Shifters (Feline english version)

Chapter 35

At first glance, given the number of people present in the square, everyone had to be there. Probably summoned by Charles to attend the "show", I thought with disgust. People spontaneously moved away when they heard me coming, contrary to what I expected. As I walked through the crowd, I took the time to look at the faces around me and realized that I was not the only one who was repelled by this spectacle. They would do nothing to stop me because, somewhere inside them, they hoped I could put an end to this horror. But was I even capable of it?

I looked back at Charles as he watched me approach with a smug look on his face and he even had a satisfied smile, the whip dragged in the dust at the end of his relaxed arm. Everything in his casual stance, including the blood flecks on his clothes and forearms, showed that he enjoyed the game. I only wanted to make him swallow his smile with a punch in the face. My instinct was to throw myself at him to rip that monstrous whip out of his hands, but my reason reminded me that those same hands were capable of turning into deadly clawed paws in a split second and that, rage or not, without a weapon I would be no match.

All my thoughts and frustration at not finding anything concrete must have been visible on my face, for Charles' smile widened further and, before I could say or do anything, he whipped Jude as hard as he could. If he had so far succeeded in moderating his screams, he was no longer able to do so this time. The sound he made tore my heart almost as much as the sight of blood flowing abundantly from the deep wound that ran down his back and to see him collapse in his bonds, his legs no longer holding him. Charles laughed before he looked at me with contempt.

- 'Well, well, well... what have we here? The little human has decided to play in the big league! You're no match for me and you know it. But you can attend the end of his punishment if you want, it doesn't bother me at all. Nevertheless, I have a question before I continue.... Who told you about this?'

At the end of his speech, his voice was no longer mocking and was even frankly threatening. My esteem for Adam and Hannah skyrocketed, but I was so mad that the words got stuck in my throat.

- 'It doesn't matter. I'll know who it is and they'll get the punishment they deserves. So will Hannah, who should never have let you through.'

- 'No one warned me. Actually, it's your fault!' I said with a mean smile. 'Since you were not answering my many calls about the panther, which I obviously had the stupidity to untrust you with, I got tired of waiting and decided to come and see for myself. Obviously, I chose my day well! It was precisely the fact that Hannah was trying to keep me out that tipped me off. You should check on her, by the way! Because the last time I saw her, she didn't look very well.'

I tried to sound casual and confident despite my shaky voice and my worried look that kept going back to Jude no matter what I did.

- 'Why were you afraid that I would be warned and why would you prevent me from entering if I am so insignificant to you?' I asked bravely as I continued to advance towards the centre of the small square.

- 'Go ahead, little girl, brag all you want. Maybe it's a coincidence... although it seems a little big to me. Anyway, whether you're here or not won't change anything. Or rather,' he continued with a nasty smile on the corner of his lips. 'He'll be even more humiliated. So it's up to you whether you want to leave or stay.'

With these cruel words, he was about to strike Jude again, when my body, overtaking my brain, interposed itself between him and the whip. As I suspected, Charles didn't even try to deflect or cushion the blow. Fortunately for me, I kept some of my reflexes and succeeded, I don't know how, in putting myself in semi-profile while curling up to protect myself. My arms, as well as my left flank, took the biggest hit.