Punishment

Back at the Druid Peak pack, the news of Indrik's disappearance spread quickly amongst the council. This news sparked a reaction from them as the search for Indrik began.

The Beta immediately ordered for Indrik to be brought to him the moment he returned, already promising to punish him. The boy had never thought to leave the pack, and he wasn't allowed to. For all the years he had been born, he only stayed within the pack borders, he didn't even dare go five meters close to it.

The news of him truly leaving brought a lot of emotions, and anger was the greatest of them all. All the guards searched around for where they thought Indrik would have gone, even going as far as reaching the popular market where people were known to go.

But what would have taken him that far out? They all wondered.

Beta Green thought that Indrik's search for a master was getting out of hand and he needed to stop him before it got too late.

The figure of Indrik walking back with someone is sighted by a member of the pack and he immediately runs back to inform Beta Green. The unfamiliar face walking with Indrik was enough to create another spark that spread.

Rumors started to spread as they watched them both cautiously.

No one was allowed to bring an unknown person into the pack. This pack was locked off to outsiders, the entrance to the pack hidden so well that it would be hard to find and yet Indrik had gone ahead and brought someone back.

“Beta. Indrik has been found. He is currently walking towards the pack house and will be here at any moment,” The pack member said, breathing heavily as he tried to catch his breath.

“And he was sighted with an unfamiliar person, someone who is not from this pack,” The words of the men held great meaning, making the members of the council to murmur in anger.

Hearing the words of the men, Beta Green folds his fist in anger.

“Bring him to me at once!” He roared out, the whole place shaking violently. No one has dared to bring a stranger back to the pack, and Indrik went out just once and came home with one. Indrik is immediately surrounded by Beta Green's men, making him stop in his tracks.

“What's going on?” He asked them, feeling annoyed that they had stopped him.

“Beta Green ordered for your presence immediately,” They said without even batting an eye. Luna turned to look at Indrik and looked at the men once more.

‘Why were they treating him like he had done something wrong?’ she wondered.

Before she could voice out her thoughts, Indrik held her hands in his, letting the men lead them.

“How dare you leave the pack?!” Beta Green screamed immediately when he saw Indrik, he was just about to say more when he finally noticed the petite girl who was standing beside Indrik. Her face was not familiar but he knew that she was the stranger that they spoke about.

His anger increased tenfold at the stupidity of the boy, every elder present voicing out their thoughts to have him punished. Their pack was very secretive and not everyone could gain access to it and Indrik had led someone else straight to their pack.

‘'If I don't teach him a lesson, he won't ever learn,” Beta Green thought to himself.

He immediately called for a meeting with the rest of the elders, wanting to discuss the right punishment to give to Indrik. They couldn't forget about the girl that he was with. Who knows if she was a spy for an enemy pack?

After discussion amongst themselves, a final verdict is decided, each of the elders voting for it. Indrik stood in the middle of the elders, with Luna right beside him.

Luna couldn't help but look around curiously. Each of the people here seemed to be against Indrik and her, wanting to put them through punishment. She didn't miss the look of scorn and dislike on their faces, each of them directed at Indrik.

Beta Green cleared his throat, demanding the attention of Indrik and Luna.

“We have decided on what both your punishments would be,” He said, speaking as though he was doing them both a favor by punishing them.

“Indrik, you shall be stripped and given a hundred lashes for leaving the pack and you will be left out in the cold for two nights. Both are punishments for crossing the borders when you are well aware that you should not and bringing an unknown girl back here with you. And for the girl you came back with..” His voice boomed and Luna resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

‘Such a punishment for leaving the borders, isn't that a bit too much? It was like they were trying to remind him that he would forever be under them and he couldn't do anything without telling them.’

Luna thought as she waited for what the elders would announce as a punishment fitting for her.

She was new around here and had only followed Indrik back here. Giving her a punishment just for doing so... wasn't that completely unnecessary?

But of course, Indrik couldn't say that out loud.

“And for the girl, she would be thrown into the dungeon and left there for a full week, with no food or water!” Beta Green's voice held finality as he announced the next punishment.

The entire council seemed to agree with Beta Green's words, each of them nodding their head. Indrik's jaw dropped when the Beta was done speaking.

He didn't mind the punishment given to him. It was just a few strokes and only two days out. But punishing Luna when the only thing she did was follow him back was purely wrong. Taking a deep breath, Indrik opened his mouth, voicing out his thoughts exactly.

“I refuse,”

His words were enough to silence the elders, all of them looking at him in shock.