POV
Stone

"Pup, you don't have to do this. Soren doesn't even want this." My Pop was standing in front of me talking. He might as well have been saying blah... blah... blah because I was done listening. Two days after Soren's dad stormed into the packhouse demanding a floggin, I was seated in my office, awaiting the council's arrival. My Pop's was trying to get me to call off the flogging. But I didn't want to.

No, I didn't want to, Soren made it clear that he felt violated by my mark, and pack law was very clear on the issue. Anyone guilty of marking their mate without consent; should be flogged by a member of the high council and should receive no less than twenty-five lashings and no more than one hundred. I was worried, sure, but that didn't mean that I was going to back out. No... No, I wanted Soren to see what he had done. "Pop, I'll be fine, I made sure Uncle Phil will be on hand, he'll be there to heal me. I want Soren present, you make him watch. Promise me." I said.

"No, Pup... This is bullshit, you know they're sending Grahams, that son of a bitch is a monster and he will definitely drag it out." He said. "Let him, Miro will be in control. He can take it." I said. I wouldn't let my dad change my mind, even though looking in his eyes, I could see what this flogging would do to him. He would suffer with me, but... My mind was made up. "You know what?! You and your mama are just alike so fuckin stubborn, call this mess off Stone!" He yelled. "No, I want Soren to see what he caused. I want him to watch as Grahams dulls out my lashings, Soren will know it's his fault. Plus it'll clean my record, he won't be able to play the victim." I explained.

My dad sighed, then he stopped pacing what use to be his office and he came and sat in the left tall-backed chair in front of my desk. "He is the victim, both of you are. This is my fault, okay?! The day Soren had that talk with your mama, he told him... He told him that Caleb's mate believes that when I rejected your mama, it sent out some kinda karmic ripple, and to fix it... To fix my mistake it cost something and that something is you and Soren's ability to have kids. My mistake cost Soren his original wolf, so you can-can't take that floggin. You don't deserve it." He said.

"Pop, I don't believe in fate, and your choices, your mistakes, they are yours and whatever you did had no effect on Soren and me," I explained. "No, even the Elders said something would be sacrificed. Your grandmother warned Lucas. I-Pup... I'm sorry." He was actually crying. My father never cried. "Go be with ma, Luna, and Charlie. Make sure Charlie stays in the packhouse. I had Hiltman get me an old fashioned floggin, but I think Charlie is going to try and cause some type of trouble, he thinks it'll get me out of this mess." I said. Old Fashioned meant just an Elder, my parents, and Soren's.

"I don't like this." He said, getting up and heading towards my office door. He looked back at me once more, then walked out. I sat there thinking, but that was swiftly interrupted by Caleb, he linked me, frantically telling me to get outside, that my cousin Jaka was finally winning a match. Without hesitation, I took off to the training fields. Jaka is a year younger than Charlie, he's my aunt Lucy's only son, he's a potential Beta, but Uncle Forest thinks he may have some powers from being half Enchanted.

He like the other teenage wannabes train constantly, constantly sparring and Jaka though full of fight, isn't that great with his hands or his wolf. So I had to see it. I raced down the back stairs and out the back doors off from the kitchen. I must have looked like a fool running through the back south fields.

# # #

I got to the south training fields and found thirty pups ranging from twelve to fifteen, they were seated, watching as Jaka and this kid named Byron faced off. Jaka's face was red, and I was sure he'd been crying. He wasn't crying because he was soft, he just got easily frustrated. I walked over ignoring the whispering from the pups, in awe of their Alpha, they were Caleb's responsibility, so they rarely had one on one contact with me. It was common in a pack with over six hundred members.

It was a matchup between Jaka and Byron, Byron was at the top of his age training class, he's a potential Beta and if Caleb doesn't have a Beta for a son or daughter, his title would most likely go to Byron. The blonde boy circled Jaka, he wasn't charging him, he seemed cautious.

Caleb spotted me and made his way over, "SJ... Man, you will not believe the move Jaka just pulled off." Caleb said. I stood watching, watching as Byron finally made a move. He swung, and Jaka tried to dodge but he mistimed it, and Byron's knuckles connected with Jaka's chin. He went down with a shout, and Byron backed off. "Jaka pack it up... Beta Sir, can you give me someone else, I need a challenge," Byron said. I could hear the other pups snickering.

Jaka had his hands in the dirt, sweat was pouring down his face. I thought he was crying again, his hair was hanging in his face. "Get up, man! Goddess, he's such a crybaby... No way is he a Beta." Byron said, and more kids snickered. Jaka looked up and I felt dread, his eyes were fully black, but there was also something golden in them. To the younger wolves and even to Caleb it went unnoticed, but I knew that golden twinkle. It was ma'jek passed down to the Enchanted race through birthright. I went to intervene, thinking I could end it before something happened.

But as I went to speak, Jaka yelled, and the earth around us trembled. "SHUT... UP!" He bellowed, and a wave of energy knocked all of us to the ground. Jaka was panting, his eyes set on the only person still standing... Byron. Jaka stood there, his hair lifting off his head like he was charged with static. His fist we're balled at his side and all I could think to do was to scream down the Pack-link for uncle Phil. Byron was shaking at the sight of Jaka, at that moment he wasn't a potential Beta rising through the ranks of his pack, no, right then Byron was just a fourteen-year-old kid.

