The Alpha Prince's Abused Mate Chapter 181

ALANA

I blinked as my eyes widened in realization.

“Francine!”

I covered my mouth with my hands in surprise when I surveyed her body.

I just really want to make sure that all I’m seeing right now is real.

“You can move now and you can speak now…”

I hugged her so hard in happiness. Somehow, it filled my heart with joy to the brim amidst what I’m experiencing now.

With her being alive, I felt like I found someone to lean on and connect in these times.

“Francine, you are back to your old self! How did it happen? Thank goodness!”

Caressing my face, she smiled at me, reaching her eyes.

“But not for too long, Alana. Not for too long.”

My smile disappeared and my grip on her hands tightened.

Is she going to leave me too? Is that what she meant by her words?

“What are you saying?” I asked, panicking.

I don’t think I would ever move on from William’s death. I don’t think I would ever afford to see another one of my most treasured people leave me.

“H-Have you heard about what happened to W-William?” I asked her after swallowing the lump in my throat.

Francine nodded and wiped off the tears on my face. “Yes, yes darling. I did.”

But my tears kept falling and there was no stopping them. “Francine, William is gone now. He’s… he’s dead…”

Saying the words felt like a damn life sentence too.

“My love is gone for real, Francine. I will never get to hear his voice again. I will never be able to touch his warm skin or see his handsome face again.”

I caught my breath for a brief moment before continuing.

“No one will look at me with the same love that I am always seeing in his eyes and I can never ever look at others the same way that I gaze at him.”

I will forever carry the wound in my heart until the day that I die.

“I lost him for real this time. I lost the only man who wants to burn the world for me. I lost myself to his death too, Francine.”

She reached for my hands and caught my eyes wearing a solemn assuring expression on her face. “Alana, it’s fine. Believe me when I tell you that it’s really okay.”

I opened my mouth to ask her how am I going to be fine and why does she sound too sure of it but an attendant knocked on the opened door.

“Ms. Alana, the alpha king and the queen luna asks for your presence. They will be handing down the punishments to the traitors.”

I stood up nodding. “Alright.”

I glanced at Francine who just smiled at me.

“Francine, I will be back for you. I promise.”

While walking to the hallways where the alpha king is going to hand down the punishment, I was taken back to the happenings after the battle.

They threw Zuleik’s body outside of the walls to rot because he did not deserve to be given a burial while Sophia, Minerva, and Lucas were all caught trying to flee.

Clenching my hands, I cannot wait to hear what’s going to happen to them today. Although nothing could ever be done to appease my sorrow, this could somewhat make me feel that justice will be served.

“We are gathered here today to witness the punishments of the traitors who caused deaths and wreaked havoc to our peaceful place,” the announcer began when I arrived and the queen luna held my cold hands tightly.

“They…” the alpha king’s voice broke before he continued, “They took the alpha prince’s life away from us. They killed him mercilessly by trying to kill the woman he loves.”

He glared at Lucas who kept his bowed head on the floor together with Sophia and Minerva.

“And I never thought that the beta himself would be able to do this. William lost his life in the hands of his own beta.”

The alpha king gasped as his tears began falling. This is the first time that he showed his vulnerability in front of a crowd. He lost his defenses proving just how awfully he’s shattered.

“Alpha king…” his beta stepped in but he only raised his hand to stop him.

“The second you agreed to Zuleik’s plan, you already killed my son! You, Lucas, killed my son! It’s not Zuleik who did that fucking crime! You killed my son who begged me night and day to keep you alive! You owe him your life but you killed him! You killed him!”

Right now, I am not seeing the alpha king but a father to his son who is mourning. Losing a son is the most devastating pain one can ever experience in his lifetime.

“And I will never forgive you for doing that.”

The alpha king returned to his throne while the announcer started reading the punishment.

“Sophia and Minerva, you are all demoted into the lowest rung of slaves. You will be thrown to the mountains where you will till night and day pounding at the rocks. You will be whipped senselessly if you fail to gather enough gold for the day. You will not eat food or drink water until you find gems.”

The two women immediately raised their heads in shock. “No! Alpha king! Don’t do this to us!”

Minerva crawled towards the alpha king but the chains on her feet stopped her from even touching his feet.

“Alpha king, you know we have lived our lives in wealth and comfort. How do you expect us to live that way?”

“What do you mean living, Minerva?” the ueen luna interrupted her. “You will not live at all. You will suffer for the rest of your life. That is the consequences of doing what you just did.”

Sophia cried while shaking her head. They are still in denial in the face of the consequences because of their grave mistakes.

“No… alpha king, please don’t do this to us.” She looked at the queen luna next to me. “Queen luna, we are begging you! Alana, please tell them to not do this to us! We cannot survive that punishment! We are going to die! Are you just going to let us die?! We are your family!”

I did not respond and just kept looking at them coldly.

They are not my fucking family. No family will ever do this to me.

“And if anyone of you try to kill yourself,” the announcer continued, “we will revive you again and again and subject you to more suffering until all you ever know is nothing but pain.”

Both the women just cried and begged until their voices croaked.

“As for you Lucas, we prepared a special punishment for you,” the alpha king said as he stared at me.