Cynthia Dion:

"Ah!" With every lift of the belt, my father aimed to strike, and each time, I sobbed. My cries reverberated through the house, mirroring the wounds etched into my fragile flesh. I couldn't bear for Flora to witness this; it could scar her deeply.

As the brutal beating continued, compassion seemed nonexistent in him. I struggled to voice my objections, but inexplicably, I couldn't muster the words.

My wolf hadn't undergone the transition yet, a truth ...