Capture

Her small frame strode outside with the air of a queen, her gait straight and her back sturdy. Her head was held high as her curly locks flew around her shoulders. The mass of hair whipping around her face in the chilled air. Still she strode on.

Climbing down the steps she headed for that fateful punishing post. The cataclysmic post of doom. Her horror story with Khan had started there when she had caught sight of his flickering hazel eyes she had known she was in trouble. His eyes had gleamed red for a short second and in that moment she had seen her salvation and also her demise. When she had woken to him she had almost been lost in his feral attraction and beastly energy but the charm of Khan had quickly worn off.

Gliding across the courtyard her feet treaded on the soft grass. The groomed edges smooth against her sandal clad feet. She could see people in the distance a whole crowed of eager wolves with many more trailing outside from the hall. They were silent

As she got closer the heavy beating of drums began a steady thump. The hum of the rhythm singing to her soul. The noise an ethereal connection to her inner being. Leaving any harboured thoughts of jealousy and envy flowing from her mind. Until she felt free. Free and ready to face the stage.

In that moment of transcendence one thing became clear. Khan would never strike her ever again. The silver of the poles gleamed into the night like a beacon. The daunting post groaned in waiting for a body and yet Neema knew it was not for her. she did not know how she could be so sure but that moment when her heart beat in sync with drums she had gained clarity.

The crowd parted for her, their bodies shuffling to the side to create a path for her to follow. A path that led to Khan. As they divided she caught sight of that white haired male, the same one who had administered her lashings, doubling them. Her step faltered as she glowered up at him, her body buzzing with her suppressed fury. Khan really knew how to hit her where it hurt, and looking at this white haired male hurt. He stood in the same spot as he did those many weeks ago. His old wiry frame leant along the wooden podium as his beady eyes followed the trail of her footsteps.

Khan stood beside him. His chest bared in all its glory. The dark brown of his skin luring her in. He could always cause lustful thoughts to arise from Neema, even when she held nothing but hatred for him he still lured with his exotic ruggedness.

His strong jaw was clenched tight. The small nuclear along his cheek ticking with angst. His full bottom lip was straightened into a flat line and his nose flared. His face was stoic, no emotion shone from his face. His eyes leaked with mirth, the situation must be funny to him. Maybe if Neema was in the stage with him and not standing in the front row she could see the hilarity of the situation. As it was not the case she could not smile.

“This woman has been trialled for treason and has been found guilty. She tried to put her unborn child’s parentage on that of our alpha. Dared to claim his seed”

Neema was all for punishing people for doing wrong but this woman was pregnant. There was no way she could stand by and allow these wolves to bear down on her skin when she carried a child in her womb. She did not understand how they could stand by and allow it. As she opened her mouth to speak up the white haired mans next words had her reeling in shock.

“The child in which she never carried. It was a lie, a rise to lure this Alpha into her sneaky grasps. For that she will receive 30 lashes laced with wolfsbane to slow the healing and banishment from all packs, including rogue factions.”

The heavy baritone of it carried a heavily veiled threat as did his cold and calculating eyes as he assessed Neema. he Shuffling behind her caused a wild tendril of fear to flame in her heart. The fire was put out before it could even light at the sight of the woman being dragged to the stage.

“She will be branded with the mark of traitor.”

Her wild straight hair flew about as she attempted to fight the guards. Her legs flaying about as she screamed like a banshee. Her arms tugging as she tried to dislodge their firm hold against her skin. Neema rushed to the side as the birds lifted the reluctant female in the air. Her legs dangling as she tried to find perch on the ground.

Her shoulders shook a cried angry tears. Her face matching the colour of her bought hair.

“You cannot do this to me, I am your mate!!”

Spittle flew everywhere as she frothed at the mouth. Her head shaking about as she tried to punctuate her role, her importance. Her words sent the pack wild, her pack. Their claws stuck out returning with her blood as they sought to hurt her for insulting their Luna.

