Elena’s POV:
The moment my body hit the ground, pain shot through me like fire. My skin scraped against the rough surface, the sharp sting of the dirt and stone digging into my flesh. The pack grounds were cold beneath me, the air heavy with the scent of damp earth and judgment.
I barely had time to catch my breath before I was yanked forward again, dragged like a prisoner through the open space. My arms throbbed from the soldier’s iron grip, my legs too weak to fight back.
The whispers had already begun.
“She deserves this.”
“A disgrace to our kind.”
I flinched as something wet hit my cheek—spit.
Disgust curled in my stomach, but I kept my head down, refusing to meet the eyes of the crowd gathering around me. Their voices were a low murmur at first, a sea of hushed disdai
