TORMENTS
AYLA
Sarah stands in front of me, her baby clinging to her chest, tiny hands grasping her shirt. Her expression is a storm of fury, and I know trouble has arrived.
“Shit,” I whisper, dread pooling in my stomach.
“What’s going on?” she demands, her voice sharp and accusatory.
I jump to defend myself. “Caspian tried to force himself on me—”
“That’s a lie.” Nadira’s voice cuts through mine like a whip, silencing me. “Caspian would never do something like that. He’s the pack’s doctor, Ayla. Show some respect.”
“What are you trying to say?” I snap, though my voice trembles. “You saw what happened!”
“I saw enough to know how this will play out,” Nadira replies, crossing her arms over her chest. “You’ve always been trouble. Everyone knows it.”
I glance around, desperate for even a flicker of support. But all I find are judging stares and faces twisted in disgust. Not a single person steps forward.
Why would they? My reputation lies in ruins.
The pack has long decided who I am: Ayla, the traitor. Ayla, the outcast. Ayla, the murderer’s daughter.
The weight of it crushes me. My voice falters. “Please, you have to believe—”
The slap comes out of nowhere. Sarah’s hand connects with my face so hard that I stumble and fall to the ground. My cheek burns, the humiliation burning even deeper.
Gasps ripple through the crowd, but no one moves to help me.
“I trusted you!” Sarah shrieks, her voice trembling with rage. “You’ve been after my mate this whole time, haven’t you? You disgusting—”
“Sarah, please!” I plead, my voice cracking. “I would never—”
“Shut up!” Her hand strikes me again, harder this time. My head snaps to the side as pain explodes across my cheek.
The crowd murmurs, voices dripping with malice.
“She deserves it.”
“She’s always been trouble.”
“How long do we have to put up with her?”
Another slap sends me sprawling. Before I can recover, a kick to my ribs knocks the air from my lungs.
“She needs to pay!” Sarah shouts.
More blows follow, fists and feet connecting with my body as I curl into myself, trying to shield what little I can. The pack’s jeers grow louder, a cacophony of hate.
“Traitor.”
“Whore.”
“She should’ve been executed with her father.”
I don’t know what hurts more—the blows or their words.
Tears blur my vision. My chest heaves with sobs, but I refuse to cry out. I won’t give them the satisfaction.
“Enough!” Nadira’s voice cuts through the chaos.
The attacks stop, but the crowd’s anger simmers just beneath the surface.
“She deserves punishment,” Nadira says, her tone cold and calculating. “But this is mercy compared to what she really deserves.”
Her words hang in the air, heavy with implication.
“We should treat her like the animal she is,” she adds, her lips curling into a cruel smile.
My stomach twists in horror.
A murmur of agreement ripples through the pack.
“She doesn’t belong here.”
“Cripple her and throw her in the kennels.”
“Why waste time on her trial?”
The injustice suffocates me. My heart pounds as panic sets in.
“Enough!” A low, growling voice silences the room.
Thane.
The Alpha’s son strides into the room, his presence commanding. The crowd parts for him reluctantly, though their anger lingers.
Thane’s gaze sweeps over me, his jaw tightening. I can’t read his expression—pity, disgust, or something else entirely.
“You think someone like Ayla could force herself on an adult wolf?” His voice is sharp, each word cutting.
The accusation stings, but the faint defense behind it feels like a lifeline.
“It’s always the innocent-looking ones,” Nadira retorts.
“Caspian,” Thane says, his tone icy.
Caspian steps forward, his face carefully neutral. “I didn’t touch her. Why would I, when I have Sarah?”
Sarah’s sharp intake of breath is almost drowned out by the crowd’s murmurs.
“Then this ends now,” Thane declares.
“But—” Sarah begins.
“Sarah,” he snaps, his voice final.
“This isn’t over,” Nadira mutters.
Thane turns to her, his eyes narrowing. “Let me remind you, Nadira, of the mercy my family showed you. It’s best not to test its limits.”
The room falls silent.
“Everyone, leave,” Thane commands.
No one moves.
“Now!” he roars, his voice laced with authority.
The crowd disperses reluctantly, their whispers fading as they exit the room.
“And not a word of this to my father,” Thane adds, his tone a warning.
When we’re alone, I groan softly, the pain too much to bear. My body feels like it’s been trampled, my mind foggy with exhaustion.
Thane kneels beside me. His expression softens slightly, though his voice remains firm. “You’re safe now.”
Safe? The word feels hollow.
Darkness creeps at the edges of my vision, and I surrender to it, Thane’s face the last thing I see.