Free Web NovelChapter 94: A Compromise
Before Lydia could say anything else, Damon stepped forward and socked her in the jaw. She spun on the spot before collapsing onto the ground, completely knocked out cold from just one hit. I gasped, jumping out of the way as she crashed right beside my feet.
"Peace and quiet at last," he muttered under his breath, his expression as though he was just short of spitting right in her face for wasting his time.
Blaise sighed and shook his head, gesturing to the blood that had flowed out of Lydia’s nose from that hit.
"You stained the soil," he flatly said.
"Just get someone to scoop it up," Damon retorted. "Big deal." He nudged Lydia’s unconscious body with the tip of his boot. "Get your men to check the borders for those fucking vamps. Who knows how many of the camp’s weaknesses had been relayed to those bloodsuckers before she got found out?"
"We should also let Elijah know about this," Blaise added, "They might not attack Fangborne now, but it’s better safe than sorry. He needs to double the patrols and change all our security protocols, safe houses, and what not. Fuck..." Blaise sighed, a hand on his forehead. "This is such a hassle. We just updated our systems."
"Damn right it is," Damon said bitterly, kicking Lydia’s unconscious body to vent his frustration, causing her to be face-planted into the dirt. "This fucking bitch... I should have killed her from the very first meeting to save us the trouble. Now I know."
I swallowed, and my heart felt like it was stuck in a vice grip. Lydia was a traitor― not just to Fangborne, but to all werewolves alike. Was she always like this, always so self-serving? That couldn’t be; I had nothing to my name back in Stormclaw, but she still defended me and befriended me.
A self-serving person would have befriended Aubrey to torment me. Hell, with my new status as Blaise’s fated mate, Lydia should be doing her best to keep me on her side, instead of working to betray Fangborne.
So what changed?
Lydia’s body remained silent, leaving me alone to ruminate on the possible answers. Meanwhile, Blaise closed his eyes, and I guess he was contacting the rest of the werewolves at the border, for I immediately heard doors flung wide open, along with multiple sharp cracks in quick unison as though someone was setting off firecrackers to celebrate.
Every werewolf must have been alerted and now sent on patrol.
I chanced a quick look at Damon, only to catch the stormy look in his eyes as he focused on Lydia’s body. He stomped his foot on the top of her head but then said nothing more.
He must be contacting the rest of the pack.
After the necessary communications were done, Damon entered one of the cabins and emerged with gloves on his hands, along with a long silver chain.
"Tie up your friend," he spat out as though the word ’friend’ was something venomous to him. "Since you’re so adamant on vouching for her, wasting everyone’s time and endangering everyone’s lives, you should be responsible for chaining her up. Make it tight, or I’ll have your head as compensation."
I took the chains in my hands and winced. I was no proper werewolf, but the metal was heavier than expected. This could have chained down a fully functional werewolf.
"Damon, is this necessary? I can do it for her," Blaise asked when he saw me struggle to loop the chain around Lydia’s unconscious body. While I loved Blaise’s attempt to help me, it made me seem like I was so incompetent I couldn’t even do this simple task.
"Don’t you dare help her with this, Blaise," Damon said, casting his fearsome eyes on me as I did my best to mummify Lydia with the chains. "She needs to prove where her loyalties lie. Fated mate or not, I will not accept a threat to Fangborne’s safety."
Blaise nodded, understanding his brother’s rationale. I gritted my teeth as I pulled the chains as tightly as I could, and soon I was done.
"Are you just going to leave her outside?" I asked.
Lydia’s exposed skin was now covered in blisters thanks to the silver chains. I had no doubt she would be in a world of pain once she regained consciousness. Surely they weren’t going to leave her outside like a tourist attraction for other wolves to gawk at? Prisoners deserved some dignity, didn’t they? freeweɓnovel.cѳm
However, I underestimated the brothers’ creativity for cruel and unusual punishments.
"We’ll bury half her body into the ground then," Blaise suggested. "Unless she’s secretly a naked mole rat, she’s definitely not escaping anytime soon. And any attempt would make a lot of noise, alerting us immediately."
"Excellent idea, Blaise" A viscous smirk crossed Damon’s face and I had a feeling things were going to get drastically worse for Lydia. "Since her bottom half is useless, I’ll let my wolves have free reign of her top half then. Whether they want to beat the shit out of her, fuck her mouth, or piss on her, it’s up to them. As long as she’s alive, I don’t fucking care." freeweɓnovel.cøm
My mouth fell open in horror.
"You..."
"What? Are you going to lecture me? Telling me I can’t do this?" Damon asked mockingly. "If so, then you are free to ally with the bloodsuckers like your traitorous friend here, if they’ll even have you."
"I would never betray my fellow wolves!" I exclaimed instinctively.
"You’re not even a wolf," Damon retorted easily. "Maybe I should bury you too, just in case you’re harboring any treasonous thoughts. There’s more than enough land here."
I balled my hand into a fist, ready to let it fly straight into his face. He wanted treason? Oh, I could do treason, and I would start by decking this arrogant alpha in the face. Meanwhile, Damon scoffed, my pathetic attempts not even worth his consideration. He wordlessly taunted me with his icy blue eyes.
Then Blaise stepped in the middle, breaking up the rising tension.
"Damon, stop antagonizing her on purpose," Blaise said tiredly. "There’s no point in us fighting each other over this issue. We’ll be playing right into their hands."
Damon and I quietened down like chastised children.
"What do you say to burying half of Lydia, and then waking her up to begin the interrogation?" Blaise offered. "If she refuses to cooperate, then we’ll let our pack have a full run on her. Is that acceptable to you, Harper?"
I nodded reluctantly, recognizing his question for what it was― a compromise.
Damon scowled but also agreed, and the two men easily dug a hole and buried half of Lydia’s body inside it, as though they were repotting a plant. It was a sight so ludicrous I nearly laughed.
Then, they splashed a bucket of water on Lydia, watching as she sprung back to wakefulness.
"Are you finally ready to talk, Lydia Johnson?"