"Whose a crybaby now?!" Jaka asked, his voice deep like an adult wolf, but only seemingly so because of the raw power behind it. Byron went to his knees baring his neck. The ground shook again, and finally, Uncle Phil appeared. "Jaka!" He yelled, getting no response from his son, who held a predatory gaze set on Byron. Uncle Phil whispered something and Jaka slumped sideways against his father. The energy that seemed to turn around in the air just vanished. "Come on Jaka, get up... Come on," Phil said, and Jaka lifted his head up, opening his eyes.

"Apap.{Papa}," Jaka called, shaking his head, clearly still confused. "Phil, take him home, and until you are sure he has whatever that was under control... I think you should keep him at home." Caleb said. Phil nodded and turned leading Jaka back towards their house. "Good job today Jaka!" Caleb called. then he turned and faced the group of pups.

"You are all potential beta's, that means when I step down if I have no beta children of my own, one of you will be the next Beta. Taunting and bullying your own pack mates is a sign of immaturity and should I see another display like the one you all showed today. I will personally step into the pit with each one of you, am I understood?!" He shouted, and the pups quickly agreed. "You are dismissed!" He shouted, before turning back to me and taking off his serious Beta face.

"So the floggin is today, are you ready?" He asked. "Fuck no, but it's what it is. Soren feels like I hurt him, and I want to make that right. What about you?" I asked. "Cole is... Difficult, he's a C-type, some sort of evolved human, and outside of his heat, he's frigid... Afraid of something, and I can't even get inside his head, he's psychic and his head is like Fort Knox, he even knows when I'm trying to break inside his mind. Now every time I touch him he cringes, he agreed to stay with me, but we aren't connecting right." He explained.

"I don't know what to tell you, the mate I thought I would spend the rest of my life with, doesn't want me anymore, and all because we can't have kids, who even wants to have kids?" I asked. "Maybe you will one day, and that probably scares him. Have you tried lifting his self-esteem?" He asked.

I was answering, and he was listening but also I was watching as a group of people led by my father came from the treeline of the east woods. "Caleb, go tell Phil the council is here. And I'll see you tomorrow." I said, and he nodded. "Luna keep you." He muttered his blessing, leaving me and heading off.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

POV
Soren

I watched Caleb as he walked away from Stone, and headed into a treeline. We were approaching Stone, the high council wanted to go and find him themselves, mostly because of the high council member, Lord Jelal Grahams, the guy looks no more than thirteen but he's hundreds of years old. He was born on Earth but raised in the other world, up until that day I had only heard of him through word of mouth. He was everything rumors made him out to be.

He wasn't very tall, he had a heart-shaped face and a cold demeanor. His hair was jelled and styled in a professional look. He would be considered adorable if he were a real kid and not an ancient werewolf, with a black heart.

"Is this the accused party?" Grahams asked my father as we approached Stone. "That's him, Jelal." Answered Elder Shore's, she was now the oldest pack member, Elder Dukes had apparently died five months before Stone caught me. Shore's hair was now fully white, but it was still in the same tight bun. She was older looking but still, she didn't look to be pushing a hundred and twenty.

"Esmeralda, I wasn't speaking to you. I asked the accuser's father. I'm not exactly sure why you're even here. This matter is above your rank." He spat, "Jenkol, Kelmin. Collect the accused." Grahams said to the two tall dominating women with him. They weren't werewolves, they weren't humans, I couldn't tell you what they were aside from close to nine feet tall, muscular and female.

The two women walked over to Stone, he didn't fight when they took him, they practically dragged him pass me and my heart wanted to explode. They took him quietly through the western treeline. "Lord Grahams, may I speak with you?" I asked, the kid looking monster set a glare on me. "Esmeralda, take the others and follow my guards. Now!" He shouted when she didn't move. "What happened to you?!" She hissed, her eyes suddenly alive with fire.

"You happened! Now go." He said, and she nodded to my parents and Stone's parents, they followed her and no one said a word. Grahams watched over my shoulder as they departed. "I suppose you're wondering what that was all about?" He asked, using a voice that let me know he was the one who wanted to talk about it. "It was strange," I said. "Yes well, Esmeralda and I were mates." He said, giving me a second to get over my surprise.

"When I met her I was already two hundred years old. I asked her to run away with me, she was fifteen. I would have given her anything, but she wanted to grow old, rise in the ranks of this pack. So I rejected her. I dare say it changed us both. Anyway, what did you want to talk to me about?" He asked, his voice going from gentle and soft to angry and firm.

"About my mate, Sir. Stone didn't exactly mark me against my will, not in the full definition of the words." I stated. "Are you saying you made false accusations, let me remind you the penalty for such a crime would be ten lashings with an aconite whip." He said. "Sir, I didn't ask Stone to mark me, but I also wouldn't ask for him to be flogged," I said. "The order is already in, Stone Brickston Junior will receive eighty lashings." He said, his eyes holding no pity. I couldn't let Stone take eighty lashings with a whip laced with Goddess knows what shade of aconite. "He didn't mark me without consent," I said, and he nodded.

