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I’d love to do that myself—but I had more important shit to do.
I kneeled and placed my hand to Melanie’s cheek. My eyes bored into hers, sharing an entire conversation with her with just my look. It was one of those rare times when I was so angry, I was actually speechless. My look said it all.
She breathed harder because she knew.
“Get her up.” I rose to my feet and watched my guards yank her to her feet.
I grabbed both of her wrists and yanked her into me, her back hitting my chest, and I leaned over her slightly, looking down at her, my lips near her ear. I’d never manhandled her like this—but she’d forfeited her rights tonight. “You trying to leave me, sweetheart?” I squeezed her wrists hard before I released her. “I’ll take you with me tomorrow, then. Take her to the cabin.”
The guards took her away.
She fought the whole way. “Raven!” She dragged her feet and sobbed, looking at her sister on the ground, knowing it was the last time she would see her in this life. “No! Please! Please don’t do this.” She was dragged away against her will, pulled across the snow, her cries becoming quiet when she was far enough away.
Melanie could beg all she wanted, but I wouldn’t spare her sister—not after this.
When she was gone, I moved to Raven, my boots close to her face. “Congratulations.” I kneeled and got a closer look at her, seeing dull eyes that didn’t sparkle like Melanie’s, seeing nothing appealing whatsoever. Disobedient. Opinionated. Annoying. Fucking pain in the ass. Not the least bit attractive. “You’ve made it farther than anyone. I hope it was worth it…but I imagine it wasn’t.” I nodded to the men.
They pulled her to her feet.
The executioner approached her, ready to take over and do the dirty work. “I’m really going to enjoy this.” He slammed his fist into her chest and knocked her back to the ground—where she belonged.
I turned away to head to the cabin where Melanie was waiting for me.
“Up.” The executioner continued his taunts. “I said up, bitch.”
But I halted in my tracks when I saw someone approach.
Magnus.
He’d disobeyed my order and come here anyway.
His eyes locked to mine as he spoke. “We aren’t hanging her.” He held on to my look of fury with his own, silently making a stand that would result in his death if he were anyone else.
The executioner turned to Magnus. “Not this time.”
He broke contact with me and walked over to the executioner. “She’s the strongest worker we have—”
“No.” The executioner stepped toward him. “She stole from us. She tried to escape. She killed two of our own. How dare you stand there and ask for her to be pardoned.” The other guards stayed back, watching the two of them stare each other down.
I stayed silent, watching the scene play out, floored that Magnus stuck out his neck for her—again. It made him weak. It brought the two of us shame, and he knew that, but he fucking did it anyway.
“I’m not asking for her to be pardoned. She should be punished.”
The Executioner stepped closer to him. “She deserves to be executed. Your dick is not part of this discussion.”
Magnus hadn’t blinked once. “She’ll be whipped.”
“No.” The executioner turned back to grab her. “You can’t save her this time.” He snatched her by the back of the hair and yanked on her scalp as he forced her to her feet so the noose could be wrapped around her neck.
Helpless, Magnus just watched.
Then he turned around and looked at me.
I didn’t say a word because I didn’t need to. My answer was on the wind, in the air we breathed, as obvious as the darkness that surrounded us. It burned white-hot like the torches that flickered around the clearing.
But he continued to stare anyway, silently begging me.
No. I would not lose the respect of my men by sparing her. I wouldn’t do it for Melanie. I wouldn’t do it for him. Raven had already evaded one Red Snow. She stole from us. She ran from the camp. Some of my men were killed because of her foolishness. I do not negotiate.
Magnus took a breath before he stepped closer to me, so we could converse without being overheard. They prepared Raven for her execution behind him. His eyes burned into mine with a desperate intensity that I’d never seen before. “Fender, a whipping will suffice—”
“No. Your request insults me.”
He took another deep breath, pathetic and frantic.
“You’re asking me to humiliate myself in front of my men—for her.” I glanced at her behind him, showing all of my disgust for that bitch that had been the bane of my existence. If she weren’t in the camp, Melanie would have agreed to come back with me a long time ago.
