Louisa's POV
I turned my head away from Lucas to look at the dancer's performance.
Having learned about the tragic origin behind the dance, I could easily tell the desperation and pain hidden behind the dancers' sophisticated moves.
I had thought this kind of temptatious dance was performed for men’s pleasure by women, but I had never expected that it could be this expressive. The movement of those women's almost naked torsos was heavy because they were carrying invisible heavy barrels of gun powders. The thin long chains, decorated with all colors of sparkling gems, represented the shackles that they used to wear. They danced in a row because they used to be chained in a row. Stepped in one another's footsteps, they walked on the path of death.
Decades past, their tragic horrifying death was choreographed into dissolute dance.
No wonder people like Lucas are turned on by this kind of dance. I thought to myself. They thrive on people's suffering.
"What do you see in this dance, Lucas?" I heard Alpha Zackery's voice.
"I see a bunch of salacious sluts who are begging for being fucked, Your Excellency," Lucas answered him with his eyes fixating on me.
"What do you see, little girl?" Alpha Zackery lowered his head and asked me.
"I see nothing but desperation," I replied with tears dripping down my cheeks.
Alpha Zackery wiped off a drop of tear from my cheek and looked into my eyes.
"Really?" He drew himself closer to me and said, "I only see tremendous fortitude, perpetual beauty, and graceful elegance in adversity. I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder."
My heart skipped a beat when he said these sweet words to me. I was literally melting until I heard the brutal voice of Lucas -
"Well, in my opinion, Your Excellency, all beauty must die."
Alpha Zackery looked amused and smirked at Lucas, "Is that so? You're a beautiful man, but it seems that you'll never die."
This seemingly careless joke obviously made Lucas very offended, but he couldn't let it out due to the oppression of hierarchy.
He paused a second and asked, "Is His Excellency Beta Zabel getting better these days?"
Alpha Zackery said, "Well, physically, yes. He's making great progress and his wounds are healing. But I don't think he's mentally ready for meeting people. He's been through a very challenging phase of his life. My physician declared him unfit for being exposed to killing and blood. You know, he might get out of control."
Lucas looked at Alpha Zackery and said, "We're still investigating the case of the unknown attacker who ambushed His Excellency outside our camp. We're currently narrowing down the attacker to three tribes. All of our best people are working on this case."
"Is that why I didn't see your Gamma around these days?" Alpha Zackery asked.
Lucas narrowed his eyes and replied, "Your Excellency. I'm not quite sure about Kylo's whereabouts. You see, Lucian and Kylo didn't get along these days. I have to let one of them take a break. You know, working for me can be a very challenging job."
Alpha Zackery nodded and smiled, "My brother His Majesty once told me that you're very good at making everyone happy."
"His Majesty has a pair of sharp eyes. So, this is me trying to pamper you, Your Excellency." He pointed while pointing at the entrance of the tent.
In a chaotic uproar, a giant black snake was crawling into the tent. It has got a head the size of a normal person. The scales all over its body were glinting in a dim glow of green fluorescent light.
As it crawled towards us, I met his dark hazelnut-colored eyes. They looked strange and familiar at the same time.
The giant snake slithered around for a while in the tent and stopped right in the middle when the music and dance suddenly stopped. All seven dancers dropped to the floor like deflated puppets. Then, in a wave of the eerie tone of the flute solo, one of them stood up while the snake slowly crawled up her naked legs and torso. There was nothing in the dancer's eyes. It seemed that she didn't even realize that she was constricted by a giant python. She stood there still like a tree trunk, being strangled to death by poisonous vines in slow motion. The giant slimy snake was crawling between the girl's thighs, slowly getting tighter.
As the snake slowly squeezed, the girl started to moan. At first, it was out of some sort of organism. But then, it transferred into crying for help because of strangulation. Her face started to get hot flush and then became pale, her breath became shallow and short. She tried to lift her hands to break away from the snake, but she was in bondage.
Then, our eyes met with each other.
"Help... me..." She mouthed in despair.
"No, the snake... It's going to kill her!" I looked up at Alpha Zackery and said.
There was no response from him. I was shocked. There was no sympathy in his eyes. Instead, there was only excitement. It seemed that he was enchanted and possessed by the grotesque scene of unbridled lust.
Was he... turned on by this brutal murder scene?
I turned my head to Lucas, who grinned at Alpha Zackery and said, "Do you see beauty in that, Your Excellency? Any sparkles of inspiration?"
Alpha Zackery seemed to be woken by Lucas' voice. He looked down at me and said in a gentle voice, "Are you getting tired, little girl? Do you want to go back to the carriage?"
I felt that I was trapped in a nightmare.
"No! The snake is killing that girl! Why don't you do anything to stop it?"
"Take your seat. It's just a performance." Alpha Zackery said.
His voice was mechanical. It didn't sound like his usual gentle voice.
I tried to stand up to help that girl, but I was pushed down onto my seat by a giant pair of hands.
I thought they were Lucas' hands, but they turned out to be Alpha Zackery's.
"I told you to take your seat." Alpha Zackery looked into my eyes and said.
His grip was firm. I couldn't move a bit and was coerced to remain seated.
Desperately, I turned to Lucas.
"Do something to stop the snake!" I exclaimed.
Lucas leaned towards me in a sadistic way and said, "Now you're talking to me."
"You're killing that girl!"
Lucas raised his eyebrows and said, "The fucking python is killing her. I have nothing to do with it. I don't give a fuck. Someone has to die to satisfy His Excellency's afternoon delight."