I woke up in the Alpha's bed, alone. A fleeting thought of escaping passed through my mind.

"Before you think about escaping, pup, just know I'm in the closet changing," His voice yelled out from the closet.

My eyes widened. Sometimes it was like he could read my mind. I wasn't sure if it was because the mate bond was so strong he could intuitively guess my thoughts, or because he really was the perfect soulmate for me.

How did you even know I was awake? I asked through the mindlink, irate that he could anticipate my motives so effortlessly.

"The change in your breathing, not to mention your heart rate accelerates as soon as you wake up." He answered coolly, stepping out of the closet in nothing but jeans. So much for getting dressed.

I frowned at his answer. How can you hear that?

Alpha Cain smirked, the embodiment of smugness, coming to sit next to me on his bed. "Being Alpha has its advantages, mate."

Will I get those powers when I'm Luna? I asked him, slightly hopeful that at least one good thing would come out of our mating.

Grinning, he reached out and stroked the side of my face with his thumb. "As happy as I am to hear that you've finally accepted your destiny to be the Blood Luna, I'm afraid not, little mate. Only the Alphas get enhanced senses and strength."

I scowled. The Moon Goddess is sexist.

The Alpha did not take kindly to my harsh words. He grabbed my chin, forcing me to look him in the eyes. "The Moon Goddess knows that the Alpha Female doesn't need enhanced powers when their mate can protect them."

I narrowed my eyes, but didn't feel like starting an argument. His explanations still seemed rooted in sexism to me. I wasn't even sure how much stronger Alpha Cain was than me, nor was I even sure if he was more dominating. I felt untamed by him, which unsettled my wolf. For some reason, she felt as though she could only respect him if he was stronger and more dominating than her. I didn't exactly disagree with her sentiments. I knew that I had been pushing Cain so far because he let me, and I didn't respect him for it. A strong female requires an even stronger male to make her submit. The bond was becoming so much stronger between my wolf and I, it was beginning to tell where her thoughts ended and mine began.

"Get dressed," he commanded, releasing my jaw. I hated how he always did that to get me to look at him. "You're going to be be seeing the whole pack today."

My eyes widened. You can't do the Blood Ceremony to complete the mating bond, it's not a Blood Moon.

Alpha Cain rolled his eyes, looking incredibly juvenile for once. "Relax, little mate. It is Blood Lake tradition for all punishments to be doled out in front of the entire pack."

That seems harsh, I commented.

"Oh? You've thrown knives at people for merely looking in your direction," Alpha Cain countered, his eyes hardening. "All Blood Alphas are strict. It is the only way to maintain order. The punishment is always the same, except in cases of severe crimes against the pack."

I realized that Alpha Cain may appear strict to other pack members, he had just been going easy on me. For what reason, I wasn't sure. It's not like I couldn't handle whatever he was willing to dole out.

"I whip them 20 times," He casually stated. "They can either take the 20 lashes, or I will stop when they pass out. Nobody makes it past 10."

I scoffed. 20 lashes is nothing.

Alpha Cain got a dangerous glint in his eyes. "They aren't ordinary lashes, little mate. But do not fret, you will see what I mean soon. We'll see if you're so tough when watching the punishment be inflicted."

Rolling my eyes, I got out of bed and went into his closet to get changed. I had been inflicted with so many different means of torture, he was out of his mind if he thought I would be even slightly uncomfortable watching someone be whipped. His pack was a joke, and so was he.

"One of the maids went shopping for you. The left side of the closet should have something you'd like to wear for the time being. We will take you shopping once I can assume you're no longer a flight risk." He spoke the words lightheartedly, and I suspect he knew that the mate bond would make it impossible for me to leave now.

I picked out a plain black cropped tank top and leggings. To my surprise, there were even new shoes in the closet. Most of them were black, and more focused on function rather than fashion. I wondered if Cain had told the maid my style. I picked out a pair of black running shoes, not knowing quite how the night would end.

After picking out the clothes, I went into the bathroom to change, ignoring Cain while he laid on the bed.

I changed and braided my hair into my two signature braids down my back. I blanched after seeing myself in the mirror. I hadn't really caught sight of myself after being imprisoned, but I could see what Thane and Cain were harassing me about. My cheekbones harshly protruded from my face, and I looked as though I hadn't seen the sun in decades. Obviously my looks weren't ever a huge concern of mine, seeing as how I was disgustingly riddled with scars and missing flesh.

I walked out of the bathroom and Cain was still laying on the bed, his eyes closed. I wondered if he had as much trouble resting as I did while we were apart. Judging from the darkened circles under his eyes, I would wager yes. I was actually rather surprised he had kept me in the cell for so long. I'm sure it required an incredible amount of control for him to do that. I couldn't imagine his wolf was pleased with the arrangement.

Are you ready, pup? Alpha Cain asked through the mindlink, and the sound momentarily startled me, as he usually preferred to speak aloud when we were together.

I nodded. It doesn't sound like it'll be much of a punishment, but sure, let's go see. I wasn't happy that the Gamma was being punished for my actions, but at least the punishment was extremely lenient. More lenient than I would expect from someone who was supposedly the most deadly Alpha.

Alpha Cain opened his eyes and got off the bed, starting to head out the door.

Wait, I mindlinked him panicking. I need my cloak. He must have taken it off me while I was asleep.

The Blood Alpha narrowed his eyes at me in suspicion. "You needn't worry about the cold, pup. I will keep you warm, and so will your pelt." The damned fur pelt was draped haphazardly across the loveseat in the corner of his room.

Please, Alpha Cain. I begged him, needing him to understand. My scars...

His eyes widened as he understood. "I will allow the cloak for now since it will make you comfortable, but your scars are nothing to be shameful of. My pack respects those who fight for what they believe in. And you, little mate, have the most fight I've ever seen in anyone, male or female wolf."

I didn't necessarily feel ashamed by my scars, even though I accepted that they were unsightly. I more so wanted the cloak for the feeling of protection it gave me, and certainly didn't want his pack members ogling at them.

He retrieved my cloak from one of his dresser drawers, and draped it around me. I pulled the hood over my head, and decided not to push him by asking him for my mask too.

Alpha Cain then grabbed the pelt, and I sighed, knowing what was to come next. The dreaded bridal carrying.

Hearing my sigh and noticing my look of disapproval, he commented, "One day you will understand why I do this. All of it is for you."

I shook my head. All I truly wanted was my freedom, not to be paraded around barbarically like some maiden. He should know better than anyone that I am no damsel in distress.

Nevertheless, I let him wrap the pelt around me and pick me up, cradling me close to his bare chest. I inhaled deeply instinctively, taking in his woodsy smell. He smelled like charred wood, an interesting scent that was strangely comforting.

"If you are pretending to be a good little mate just to throw me off so you can escape," Alpha Cain began, looking down at me with soft, dark eyes. "You have become a much better actress."

I put my face into his chest, where he couldn't see the blush spreading across my cheeks. The embarrassing part was, I haven't been pretending this whole time. Anything I had done was because of my primal instincts, meaning that I was attracted to him on some level.

Thankfully, he didn't comment further on the matter, for which I was thankful. He walked us out of the Pack House, and when I looked up from his chest, I could see that we were walking towards a clearing, where a large group of people were waiting.

Let the punishment begin.