The first night, I believed he would kill me when he was done. I even hoped for it. But he didn't.

Instead he had said to me, "I will break your spirit every day until you have nothing left but me."

And he kept that promise. Every day was torture. His words echoed in my head like chains. Every night, they wrapped around my heart until I could hardly breathe.

I used to cry and pray. I begged for my someone to save me. I begged the moon goddess to help me. But no one did. Not even God.

Now, I don't pray. I don't cry. Now I only believe in one person-Myself. 

Three years of pain have burned every tear out of me. I am empty. Cold. I feel nothing now. Maybe that's what freedom feels like.

I sat in front of the mirror and watched myself. The woman looking back at me was a stranger. Her eyes were dark and tired. Her lips were pale. I used to be soft. Now I am stone.

I put on makeup slowly. I painted life on my face because he liked it that way. But inside, I was already dead.

A soft knock came at the door.

"Madam, Alpha Aaron has called for you," a maid said quietly.

I didn't look at her. I didn't answer. She understood and left.

I stood up, put on a red robe with golden patterns, and sprayed his favorite scent on my neck. The smell made my stomach turn, but I wore it anyway.

As I walked down the hall, I heard laughter. Glass breaking. Then faint cries - soft, frightened. My hands began to shake, not from fear, but anger.

When I opened the door, my heart turned to ice.

Alpha Aaron was there, drunk, half-naked, laughing like a madman. The room was a mess, wine spilled everywhere, clothes thrown on the floor. Around him were little girls within the age of twelve to fifteen I assume. They huddled in corners, terrified, trying to cover themselves. Some were naked while some still had some torn clothes on. 

He was going to ruin their lives like he ruined mine. 

He chased them, taunting and laughing. "Come on, don't hide from me! You know I always win!"

My blood boiled.

"Alpha Aaron!" I shouted.

He stopped and turned. For a moment, he looked confused, then smiled that cruel smile I hated.

"Oh... my favorite toy," he said, slurring his words. "You came to join the fun?"

I smiled - a cold, empty smile.

"If you want to play," I said quietly, "then play with me."

The girls looked at me with wide, shaking eyes. I didn't let them see pity in mine. I couldn't afford it.

"What are you still doing here?" I said to them, signaling them to leave. 

They ran, quick as shadows, out of the room. Now it was only me and him. Again.

I hated how familiar this room felt.

I hated him.

I hated that I still breathed the same air he did.

He grinned and raised his glass. "You always surprise me, Brenda."

I tilted my head, pretending to smile. "Then come here. Let's see how much fun I can be."

He laughed and stumbled toward me. He reeked of wine and sweat. His robe slipped down his shoulders.

The moment he was close enough, I moved.

I pulled out the small knife hidden behind my robe and drove it straight into his heart.

He froze, gasping in pain. His eyes widened in shock as he looked down. Blood spread across his skin, dark and thick.

Then, slowly, he looked up at me. For a second everything went silent and still until he laughed. A dry, broken laugh.

"You think that will kill me?"

I stepped back, breathing hard.

"I'm not here to kill you," I said. "I just want you to feel it,what your end will be like."

He pulled the knife from his chest. The wound began to close right before my eyes.

"You should know by now," he said, smiling darkly, "only silver can kill a wolf."

I didn't move. My voice came out low and steady.

"I'm not going to give you the privilege of an easy death, Alpha. You don't deserve it. I'll make you suffer. I'll make you wish for death."

He stared at me for a moment, then laughed again. "This is why I can't let you go. You make life so... interesting."

He moved closer and grabbed my hair, pulling my head back hard. Pain shot through me, but I didn't flinch. I kept my gaze on him, like I was glaring deep into his dark soul.

"You have such beautiful eyes," he whispered. His breath was heavy with alcohol.

He pressed his lips against mine. I didn't fight him this time. I didn't even blink. I waited. I felt nothing. I had no soul left for him to break.

He finally pulled away, smiling. "Get dressed," he said. "We have an event tonight. Alphas from every region will be there. I want them to see how beautiful my woman is."

