Chapter 3
1012 Words
Kahlan
Shota's words had echoed in my mind since breakfast. She wanted me to accompany her to the weekly pack meeting. She was convincing, but I was reluctant. The thought of facing the pack, especially Sheldon, filled me with dread.
"Come on, Kahlan," Shota chided.
"Let's show them that their cruelty cannot put you down."
My anxiety was strong, and my fear palpable.
"But what if their taunts get to me again? I can't bear that, Shota."
Shota squeezed my hand gently, her amber eyes filled with determination.
"You're far stronger than you think, and you don't have to face it alone. I'll be right there."
Reluctantly, I agreed to accompany Shota to the weekly pack meeting at the center of our territory. Despite her reassuring presence, I felt scared. The pack, like the world, had always been unkind to me. I always dreaded opportunities to face their scorn.
We arrived late. The clearing was already filled with pack members when we showed up. As if reading my thoughts, Shota squeezed my hand. She offered me a supportive smile as we tried to find a place where we wouldn't draw too much attention.
As we made our way through the crowd, I heard whispers of disdain and mockery. It seemed that my return and pregnancy were the hot topics of conversation among the common folk.
"Can you imagine who's back? Kahlan of them all," the first werewolf quipped.
"And pregnant!" The second one added. "What a disgrace. I wonder why she was let back into the pack. What was Sheldon thinking?"
Tears welled up in my eyes, but Shota kept her reassuring grip on my hand. She kept whispering to me, urging me to ignore the hurtful words.
"She couldn't keep her mate, and couldn't keep her legs together. Nothing but a failure. I'll have to get my husband to talk to Sheldon about her corruptive influence."
Shota leaned in and whispered reassuringly, "Ignore them, Kahlan. We're here together."
I swallowed the lump in my throat, trying to focus on Shota's presence beside me. We finally found a spot on the edge of the clearing, far from the crowd's prying eyes.
Sheldon stood in the center, his posture commanding, as he addressed the crowd. His voice carried over the gathering, but I could still feel my own demons screaming in my head.
Just as I was beginning to feel a sense of relief, Sheldon's booming voice filled the air as he addressed the pack.
"Ah, here comes Kahlan the useless," he quipped.
The words hit me like a punch to the gut, and I felt a rush of humiliation. My cheeks burned with shame as the entire pack turned to look at us, the entire crowd roaring in laughter. When the laughter died down, Sheldon's cruel tone cut through the air as he continued his speech.
"We all know the consequences of promiscuity and worthlessness. Such individuals have no place in our pack. We treat them as outcasts, nobodies. Is that not so?"
"YES!!!" the crowd chorused.
Laughter erupted from the crowd, a chorus of mocking voices that seemed to pierce my very soul.
Shota squeezed my hand tightly, her expression filled with sympathy.
"Ignore them, Kahlan. They're just trying to get a reaction out of you."
I just covered my face with my hands, tears streaming down my cheeks as I turned and fled from the clearing.
Shota followed me without hesitation, her footsteps echoing mine. The laughter and jeers continued behind us and faded as we traveled into the distance. I was painfully reminded of how useless I was.
Was there ever going to be any place in this world where I could truly belong? A place where I could be free from the scorn and ridicule that seemed to follow me everywhere?
Sheldon
I stood at the center of the pack's weekly gathering, addressing the werewolves. My thoughts were still consumed by the unexpected return of Kahlan. I couldn't deny the pull she still had on me, despite my ruthless hostility towards her.
While the words were still in my mouth, she walked in with another by her side.
"Ah, here comes Kahlan the useless," I said sarcastically.
My words were laced with a bitterness I couldn't hide. I watched as Kahlan made her way through the crowd, my eyes locked on Kahlan's figure. She had always been a source of confusion for me, and now, with her pregnancy, that confusion had intensified.
The crowd's laughter and mockery filled the air, directed at Kahlan. I began feeling a pang of guilt deep within me. I had rejected her in the past, chosen another mate, and now, I was contributing to her humiliation.
How could she be so enigmatic?
"We all know the consequences of promiscuity and worthlessness. Such individuals have no place in our pack," I continued, my every word reeking of hate.
The laughter continued, and I joined in, my laughter hollow and forced. But inside, I couldn't shake the inexplicable pull I felt towards Kahlan.
As Kahlan covered her face and ran from the clearing, followed closely by Shota, I watched them go. A mixture of conflicting emotions were swirling within me. Part of me reveled in the satisfaction of having the upper hand, of seeing Kahlan humiliated. But another part of me, a part I couldn't ignore, felt a deep sense of regret and longing.
"Alpha, you really put her in her place," Aelys said, putting a hand on my shoulder. Aelys was my right-hand man.
I only gave him a wry smile in response.
"Don't feel guilty, Sheldon. She deserves it, Alpha," Velaryon concurred.
I nodded, my expression cold and authoritative. It carefully hid the turmoil within me.
"Indeed, she does. We can't afford to tolerate any disgrace to our pack."
The pack members nodded in agreement. My mind kept nagging me — had I made a grave mistake? Kahlan had always been a mystery. Now, her return brought a storm of emotions that I couldn't easily dismiss.
Oh Lawd! What is happening to me?
- Writer
