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.

My heart thundered so loudly I could feel it in my throat.

I tried to keep my breathing steady, tried not to show the fear burning in my chest, but my whole body was shaking. Leon stood in front of me, tall and calm, his eyes locked on mine with a darkness that made my stomach twist.

He didn't move at first.

He just stared - almost like he could read every thought in my head.

Then he finally rose to his feet.

For a moment, I thought he was going to drag me back to the bed or pin me against the wall. My hands balled into fists as I prepared myself for anything.

Instead, he walked away.

Straight to the wooden drawer pressed against the wall.

My breath caught.

My mind screamed.

Aaron had a drawer like that too...

That was where he kept his sharp tools.

His ropes.

His needles.

His belt.

My throat tightened painfully.

My knees trembled.

My vision blurred with old memories I wanted to forget.

Leon pulled out a small box - the same size as the one Aaron used to carry.

The same shape.

The same color.

My heart nearly stopped.

My fingers slid slowly toward the ceramic jug on the table.

I didn't want to die helpless.

I didn't want to be beaten again.

If Leon tried to hurt me...

If he tried anything at all...

I would crack his skull open first.

My grip on the jug tightened with every step he took closer.

My breath grew shallow.

Sweat gathered in my palms.

Just one moment.

One wrong move from him and I would swing.

He reached me.

Stopped in front of me.

Then he opened the box.

My arm froze in mid–air.

I blinked.

Once.

Twice.

Inside the box... there were no knives.

No needles.

No ropes.

Only bandages.

Ointments.

Clean cloths.

Medical herbs.

My chest rose sharply.

The jug slipped from my weak fingers and dropped loudly to the floor.

I just stared at him... frozen... trembling...

While he calmly took out the items and knelt beside me.

He didn't shout.

He didn't force me.

He didn't even look angry that I tried to hit him.

He simply reached for my knee, the one swollen and bruised from Aaron's kicks, and began gently cleaning the wound.

I stared at him in shock.

His touch was warm.

Soft.

Almost too gentle for a man who looked like he could break bones with his bare hands.

My heartbeat slowly steadied.

He knew I was going to attack him - he must have been watching my every move - and yet he didn't even react. He just focused on the wounds, rubbing ointment across my torn skin with slow, careful motions.

He didn't treat me like an object.

He treated me like I mattered.

His deep voice cut through the silence.

"I won't hurt you, Brenda."

He didn't even look up, but his voice shook me deeply.

It was thick.

Low.

Sincere.

My fingers loosened.

My shoulders dropped.

I slowly let go of the fear long enough to breathe again.

I placed the jug gently back on the ground.

He paused.

Then looked at me.

For the first time, I understood the look in his eyes - and it scared me even more than any threat could.

His eyes were soft.

Apologetic.

Like he hated himself for something he did or something he wished he could change.

"I'm sorry I didn't come sooner," he whispered.

My throat tightened.

I didn't want those words to touch me, but they did.

They hit the deepest part of me - the part that had always hoped someone... anyone... would come.

Just once.

But hope is dangerous.

Hope is deadly.

Hope is a lie.

I swallowed it quickly.

"Nobody does anything for free," I said harshly. "Why did you bring me here?"

Leon wrapped the bandage around my leg with slow, practiced movements, then smiled faintly.

"Because I can't stand to see you get hurt like that."

I scoffed loudly.

"You just want to get fucked. Wasn't that night enough for you?"

His smile fell instantly.

He rose to stand in front of me, jaw tight.

"Brenda," he said quietly, "sex or no sex... I would have saved anyone in your position. You were being mistreated. Badly."

I let out a cold, bitter laugh and pushed myself to my feet.

Pain shot through my ribs but I ignored it.

"If that's the case, you should've brought every girl at Alpha Aaron's mansion," I snapped. "Then maybe your story would make sense."

I walked past him, ready to leave the room, but before I could take two steps, his hand wrapped tightly around my arm.

His voice was firm.

