Alpha's Regret After Putting Me In Jail novel Chapter 37

Chapter 37: Punishment

Chapter 37: Punishment

(Celeste’s POV)

The silver burns throbbed with every beat of my heart, fire racing across my nerves. My legs wavered, exhaustion pulling at me, and the only thing keeping me on my feet was sheer will.

My breath came shallow and quick, the metallic tang of blood heavy in my mouth.

There was a sudden presence beside me–a force so suffocating, so heavy, that my wolf whimpered and shrank.

Marcus.

His hand grabbed my arm, steadying me before I crumbled to the hard moonstone beneath us.

His touch sent a chill through me, but it didn’t carry the cruelty I expected. His grip wasn’t

rough, not the bruising strength he often used to remind me who was in control. This time, it

was firm but careful, almost like he was handling something fragile.

“Stand,” Marcus said, his voice low but commanding.

Every instinct told me to pull away, but I didn’t. I couldn’t afford to collapse, not now, not with

everyone watching. Especially not with Lucas still standing nearby.

I could barely meet Marcus’s eyes as he steadied me. But then, suddenly, his focus shifted.

“Future Alpha of the Winters Pack.” Marcus’s voice erupted across the courtyard like thunder,

freezing every wolf in place. “You dare assault my chosen mate on sacred grounds?”

His words cut through the air, cold and sharp. The crowd instantly silenced. Wolves who had

been whispering seconds ago now lowered their heads, eyes wide and nervous.

Lucas froze, his golden eyes narrowing before realization hit him. His wolf hesitated, the

weight of Marcus’s Alpha dominance pressing down like an immovable force. Slowly, Lucas

sank to his knees, his wolf submitting despite the pride radiating from him moments ago.

“Royal Highness,” Lucas began, his head low, voice tight. “I would never-”

Marcus’s laugh cut him off. It wasn’t warm or amused. It was cruel, sharp, and drenched in

disdain.

“Never?” he echoed, taking a step forward. “You’ve nearly killed her, Lucas. Beaten her with a

silver weapon–on sacred ground, no less.” He paused, his violet eyes narrowing further. “What

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Chapter 37: Punishment

exactly wouldn’t you dare to do?”

Lucas flinched, his wolf letting out a low, pitiful whimper. The dominance rolling off Marcus in

heavy, crashing waves left no room for argument.

Without waiting for Lucas to respond, Marcus flicked his wrist sharply toward his guards.

They immediately moved forward, their dark uniforms a striking contrast against the glowing

moonstone courtyard.

“Hold him down,” Marcus commanded, his voice filled with deadly calm. “Let him feel the kiss

of silver chains until he cannot stand.”

The guards moved with precision, their every movement calculated and efficient. Lucas barely

had time to react before they grabbed his arms, forcing him face–down onto the moonstone

floor with an audible thud. His golden eyes shot wide, his wolf howling in frustration and pain

as the guards held him in place.

“No!” Scarlett’s scream ripped through the tense silence.

She bolted forward without hesitation, her small frame throwing itself across Lucas’s, her

arms shielding him as if her body could protect him from what was coming. Tears streamed

down her delicate face, her emerald eyes wide with desperation.

Her wolf whined loudly, pitiful and fragile. “Please,” Scarlett sobbed, clutching at Lucas with

trembling hands. “Punish me! Punish me instead of my brother!”

The guards paused, uncertainty flickering in their eyes as they looked between Marcus and Scarlett. Even the crowd seemed stunned into silence, Scarlett’s cry reverberating through the

courtyard.

I watched it all from where I stood, Marcus’s hand still steadying me. My wolf whimpered softly, too weak and battered from the beating to do anything more than watch. An uneasy ache grew in my chest, mixing with bitter anger.

Scarlett, always the savior of her family. Always throwing herself into their battles, her tears perfectly placed to draw sympathy. And where was this bravery four years ago? My wolf curled tighter within me at the thought, remembering the cold silence that had sealed my fate

in Moon Shadow Prison.

Marcus’s gaze narrowed as he took a step toward Scarlett and Lucas. His violet eyes burned with intensity, scanning Scarlett, her wolf trembling against Lucas’s protective form.

“For the Alpha’s precious daughter to beg for punishment in her brother’s place,” Marcus sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. “How touching.” His lips curled into a cruel grin, one

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Chapter 37: Punishment

that made the guards stiffen nervously.

Scarlett’s tear–streaked face lifted toward him, her delicate features pleading. “Please, Royal

Highness,” she whispered, her voice breaking. “Please don’t hurt him.”

Marcus tilted his head, studying her with cold amusement before his gaze shifted back to me.

His eyes roamed over my torn, silver–burned arms and bloodied skin. His wolf seethed visibly beneath him, its anger bubbling just beneath the surface.

He looked back to Scarlett.

“Very well.” His voice was quiet, calm, but each syllable carried a vicious edge. Scarlett’s eyes

widened with hope as she clung to her brother.

“If the Alpha’s precious daughter insists…” Marcus’s smirk grew wider, more menacing. “Grant her wish. Proceed with the punishment!”

For a moment, no one dared to move. The guards hesitated, looking between Marcus, Lucas,

and Scarlett, unsure how to proceed. But Marcus’s command brooked no refusal.

The guards raised the silver chains, the moonlight reflecting off their gleaming, polished

lengths.

Scarlett’s wolf let out a pathetic whimper as her arms tightened protectively around Lucas.

Her emerald eyes flickered with terror as the chains hovered, frozen in the air above her.

“NO!”

“DON’T!”

“STOP!”

Three voices shouted at once, their desperate urgency breaking through the growing chaos.

Lucas roared, his golden eyes blazing as he surged upward with a strength born from raw adrenaline. The guards holding him staggered, their grips faltering as Lucas’s wolf pushed

against their restraining force.

He twisted, his arms wrapping protectively around Scarlett, shielding her smaller form beneath his own. His growl was low and menacing as he glared at the guards and Marcus,