The Eclipsed Life of Luna Mischa (by Jennifer Francis) novel Chapter 31

2doshment Dished Out

+25 Points

Punishment Dished Out

“Kneel Anthony. Let’s lay out your punishment for the pack to hear,” Elder Allen stated, and Anthony nodded and knelt once more on the floor before her.

“For opening Luna Mischa’s suite door and putting her at risk of others coming for her, the disrespect of taking Luna Christy into Luna Mischa’s suite during her heat. That will be 10 lashes, then you will receive five lashes for each heat you knowingly and willingly allowed your Mate and Luna to suffer alone and were not mating Christy at the time.

“Four of them, you stated that is 20 lashes, 30 in total, but then you pleaded for Christy’s lashes to be rescinded and, in doing so, show favoritism of one Mate over another, so those five lashes are hereby removed from Christy and given to you in her place,

“Only they will be dished out with a silver barbed cat of five tails to give you a permanent reminder of your wrongdoing on all accounts. They will be dealt out to you by Luna Mischa herself.”

There was a full–pack wide gasp rolling through the room at those words. They all knew a Mate lashing their own Mate meant it could destroy the bond and tear them apart, and what that could mean for this pack; that she and Anthony could be over the moment the punishment was done.

“You will be placed on the shaming post alongside Christy for a further three days. Those lashes will be dished out today in full a total of 35 lashes 30 to you and your wolf, and then 5 after you’re healed to have you scared by those 5 only.

“But it doesn’t end there for you. Your crime is no less than Christy’s, so we, the Elders, declare for you to remain there on that shaming post. As the Alpha of this pack, you must show true remorse if you want Luna Mischa to stay here and not reject you. This will be done by you staying on that shaming post for a further nine more days, where, during that time, you will receive 10 lashes every eight hours to mimic the ever–increasing pain you made your own Mate and Luna, and her wolf suffer.

“Nine days, because it was in fact nine bouts of heat, she was made to suffer alone, four of them willingly made to do so, at your own hands. Luna Mischa, do you agree with this as being a good fair judgment and are you willing to accept punishing your own Mate and Alpha in such a manner? Or do you want us to unseat him and banish him as we, the Elders, would have done if you’d already had an heir to take over at this time,” Allen asked her.

“I agree with the lenient punishment,” she stated simply. “He broke my heart and our bond is now… fragile at best due to what he and his other Mate, Christy, have done… I see no way to forgive him for his unfounded accusations, and his willingness to harm me in such a manner,

Punishment Dished Out

+25 Paints

other than to let him feel how it felt; to have the one you love… intentionally inflict harm upon

you.

“So, I will give him the harshest of lessons, because I feel at this moment in time, it’s the only way he’ll learn not to do it again. That he too must understand the utter ugliness and true ramifications of his own actions; just like he showed to Luna Christy… They must be punished in the same manner as each other. By their own Mate to know they are not above reproach.”

She repeated Anthony’s own words to Christy, to show him it wouldn’t be wise to do this again. “This will be the only time I accept a betrayal like this. I will simply reject him and leave this pack if it happens again, regardless that I am his Goddess–Gifted Mate and Luna.” She stated for all to hear what she would do if he opted to leave her heat unattended yet again. Just to tend to Christy’s.

“Now,” Elder Allen stated, “Let’s hear the formal apologies from Alpha Anthony and Luna Christy which must happen for them not to be de–ranked, rejected and banished from this pack. Then we’ll move this to the shaming posts and get on with the actual punishment… You two apologize to Luna Mischa before the entire pack,” Allen stated.

Mischa stood and looked from one to the other as she waited for that apology. Anthony was the first to do so, “I am deeply sorry, Mischa, for not only the heartache I have brought to you, but the pain I also caused you and Laud… I can not explain my actions in any acceptable way that will be satisfactory to you, your wolf, the elders or the pack… I can only apologize, I am truly sorry, it will not happen again.” He stated regretfully and then bowed down to her until his head touched the floor.

She said nothing at all, because what was there to say? Other than she didn’t believe him even here and now before the Elders and the pack, she didn’t believe he wouldn’t leave her heat unattended once more in favor of Christy’s heat. Though she did believe he’d never walk into her office and accuse her of intentionally harming Christy ever again.

This here and now showed him just that, she wasn’t out to harm his other Mate, and she would in fact use everything and everyone inside this pack to investigate and prove her innocence as well. He wouldn’t be willing to come up against that ever again, she didn’t think,

because he’d not survive it a second time.