"Then you will answer for your crime." He said, approaching me and grabbing my forearm. His grip was stronger than even an Alpha. He dragged me forward, taking me undoubtedly to be punished.

# # #

I stood in front of Stone and I's parents, Elder Shores, the two women, and Stone. They all looked surprised by the tight grip that Grahams had on my forearm. Stone Lucas Brickston Jr, step forward." At Graham's words, the two gargantuan women released their grip on Stone.

He walked forward and Grahams pushed me forward, the two ladies grabbed me, and my parents immediately started asking questions. "Silence... It has been revealed that the accuser, Soren Bently bore false witness against the accused, Stone Brickston. Charges against the accused are dropped." Grahams stated. "With that said, Soren stands guilty of bearing false witness against his own Alpha. As punishment, he will receive ten lashings with an Aconite whip." At his words, one of the women let go of Stone, walked over removing from her waist a leather looking bag.

"Lord Graham's, I'm not sure what my son told you, but believe me. Stone marked my pup without consent. Soren is covering for him, and I don't know why." My daddy said, his gaze falling on me. "Baby, tell the truth. He marked you without consent didn't he?" Mama asked, I just looked down, not meeting their eyes. "Be that as it may, Soren confessed and he will be punished." Graham's said, snapping his fingers. The women left Stone and approached me the took ahold of me and walked me over to what can only be described as a whipping post.

As I went with them I could see Graham's removing the whip from the leather bag, it was a dark shade of purple, and with the eyes of a werewolf, I could see thorns poking out. "Yes, I can see you've taken notice of the Aglorn ( A poisonous flower) thorns. They'll make sure this punishment will stick with you for a few weeks." Graham's said.

"Lord Graham's Arthur is telling the truth, I marked him without consent, and I am fully prepared to accept my punishment." Stone said, his voice shaky and panicky. "He's saying that because I'm his mate, he didn't mark me without consent. He's lying." I said, keeping a strong voice even though tears were falling down my face, as the taller darker-skinned behemoth of women pulled me against the post, using huge old-timey looking cuffs to chain me to the post. "I have spoken, and by the authority given to me by the kings of the three kingdoms, Crescent, Al'limas, and Hemn'o. Soren Bently shall be flogged as is the law." When he finished speaking the women, ripped my shirt and the air hit my back, I shivered.

Then pain like I never felt scored throughout my entire being. My head spun as the thorns cut through my flesh, the whip opening my skin. I didn't even scream, it was as if the sound was trapped, or maybe my vocal cords were frozen by shock. Then came the second and the scream found its way out, a shrill wailing sound. My back felt doused by flames, I was blinded, I pulled against the cuffs, I couldn't hear anything. Not until I was able to calm down slightly, only because the third strike didn't come.

I blinked away tears opening my wet eyes to see the women being lifted into the air and forced upwards into the sky, their screams entering my ears late, only catching the faint sound of their screams fading. My shackles were unlocked and as they dropped so did I. My dad caught me. I turned and watched Graham's being held in the air. Cole was there, his eyes full of hate. Caleb was trying to calm his down, but the wind was picking up, and the sky was growing cloudy. "Don't do something stupid, come on Choc," Caleb said.

"He was beating him, and you all were standing there watching. Give me a reason not to kill him." Cole said, his voice dark and empty... I never heard him sound so scary. "It's our way, he is a member of the high council, not even from this worl..." Cole cut him off by squeezing his lifted hand into a fist. Graham's shot up into the air, his limps straightening out and hardening, he hung there four limps poked out like a starfish. "He's a broken monster, he enjoys hurting, let me kill him now, it'll do someone some good," Cole said.

"Please, please don't hurt him. He's only like this because of me. Just let him go, I swear he won't be a problem again." Shore's said, and Cole turned to her, his hand dropped and Graham's dropped with it. "Go with him, take him and leave this world, find a man called J-Jemu. He will give a gift and the chance to fix your mistake. Get up Jelal, go and when I see you again, as I know I will, I expect your heart to be lighter, if not I'll crush it." Cole warned and Graham's scrambled over to Shore's. The women hadn't come down.

"Sor, baby are you okay?" Cole cooed, running over to me. My parents let him and he went to his knees rubbing my arm. "It's okay." I whimpered. Stone's parents walked off, both of them mad at my parents for pushing for the flogging. Shore half-carried-half-dragged Graham's away. Stone stood over near Caleb, and when he approached me, my dad stood up and released a powerful growl. "Stay away from my son, ever since the day you chose to let that wolf into this world, you've caused nothing but trouble for my son!" My dad roared. Stone looked down at me, he nodded, then slowly backed away.

I watched him run off, shifting, his clothes exploding off of him. My heart went with him. I didn't agree with my father, but I didn't have the strength to go after Stone. My back was raging, Aconite and whatever poison were in those thorns coursing through my blood.