, and darkness swallowed me whole.

Splash!

I gasped as icy water crashed over me, shocking me awake. My eyes flew open instantly, my body jerking as the cold seeped deep into my bones, biting and merciless. Every nerve screamed in protest. Pain rushed back all at once, hot, overwhelming, unbearable, layered over the numbing chill that clung to my skin.

I blinked rapidly, my vision swimming, until two familiar eyes came into focus.

Fredrick.

He stood over me, looking down with nothing but contempt etched across his face. There was no concern there only disgust.

“Weakling,” he sneered, his lips curling cruelly. “You couldn’t even take the fifth whip, and you think you can escape?” He gave a short, mocking laugh. “Dream on.”

His words cut deeper than the cold water soaking into my clothes. My chest tightened painfully as I tried to move, only to realize my body barely responded. I was still strapped down, still exposed, still powerless.

Fredrick turned sharply, his patience clearly exhausted.

“Give me the whip,” he ordered the guards coldly. “I’ll discipline her myself, as her brother.”

The words shattered something inside me.

Tears streamed freely down my face as I turned my head slightly, my gaze locking onto him. My vision blurred, but I could still see him clearly enough. I had always known Fredrick didn’t like me. His indifference had long since turned into open hostility.

But this?

I never imagined he could hate me this much.

My lips trembled as I tried to speak, but no sound came out. Only a broken sob escaped my throat, swallowed by the open air.

Whoosh!

The sound came fast, violent, slicing through the air before I could even brace myself.

The fifth whip landed on my back with devastating force.

Agony exploded through me, brighter and sharper than before. I screamed, a raw, broken sound torn straight from my chest. The pain was unbearable, far worse than the guards’ strikes. My wet clothes clung tightly to my body, plastered against my skin, giving the whip nothing to soften its impact. It cut deeper, burned hotter, tore through me like I was made of nothing at all.

My body convulsed violently against the restraints, every muscle locking up as my breath came in ragged gasps. Tears poured down uncontrollably, mixing with the water still dripping from my hair and clothes.

I couldn’t take this.

I couldn’t survive another one.

Fredrick raised his arm again.

Just before the sixth whip could fall, a powerful voice thundered through the space, sharp and commanding.

“STOP!”

The word echoed, heavy with authority.

My body froze, not from fear this time, but from shock.

Summoning what little strength I had left, I forced my head up slightly, my neck screaming in protest. My vision swam, but then I saw them.

The Alpha triplets.

They stood there, their presence impossible to ignore, their expressions hard and unreadable. Cain was at the front, his eyes blazing as he stepped forward.

“Stop!” Cain shouted again, his voice cutting through everything.

My heart pounded wildly in my chest, confusion crashing into me all at once.

What was going on?

Hadn’t they discarded me? Hadn’t they turned their backs on me, chosen Amelia, erased me from their fate?

So why were they here now?