His caged luna

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.