I wiped his touch from my lips and stepped aside.

He turned away, laughing to himself, still proud, still blind.

I walked out of the room. My steps were slow but steady. My hands shook, but not from fear but from rage.

Every breath I took burned like fire.

I whispered to myself, "Your time is coming soon, Alpha Aaron. I will destroy you. And when I'm done, there won't be a single trace of you left in this world."

The corridor was quiet except for the faint hum of night insects beyond the stone walls. Then-

a sound. Soft. A stifled sob.

I froze. My pulse quickened.

Someone was hiding.

I followed the sound to a shadowed corner, and there they were-those same little girls. Huddled together, arms around their knees, shaking. When they saw me, their eyes went wide with terror, as if I were another monster sent to drag them back.

I sighed, the ache in my chest deepening.

When I first came here, no one had looked at me with mercy. No one had tried to help.

I crouched down and whispered, "I'll help you. All of you."

Their eyes flickered with disbelief, then hope.

We moved fast and silent through the halls, bare feet whispering against cold marble. Every creak felt like thunder. Every shadow felt alive. My heart pounded in my throat, but I didn't stop. Not this time.

At last, the night air hit us. We reached the high wall that kept souls trapped inside this mansion. It looked impossibleto cross.

The girls' shoulders sagged. One began to cry.

"Climb on," I said, kneeling.

They hesitated.

"When I was in your place," I whispered, "no one reached out to me. If you stay, you'll lose yourself. Every piece of who you are will die, one by one, until nothing's left. Don't let that happen."

Silence. Then the smallest girl stepped forward.

One by one they climbed, trembling, over my shoulders. I lifted them, watching each disappear over the wall into freedom.

Only one remained. She stood frozen, her small hands twisting the hem of her torn dress.

"Go," I urged. "Now."

"I...I...I'm scared," she whispered.

Footsteps echoed behind us.

I turned toward the sound. "Jump," I said sharply. "Now!"

She leapt. I lifted her as high as I could, but she was heavy and I had no balance left. The rock beneath me shifted.

It broke.

The world tilted. I felt my body drop, air ripping from my lungs. I braced for the ground but instead, strong arms caught me mid-fall. A body twisted with mine, rolling, shielding me. The world blurred until we stopped on the soft slope below the wall.

For a second I couldn't move.

Then I felt it, a warm breath against my ear, a hand cradling the back of my head.

I opened my eyes.

Grey eyes looked down at me, bright and stormy, filled with something I hadn't seen in years-concern. He was close enough that I could see the faint scar on his jaw, the pulse beating hard in his neck.

For a moment, everything stopped. The air. The pain. The noise.

He was a stranger, but something about him felt achingly familiar.

"Are you hurt?" he asked quietly.

His voice was low and rough, yet gentle, like warmth breaking through ice. My chest ached. My heart stuttered.

I swallowed hard, unable to find words. I hadn't felt anything real in years, and now emotions rushed back like a flood. Fear, confusion... something else I couldn't name.

Footsteps and voices drew closer. 

The guards.

My heart slammed against my ribs. If they found us here, both of us were as good as dead.

I sat up, pulling him with me until he was upright on the grass. The guards' torches glowed faintly through the trees - we had seconds.

Without thinking, I loosened the tie of my robe and let the fabric slip from my shoulders, exposing my back to the torchlight. The cool breeze bit into my skin. Then I leaned forward and wrapped my arms around his neck, pressing close so the guards would see only two shapes locked together.

He froze, breath catching.

"What are you-"

"Don't move," I said quickly. My voice shook, but my mind was already racing.

The guards' voices came nearer. "Did you hear something?" one said.

They turned the corner, torches sweeping. The light flickered over us.

His hands came up instinctively, hugging me tighter. My heart thundered. The cold night turned heavy and hot.

For three endless heartbeats, I felt nothing but the sound of our breathing and the nearness of him-the strength in his arms, the steady rhythm beneath his chest. 

I hadn't felt this alive in years.