“That bitch won’t have you, she won’t have you,” her voice carried over the sounds of the drums, her squealing tone disrupting the ambiance.

The guards began strapping her arms above her head as she continued spewing words. The two guards had been assisted by two more as she began kicking violently. Her wild eyes flickered as she scoured the crowd for her victim.

“I had his baby first” she cried as her eyes glazed over. Her body rocking back and forth in her capture. She had entered a realm where no one would be able to reach her. She had become mentally unstable, separating her mind from the land of living to her world of make believe.

Her mouth continued to move as she made soundless chants. Her lips working furiously as she repeated her words as if they were a prayer.

But this was a race who found a perverse joy in the shedding of blood. Whose prowess was showed through the gory deed of fighting. Viscous claws and and snarling teeth, were no myth but part of their everyday life.

A curt nod from Khan signalled the beginning of Leslie’s lashings. The sound of her blood curdling scream rang through her ears as she watched the whip beating down in her skin. The flesh tearing open as the leather lacerated her skin. The tangy smell of torn flesh wafted through her nose, as the leather tore flames through her back.

The stench caused bile to rise in her mouth but she tampered it down. This was a test.

Khan stood in the podium watching her reaction. If she fell to her knees and vomited her stomachs contents like she wished to she would be deemed as weak, by Khan and by his pack. The child in her womb would be looked upon with ire if she could not stomach the mild lashing. Such occurrences were normal in pack society. Neema had been sheltered from it because she was new but, aware she was.

The sounds of the whip tearing into Leslie’s skin fell into the background as she scowled back at Khan. Her brows arching in challenge. She could feel the wolves watching her for any signs of weakness. Leslie was the entertainment whilst her reaction was the main and main attraction. They waited with abated breathes for her to crumble, their human Luna.

If it was not for Khan’s steady stare on her face she would have been sick a while ago but the bond strummed with his comfort. He was feeling self righteous tonight but it did not mean he wanted her to suffer at the hands of his wild pack who would challenge her for weakness. No she would only suffer by him.

Blood trickled down Leslie’s back like a waterfall, gathering in a pool around her feet. The smell of iron drifting into her nose.

She bit hard on her lip to tamp down the contents rising from her stomach. When this show was over she was going to have some firm words with the despicable man she had the misfortune of being mated to.

Standing to the side of the crowd Neema’s leg bounced as she waited for khan’s display of dominance to be over. Her hands twitched at her sides as she picked at the soft fabric of her dress. He was dragging out the whole procedure. The wait frazzling her nerves. Her stomach had already settled as Leslie was no longer being punished the unconscious woman had been dragged through the crowd shortly after as her arm sizzled with her new brand.

The gathering was over, people had began trailing off, some shifting into wolf and going for a run. The blood lust from the punishment to much for them to stay human. Many had made their way back inside or further along the path as in the direction of the compound. There were hardly any people left to witness their interaction but he just silently stood on the podium. His body stiff and stoic.

“You just gonna have me standing in the cold all day or are you planning on moving from your throne,” Neema threw her hands on her hips as she let him see and hear her displeasure.

Khan had a lot of grovelling to, instead of standing around like he was the gods gift to man, he should have been begging for her forgiveness. He jumped off the stage his feet creating a heavy thump as his chunky boots met the ground. Causing dust to fly in the air. His sleek ponytail swung against his back as he marched towards her. His pace lazy as he took his time reaching her, knowing full well each moment he wasn’t in front of her only served to anger Neema further.

“You owe me an apology for trying to leave me, your pup is the only one I am having,” his face smug with the anticipation of his awaited apology.

He was crazy, he had to be if he actually entertained the idea that she would apologise to him. He had to be buzzing off some type of hallucinogenic drug because she would be dead before she said sorry to him.

“And how do you know that? It’s pretty damn convenient if you ask me, “she dared him to try and bullshit her into believing some half assed story. She was never going to be the gullible woman she was with him.

