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.

My legs trembled so much it felt like the ground was shaking under me.

I took slow steps backward, never turning my back to the wolves.

Their growls grew louder... deeper... hungrier.

I could feel their breath brushing my skin even before they jumped.

And they jumped together.

Like they rehearsed it.

Like they waited all night for this moment.

I screamed as they rushed toward me.

My legs wouldn't move. 

Just when I tried to force it my feet slipped on the wet leaves.

My back hit the cold ground.

I shut my eyes tight as their paws hit the soil around me.

I thought that was it.

I thought this was how I would die - alone and unwanted in the middle of a cold forest.

But then-

A sharp, cracking sound ripped through the air.

A wolf cried out in pain.

I opened my eyes slightly... blinking through the blur... and saw a shadow moving faster than any human ever could.

I blinked again.

My vision cleared.

And I saw him.

Leon.

He was fighting three wolves at once.

Claws slashed across his skin.

Teeth snapped at his throat.

But he moved with a speed that didn't seem real.

His body twisted sharply.

His arm swung with deadly force.

He tore into their hides like they were nothing.

I lay frozen on the ground, my body trembling, but my fear began to shift into something else.

Shock.

Confusion.

A strange, cold ache that made no sense.

Leon was strong... stronger than any alpha I had seen.

He moved like a storm - fast, dangerous, unstoppable.

But the wolves were not weak either.

They attacked together.

They bit his legs.

They clawed at his sides.

But he still didn't stop.

Not once.

He fought like he was protecting something more precious than his own life.

He fought like he was protecting-Me.

One by one, the wolves fell.

Their bodies hit the ground with heavy thuds until finally-

Only Leon was left standing.

His chest rose and fell in ragged breaths.

Sweat dripped down his face.

His back was turned to me.

My heart slammed painfully against my ribs.

I saw his shoulders shaking.

I saw his fists clenched.

I saw his rage... like a fire burning under his skin.

I curled myself tighter on the ground.

My lips parted, but nothing came out.

Then-

A sudden movement.

A shadow breaking through the bushes.

A wolf I didn't see earlier jumped out of the darkness, teeth bared, running straight for Leon's back.

"WATCH OUT!" I screamed with everything in me.

My voice cracked with fear.

Leon turned - but it was too late.

The wolf sank its teeth deep into his shoulder, slicing through  Leon's back with claws.

Leon's scream tore through the night.

Not a weak sound.

Not a cry.

But a roar filled with pain.

And fury.

He grabbed the wolf and slammed it against a tree.

They rolled across the ground, biting and clawing.

This wolf was different.

Stronger.

Faster.

More vicious.

Leon was bleeding heavily now.

His breaths were unstable.

His movements grew slower with each second.

I watched him fight until my own lungs hurt.

But finally-

With one last burst of strength, he grabbed the wolf by the neck...

...and slammed it so hard the forest shook.

The wolf fell still.

Leon staggered forward, barely standing.

His legs trembled violently.

His breathing was sharp and uneven.

Yet he still tried to walk toward me.

I stood slowly, bracing myself.

I expected anger.

I expected shouting.

I expected him to grab me and throw me against a wall like Aaron used to.

My fists clenched hard.

"I-" I began to speak, ready for whatever came.

But his voice cut through my fear.

Soft.

Weak.

Barely above a whisper.

"Are you okay?"

My fists loosened instantly.

My entire body softened.

My heart stilled.

I looked into his eyes, searching for anger, searching for violence... searching for anything that looked like Aaron.

But there was none.

All I saw was disappointment...

And something that felt dangerously like worry.

He didn't shout.

He didn't blame me.

He didn't even look at my face too long, like he was afraid of scaring me again.

He simply took off his long robe, stepped close to me, and wrapped it gently around my shoulders.

Slow movements.

Shaky but careful hands.

He couldn't even look me in the eye. His silence weighed heavier on me.

Something sharp pierced my chest.

I didn't want kindness.

Not this kind.

Not from him.

Anger I could handle.

Pain I understood.

Violence I was used to.

But this-

This made me feel guilty.

This... hurt me more than any hit Aaron ever gave me.

I stayed silent as he adjusted the robe around my neck, making sure it covered me fully.

"Let's go," he said quietly.

But his voice shook.

That shake scared me more than the wolves.

"He's an alpha," I told myself silently. "A wolf cut shouldn't be so bad. He should heal fast... shouldn't he?"

We walked through the woods.

I could hear the leaves crunching under his unstable steps.

Something was wrong.

Very wrong.

Then-

A loud thud behind me.

I spun around.

Leon lay on the ground, completely unconscious.

"LEON!" I screamed, running to him.

My heart pounded so violently it hurt.

I hadn't felt this kind of fear since the day my father abandoned me.

I lifted his head and placed it on my chest.

His skin felt cold.

His breaths were barely there.

"Leon... wake up," I whispered, slapping his cheek gently.

"Please... wake up."

But he didn't move.

My hands shook as I touched his shoulder.

My palms came back covered in blood.

"No," I whispered.

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

He should've healed.

Why wasn't he healing?

I turned him slightly and saw the wound on his back.

It was black.

Dead-looking.

He was poisoned.

Wolfsbane.

A cold wave rushed through my stomach.

If he died...

It would be because of me.

I grabbed him from under his arms and dragged him through the woods with all the strength I had.

His weight pulled my muscles apart.

My ribs felt like they were cracking.

My wounds reopened and warm blood dripped down my sides.

But I didn't feel any of it.

I only felt fear.

"HELP US!" I screamed into the forest.

No one answered.

My voice broke.

"HELP!" I screamed again, louder.

My throat burned.

My chest ached.

My legs shook violently.

"I stopped crying three years ago," I whispered to myself.

"I don't know how to cry anymore..."

But inside, something felt like it was breaking open.

Finally-

I heard faint voices.

"Alpha Leon!" someone shouted in the distance.

Lights flashed through the trees.

Relief washed over me so suddenly I almost collapsed.

"OVER HERE!" I screamed with the last strength I had.

Guards rushed to him.

They lifted him from my hands.

The physicians carried him into the palace.

I sat outside the room, unable to breathe, unable to think.

I could hear him screaming from inside.

Every scream felt like it tore through my own skin.

Every cry felt like a stab to my chest.

This was my fault.

All of it.

Hours passed.

Maybe more.

Finally the physician stepped out with a tired sigh.

"He should survive," he said. "But he is weak. Very weak."

I didn't wait for more.

I pushed the door open.

My legs shook as I walked in.

Leon lay on the bed, breathing heavily.

His chest rose and fell with pain.

His lips were pale.

His skin was cold.

I froze at the sight.

Something inside me fell apart.

I moved closer, step by step.

My throat burned.

My heart felt too heavy for my chest.

I reached out and placed my hand softly over his.

His skin was warm but weak.

A terrible thought crossed my mind.

He wouldn't be here if he hadn't tried to stop me.

And if he kept trying to protect me...

He might get hurt again.

I shouldn't wait till alpha Aaron comes for me. Because I knew he's capable of destroying everything just to get what he wants.

Worse.

My heart broke quietly.

I knew what I had to do.

I had to leave.

I turned slowly, ready to walk away while he was too weak to stop me.

But then-

A soft grip wrapped weakly around my wrist.

I froze instantly.

My breath caught in my throat.

I couldn't move.

I couldn't think.

I didn't know what I felt - fear, guilt, pain, relief... maybe all of them at once.

His voice came out broken... soft... fragile.

"Don't go..."

Another breath.

"Don't leave me again, Brenda..."

My heart shattered.

Completely.