My Personal Hell, D. Richardson [ebook reader browser txt] 📗

unharmed. All the while he was yelling at the top of his lungs. Some of the obscenities I had never even heard of before. When the room calmed down again I turned to the audience.

“I call for a vote. Who all believes that this man is guilty of the heinous crimes he has been charged with today?” My voice carried to each and every one of them, and Tom stood there shaking with fear. Then slowly one by one of all of the alpha females and males raised their hands into the air. It was decided, a hundred percent of the vote was for guilty.

I gestured to the man at the door and he disappeared only to reappear with a large trunk. When he set it down next to me, the room was so silent I could hear each individual breath.

“Thomas Ryther, you have been found guilty of attempted murder, rape, child molestation, child abuse, medical malpractice, and disobeying your alpha. As your prosecutor it is time that I dictated your punishment.” It was my turn to smirk, and he wasn’t as good at keeping himself emotionless as I was.

“First I would like to say that I believe the punishment should fit the crime. As I’m sure most would sentence you to death I have something better in mind. Death is too easy. Instead, you will be made to feel inferior to everyone here. You will be defenseless, weak, and you will feel the pain you administered to every girl you had ever attacked.

“Then you will be allowed to heal, before being caged for the duration of three weeks. You will be given food and water, but nothing else. Not so much as company will be allowed to you.

“And third, you fear lone wolves, believing that they should be put down on sight.” He took a hard swallow, and started breathing through his mouth. “I think it’s time you learned what it’s like to be one. After you have recovered from your caging you will be exiled.” I stopped to turn around and the entire room erupted in applause. It shocked me enough that I stopped to look around.

It wasn’t the entire audience. It was all of the females. Every last one of them was clapping for me, while the males were sitting there looking uncomfortable. Sure a couple of them looked on with approval, but not the vindication that the females seemed to feel. Of course, they were all males, and to watch a fellow male be made inferior would only remind them of their own tenuous hold on their domination. After all, it only takes one word to take away their control. ‘No’.

Finally, they settled down and I took in the audience again. There were families with small children sitting in the seats. This wasn’t something that they should have to see. So instead of opening the trunk I addressed them.

“I’ve decided that the beginning of his sentence will be held now, here. If anyone has any small children I suggest you take them outside. This isn’t really something that they should bare witness to.” Several of the elderly woman nodded at me in approval, and some of the young mothers picked their children up and took them out of the room.

While they were making their way out I turned to the girls that were still behind me. After I explained what I had planned, several of them nodded at me in appreciation and understanding. When the doors finally closed I let my voice carry again.

“As I said, the beginning will start here,” I turned to Tom, but let the audience hear my words. “You have been violating young girls for years. You made them scream and cry in pain. You made them bleed and kept going. It’s time they paid you in kind,” I turned to the girls and opened the trunk with a flip of my wrist. “Pick one,” and they did.

Each one grabbed a weapon. The younger ones tended to take baseball bats and clubs. The older ones who had faced his torture longer wanted to feel his bones break, and they grabbed the brass knuckles. After they each had what they wanted, without hesitation or instruction, lined up in single file, youngest first.

And then the violence started. One by one they took out all of the pain, humiliation, and fear that he had caused, and funneled it into their clubs and fists. Then directed it into him. The whole room watched as small twelve year old girls hit him over and over again in the legs and arms. Leaving his torso for the ones using their fists.

He was weeping after just the first one. I was sure she had broken at least one bone in his arm when he had tried to fend her off. Another girl aimed mostly for his back, the chains keeping him from being able to turn to get away from her. Then the older girls took their turns, punching and kicking him in the stomach, chest, and sides.

I was true to my word. He was defenseless, weak, and he felt pain. And I watched. I watched the entire thing, from beginning to end. I hated that something like this had been done. Hated that I was the one that ordered it. But it was no less than he had done to others, and those girls deserved their vindication.

Then, finally, we were on the last girl. It was Kiera and she pummeled him worse than any other. She had brass knuckles on her hands and her fists were covered in blood. But after a few minutes it looked like she wouldn’t stop. Couldn’t stop.

A couple of the enforcers started to step forward, but I waved them back, and stepped up to her myself. I laid a hand on her shoulder and she turned to me with fire blazing in her eyes. I looked back down at Tom and she did the same.

He was laying there, bloody and bruised. If he hadn’t been a wolf he would’ve been dead by now. But he was still breathing, if raggedly, with a rattling sound in his throat. He opened his eyes to stare up at me. It looked like he was begging me to just let her finish him off. But instead I spoke to her. Actually, I wasn’t sure which of them I spoke to. Regardless, the words fit for both of them.

“Death is too easy.” Kiera nodded and turned away to throw the brass knuckles back into the trunk with the rest of them. While Tom started to weep quietly.

At my signal two enforcers came and picked him up, while a third took his shackles off. There would be no trying to run for him. I was pretty sure both of his legs were broken. And besides, even if they weren’t he was too injured to do more than moan in pain. Which he did a lot of.

Once they had him on a stretcher and out of the room a low murmur picked up around the room. I looked around and they were all gathering their things to leave. That was it, no remorse, no horrified looks at what they had just witnessed. Nothing. And it made me sad. So sad that that measure of violence was committed against a man who was chained and unable to defend himself. Even if he had deserved it, there should have been at least a little display of disgust over what had just happened.

I turned away from the spot on the floor that was still covered in his blood and caught a sight that helped to warm my heart. Kiera was standing with her father in a far corner out of the way. He had his arms wrapped around her as she cried onto his shoulder. At least a girl could be reunited with her father. Some silver lining on this dark day.

“Hey.” I turned to see Asher standing unusually close to my right.

“Hey,” was my genius reply. He reached down and gently took my hand. His was large compared to mine, and it was warm and comforting.

“You were great today, really,” he said as he looked down at me softly all I could do was give him a small smile.

I turned to look around and caught sight of Sadler. He was standing by the door and it looked like he was about to leave. I felt myself perk up at seeing him, but he only gave me an encouraging smile, a nod of acknowledgment, and then walked out the door.

 

 

 

Sadler

 

 

 

I watched her throughout the entire hearing. She had been magnificent. I had seen so many trials where the prosecutor lost their temper at the first insult. But she had kept that emotionless look that she was so good at throughout the entire thing.

The look of disgust as she watched everyone get up and start leaving was understandable. It wasn’t easy to accept that that kind of violence was considered everyday wolf life. And the sadness that accompanied that disgust made me realize just how kind she really was. Even though she had ordered that display, she still felt an aversion to it. That’s what made a good alpha. To hate the cruelty and pain that was sometimes necessary in life, but still be able to do what she had to do.

I just started towards her when Asher appeared. They spoke a few soft words and then he slipped his hand in hers. She didn’t pull away, she didn’t act like she was uncomfortable. She just smiled at him.

And that’s when I knew it was over. She had made her choice. It was all for the better really. She was young, well, younger than me. Asher was older than the two of us, but only by a year. And he had more to offer.

He could help her, would be able to give her more than me. He could make sure she was taken care of. Give her a family and surround her with people that love her. It was what was best.

When she caught sight of me, her eyes brightened like they always did. They brightened with friendship and caring. I didn’t want to give up on her. But instead of telling her that, or telling her anything, I smiled, nodded and left. Left her to a life that was better than I could ever provide. I truly wished her the best, and it tore me apart.

Part Two

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Life

Chapter 16