THE LUNA FOUND

2

"Yes, treat, with your body." Aurora's tone was relaxed, as if she is talking about what is for dinner tonight.

"I... I can't believe what I'm hearing," I stammered, my mind struggling to comprehend Aurora's words.

She wanted me, an eighteen-year-old girl, to engage in intimate relations with an older man?

No, it could not be true.

"How can you not understand? Nicholas is one of GreyStone Pack Alpha's trusted advisors. I do not see why you should feel aggrieved. Besides, it's time for you to repay the kindness Damon and I have shown you," Aurora casually explained.

"Haven't I already done enough to repay you? I have been treated like a servant by all three of you! And now you want to exploit my body?" A wave of shock washed over me, momentarily causing me to forget my fear of Aurora as I instinctively shouted at her. "Ever since my father died, I've been treated like dirt! Tell me, what do I owe you?"

"Damn it, Lya! Are you insane?" Aurora lunged forward, forcefully covering my mouth with her strong hand. "You'll attract attention from all the guests!"

Her grip was so tight that it felt like my breath was being squeezed out of me. At that moment, I realized the intent behind Nicholas's gaze, akin to that of a wolf fixated on its prey with hunger and desire.

Just as I was on the verge of losing consciousness, Aurora finally released her grip. I collapsed onto the floor, gasping desperately for air, my body trembling.

Tears flowed unchecked, soaking into the cold, hard ground beneath me.

"Lya," Aurora's voice cut through the silence, chillingly composed. "Tell me now. Will you obey? Will you show gratitude for our kindness, or will you become a despised, ungrateful wretch in everyone’s eyes?" Her gaze was a steely mask of control. "Remember what happened when you were seven."

I lay there, vision blurred by my tears, as Aurora turned and walked away without a second glance. The sound of her footsteps fading echoed like a death knell.

And I cried out hoarsely, "No, please, don't leave..."

My tear-streaked eyes followed her retreating figure as she vanished around the corner. The agony and the sting of humiliation churned within me, filling my heart with a profound, crushing emptiness.

Overwhelmed, I sobbed silently, my breaths coming in ragged gasps. The pain was a dark, engulfing tide, and as my vision dimmed, the world around me faded to black.

I succumbed to the darkness, my consciousness slipping away into the void.

**

When I woke up again, I was lying on the bed in dollhouse, surrounded by those damned dolls with their creepy smiles.

"Nicholas, Lya was raised couple as my own sister, I think you understand how much she means to us." Damon's voice came from the doorway, "I mean, you need to add a little more chips."

"Dear Damon, if you and Aurora really consider Lya as your own family, you wouldn't have made this deal with me." It was the old Nicholas, "We're both adults, there's no need to play such childish game with me. I will not pay a penny more than the price already agreed upon. The choice is yours, to do as you agreed at the beginning, or I will leave now and tell everyone what you and Aurora really are."

Overwhelmed by despair, tears streamed down my face as I listened to the two men haggling over my "price."

In that moment, I turned my head to the side, only to catch sight of the open window with the moon hanging in the night sky.

A sudden thought crossed my mind... should I escape? Would it be better to risk my life out there than endure the torment of Nicholas?

Before I could gather the strength to sit up from the bed, I heard the creaking sound of the door opening. Panic surged through me, and I quickly closed my eyes, pretending to be unconscious.

Shit.

"My beautiful Lya," Nicholas's voice filled the room, dripping with sickening excitement. "Blame your parents for selling you to me."

Desperately searching for something to defend myself with, my hand brushed against a cold object. A wine bottle! Clutching the top half of the bottle tightly, I prepared to strike Nicholas with all my might as he approached.

In the next moment, Nicholas's decaying body pressed against mine, and he forcefully kissed my face with his repulsive, foul-smelling mouth.

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to block out the horror, while carefully avoiding the nauseating stench. With the bottle held high, I brought it down with all my strength just as his lips were about to touch mine.

I hit his head with the glass.

The blow knocked Nicholas unconscious, and the bottle shattered into shards, some of them piercing my skin.

Pushing his limp body away, I spat in his face, disgusted by his presence. Knowing that someone must be guarding the door, I realized that escaping through it would be futile.

Adrenaline coursed through me as I made my way to the windowsill, my mind focused on the single goal of escape. Although I was on the second floor, the risk of jumping seemed preferable to the danger I was in. Even without awakening my wolf, I still possessed the agility and strength of a werewolf.

But my escape was not yet within reach. Just as I prepared to make my way to the windowsill, a figure emerged from the shadows, blocking my path.

Aurora stood before me, a wicked smile curling her lips. "So, little Lya thought she could escape, huh?" she sneered, her voice dripping with venom. "Not so fast, baby."

Aurora lunged at me, her fists swinging with a fury fueled by resentment and envy. I ducked and dodged, using every ounce of agility to evade her blows.

"You'll never be free, Lya," Aurora spat.

I fought back. The pain of my past mingled with the urgency of my present, igniting a fire within me. I summoned strength I didn't know I possessed, fueled by the unwavering determination to overcome this final obstacle standing in my path to freedom.

"Stay down!" Aurora lunged at me, her fists swinging with ferocity, but I refused to yield. I dodged her blows, the sting of her attacks driving me to fight back even harder.

The room became a battleground, echoes of grunts and gasps mingling with the sound of our fists colliding. The pain was excruciating, but I pressed on, knowing that my escape depended on it.

"You'll never be free, Lyara," Aurora seethed, her face contorted with rage. "I won't let you."

I met her gaze, my eyes burning with defiance. "You don't get to decide my fate," I spat back, my voice dripping with determination. "I am not your child, Aurora."

With each blow, I unleashed my pent-up anger and frustration. It was a battle not just against Aurora, but against every ounce of pain and suffering I had endured.

As bruises blossomed on our skin and sweat trickled down our brows, I could feel the tide shifting. The pain became a distant echo, drowned out by the indomitable will to claim my freedom.

I managed to evade Aurora's last attack, seizing the opportunity to break free from her grasp. I stumbled backward, my body aching.

Ignoring the searing pain radiating through my body, I sprinted towards the open window. Aurora's enraged screams echoed behind me.

Perched on the windowsill, I took a moment to catch my breath, my heart pounding in my chest. The night air whispered promises of freedom, urging me to take the leap.

I turned to Aurora one last time. "This is not the end, Aurora," I said.

Without looking back, I took a leap of faith.

Aside from a few scrapes caused by the stones and gravel, I sustained only minor injuries. But before I could celebrate my escape, Aurora's piercing screams echoed from upstairs. "Lyara's gone!"

Damn it!

I hastily chose a path I had never taken before, relying solely on my intuition.

As I continued running, I had lost all sense of time. My face was scratched by the unforgiving branches of the dense jungle, but still, there was no sign of anyone pursuing me.

Had I managed to escape?

I could not be sure, yet fear kept urging me to push forward, causing me to almost stumble straight into the gaping mouth of a waterfall.

The deafening roar of cascading water filled my ears, a sight both magnificent and daunting. There seemed to be no way out ahead, leaving me with no choice but to retrace my steps.

Just as I was about to turn back, a distant commotion of footsteps and muffled voices reached my ears: "She must have gone this way! Look at these broken branches, there is fresh blood on them."

Those pursuers were closing in on me!

I quickly scanned the surroundings, my gaze darting between the oncoming path and the cascading waterfall.

In that moment, a thought crystallized in my mind... I would rather face death in the unknown depths beyond the waterfall than return and endure Nicholas.

I closed my eyes and took a leap, plunging headfirst into the embrace of the waterfall.