Chapter 82 - The Execution Grounds

LUNA ASTERBELLE'S POV

The feeling of betrayal took a toll on Shin. He saw nothing else other than the idea of getting rid of those who betrayed him, no matter what their relationship was or how strong their bond used to be. All that matters to him is creating a massacre.

Shin leaped above us, which we easily avoided by jumping towards the threshold of the door that he left open. His overwhelming power was nothing to be taken lightly. If I were even a second late in moving, I could have died back there, seeing how he didn't even hesitate to land with such a strong force that made the ground shake.

Nero peeked at me for a short while, only to check whether I was safe or not. He called upon his wolf before he shifted. They both had similar features, as if they were born as twins who only had differences in perspectives. The beta tried to catch Shin with his quick agility, but it was useless. Shin was obviously faster than him. It wouldn't make sense if Nero had an advantage in any aspect.

I didn't let Holmes have a duel on their own; I joined Nero's side and offered him my aid. I knew that I would only bring him down if I ended up making even a small mistake in every single attack, so I made sure that all of my attempts wouldn't be in vain.

Our fight went on for hours, and no one stood victorious among us. The three of us showed no signs of exhaustion until we eventually reached a place that was out of the ordinary. I have never been here, and I didn't imagine that there would be something like this in a guest house.

"What's this place?" I murmured a query to myself, looking around the area that was locked soon after we entered.

Shin stopped at the center, and the spot where he stood raised up as it separated from the rest of the flooring. "Welcome to the execution grounds, Luna," he said, glaring down on us, before they shifted back to their human form.

The Crimson Moon Pack was acknowledged to be more dangerous than any other pack in Grimstone. They possess a great deal of equipment that can be utilized for the coming of judgment day. Holmes has been protecting this place for years, which led me to forget that the execution grounds actually existed until now.

This was the same area where the alpha fucked with his previous mates, torturing them on a daily routine and treating all of them like slaves who only lived for the sole purpose of granting his wishes and lustful desires. Shin believed that any woman who disobeys him deserves to die; hence, he brings those people into his underground cell, where he first brought me.

"You're a psychopath, Shin," I commented.

"It sounds like this isn't the first time you've heard about this place," Shin applauded, cracking in a hysterical laugh. "The rumors probably say that this is where I eat women's flesh, literally. We'll spice that up a little and add something else," he said as he marched to us.

Nero's aura was altered. The rage in his soul was no longer contained, and it's getting stronger as Shin's footsteps get closer. Both of them had the same desire, which was to accomplish the sole purpose for which they were here.

"We'll have a man executed tonight rather than a woman!" Shin got directly in front of his brother's side, which left Nero unable to distinguish what type of move he would take. "Be my guest tonight, Nero." His lips curled to form a smirk as he placed his arm around the beta's shoulders, dragging him along the center aisle.

The cold temperature sent shivers down my spine, and the surroundings, which were full of weapons made out of silver, gave me goosebumps as soon as I got a clear view of the blood that enveloped them all.

The alpha aggressively pushed Nero towards a circle that was just the right size for his body. He also inserted the beta's arms beside it, separated from the area where his body was. It made Nero look like he was being punished for a grave sin that he committed.

A sense of guilt rummaged through the deepest part of my system; it even reached my wolf, who recently stopped sulking. It kept on begging me to set her free so that this would all be over once and for all.

"Which one should I cut off first?" Shin pointed to Nero's left hand, to the other, and lastly to his head. "It wouldn't be fun if I removed your head right away. I need to see the expression of the brother who dared to betray me once he got tortured."

Shin was obviously trying to make fun of Nero, and it was difficult for me to watch. Nero wouldn't be in this situation if I hadn't come up with that condition. And now, he has completely placed his life at risk.

I no longer understand how Shin's mind works, and I'm certain that he doesn't have any room for mercy at this point. He might even kill me if I even attempted to intervene.

"What do you think, Luna?" Shin suddenly asked my opinion, which led me to glance at him. "A traitor deserves to be punished, right?"

I gulped the instant that I remembered how Yve refused to take me and hide me in their house before. "I-I don't have any obligation to choose, Shin," I reasoned out at the same time that I looked at Nero.

Nero seemed to be doing fine, as if he already anticipated this to occur to him. I raised one of my eyebrows, hoping that he'd realize that I was seeking anything that I could use against Shin.

If only we could perform a mind-link right here and now, then it wouldn't be this hard.

"Maybe this would help you learn how to answer when you're being asked, Luna."

Shin picked up a machete from the table beside him. He let his tongue lick it from the edge to its whole length before he positioned it above Nero's left arm, precisely in his wrist. Without taking a second to ask me again, he sliced Nero's arm like it was a piece of cake.

Nero bit his lower lip in an attempt to hold back the pain from it as his blood continuously dripped from the slashed part of his arm. The corner of his eyes turned slightly red, and it was the same case for his forehead, which kind of looked like it would randomly explode.

My knees failed me once again. No words escaped from my mouth when I saw how much Nero suffered from getting his left arm cut off from him, and it was immediately followed by the right side. Shin really didn't care how he would punish his brother.

"Stop!" I screamed, which resonated an echo throughout the execution grounds. "Don't kill Beta Holmes!"

Shin removed the blood on the machete by wiping it off using Nero's cheeks. "Why? Are you interested in him? Is that why you didn't choose me, since it was Nero who showed up in the Dark Shadow Clan and not me, even though he merely ran an errand under my command?" he asked.

I gritted my teeth when he hit my nerve.

It was time for my wolf to unleash itself and its strength, so I let my subconscious drift away and let Astra do the rest. I chose to observe how my wolf would handle this, but I already imagined how she would literally turn the tides around and make Shin beg for his life.

"Don't stare at me with those ocean eyes, little wolf," Shin teased Astra, knowing that I wasn't able to shift for years until recently, so he probably assumed that I was a weakling since I haven't been trained. "Were you that vexed to let your wolf take over you, Luna?" He chuckled, dashing over to my spot.

For the first time, I didn't shake a bit, even if Shin was literally an inch away from me and had the capability to bury me alive.