Ruby:
“Ruby, I didn’t mean anything I said earlier; trust me, please,” Liam pleaded, and I raised my eyebrows in surprise at his words.
“I promise I can be a better mate. I don’t mind accepting this monster as my child, and we can also have more children together and be happy. I know I made mistakes, but I can change. I’ll be the husband you’ve always wanted. Please, just give me another chance.”
His voice cracked, and fear flickered in his eyes. Satisfaction filled my soul as I listened to him. After he finished, I paused for a moment, pretending to be convinced by his words.
“Okay, I forgive you.”
“Oh, Ruby, I knew you didn’t have it in you to kill me anyway.” Liam exhaled in relief, clearly thinking he had escaped the worst. A glimmer of hope sparked in his eyes, and he almost smiled.
“You are a good girl, so come free me out of this bag. This bastard son of yours took me by surprise in an unexpected fight and gave me some injuries. I would have to teach him some manners on how to respect his father.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yeah, hurry up and untie me,” he commanded, his tone arrogant and entitled. As I stared at him, I took a deep breath, knowing that this moment was a turning point-a chance to deliver the justice he deserved.
“Liam,” I said, moving closer to him, my voice bold enough for everyone in the room to hear.
“I think I know the best way to punish you, and simply taking your title and position isn’t enough.”
I watched as Liam’s eyes filled with fear as he listened to me, but I felt no sympathy for him.
“First of all, you will be stripped naked and tortured for six days. You will endure the same physical pain you have inflicted on others. And then, on the sixth day, you will be thrown into a boiling pot, heated to a temperature hotter than the sun itself.”
“Ruby, please, this isn’t like you. Don’t do this,” Liam pleaded, horror twisting his expression as he realised the severity of his punishment. But I remained calm, knowing that he was finally facing the consequences of his deeds.
“I want to look into your eyes as the heat peels away your skin,” I continued, ignoring his pleas.
“After your death, your bones will be fed to the vultures, but the bones of your head will be placed at the entrance of the Pearl Moon Pack as a reminder of your treachery and the justice served.”
His eyes widened in horror as his face turned pale, and he shook his head in disbelief, but there was nothing more he could say. His fate was sealed, and I turned away, my heart heavy with the knowledge that I had done what was necessary.
“Ruby, please! I can change! We can have more children, and I’ll be the mate you deserve!” He cried, calling from behind me as he tried to appeal to my compassion.
But his words meant nothing to me now. I had seen too much of his true nature. I looked at Alex, hoping to gauge his reaction to the punishment I had imposed, but instead, he grinned at me and then raised his hand, snapping his fingers twice. Liam’s cries stopped immediately as the bag was closed, muffling his desperate begging. I took a step back, feeling a sense of relief wash over me.
“You have made the right decision, Mother,” Alex said, gazing into my eyes with respect. “Justice has been served, and your courage is commendable.”
His words offered me a sense of finality, and I nodded in agreement, but as I glanced to my side, I noticed Damian had been standing quietly, merely observing. There was a distant look in his eyes, a clear sign that Ava’s betrayal still weighed heavily on his heart. We had both been betrayed by the ones we once loved and cherished.
“Damian,” I said softly, searching his face for any sign of how he was feeling. His expression was stoic and unreadable. “Are you alright?” I asked, trying to draw him out of his silence. He nodded slowly, opening and closing his mouth thoughtfully.
“I’m here, Ruby,” he said, giving me a sad smile.
“And I’m with you, no matter what comes next.”
I offered him a small, grateful smile, wishing I could offer him the comfort he had given me, but for now, I was just grateful to have him by my side as we navigated the uncertain path ahead.
“R-ruby,” a soft voice pleaded my name, and I immediately snapped my head in that direction. I was surprised to see Lilith on the ground, her face streaked with tears.
“Ruby, please,” she begged, her voice trembling, attempting to free herself from the guards who held her, but she couldn’t. “For the sake of my son, spare my life. I promise to change and be a new person. Please give me a chance; just like you once said, I will become a good mother and go back to him. I don’t want to die. You are a mother too, so you know how it feels.”
Her plea shocked me, the vulnerability in her words catching me off guard. But I couldn’t bring myself to trust her so easily-not after everything.
“It’s too late to be sorry. Your past actions have shown me who you truly are. I’m not sure I can believe your promises now. Besides, I haven’t been given the power yet to decide your fate, so don’t beg me, but the moon goddess,” I said, my voice firm. Just as I finished, Alex cleared his throat, commanding everyone’s attention.
“Now, we must hear the crimes of Lilith. Let her go and place her on her knees,” he instructed the guards, who forced Lilith to her knees.
“The Book of Life will reveal her deeds, and her fate will be determined accordingly,” he declared, holding the Book of Life open in his hands, ready to read Lilith’s crimes.
“Lilith,” he began. “You have sinned against the Moon Goddess by tampering with one of the things she cherishes most-the mate bond between wolves in love. You have slept with married men and tormented their innocent wives, filling their hearts with years of guilt and anguish.”
As Alex listed Lilith’s crimes, her gaze remained cold.
“Your abuse of power goes beyond that, Lilith. You possess dark magic and have taken innocent lives unjustly, including that of Williams and his grandmother. You were also involved in the kidnapping of an innocent child. Your transgressions extend to numerous other acts too heinous to mention.”
I held my breath as Alex continued, knowing that Lilith’s fate was about to be sealed.
“The Book of Life has decided your punishment, Lilith,” he announced.