“We physically cannot impregnate two females at one time. Only one female can carry my mark at a time,” his words rung true but they were not the words she wished to hear, they were cold a clinically not warm with professed love.

The answer clarified the mystery of the baby but did not answer if he had slept with that female or not, the doubts had burrowed deep and Neema would not believe anything else that came from his mouth.

Coming from a family who embedded the value of loyalty into her veins from birth, khan’s betrayal would not ever sit well with her. No matter how badly he had treated her she had always remained loyal to him and this irrevocable bond they felt. If true mates were such an important thing to wolves how could he have risked the chance of having his for some second rate female attention.

“Well Congratulations Khan. You don’t have an illegitimate child to worry about. Have a pat on the back,” she mocked, sarcasm dripping from her words. Her stare chilling him with contempt and unveiled anger.

“You still cheated, baby or not. So I can and will still leave you!!” she emphasised as her foot beat down on the gravel beneath her shoes. The rough pebbles grating over her toes.

The baby was only the tip of the iceberg when it came to the whole situation with Khan and Leslie. What killed her the most was the time frame in which he had been with her. Their relationship had been blossoming, of course it was no Lara and Ferron. Sonnets were not being sung and rings were not exchanged but they had begun to build something real. Something tangible and his little rendezvous with the compound tramp was the last straw in a long list of issues. He had known that he had a potential mate and had failed to mention it to her, he had so many opportune moments and had still failed to do so.

He was the same arrogant Khan he had been from the start. He had merely conned her into believing otherwise.

“Neema, don’t anger me! I’m not playing with you”

Khan had that crazed look back in his eyes as he tried to grab Neema towards him. The distance between their bodies was driving him crazy. Neema allowed him tug her by her arms and bring her towards his body, she wanted the closeness even when she was planning on leaving. She could not help her bodies reactions when she was around him.

“I’m not playing with you either! You haven’t told me that you didn’t sleep with Leslie or explained to me why her scent was all over you this morning. So why should I remain loyal to a man who won’t be loyal to me?” her voice had mellowed as she tried to make Khan see.

Of course She was angry but she was hurt more than anything. Shouting and screaming would only show him anger and Khan had dealt with that in so many occasions he would treat this instance the same. This time it wasn’t the same though, what he had done had been a conscious act.

“Neema please, I can’t explain it now but its not what it seems” his eyes were shifty as he pawed at her body trying to bring her closer to him

He made a mistake by not speaking with Neema, he should have been open with her but it was something they could get past. She had forgiven him for attacking her and his brother and he had forgiven her for nearly killing him. Why couldn’t she move on from this.

“If you can’t explain it to me then I don’t have to explain it to you when I walk out of this compound and never come back. You slept with another woman Khan! Why can’t take ownership over that. You fucked up!”

She was slapping at his chest with every word that fell from her mouth, each hit emphasising her point further. She didn’t want him touching her when she was this angry but she could not help herself from touching him. This bond was destructive. It was ruining her sanity.

When he wouldn’t let go she began pulling at his neat ponytail. His head lodging to the side at every forceful pull she made. His large hands wrapped around her nimble fingers as he tried to remove them from his scalp.

“Because I did not sleep with her,” his white teeth were blinding her from the size of his grin he had gone from annoyed to smug in the split of a second. His eyes twinkling with that self assured arrogance that irked Neema’s soul.

“Don’t you lie to me!!” she screeched in his ear.

Releasing his hair, she tried to claw at his smirking face, she wanted to wipe that look off his face. Her nail caught on his bottom lip causing blood to trickle from the cut. Khan heaved a sigh as he pushed Neema away from him. Poking at his lip to see how badly she had cut his lip. His thick tongue poking out to lick the the liquid away.

“Calm down Neema, why would I lie,” he laughed as he bent down to duck from the stone Neema had thrown at his head, the pebble flew over his head and bounced along the gravel.