"I don't care if you believe me or not. But you're safe here."

I turned slowly, staring at his hand gripping my arm.

His fingers were warm... steady... almost protective.

Not violent like Aaron's.

His grey eyes held mine.

"Let. Me. Go," I ordered.

Instead, his grip tightened slightly - not to hurt me, but to keep me still.

"I'm sorry, Brenda," he said softly, "but you're my responsibility now. And it's my duty to protect you. I can't let you leave."

Something snapped inside me.

I screamed, full of anger.

"So imprisoning me makes you a protector?! So you think-"

I didn't even finish my sentence.

Leon suddenly lifted me off the ground with one strong arm under my legs and one behind my back.

A sharp gasp escaped me.

I panicked and grabbed him tightly around his neck, squeezing with all my strength so I wouldn't fall. My eyes were squeezed tightly.

My heart hammered violently.

"Put me down!" I yelled, terrified.

He didn't.

Instead... he smiled.

A soft, teasing smile.

"You always pretend to be strong," he said quietly, brushing a thumb over my hair. "But you're just afraid of heights, aren't you?"

My face burned in shame.

I opened my eyes slowly - and froze when I saw how close we were.

His breath brushed my cheeks.

His chest rose and fell against mine.

His scent - warm, masculine, almost intoxicating - filled my lungs.

For a second, everything stopped.

He looked at me like he could see straight through me.

His grip on me slowly tightened, pulling me even closer.

A heat I didn't understand rushed through my stomach.

"No," I whispered internally. "Don't feel anything. Don't feel anything."

But my heart didn't listen.

My voice cracked.

"Let me go."

"Sure," he said lightly, loosening his arms as if he was really going to drop me hard against the floor. 

I panicked and clung to him tighter, my arms locking around his neck.

His soft laugh vibrated through his chest.

"I thought so," he whispered, pulling me securely against him again.

He walked to the bed with slow, steady steps, then lowered me gently onto the soft mattress. One of his arms stayed behind my head so it wouldn't hit the bed too hard.

He tucked the blanket around me like I was fragile glass.

He touched my head softly.

"Stop acting strong around me," he whispered. "From now on... let me be your strength."

Then he walked away.

My heart thundered like drums as I watched him leave the room.

The moment I heard the door slam shut, I sat up sharply, ignoring the pain stabbing through my ribs and wrist.

I pulled the blanket off and stumbled toward the window.

Locked.

I didn't stop.

I pushed.

And pushed.

And pushed harder.

Pain exploded through my whole body - my wrist felt like it was breaking - but I didn't stop.

I pushed until the window finally cracked open.

Cold wind hit my face.

I held my breath.

Then I jumped.

My feet hit the ground painfully.

My leg bent awkwardly.

My ribs screamed.

But I didn't stop.

I couldn't let Leon cage me.

I ran.

Straight into the darkness of the night.

Outside was nothing like the warm room behind me.

The air was cold.

The woods looked alive, their shapes twisting into frightening shadows.

I walked deeper and deeper, forcing my shaking legs to keep moving.

The forest grew darker with every step.

No guards followed me.

Leon barely had any.

I slipped out easily.

But now I was alone.

Alone in a forest that felt like it wanted to swallow me whole.

The moon hid behind thick clouds.

The trees towered over me like giants.

The night sounds grew louder... sharper... more dangerous.

My breathing became uneven.

My body trembled from cold and fear.

I didn't know where I was going.

I didn't know where the road was.

I didn't know if I would survive.

Then I heard it.

A soft... low... dangerous growl.

Right behind me.

My blood turned to ice.

I turned slowly, shaking so hard my knees almost buckled.

My heart dropped.

A pack of black wolves stood behind me.

Their eyes glowed.

Their teeth shined.

Their bodies were tense with hunger.

One stepped forward.

Then another.

I stumbled back, breath shaking.

My lips parted in a trembling whisper.

"No... no... please..."

The wolves lowered their heads...

And prepared to attack.