"There's something wrong with her," one of the guards muttered as they patrolled past Aurora's cell.

"I think she's sick again," his companion replied.

They both stopped in front of the cell, peering through the iron bars. Inside, they saw Aurora trembling violently, hugging herself.

"She was born a runt. It's unfortunate, really. I doubt she'll last another week."

"Hm. This is the second time she's fallen sick this week."

"Yeah. She won't hold out much longer. The alpha should just end it quickly, spare her the suffering."

These guards were from the Howling Wolf pack. They had endured ten years of torment after their pack fell.

But during those years, it was Aurora's father and brother who inflicted their pain, turning their lives into a nightmare. They had never even seen Aurora, not once.

So, a quick death seemed punishment enough for her.

After all, they could still torture her brother. That seemed fair.

"Right, she won't last long in that condition." One guard nudged the other, and they both walked away.

They felt a twinge of pity for her, but it wasn't enough to erase the suffering they had endured under Aurora's father.

She could die in that shabby cell for all they cared. In fact, it might even be a mercy, sparing her from the alpha's torture.

===========================

"Fuck you! BASTARD!" Mitchell screamed as the knife plunged into his flesh. "I'll kill you! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU ALL! ARGH!"

They deliberately avoided his vital organs, ensuring the wounds wouldn't be fatal. Each took their turn torturing him, careful not to end his life.

They'd let his wounds heal just enough before starting the cycle all over again.

Mitchell was the son of the alpha of the Blue Moon pack, once destined to inherit the title. But his pack had fallen, and now he was here to pay for his crimes—though no amount of suffering could ever atone for his sins.

He was a spitting image of his father, cruel and power-hungry. Together, they enslaved the former members of the Howling Wolf pack, killing without remorse and raping the women.

"How about I cut off his manhood? He won't be needing it anymore, and it'd be a favor to women everywhere. What do you say, Gamma Evan?"

Evan grinned, baring his canines, clearly liking the idea.

"He won't die. I'm sure he'll heal in a few hours."

Evan had been tasked with overseeing Mitchell until the alpha decided his fate. During this time, Evan was permitted to do anything to him—as long as Mitchell didn't die or manage to kill himself.

"FUCK YOU, Evan!" Mitchell roared as the knife wound from earlier began to heal. His skin was covered with scars, but nothing fatal enough to kill him. Yet, that didn't mean he was immune to pain. "I should have had those savages cut you to pieces!"

Evan's brown eyes darkened several shades at the mention of that memory, a reminder of the darkest moment in his life. He had been just a boy when it happened, unable to fight even one of them, let alone the ten men who ravaged him.

"What?" Mitchell cackled when he saw the grin vanish from Evan's face. "Did you recall your sweet moment? I can still hear you screaming in delight."

No. Evan had been screaming in agony, desperate to end his own life.

However, Mitchell should have been wise enough to realize that he no longer held the power—it was his turn to scream.

"Chop it off."

The three men were eager to obey the gamma's command. They had been waiting for this moment.

"After that, feed it to the wild dogs and make him watch," Evan ordered coldly, savoring the terror in Mitchell's eyes.

===========================

"It was her brother…" Annie whispered, her voice trembling. "He whipped her. Miss Aurora's body is different from other shifters. She can't heal like us, so the wounds never healed. They left scars on her back." Annie was crying now.

Recounting what Aurora had endured tore at her heart because it forced her to remember the cruelty Aurora suffered at the hands of her own family.

"Her father would lock her in the attic and starve her if she stepped out of her room and someone saw her."

From the outside, it seemed like the alpha was protecting his sickly daughter, but the truth was far darker—Aurora was treated no better than a slave.

"Please, Alpha Cris, that child knows nothing. She suffered at the hands of her father, just like you and your people…" Annie pleaded, her voice breaking.

"Just like me and my people?" Cris scoffed, the idea almost laughable to him. "Leave."

"W-what?" Annie blinked, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Leave this room."

"Alpha Cris, can you please let me see her? She's been sleeping in that cold cell in the dungeon. She must be terrified. I won't ask for anything else—just let me see her and tend to her," Annie pleaded. She had no other family, and having watched Aurora grow up, she was deeply attached to her. "Please, let me stay with her in her cell."

Cris narrowed his eyes.

The shift in power didn't really affect people like Annie, since Cris's focus wasn't on them. But she was willing to give up the comfort of her bed to stay in the dungeon with Aurora?

"Please, Alpha Cris, show some mercy on Miss Aurora. She has suffered enough..."