Her Forbidden Mate

Punishment

Punishment

"I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to startle you. I just figured it wouldn't be proper for me to just let you slip away without getting your name.

Camelia's ear's peeked up at the sound of his voice, immediately recognizing it. He was the vampire she had spilled wine on. But what was he doing here. She heard that vampires were ruthless creatures.

Was he perhaps here to punish her for her mistake.

She was too scared to even register the second part of what he said. She gulped

"I think I need to start heading home now. My mother must be worried sick by now," she said trying to slip away, but the crude Vampire slammed both his palms on tree caging her in-between his grasp.

"Now, now. There's no need to be rude."

Camelia could feel as every warning bell in her head began to go off. How did she always manage to get herself tangled up in situations like this. Alone with a most likely psychotic Vampire.

"Get away from her Thomas," A deep, hard voice said from behind the male Vampire, startling even her.

"Shit." She heard him cuss as his nails dug into the tree bark before he pulls away from her, taking a few steps back.

"Till we meet again, monchere," Thomas said giving her a low bow, before vanishing into the night.

Camelia finally exhaled her long held breathe, cold air floating out from her mouth like mist. She looked forward at the direction where the man's voice came from, his dark shadowy figure lazily leaned against a tree.

"Thank you." she said in a low voice, but he didn't respond to her.

She couldn't figure out how he could have instil such fear in that vampire, but she had no intention of waiting around to find out.

"Bye now, odd man looming in the shadows," she said, holding her wig tightly, as she spun around, only to bump her face on the tree behind.

She apologized to the tree like a little fools, before heading on her way, not daring to glance back as she could feel the inexplicable gaze of the man on her, burning into the back of her head like a hot furnace.

Once the Camelia was gone, out his sight and scent, Ian stood straight, striding forward. His eyes settled on a small piece of clothing on the ground, and he bent down on one knee, picking it up. It was a blue scarf, entirely covered with the scent of that girl.

Still wearing the solemn look he had the entire time, he shoved the scarf into his pocket and rose back up. He glanced towards the building where the ceremony was being held for a short second, before turning around and walking deeper into the woods. Ian was not the type who liked social gatherings unlike his younger brother Thomas who relished in them.

Speaking of Thomas, Ian's eyes darkened slightly. He would have to teach his brother a lesson or two later.

....

Sneaking into the house was the easy part. Now Camelia had to sneak back up the stairs and into her room, without alerting her sleeping mother who was cozy resting on the only couch in the sitting room.

As she picked a step, the wooden floor squished under her feet, and she immediately held her breath, her eyes snapping towards her mother when she noticed her stir in her sleep. Camelia waited for a moment before continuing on her slow, silent steps towards the stairs.

On reaching the stairs, she climbed up quietly, making her way to her room.

She sat in a plop on her bed, taking off her shoes and tossing it to the side, before proceeding to fully wiping the makeup on her face. Her thoughts drifted back to man who had scared Thomas away from her. She had a feeling that he must also be a Vampire.

For whatever reason she couldn't explain, she felt some kind of familiarity with him. Like they had met before. Camelia chuckled at her stupidity.

‘if you had met a vampire before, you'd know.’

Deciding not to over think the matter again, she began to strip off her clothes. She needed to get as much rest as she could tonight.

If Alpha Caden was punishing her tomorrow, then she couldn't afford to show up with dark circles under her eyes, and look weak in front of him and the rest of the pack.

She wasn't going to give her enemies that satisfaction.

….

“Move it you sickening vermin!” The man spat at Camelia, dragging her forcefully through the doors of council meeting hall.

“Ouch, you don't have to hold my wrist that tight,” Camelia winched in pains from the man's crushing grip.

She had just awaken that morning and was just about to have breakfast with her mother, still in her nightdress, when their door was knocked down without any warning. Two large men came into the house, one after the other.

They dragged her out from the house, despite her mother's pleas and attempts to stop them, they shoved her to the ground and took a trashing Camelia into the vehicle parked outside, driving towards the council hall.

As the earlier events replayed in her head, She looked around, to meet the disgusted gaze of the pack members. The hall was filled with them, all here to witness Camelia's peril. They whispered amongst themselves, discussing what great punishment the thought she deserved.

“They should have her foul tongue removed from that cursed mouth of hers!” A woman shouted from the crowd as Camelia was dragged past her.

She looked forward, and there they sat; The Alpha, The Luna and their four wise advisors, or as she would describe them… hateful bastards.

Reaching where they sat in their high seats, the man dragging her, forcefully pushed her to the ground on her knees. As though he was submitting her to her doom.

The oldest man amongst the advisors was the first the speak.

“Do you know why you've been summoned here, miss Bishop?” he said, adjusting the glasses lying on the bridge of his nose, to give her a proper glance.

The crowd turned silent, all wanting to hear how her punishment would be served. They didn't need to know what crime she had committed or if she even committed one.

Camelia looked up at him, with a sarcastic smirk.

Summoned?, they broke into her home, and dragged her here. Was that his definition of a summoning?

“Dunno. Because I'm prettier than the young w***e you keep at home,” she replied, brushing her hair behind her shoulder with a shrug.

The crowed gasped, more whispers erupting. The elderly man's face turned sour with rage, his saggy cheeks turning hard as his weak teeth gnashed against each other.

“Silence!!!” Alpha Caden ordered, his voice hard and thundering.

Fearing to enrage their Alpha, the crowd turned silent immediately.

“Camelia Bishop, you stand before the pack and me today to answer for your crimes against me,” he paused, hoping to see some kind of reaction from Camelia, but to his disappointment he got none.

His face hardened even further as he continued.

“You forbade you from attending any and all pack event, but you ignored my words, when you managed to sneak into the welcoming ceremony last night, and assaulted an Ally of mine. Not only a few days ago you had also attacked a member of my pack. And today you even insulted one of my advisor,” Alpha Caden said, this time not even glancing at her as he spoke.

‘Assaulting an ally,’ Camelia thought to herself in confusion.

She could not recall even interacting with anyone…unless he was talking about the wine incident with that Vampire. That was hardly an assault.

She wasn't even surprised. She just needed to hear her punishment and be done with it.

“Why don't I let you all, decide what her punishment should be,” he said to the crowd.

“What is she deserving of, for feeding off our pack and spitting on ours faces!!” Alpha Caden rose to his feet, his eyes sweeping across his people, as he further provoked them with his words.

The crowed turned into a rowdy mess, some people screaming that she be flogged, some saying she be beaten, while others saying she'd be starved like a dog.

Standing with pride, Alpha Caden watched and listened with satisfaction before making his decision.

“Miss Bishop will be dragged through the streets and flogged till sun down.” he gave his decree, as the crowd cheered on.

Camelia clenched her palm, her knuckles turning white. She was terrified, terrified of the pain she was going to receive. But she couldn't show them her fear here, she wouldn't.

The man who had brought her here, came forward and pulled her up to her feet, striking her across the cheek.

It was then she finally looked around, searching for her only friend, even though she knew he be here to to watch as his father damned her to such a cruel punishment.

But her gaze unexpectedly caught a man standing by a corner, just behind a piller. She knew she had seen him somewhere before, but she couldn't recall where. He smiled at her, as his thumb came up to his throat and made a gesture like he was slitting his neck.

'Who is he?'