"Please, Alpha Cris, show some mercy on Miss Aurora. She has suffered enough..." Annie pleaded, lowering her head until her forehead touched the floor, begging the alpha to send her to the dungeon, to be with Aurora.

She knew she wouldn't be able to do much even if she was sent there, but at the very least, Aurora wouldn't be alone. The girl was afraid of the dark.

But just then, a knock on the door interrupted them.

"Enter," Cris said impassively. He showed no emotion in response to Annie's desperate pleas or her tearful recounting of Aurora's sufferings.

"Cris," Joan called as he entered the room, casting a glance at Annie, who was still on her knees, crying.

"What is it?"

"She is unconscious."

Cris furrowed his brows as Joan continued.

"She won't make it past tonight if we don't call a healer for her."

Joan didn't bother to lower his voice, so Annie heard everything, and it didn't take her long to realize who they were talking about.

"It's Miss Aurora, isn't it? She's ill again?" Annie's voice became frantic. "Alpha, please, show her mercy… she's not at fault… she shouldn't have to bear her father's sins." Annie began striking her head against the floor, desperate to show the seriousness of her pleas.

"She's not at fault?" Joan sneered. "So what about the babies your alpha killed? What about the women he raped? What about all the innocent lives he took? Were they at fault?" Joan growled. "They weren't!"

Annie flinched at Joan's outburst, her entire body trembling, yet she continued to plead with Cris to save Aurora's life.

"Why do you insist on saving her life? Letting her die is a form of mercy, too." If not for Cris, who kept giving them hope that one day they would break free from slavery and exact their revenge, they would have chosen death as their salvation.

The years they had endured were too cruel for anyone to bear. They weren't at fault either, but none of them could escape the brutality, no matter their age.

"Take her out of the dungeon and let a healer see her," Cris said, surprising them both.

"Cris!" Joan snapped, but quickly lowered his voice when he saw the hard look in Cris's eyes. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, struggling to contain his anger.

"Death is too easy for her. I'm not done with her yet." Cris folded his arms, his gaze shifting to Annie. She shivered in fear.

Cris didn't have to do anything—just his presence was enough to make her tremble, too frightened to utter a single word, fearful that he might change his mind again.

"Prepare her. I want her ready in three days. Sick or not, I want her in my bed."

Joan wasn't satisfied, but as long as Cris didn't forget their revenge, he could accept it. Yes, death would be too easy for them.

They shouldn't have killed the alpha yet; his death was insufficient to quench their thirst for revenge, but it was better than nothing.

"Thank you, Alpha…" Annie whispered bitterly.

Three days. Sick or not, Aurora would have to warm the alpha's bed.

Annie felt her stomach churning.

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

Aurora drifted in and out of consciousness. Her entire body burned one moment, only to be gripped by an icy chill the next.

This must be a dream, she thought, as she glimpsed Annie beside her.

It had to be a dream—she was supposed to be in the dungeon, surrounded by darkness, lying on the cold floor, not in this room with Annie tending to her.

"Miss Aurora, are you feeling better? I'll be right here beside you. Don't worry, don't be afraid."

Aurora could see Annie's lips moving, but her head was spinning, and her eyelids were so heavy that she couldn't fight the darkness pulling her under once again.

It wasn't until the third day that Aurora finally regained consciousness and found Annie carefully wiping her body.

The first sensation Aurora registered was the warmth of sunlight streaming into the room through an open window. The woodsy scent from the nearby forest wafted in, refreshing and calming.

"Miss Aurora!" Annie nearly jumped with shock when she saw Aurora's eyes flutter open. She covered her face with both hands and began to cry.

"Ha... Annie..." Aurora whispered, raising her hand to touch Annie's arm.

"Yes, Miss Aurora, it's me." Annie watched as her little Missy smiled weakly at her. She looked so pale, so fragile.

"Am I dreaming? Annie is here with me..." Aurora's voice was barely a whisper, hoarse and dry.

"No, you're not dreaming," Annie assured her, shaking her head to make sure Aurora could read her lips. "Annie will be here with you, Miss Aurora. Are you hungry?"

"I'm famished."

"I'll prepare some food for you." Annie was relieved that Aurora was awake, but she couldn't forget that today was the day she had to prepare her for Alpha Cris.

The alpha had made it clear—he wanted her in his bed, sick or not.

"I'll go get you food, okay? I'll be right back." Annie stepped out of the room, but as soon as she opened the door, she was startled to see a beautiful woman standing there, holding something in her hands.

"What's this?" Annie asked, eyeing the paper bag as she pulled out the item inside. Her eyes widened in shock.

"Alpha Cris said to prepare her and make her wear that." The woman glanced into the room, but couldn't see Aurora.

"NO!" Annie immediately rejected the idea. "How can she wear something like this?!"

"Why can't she? She's no longer the alpha's daughter. She's a slave now."