The Elders would unseat him and banish him from his own pack for being so disloyal a second time. Once was a mistake, but twice, that was an intentional choice. She knew that. He knew that, and this here and now, his vows to the pack. If he broke them, they would also never trust him again either.

Likely, even now, he was going to be watched by them for months to come. It wasn’t going to be a nice thing for him to have to deal with, but he’d brought this on himself and had no one

Fondiment Dished Out

to blame for it other than himself and Christy.

+25 Points

Her eyes moved to Christy, and she looked more than annoyed by all that had gone on, but those words of the Elders meant if she didn’t formally apologize, all that leniency Mischa had granted here today, would see both her and Anthony banished and although Christy would still be his Mate, his one and only Mate.

She’d no longer be a Luna to a pack, de–ranked by the Elders as Anthony would be, so out there as rogues together but hold no power and have nothing to her name. Something like that, him losing his pack, and first Mate by force, over Christy’s words and actions could in fact see him turn on her once they were banished from the pack.

She also didn’t think Christy was willing to give up being here and wanted to be mated to the Alpha. She could do nothing right now, but accept it and apologize even if she didn’t want to.

Mischa saw Christy turn her eyes down to the floor. “I’m sorry, Mischa, I never meant for all this to happen.” She stated, and Mischa bet she really hadn’t either. That wasn’t an apology for her, it was just her admitting she’d not foreseen the outcome was all and regretted her actions, knew now that she’d underestimated Mischa completely all these years.

There was no bowing down like Anthony had done, and the pack yelled at her to bow down to the floor and show full sincerity. She watched as Christy’s hands balled in her lap and, after 10 seconds of the pack yelling at her, she bowed down, snapped herself forward hard and fast as if she’d been made by an Aura to bow down.

She cried out as if in pain and then sobbed. “I’m sorry, Luna Mischa.”

Mischa watched as Anthony turned and looked at Christy, a frown on his face. She was kneeling right next to him and if someone flooded their aura over her, he’d have felt it himself, “An extra day on the shaming post for that performance.” Anthony snarled out.

Christy’s eyes turned wide on him, and he stated, “If you want to play that you were forced to bow down, you should really think about who is kneeling next to you and would have felt it as

well.”

“I didn’t.” Christy sobbed. “I just wanted the pack to see I mean it, so I made sure they all knew I touched the floor.” Her tears were rolling down her face and there was blood coming from the place she’d cracked her head on the floor.

Anthony turned away from her and said nothing, and Mischa saw a brief flash of annoyance cross Christy’s face. She’d been aiming to gain sympathy from Anthony. Only right now, there was none to be had. He knew why he was here and who had started this battle; it wasn’t Mischa.

“Haul them up,” Elder Ray stated, “Let’s get the actual punishment underway. There are

Funchiment Dished Out

+25 Points

lashes to be dealt out, 55 of them, I believe, and then 5 more at lunchtime. The pack is required to watch in full, so you are all aware that we, the pack Elders, will seek justice for crimes committed against our own regardless of rank.”

Anthony walked by himself with Dereck, their Delta’s hand on his arm. No force was needed at all. Christy was hauled up by Kendrick and Paul and that she–wolf tried to dodge Paul’s hand. He shook his head and dropped his hand, “What don’t you want me to feel, Christy?” he asked.

“Nothing, you’re only here for Mischa, you don’t care about me, so I want nothing to do with you,” she stated.

“Is that your wish, Luna Christy, that I am no longer your Gamma at all. Because I helped to investigate and prove Mischa did nothing to you, or is there simply something else you don’t want me to feel out by laying hands on you?” he asked. “It might be too late for that. I’m a good Gamma and can read well between the lines. But as you wish,” he stated.

“You didn’t even try and help me when I left that suite, you were only there for Mischa.” She bit out.

“Oh really, would you like that investigated? I believe you told me you didn’t need me had Anthony to help you. Sent me away,” Paul stated and smiled at her. “Why, I wonder?” he asked, “Because I might have felt all you did before you could put it into motion.”

Mischa shook her head that she–wolf was too self–centered to know when to keep her mouth shut. Kendrick hauled her away and Paul sighed and shook his head. She fell into step with him but said nothing at all. She knew that’s exactly why Christy hadn’t wanted Paul to lay hands on her that day. He’d have felt everything going through her mind, likely have gotten that she’d willingly injected herself with her own pheromones to create her own heat even.

That was likely the very reason she didn’t want him laying hands on her now as well, because she felt stupid for putting that plan into motion, only to find out Mischa was on birth control, and so it wasn’t at all needed. She’d suffered at her own hands, and for no reason at all.

6

Comments