The guards left just as quickly as they came, leaving only deafening silence between us as the moonlight bore witness to this. 

We were still wrapped tightly around each other or should I say -me. 

Lost in the warmth of his embrace, his scent so attractive that I forgot to let go. 

I could feel his heartbeat, steady and warm, against my trembling skin.

"Miss," he whispered close to my ear, his breath brushing my neck, soft but teasing. "I know I'm handsome, but you don't have to keep holding on. The guards are gone."

Heat rushed through me. I pulled away instantly, my hands scrambling to fix my robe.

My lips parted, but no sound came out.

He smiled - that kind of smile that made you want to slap him and stare at him at the same time.

I hated that he looked amused. I hated myself for holding on for too long.

"Annoying," I muttered under my breath.

He chuckled. "You can call me Leon," he said, stretching out his hand.

I glanced at it, then at him. Those grey eyes gleamed like a storm, wild and knowing.

"I don't talk to strangers," I said coldly, then turned and walked away.

"Then at least tell me your name," he called.

I didn't look back. I couldn't. Because if I did, I was afraid I might not stop looking.

Back at the hall, music played loudly in the background. Laughter, loud and hollow, bounced off marble walls.

Men with power and calibers sat in clusters, surrounded by wine and women, their laughter sharp and empty.

At the head sat Alpha Aaron - confident, cruel, and proud. His presence was enough to silence the room whenever he moved.

"Allow me to appreciate every one of you for honoring my invitation," he said, lifting his glass.

One of the guests laughed. "Who could turn down the call of the great Alpha Aaron - the man of gold, wine, and women?"

Aaron grinned, showing his perfect teeth. "You flatter me."

"We heard you claimed a woman so beautiful that even the moon hides in shame," another said. "Will you show her to us tonight?"

Aaron laughed, dark and deep. He leaned toward one of his maids and whispered something.

I was in my room, rushing to fix my hair and jewelry. I had just changed from my earlier attire which was already stained. Now fixing my hair which still had traces of dirt from the fall. I barely had time to wash it off before the maid's voice came again through the door.

"The Alpha has called for you."

I sighed, my heart tightening. I looked into the mirror - painted face, lifeless eyes. I forced a smile, fixed myself a bit more.

Then I walked out.

The hall fell silent the moment I entered.

My gown was sapphire blue, soft and heavy, clinging to me in all the right places. Diamonds glittered at my neck and wrists, catching the light with every step. I had never looked more alive, yet I had never felt more hollow.

Every pair of eyes followed me. I could feel their hunger, their whispers, their awe.

But my gaze found only one face.

Leon.

He sat among them - calm, unreadable. His eyes caught mine. They followed me like shadows.

My chest tightened.

Aaron rose to meet me, his hand sliding possessively around my waist. The scent of him burned in my throat.

"Isn't she beautiful?" he said proudly, parading me like a trophy.

They all cheered, laughing and praising, raising their glasses.

But Leon didn't move. Didn't clap. He just sipped his wine slowly with his gaze still fixed on me.

"Brenda here," Aaron continued, "is not only beautiful, but a very talented dancer."

My heart stopped. My eyes cut to his, warning him silently.

The guests laughed, shouting for me to dance.

I smiled - tight, cold whispering softly to Aaron. "If you want to entertain them, Alpha, then you dance because I will not."

Aaron smile disappeared. He leaned close. "You will either obey me or suffer the consequences," he hissed. 

"Then I will suffer the consequences," I whispered back.

I stepped forward and bowed slightly to the guests.

"Gentlemen, I wouldn't want to bore you with my amateur steps. And besides, I'm not feeling well tonight so I would like to take my leave. Please enjoy the night."

Then I turned and walked away, leaving the hall heavy with silence.

I didn't look back, but I could feel Aaron's rage burning holes into my back.

By the time I reached my room, my hands were shaking. I trembled for what awaits me. I knew how much he enjoys giving torture,  the way he could make pain last longer than time itself.

Aaron's punishments were creative, cruel, unforgettable.