“I kept seeing her around, her scent clinging to the air in this damn compound but I had never seen her before. I wanted to find out who she was.” He was trying to give her as much information without revealing all the facts but the more information the worse the situation seemed and the more hurt Neema became. Her pain was deeply buried underneath her anger but it was clearly there.

“Well you definitely found out who she was when you were sliding between her legs,” she was beyond angry now she was absolutely livid, he was digging himself a grave.

“And If you didn’t sleep with her then why did you let me believe you di and that she was carrying your pup? Is this your way of getting back at me for rejecting you for so long or are you just incapable of telling the truth? Even when its so bloody blatant” tears unconsciously trailing down her eyes as she shouted back, she was getting angry all over again.

She was not about to cry for Khan not when she had never really wanted this bond like he supposedly had. She was better than this weak and crying woman he turned her into, she had survived worse than some cheating mate. She would get past this.

“No love, I do care. I just...” He stared deeply into her face, all he had ever done was cause her heartache and pain when it was his job to protect and care for her. He had never been good enough for her but he couldn’t let her go.

“She was a temptation to me, but I knew there was more than just her scent. I had to figure out why she was here and when she brought up this pregnancy thing I had to play along but I always knew. I couldn’t do that to you, I value us Neema. I admit I was stupid to go there but I did not do it.”

Her head flopped into his shoulder as the shudders from her crying continued to flow out. His fingers stroked her hair as he tried to stop her sobbing. He whispered words of comfort and apologies in her ear as he rubbed her soft hair and skin. She took his words for what they were, the truth but they brought her no comfort. He still had still gone to her room for whatever reason but more importantly he had lied to Neema. He had broken her trust by withholding information, even now he was secretive in explaining what really happened that night.

“Didn’t do what? Fuck her, sleep in her bed? What Khan?” she questioned, kissing her teeth her eyes rolling as she tried to remain calm but it was impossible. Khan was intentionally speaking in riddles and she was to damn exhausted to try and decipher them. “do you know what, forget it. I don’t care. I’m done.”

He clearly wanted to have his secret so she would let him keep it, he wasn’t worth this aggravation.

“I didn’t fuck her, Neema,” he didn’t but he damn well slept in her bed and he let that deranged female believe that they had been together like that. He had kept Neema in the dark, he still was and for what? The damn male wouldn’t even tell her.

“It does not matter now, shouldn’t have let you believe that I did. I am so sorry love. I’m sorry for a lot of wrong I did to you,” he was sincere for once. His apology meant a lot to her but it just wasn’t enough.

“Okay, you’re sorry. I am too… I’m sorry for ever believing we could’ve been happy. I’m sorry for believing you, trusting you” her frame rocked with her anger but her eyes were alight with sorrow, she would not be swayed from her decision.

“I never asked for your love Khan, just loyalty, trust and respect. I couldn’t even get that. I’m so done,” she was livid, her voice cracking as her tears and the urge to attack him battled against each other. Tears wracked her frame as her fist thumped down across her chest, pounding at the organ he had hurt.

She couldn’t face him, not anymore. How could she when he had thrown her to the side like a discarded flint of wood. By owning up to what he had done he had confirmed what Neema had been thinking for a while. The two were just not meant to be together. His temper and her stubbornness had led them into constant battles with each other. As much as she wanted Khan she did not need the grief he gave her. For the past two months she had felt more pain then she had in the past 22 years of her life. He was poison to Neema’s bloodstream and he came with no antidote.

His words were laced with panic as he pleaded, “What. No, Neema Please. Don’t,” each sentence accompanied by a step forward and as he advanced towards her.

She scattered backwards, her body not turning away from him. Her hands stuck out as she warned him back, feet carrying her further and further away from him as he continued to take small steps towards her.

Turning away from him, she fled from the empty courtyard her hair flying in her face as she scampered across the yard. Khan’s strained voice calling her name trailing behind her.