Chapter 174

Aiden’s POV

“Is that part of his brain sticking out his head?” Oliver asked. I had seen a lot of fucked up shit in my life, but this took the cake. I thought I was going to get sick.

How was it even possible for him to be alive? The condition he was left in was sickening; I had to take a step away from the cell. Even the guard who brought us to the cell had difficulty looking at him. Fresh blood was soaking the ground around him, so I knew he had been beaten fairly recently. I wondered how much of this was the King’s doing. I knew the Beta was once a good friend of his, but because of the betrayal, and nearly getting the King’s daughter killed, it was clear that the King was not holding back.

For a second, I truly thought he was already dead, but then a soft grunt escaped his lips, and his gaze lifted. His eyes were so swollen that he was barely able to keep them open but when he did, he fixed his attention on Oliver. A smile spread across his split lips, or at least I think he was trying to smile.

“My son…” the Beta’s raspy voice sounded and echoed off the walls of the dungeon. “At least, we meet.”

“I wish I could say it’s a pleasure,” Oliver said bitterly, narrowing his eyes at his father.

“Son…”

“I am not your son,” Oliver said through his teeth. “My father died in a battle. You will never be my father. You never truly were.”

“I know you are angry with me,” the Beta said, wincing as he tried to adjust himself against the wall that held him upright. “But everything I did was for you. I only wanted what was best…”

“You nearly got several people killed,” Oliver said, shaking his head. “What you did was wrong and you deserve all the punishment the King bestows on you. How could you do that to him? He was your friend.”

“But you are my son—”

“Stop saying that,” Oliver said, holding up his hand to silence him. “I have no idea who you are. How could you call me your son when you have never been in my life.”

“Giving you up was never my choice,” the Beta whispered. “If they knew I got a witch pregnant, they would have killed you. I did what was best. I gave you to my brother and his wife. I knew they’d care for you like you were their own.”

Oliver was silent; he pulled his eyes away from the Beta and stared at the ground. From what I could remember, the ones who raised him were fantastic to him. He was close to his family and when they died, it devasted him. But at least he still had Mike to take care of him when he was only 16. He had to grow up quickly and learn about what it took to be a Beta. He worked alongside my father for many years, learning the ropes of how to be a leader. At this point, he could probably take on the role of Alpha.

The Beta sending him here as an infant was beneficial and Oliver knew this. He couldn’t hate his biological father for his choice, but he could hate him for his choices since then, especially his recent choices.

“You deserved the world, Son. I would have stopped at nothing to get you everything you deserve,” he continued, letting out a raspy cough as blood spilled from his mouth.

Oliver shook his head; his face was void of emotions.

“And you deserve everything you are getting,” Oliver murmured, looking away from the man who claims to be his father. “I’m disgusted that I came from you.”

“I have been keeping tabs on you. We aren’t so different you and I.”

“You’re wrong,” Oliver snapped. “We are different. I would never betray those who care about me. I would never betray my friends. I would never do what you did!”

The Beta let out a bitter and very raspy laugh. I could feel Oliver getting more pissed by the second.

“You say that now. But wait until you have kids,” he replied.

Oliver shook his head in disgust.

“I’m not going entertain this any longer. I hope you rot in hell,” Oliver spat and then without another word, he turned and started to walk away. I stared at the Beta for a second longer; the Beta finally looked at me and a bitter smile spread across his pale and beaten face.

“I was just like him when I was his age, but I’ve since grown. I did what I knew was right for my son, like any father would. He’ll one day realize that.”

I shook my head.

“No, what you did was cruel. Oliver is nothing like you and that’s what makes him a great Beta,” I said through my teeth. “You are done here.”

On that note, I turned and followed Oliver out of the dungeon.

“You okay?” I asked him once we were back upstairs.

He was quiet for a moment before sighing and then he nodded.

“Yeah, I think so. It needed to be said and I don’t feel about what’s about to happen,” he admitted. “Does that make me a bad guy?”

I shook my head and put my hand on his shoulder.

“No, it makes you a great Beta and an even better man. I’m lucky to have you by my side, Oliver,” I told him genuinely. “Don’t let him cloud your judgment.”

Oliver nodded.

“Thanks, man,” he replied.

……

Carol’s POV

I wore a black dress and braided my hair down my back. I settled on a pair of black heels to match my attire. I didn’t wear much makeup because I worried that I might cry this evening. This would be the first execution I had ever seen, and I wasn’t sure how it would affect me.

Aiden told me how Oliver’s talk with the Beta went and I knew this was going to be a difficult evening for him. Fiona was currently with him; she too was wearing a black dress for the evening. This was not only an execution, but a funeral as well.

It was being held in the battlegrounds outside of the packhouse and when we arrived, I was surprised that most of the pack was there. The king was escorted by his guards and stood front and center with Aiden and Oliver.

There were chairs set up for invited guests, but those who were not invited, stood in the back, watching the event unfold before them. Fiona sat in the front row, and I sat beside her along with Aiden’s parents.

There was a giant bonfire in the center of the field where the Beta and Mike were tied. Their mouths were covered. Fiona was visibly shaking in her seat beside me; neither of us had ever experienced this before so I knew it was going to be a lot.

I reached over and held her hand, giving her a reassuring smile.

The King introduced himself and everybody cheered. He explained the reasoning behind this execution and once everyone learned what the Beta and Mike had done, they all booed. I could see some shocked reactions because Mike was well-known around this pack. They never would have guessed he was capable of such a thing. Aiden’s father was still in a wheelchair, recovering from his poisoning. Since his wolf is gone, he’s healing much slower. The one responsible for this poisoning wasn’t revealed until this moment.

Aiden glanced in my direction and gave me a curt nod; I knew this was my time to use my powers to calm everyone. I stood up and gave Fiona one last hand squeeze before I made my way towards Aiden. He already explained to the King what I was going to do, and the King gave me a gentle smile.

I stood beside Aiden and looked at everyone who had come to see this execution. They were all watching with wide eyes, most of them were nervous, and some were crying hysterically.

Just like I did with the team, I concentrated on my powers. I took a deep breath and gazed at them as a whole. I thought about serenity and calmness; I thought about soothing their worries and stresses. I watched each of them glow in a light blue aura before they started to calm down. Most of their tears dried and they sat in silence.

Even Fiona stopped shaking.

I looked at the King and nodded; he smiled like a proud father.

He turned his attention to the criminals.

His voice boomed across the field.

“For your crimes, you face death. Oliver Gladwell decided the best way for you to be executed is to be burned. I find it suiting because once this is done, you will burn in hell for all you have done.”

He nodded at someone who handed him a torch and a lighter. He lit the torch on fire, and I watched it come to life.

“It is sad that it has come to this. My Beta has been a good friend to me for a long time. But what he has done is unforgivable. For that, he and his ally will face punishment!”

With that being said, the king lit the bonfire and flames engulfed both the Beta and Mike. There were cheers from the crowd, and I watched in horror as the sounds of their muffled screams sounded in my head.

Aiden wrapped her arm around me, sensing my unease.

I couldn’t seem to look away from their burning bodies. Before I knew what was happening, my stomach turned inside out, and I was losing its contents all over the ground.