Once, he made me lie on broken glass while he forced himself on me - each breath was a scream I swallowed to stay alive, with every move I felt the piece cut deep into my skin all because I refused one night with him. 

Another time, he locked me outside naked under the rain, watching through the window as I begged for mercy that never came.

Every scar on my body was a story he wrote in pain.

Aaron was not one to tolerate disobedience but I was done been his plaything.

I paced around in panic when the knock finally came, my knees nearly gave out.

The maid entered, her face pale.

"The Alpha is waiting," she whispered, handing me a blindfold.

My breath caught.

Still, I tied it over my eyes. The world went black.

She led me down the hall, her grip trembling on my arm. Her voice came faintly. "Keep walking straight. First door on your right."

I swallowed hard. My heart thudded painfully in my chest.

When I reached the door, I hesitated for only a moment before whispering, "I'm here, Alpha. Do with me as you wish."

The scent in the air was strange - not his usual one.

Then I heard footsteps approaching, slow, deliberate.

My throat tightened. I clenched my hands, bracing for pain.

But instead, a hand brushed against my waist - gently.

I froze.

His touch wasn't rough. It wasn't demanding. It was careful. Curious.

He leaned in. His breath was warm against my skin. I could scent the alcohol on him. He was probably drunk. 

My knees trembled.

And then - he kissed me.

Softly. Unexpectedly.

My mind went blank. My lips parted on instinct, a gasp escaping.

This wasn't Aaron. It couldn't be.

Aaron's kisses were violent. This one was something else - something dangerous in its tenderness.

My chest burned. My heart betrayed me, beating faster.

For the first time in years, I felt warmth instead of fear.

His hand came up to my face, tracing the edge of my jaw. His touch made my skin come alive in ways I'd forgotten were possible.

He pulled me closer, his breath mixing with mine, his heartbeat loud and strong.

I didn't know what I was doing anymore. I didn't care.

For one stolen moment, I wanted to feel human again.

I let him lift me - easily, gently. He laid me down, his lips finding mine again, slower this time, like a question neither of us dared to answer.

My body trembled. My hands reached for him before I could stop them.

The world melted into heat and confusion and heartbeat. Every emotion I had buried clawed its way back to the surface - longing, fear, loneliness, and something that felt dangerously like hope.

His lips moved down to my neck. A soft moan escaped my lips. My fingers clawed on his back 

I felt like a sinner for enjoying this moment. I should hate Aaron but this moment, I didn't want him to stop.

I felt fire burned through me with every kisses. His hand grabbed thighs, lifting them slowly. 

For a moment I forgot all about my fears. I forgot how much I hated Aaron.

His fingers slipped within my lips. 

A loud moan escaped my lips as I felt him thrust deep inside me. 

He kissed me softly in ways he never did in three years. 

I felt the heat burn through me the deeper he went. 

For the first time in years, I didn't feel like a prisoner. I felt alive.

He whispered my name between breaths, as if it belonged to him alone.

"Brenda..."

I shivered. His voice - deep, rough, familiar. But not Aaron.

Then-

BANG!

The door crashed open.

I gasped, ripping the blindfold away. My eyes widened.

Alpha Aaron.

He stood at the door, fully dressed, his face dark with fury. His breathing came in sharp bursts.

For a heartbeat, everything went silent.

Then my gaze shifted - to the man beside me.

The man whose hands still held my waist. The man whose eyes I could never forget.

Leon.

My heart stopped.

Aaron's eyes burned with rage. My mind screamed for a way out, but there was none.

I could feel it in my bones - the storm that was about to break.

And I knew, in that moment, that my life... was about to end.

I woke to the taste of blood in my mouth.

Thick. Metallic. Bitter.

It rested on my tongue like a warning from my own body.

The room around me was dark and cold. Not the kind of cold you feel on your skin but the kind that sinks into your bones and stays there. My wrists burned as though someone had held fire to them. My whole body ached in places I didn't want to remember. Every breath felt like something sharp was stuck inside my ribs.

