A MONSTER’S MERCY.

Hansel dragged Kiara by her red hair and threw her to the floor at Denzel’s feet.

Her face hit the floor and Kiara could lightly taste blood in her mouth.

“And? What is this?” Denzel enquired as he got a closer look at what was in front of him.

Kiara had her head down on the ground, her hair was now an even messier mess.

“Why ask me?” Hansel let out, panting from dragging Kiara all the way from the gate to the front of the mansion all on her own.

She wanted to prove a point and bring the runaway slave girl to his feet by herself.

“Why don’t we ask her?” Hansel stooped low, grabbed a hold of Kiara’s hair and made her face the Alpha King.

“Go on then. Speak, wrench!” Hansel commanded Kiara.

Kiara, of course, was stubborn and hesitant.

“Speak now before I drive a spare up your jaw and pin it shut forever.” Hansel threatened.

“I tried to run away.” Kiara let out in an embarrassed whisper.

“Come on! Speak up!” Hansel demanded.

An audience was outside the mansion now. Some slaves and the regular occupants of the pack house. They made murmuring noises, curious to know why the new slave girl was now faced on the floor at the Alpha’s feet.

“I tried to run away! I locked the scrawny looking guard in that cell you call an isolation room and bolted.” Kiara confessed.

The crowd gasped in shock.

“She needs to be punished!” One of the slaves’ voices cut through the silence as some others hummed in agreement.

Kiara felt embarrassed once again.

But Denzel was impressed, he had underestimated her for sure but was glad she couldn’t get away.

“You heard that, Alpha Denzel? This slave girl had the courage to defy your orders and tried to run away.” Hansel reiterated.

Hansel pulled Kiara up to her feet, still with a handful of her hair in her fist.

Kiara wanted to struggle to break free but risked having her hair ripped straight out of her head.

“Now, I do not mean to be too forward, Alpha, but she needs to be punished for her actions. Right now, in front of everyone so she understands her place.” Hansel persisted.

Kiara watched as Hansel’s eyes scanned the compound.

“Guards!” Hansel screamed out and two guards came around. “Bring me the slave whip!” She commanded.

Denzel just stood there, silently observing everything unfold.

And sure enough, a guard had soon arrived with a whip in his hand and handed it over into Hansel’s hands.

Kiara’s eyes widened, she looked at the whip and looked up at Hansel’s face, hatred plastered all over it.

She was itching to inflict pain on Kiara.

“Hold her!” Hansel commanded.

And the two guards by her side soon grabbed a hold of Kiara, turning her back to Hansel, holding her in place for the whipping she was about to get.

“No…no…” Kiara protested.

But that made Hansel even more hungry to hear her scream in pain.

Kiara felt Hansel grab her slave clothes as she tore it, exposing the pale skin of Kiara’s back.

“No!” Kiara yelled. It was not a plea, it was a threat.

If only she could have a one on one with her without her werewolf powers. Kiara knew she could best her and the one who would have the whip on her back was going to be Hansel.

“You are very difficult to break, even more than any other slaves that have entered this mansion. But just like every other slave, I will break you and you will obey me.” Hansel said as she paced back and forth, admiring the whip that she was going to use to teach Kiara a lesson.

Hansel raised the whip high and just when she was about to land it on Kiara’s naked back, a hand caught the whip.

The whip landed in Denzel’s palm and wrapped around it.

As Kiara flinched and felt nothing, she looked back and saw who had saved her. She almost didn’t believe her eyes.

Not only was it unbelievable that he would not want to inflict suffering on her, he also didn’t flinch in any kind of pain as the whip hit the bare skin of his palm.

Kiara wondered what had prompted this unexpected act of mercy.

“Alpha Denzel…” Hansel whispered, just as shocked as Kiara and the crowd that had ignored their night’s rest to watch the spectacle the new slave was creating.

“No.” Denzel simply put.

“She… she tried to run…” Hansel stuttered. “ she disregarded your orders. She needs to be whipped, it is the rule”

“The rules say she must be punished how ever I see fit, Hansel. And I do not see whipping her fit as a punishment.”Denzel uttered.

He slowly took the whip from Hansel’s grip and gave it back to the guard. He moved closer to Kiara and whispered into her ear. “Only I decide what happens to you, you’re mine.”

“Take her to the dungeon.” He commanded the guards. “She needs to be isolated. Two able bodied guards on each side of her cell door and only Hansel is allowed to tend to her.” Denzel ordered, completely disregarding Hansel’s dissatisfied expression.

He took some steps closer to Kiara who still didnt look defeated. Hatred and anger were burning in her deep blue eyes as he peered into them.

“This one will not break from brute force. It is of no use to try to hit her into submission. It would only harden her already rock solid heart.” Denzel revealed.

“Let’s see how long she keeps up this stubborn act then. Guards, take her away.” Denzel ordered.

This time, Kiara didn’t struggle to be let loose as the guards dragged her away. She had quickly learnt it was no use.

Denzel was right. The whipping would have done absolutely nothing to her but the isolation was barely a proper alternative.

She had felt alone all her life. Isolation was not nearly as bad.

The dungeons were dark, cold and smelled. The doors were made of strong metal.

She was not going to see the sun in a long time.

Hansel came to visit her that same night with a lantern in her hand, the only source of light in the dark cell Kiara was sitting silently in.

Hansel threw barely new slave clothes on the dirty floor for Kiara to change into.

She also came with a bowl of food for dinner, she set it slowly on the floor and kicked it towards Kiara.

“Alpha Denzel said to give you new clothes to replace your torn one.” Hansel said as she turned to leave the dungeon.

But then she changed her mind and paused. And without turning her back, she said;

“Don’t think you’ve gotten off the hook because the Alpha King showed you mercy. I would make up for the cruelty for the alpha and for myself.”

Kiara was kept in the cell alone for days. She didn’t try to count the days till she was let out.

Her imprisonment was indefinite and the only interaction with sentient life was when Hansel came visiting and she came with her hurtful words and her hatred.

The Alpha had shown her mercy but when she was finally out, what awaited her would be far more dreadful than a few lashes.

“Enjoy these few days of rest, Kiara.” Hansel said. “When you’re finally out, you’d wish for the walls of this dungeon again.”