Thalia’s POV
My heart shattered as Alpha Damian delivered my punishment. Fifty lashes. I couldn’t believe it. Fifty lashes on my back. The weight of his words crushed me, a nightmare unfolding in front of me. All because I defied him, thinking I could save someone who probably didn’t even care about me.
The girls had warned me not to challenge Alpha Damian, but I had refused to listen. Now, I was about to pay the price.
“Lay down,” a guard commanded, snapping me back to reality.
I was already in the courtyard, the place where slaves were punished. It was desolate, the air thick with a sense of dread. The cold night breeze bit at my skin as I looked around, taking in the dark, dangerous aura of the courtyard. It was a place meant to break you, a place that smelled of fear.
“Remove your