My voice shook as I whispered his name, the name I had learned to fear.

"Alpha... Aaron..."

My throat felt dry and torn. I forced out one more breath-

But before I could speak again,

BANG!

A hand crashed against my cheek with so much force that the room spun. A hot sting rushed across my face. My tongue hit my teeth and sliced open, sending fresh blood into my mouth. I tasted myself.

Aaron had punished me before.

But this-

this was different.

Nothing compared to what he did after finding me with Leon.

"So now you are sleeping with my guest, is that it?" Aaron shouted.

His voice filled the room, raw with rage.

Before I could even look up, his fist slammed deep into my belly.

The air left my lungs.

I folded over, coughing blood, choking on my own breath.

Pain shot through my body like lightning.

My vision blurred with black spots dancing around the edges.

My eyes were already swollen from the last punches he gave me. I couldn't even keep them open properly. My legs trembled, then went numb beneath me. I fell to the cold floor, holding my stomach as if my hands could stop the pain from spreading.

"I... I didn't..." I tried to speak, but my words came out in broken whispers. I couldn't even hear myself properly. My ears were ringing.

Aaron grabbed the back of my head and yanked it upward so hard I felt something crack in my neck. He pulled my face close to his. His hot breath brushed my lips. The smell of alcohol mixed with anger filled the air between us.

"Did you enjoy it?" he growled.

"Does his dick feel sweeter, huh?"

His fingers twisted deeper into my hair. My scalp burned. Tears filled my eyes, not from fear, but from the physical pain ripping through every part of me.

I laughed.

I didn't even know where the laugh came from.

Maybe from the part of me that had given up.

Maybe from the part of me that wanted him to feel something-anything-other than control.

My lips pulled back, showing my blood-stained teeth.

"He might have been a stranger," I whispered, voice trembling but sharp, "but at least he made me feel things you could never dream of. He was a lot better than you."

I saw it instantly, the rage that shot through Aaron's eyes.

His pupils shrank.

His jaw tightened.

His hand trembled with fury.

I had stepped on something I should never have touched.

He slapped me again.

A hot, burning slap that rang in my ears and blurred my sight.

My head snapped to the side.

My cheek went completely numb.

But I kept laughing.

"At least... your slap hits deeper than your dick," I spit out, and with the last bit of strength I had, I spat blood right onto his face.

Something inside him exploded.

He grabbed me by my arm and dragged me across the floor like I weighed nothing. His foot crashed into my belly once, twice, then again. I curled into myself, but it didn't help. Every kick sent a new wave of fire through my ribs. I felt something shift inside. Maybe a bone. Maybe my life.

He kicked until my body stopped reacting.

Until my pain blended into one long, distant scream inside my head.

Until I couldn't tell which part of me hurt the most.

Then everything went dim.

His voice became faint.

The room grew quieter.

The world around me faded into shadows.

I heard the door slam open.

Fast footsteps.

Voices.

Shouting.

But they all sounded like echoes coming from far away.

And then silence.

Complete, heavy silence.

When I regained a little bit of consciousness, I felt myself being lifted-then placed onto something that bounced lightly with movement. It felt like I was on a carriage, moving over rough ground. Each bump stabbed at my ribs. My broken body jerked helplessly with every pothole.

I forced my eyes open, just a little.

Blurry light.

A wooden ceiling.

A hand holding mine-soft, gentle, the complete opposite of Aaron's.

I panicked and tried to sit up, but pain shot through my ribs so sharply I fell back with a gasp. A cry escaped my throat before I could stop it.

A woman appeared beside me.

She held my shoulder gently, guiding me down again.

Her face was full of worry.

"Please don't move," she whispered.

"Your wounds may open again."

Her voice was warm, almost motherly.

I blinked, trying to focus.

My mind felt slow, confused, heavy.

"Who... are you?" I asked weakly.

"And where are you taking me?"

She helped adjust my head gently on a rolled cloth. Her touch was careful, like she was afraid I would break again.

"It's okay," she said softly.

