Chapter7

My eyes widened in shock, and I gulped. They were sentencing me without even conducting an interrogation!

"No, you can't! This goes against the procedures of Pack Law!" I screamed, struggling as they led me out of the prison, gripping the cold silver chain and collar tightly. It was ridiculous. Phillips wanted to skip the trial and kill me directly to strip me of my position as Luna.

"Shut up! This is the Alpha's command!" They wrapped the frigid silver chains around my feet as well. The contact between the silver chains and my skin burned, yet my wrists and ankles remained unharmed. But with every step I took, excruciating pain coursed through me.

They pulled the ends of the silver chains, forcing me to follow them out of the prison. I stumbled along, and my heart filled with anguish toward Phillips and my fate. I even regretted hesitating in my dream. Perhaps becoming a Devil Wolf was the path I should have taken if the consequence was death. Tears welled up in my eyes, and I blinked rapidly, hoping they wouldn't escape and exacerbate the wounds on my face, causing further pain. I quickened my pace, attempting to minimize the friction and intense pain between the collar and my neck. The weight on my head was unbearable from all these torments. I wondered how Ryan endured the collar and silver chains during his years in captivity. For the first time, I felt guilty towards him.

They led me to the execution site, a place usually designated for werewolves deemed guilty by judges and the Alpha. It was just that I had never imagined that one day, I would stand here.

I ascended the central platform, trying not to let my legs give way beneath me. I had experienced enough humiliation, so I couldn't bear to kneel before them. I looked up at the judgment seat and saw Phillips and Carlee sitting there, peering down at me from their lofty perch. No one listened to my explanations, and no one believed me.

The glaring sun reminded me of another day when a werewolf named James was executed here under suspicion of being a Devil Wolf. At that time, I stood beside Phillips, ignorant and never doubting his actions, only feeling dizzy from the sight of the blood staining the ground. Little did I expect that I would be standing here this time.

I glanced at Phillips in the distance. Our mate bond had already been severed due to his rejection, yet my heart still ached. "Phillips, do you want to kill me like you killed James? I haven't even had a fair trial!"

He avoided my gaze, turning his head indifferently. "I am the one who makes decisions in this pack. If you will consume the Wolfsbane Flower and give up your wolf, maybe I won't kill you."

I almost burst out laughing at his lie. How could I survive while carrying that suspicion after abandoning my wolf and becoming wolfless? At that point, whether it was Richard, Carlee, or any other werewolf, they could quickly end my life.

Whispering, I said, "I haven't done anything wrong and won't give up my wolf." I didn't know if they could hear my words, but I no longer cared. I was prepared to face death, no longer expecting anyone's help or care.

Gamma Richard stared at me, standing up and addressing Phillips, "Alpha, it's time for the execution. Delaying it might lead to unforeseen consequences."

Phillips said nothing, simply waving his hand. The warriors at the side approached with silver knives. That was the execution method for Devil Wolves, a slow, painful death as the silver knives pierced the werewolf's body. I could endure at most two strikes from silver.

My breathing quickened, and fear compelled me to close my eyes despite being prepared. Faintly, I heard Lorraine crying and screaming. I wondered if they would torment her after my death because of our connection.

"Wait," Phillips suddenly called for a halt. "Ophelia, admit your guilt and consume the Wolfsbane Flower, and then you will live."

I opened my eyes and looked at his furrowed brow, feeling even more repulsed. He was not only despicable but also a hypocrite.

"I am not guilty. I have not betrayed the New Mars Pack," I said for the final time.

"Get on with it!" Richard anxiously ordered as if he was afraid that Phillips might spare me. He snatched the silver knife from the executioner and struck me with the first blow.

"Ah!!!" I couldn't contain the scream of agony. As the silver knife pierced my body, everything around me became silent, and I could only feel Alyee's pain through our mind link. The blood flowed out of my body, and darkness enveloped me. So was it what death felt like?

Another knife approached, and strangely, I grew calmer. This would be the second strike, and soon I would be free from this suffering.

But suddenly, a familiar aura surrounded me, blocking the knife and alleviating my anguish. It felt like I was being lifted by a cloud, separated from the scorching ground. The long-lasting ringing in my ears subsided.

"I'm late," I heard a familiar voice say.

The soldier's second knife slipped from his hand during the execution, crashing to the ground with a loud clang. It startled me out of my anxious state, and I opened my eyes, realizing that I had been holding my breath due to anxiety and pain.

I raised my head to see who had saved me, only to find someone unexpected, Ryan. How did he end up here?