“Your two arms and legs will be tied to four giant bulls, and they will rip your limbs from your body as they run. Your flesh and bones will be scattered on the ground for the worms to feed on. You do not deserve to live to see another day or take another breath, for you have wrought too much harm upon others.”
Lilith’s face turned pale, and her body trembled as Alex pronounced her fate. The room remained deathly silent, the gravity of her punishment sinking into everyone, and I almost pitied her.
“Ruby, please forgive me! I’ll change; I’ll do anything you want! Please, I know the chief spirit judge is your son. Beg him to have mercy on me,” she cried, her voice quivering and desperate.
“You’re not sorry; you’re only looking for a way to avoid punishment. Instead of begging for forgiveness, you should pay for your sins, Lilith. You’ve caused too much pain to escape judgement,” I said firmly. Fear was evident in her voice, but my heart had turned as cold as ice at this point.
Her pleading eyes turned into ones of anger, taking me aback. “You think you’re high and mighty, right, you bitch? I hate you with my life, and I wish I never missed the opportunity to kill you,” she screamed, her expression twisted with hatred.
Before I could blink twice, she lunged towards me with lightning speed, pulling a silver knife from her pocket. For a moment, my feet were frozen, and I was unable to move as I watched her approach, the blade glinting menacingly in the dim light.
But just as she raised the knife to strike, someone stepped in front of me, taking the hit instead. My eyes widened in horror as I watched my son, Alex, gasp in pain as the silver blade pierced his heart, his strength faltering.
“Silver is my weakness,” he muttered weakly as he fell into my arms. I held him tightly, shock and horror flooding my senses.
“Silver was his weakness? But I thought he was immortal?” I thought aloud with a trembling voice filled with confusion.
“My soul is immortal, not my body. I’m still part human,” he said, coughing out blood. Tears streamed down my face as I watched him struggle for breath. His body felt fragile in my embrace, and I knew the silver had done great damage.
A sudden rush of motion caught my tear-filled eyes as Damian moved swiftly, intercepting Lilith before she could make another attempt on my life. He snatched the silver knife from her grasp as Lilith turned to him in anger, but she was met with Damian’s sharp claws.
He slashed them across her face, causing her to cry out in pain and stagger backward. Blood flowed from the fresh wounds, staining her pale skin.
Damian’s gaze was intense as he glared at Lilith, his protective instincts fully ignited.
“Your treachery ends here,” Damian declared with menace. Lilith recoiled from him, clutching her wounded face, her earlier bravado now replaced by fear.
Gazing back at my son, I watched in disbelief as his form began to change. His once manly features shifted and morphed back into the original little and fragile body I once knew. It was surreal, as if I were witnessing a miracle and a tragedy intertwined.
“Mother, I think it’s time for us to say goodbye.” Alex choked weakly, and my heart shattered as I heard him speak.
“Alex… Don’t say anything; please don’t waste your strength; you can’t leave me again.” I sobbed in desperation, feeling my whole world fall apart.
I had saved countless lives using my grandmother’s book, with its ancient wisdom and spells that had helped me protect others in the past. Yet now, at this most critical moment, I find myself without it, unable to save my own son’s life. The irony of it all struck me hard, leaving me with a deep sense of disappointment and helplessness.
I could barely breathe as I watched Alex struggle to cling to life, my heart breaking with every shallow breath he took. “Stay with me, Alex,” I whispered in pain.
“Please stay with your mother; just hold on a little longer.” I lamented, but I knew it was futile; the silver had done its damage. Tears streamed down my face as I watched my son’s life slip away, his breaths growing weaker and shallower.
“I will see you again, Mother.” His words brought both comfort and heartache. I knew he was reassuring me that this wasn’t truly goodbye, but the pain of losing him was still unbearable. I cradled him tightly, feeling his warmth fade as his eyes slowly closed.
With one final, weak breath, he slipped away from this world. My heart shattered. I held him tightly, unable to let go, even as his body grew still. The pain in my chest was unbearable, and my world felt as though it had shattered into a million pieces.
I wish I could turn back time. I wished I had my grandmother’s book with me to save him. But it was too late now. All I could do was hold him and mourn the loss of my beloved son.
“The flower of life,” my wolf howled, igniting a glimmer of hope within me.
“No, please, Damian, the flower of life. I need it. I need to save my son,” I pleaded desperately. Damian rushed to my side, wrapping his arms around me as I cried heavily against his chest.
“James took it, and I wish I could go back there again, but I was warned by Alex never to return to the forest of darkness,” he confessed, while I gazed at him with confusion, sobbing uncontrollably.
“What do you mean? Alex saved you in the forest of darkness.” I exclaimed, shocked and overwhelmed with guilt.
I was a disgrace of a mother for not knowing anything about my son,”
“Alex was a spirit who guided me through the forest of darkness, which explains why he is the chief spirit judge. The boy was special, and I thought he hated me,” Damian said sadly. Just as I was about to reply, I felt a gentle hand patting my back. I turned to see the elder, with white hair, staring at me with sad eyes.
“The judgment on both Lilith and Liam will be carried out immediately,” he said softly.
I gazed at the elder, tears filling my eyes, feeling a deep sense of mourning.
“Take your time to mourn, Ruby. We will handle the rest. You don’t have to watch,” he said, but I remained silent, unable to find the words to reply.
I had lost my son, and the pain would forever linger in my heart. But one thing was clear: I was going to watch the lives of the two people I hated the most end with nothing but pleasure.