"We just want to treat your wounds. Our young master saved you tonight. You don't have to suffer anymore."

Saved me?

My brows tightened.

My chest rose and fell in small, painful breaths.

"Young... master?"

My voice cracked as I tried to understand.

My mind was still stuck on Aaron, on the punches, on the floor.

I wanted to sit up again, but a stabbing pain in my ribs forced me down immediately. I groaned, clutching my side.

"Aaron... Alpha Aaron... he will punish me if I leave..." I whispered, tears gathering in my eyes.

The woman shook her head with sadness.

"You will not go back to him," she said firmly.

"Not after what he has done."

The world started spinning again.

My eyelids grew heavy.

The woman's face blurred, then faded away completely.

Darkness swallowed me once more.

When I opened my eyes again, I was somewhere else entirely.

Soft white curtains hung around the bed, moving slightly with the breeze. The mattress under me was so smooth and soft that it felt unreal. The room was quiet. Calm. Peaceful.

For a moment, I felt safe.

Then the memory of Aaron's fists hit me like a slap. My heart jumped. I sat up too quickly.

Pain shot through my ribs, forcing a loud gasp out of me.

"This isn't Aaron's mansion..." I muttered, looking around in panic.

The walls were clean.

The air smelled like herbs, not sweat and anger.

There was no shouting, no threat, no Alpha waiting to punish me.

I slipped out of the bed slowly, my legs shaking under my weight. Every movement sent a dull ache through my body, but I forced myself to keep going.

I reached for the pair of simple shoes placed beside the bed.

I bent down, pain stabbed my ribs again. I groaned.

My eyes watered from the effort.

Just as I managed to slip one foot in, the door slid open.

Footsteps approached-quiet, calm, controlled.

Not the footsteps of a monster.

But footsteps of someone who knew what they wanted.

I lifted my head slowly.

My breath froze.

Leon.

The man whose touch had changed everything.

The cause of this entire nightmare.

My jaw tightened.

Anger flared through me even though my body was weak.

He looked at me with those grey eyes, cold and warm at the same time. His expression softened as he approached, almost like he was relieved to see me awake but I didn't feel any relief.

I felt rage, confusion, fear.

Memories flashed through my mind:

His hands on my waist.

His lips on my neck.

The fire that spread through my body under his touch.

His gentleness that felt so dangerous.

But then all that was without my consent and worse I had to get punished for his wrongs.

I clenched my fists.

My nails dug into my palms.

Leon stopped right in front of me.

Then he knelt down slowly, his eyes still locked on mine. A faint smile touched his lips-small, almost shy.

It made me angrier.

I glared at him with everything inside me-bitterness, hatred, hurt, rage.

"Welcome home, Brenda," he said softly.

"From now on, you are my wife. My Luna."

His smile grew, but the more he smiled, the more I wanted to scream.

The more I wanted to hit him.

"I promise," he continued, "I won't claim you until you accept me as your husband. You can stay here. It's safe. No one will hurt you again."

His words sounded far away.

My mind replayed Aaron kicking me.

My ribs cracking. My vision fading.

My voice breaking.

Leon's promises felt like dust.

Without thinking, I lifted my hand and slapped him across the face.

The sound echoed through the room.

He froze.

The smile disappeared.

He looked at me-not with anger, but with confusion. Disappointment.

A trace of hurt.

But no anger.

My hand trembled.

My whole body trembled.

I stared at him, waiting for him to shout, to punish me, to grab me like Aaron always did.

But he didn't.

The world fell silent.

And my heart beat painfully in my chest.

His hand slowly rose to his cheek where I slapped him.

He touched it gently, then dropped his hand.

"Brenda..." he whispered, voice low, almost broken.

My breathing became ragged.

My eyes burned with unshed tears.

My legs shook beneath me.

"What do you want from me?" I whispered, voice cracking with pain.

"Why won't you leave me alone?"

Leon looked at me like I had stabbed him straight in the heart.

But he said nothing.

He just knelt there-silent, hurt, patient, while I stood in front of him, broken in more ways than I could count.