Live or die

The morning came far too soon. I open my eyes to the smell of cooking meat. I blinked slowly as I pushed the furs to the side. Next to me was a black fur dress that reminded me of Orpheus's wolf. Next to it was my bra and boots. I have a feeling my boots are going to look strange with the dress. I pushed them aside as I put my bra and the dress on. The dress was simple and stopped just short of my knees. It was a little itchy on the inside while the outside was super soft.

I followed the smell of food to the front room where Orpheus sat by the fire watching as the meat cooked. He looked up and grinned. "Good morning love." He pulled me into his lap as I giggled. "I know this would look great on you."

"I love it, thank you. Now, how about some food. I am starving." As if in agreement my stomach growled. We both laughed as Orpheus grabbed me some food all while keeping me on his lap. We ate as we talked and I wish it could go on forever, but the sun continued to rise and choices must be made.

I argued with myself as Orpheus walked to a place called the pits on the outskirts of the Village. Apparently I could not just avoid the events to come. All members of the tribe that were able had to attend the punishments of Stef and Ranald. My stomach made me wish I had held off on eating with every step I took. I had made the decision to do what I felt I could even if it felt in a way cowardly.

When we arrived I saw many had arrived before us. Among the crowd, I could see Julia's blonde hair bobbing as she nodded to something a tall man with short black hair and light green eyes was saying. I walked toward her without much thought. She helped me yesterday and still, I needed to thank her.

"Your name is Julia, right?" I smiled at the girl before me holding my hand out.

She smiled back and took my hand. "Yes, and your Amber." her teal green eyes sparkled.

I couldn't help but like this girl "Thanks for helping yesterday. I realize that things could have been bad if you had not fetched Ayame and spoken up for me." I am not so sure a gawker would not have taken action under Stef's claims.

"I was happy to. Stef has been a pain for years. It will be a relief to have her gone. Until you showed up she would come after me all the time. Plus Markus here is the one who got Ayame." She pointed to the man she had been chatting with.

"Thank you as well, Markus." I smiled and he simply nodded to me before turning back to watching Julia's every move.

I was about to talk more when Ayame called to everyone from a platform by what looked like a large hole. "Everyone we are here today for the judgment of Stef and Ramand." As she spoke a man was pulling a rope up from the hole in the ground. At the end was a tied up Stef kicking and trying to scream through the wood tied between her teeth. Her long hair was a mess and her dress dissolved under the rope. She was dragged over to Ayame. "Stef has broken the laws ten times now and will now be judged with banishment. She and her mates will be sent out of the tribe lands to wander with no home from now on." Five men stood heads bowed by the platform. Ayame dropped her dress as she shifted. A large black panther now stood on the platform snarling at the struggling Stef. The panther's claws swiped over Stef's left arm leaving it bleeding. The five men each stepped forward to receive the same mark. Then a man took black liquid and doused their wounds in it. Stef's face twisted in agony as she continued to try and scream. The men just gritted their teeth in pain.

Three more men stepped forward with knives. Ayame disappeared behind a fur curtain and then emerged dressed. "These three have chosen to stay by cutting their mate ties with Stef." With a wave of her hands, the men tore at Stef's clothes. They each then cut her where her skin was marked. Once they were done they rejoined the crowd.

Ayame motioned to the man by the pit and this time he pulled up Ranald who stared daggers at the crowd. "Amber dear would you please come forward?" She may have worded it as a question but I knew that I didn't really have a choice. The crowd parted for me to pass. Orpheus stayed behind me all the way to the stage and then lifted me up and onto it.

I stood before Ayame as she asked me the question that I was dreading. "Amber before you is the man that tried to harm you by our laws you can choose to spare him. What do you choose?"

I had thought it over and had kept going in circles. I turned to Ranald who was not even looking at me. He had his eyes on Stef and they were angry. Why would he be so angry with her? Leaning forward I took his gag off. I know it was stupid but something told me I needed to know. "Why do you glare at her with such hatred. I thought you two are mate?"

He laughed like I had said the funniest thing in the world. "Mates? As if, this girl drugged me and forced me to have her." He spat at her. "If I could have killed her I would have but mates can't do anything but obey their female." He growled at the crowd "Yet everyone acts like I had a choice in how things went down yesterday."

His laugh stirred something in me. A voice within told me 'The eyes can tell no lies'. I grabbed Ranald's chin and looked deep into his black eyes. Images flashed before me of Ranald trying to fight his mate bond. He had even tried to cut his mark from Stef as she slept but was caught by another of her mates. She had the others tie him up and beat him half to death. I blinked, clearing the images and pulling back. Everyone even Stef was silent. My whole body was glowing this time. I knew now that I wanted to give Ranald another chance but I was not Stef. Everyone deserves free will. "Ranald do you want to live as my mate or die here?"