Chapter 6 Being Tormented

Lya's POV:

I'd been standing in the same spot for three hours, my legs trembling with fatigue. The room had been decorated with Moon Shadow Valley Pack symbols haphazardly hung on walls, creating a mockery of an official training space. Several books about Luna duties sat untouched on a side table—mere props in this elaborate charade of legitimacy.

"Stand straighter," Mom snapped, circling me like a predator. "Elaina needs a proper subject to practice her Luna authority."

Elaina preened in her brand-new designer training outfit—tailored clothes in the pack's colors with subtle silver embroidery that marked her as Luna-in-training. She'd spent the morning practicing what she called her "royal walk," a ridiculous imitation of Luna Isabella's elegant gait.

The bitter herbs Mom had force-fed me at dawn left my mind foggy and my connection with Kate reduced to the faintest whisper. My senses remained dulled, making it harder to endure the prolonged standing.

"A Luna must command respect and obedience," Mom instructed, her voice dripping with false formality. "Elaina, tell her to kneel."

Elaina's eyes gleamed with cruel anticipation as she circled me, enjoying her power. "Kneel before your future Luna," she commanded, trying to mimic the authoritative tone Luna Isabella used during pack gatherings.

I remained standing, a small act of defiance despite knowing the consequences.

"I said kneel!" Elaina's voice rose sharply.

Mom's hand moved to the silver chain hanging from her belt—a silent threat I understood all too well. "Obey her," she hissed, "or face punishment for disrespect."

My knees hit the hardwood floor with a painful thud.

"Good little freak," Elaina laughed, shoving my shoulder with her perfectly manicured hand. "Now bow your head. Lower."

Mom nodded approvingly from her position by the window. "Excellent command presence, Elaina. The pack will respect your authority naturally."

For two excruciating hours, I became their puppet. Crawl across the room. Fetch items and return them on hands and knees. Bow in different positions. Stay frozen in uncomfortable postures. Each command designed to be more degrading than the last, all under the guise of "Luna training."

"A Luna must show different expressions for different occasions," Mom coached, and Elaina practiced looking disappointed, stern, and merciful—all directed at me as I knelt before her.

By noon, the "training" moved to the secluded corner of our backyard—a spot surrounded by high stone walls ensuring total privacy for whatever torment they'd devised next. The sky was bright blue and cloudless, the sun shining with false cheer that couldn't penetrate the cold dread settling in my stomach.

"Sometimes a Luna must discipline pack members who forget their place," Mom explained clinically, opening a small wooden box and removing something that caught the sunlight—a thin silver bracelet inlaid with the pack's symbol.

My stomach dropped as I recognized the ceremonial discipline band.

"Silver disciplines disobedient wolves," Elaina repeated dutifully, approaching me with the bracelet extended. "Give me your wrist."

I hesitated, knowing the pain that would follow.

"Now!" Mom barked, her eyes flashing with warning.

The moment the silver touched my skin, pain seared through me like molten metal—far worse than I'd experienced before my first shift. The burning sensation shot up my arm and radiated through my chest. I bit my tongue until I tasted blood, determined not to give them the satisfaction of hearing me scream.

Mom narrowed her eyes, noticing my intensified reaction to the silver. "Your resistance to proper discipline is concerning," she muttered, retrieving a flask of her special "tea" from her pocket. "Drink this immediately."

The bitter liquid burned worse than the silver. Each swallow felt like betrayal of my real self.

Something snapped inside me—a tiny ember of defiance the herbs couldn't quite extinguish. "Why?" I asked, my voice barely audible at first, then gaining strength. "Why do you treat me this way? We're both your daughters. Why do you only love Elaina?"

The backyard fell silent. Even Elaina seemed surprised by my outburst.

Mom's face transformed, rage and disgust replacing her clinical expression. She stepped closer, her voice dropping to a venomous whisper only I could hear.

"Because you are a mistake, an abomination that should never have existed." Her eyes bored into mine with pure hatred.

The impact of her words was more powerful than any physical strike she had ever delivered. I felt the color drain from my face as the implications sank in.

Mom turned to Elaina with a warm smile, the transition chilling in its completeness. "A Luna must always maintain composure when dealing with insolence," she instructed smoothly. "Continue the training."

"Stand in the direct sunlight," Elaina ordered, pointing to a spot with no shade. "Don't move until I say so."

Hours passed as the silver slowly burned circular patterns into my wrist, my skin blistering unnaturally where the metal touched. The sun beat down mercilessly, making sweat trickle down my back while I fought to remain still. But the physical pain paled compared to the wound Mom's words had torn open in my heart.

When finally sent to fetch water during a brief respite, I seized the opportunity to slip away to the small creek behind our house, desperate for any moment of relief.

The cool water brought blessed relief as I submerged my burning wrist. The setting sun painted the flowing water orange-red, matching the angry welts circling my skin.

"Are you still there?" I whispered, trying to reach Kate through the herb-induced fog.

A faint response brushed my consciousness, but before I could focus on it, a shadow fell across me.

"Playing in the mud where you belong, freak?" Sophia Black's voice sliced through my moment of peace. She stood above me on the creek bank, her perfect blonde hair catching the fading sunlight.

"Just getting water as ordered," I mumbled, quickly pulling my sleeve down to hide the silver bracelet and burns.

"How lucky you are," she sneered, "helping train our future Luna, even though you're wolfless and worthless." Her eyes glittered with malice. "Everyone's talking about Elaina's twentieth birthday celebration next week. The entire pack will attend—well, almost everyone." She looked me up and down with disgust.

She suddenly stepped back, her expression changing. "Your eyes look... strange." She blinked, then shook her head in confusion. "Must be the light playing tricks."

Evening brought no mercy as we descended into the basement. Candles cast eerie shadows against pack symbols hung on damp walls. The air was heavy with moisture and the scent of burning wax.

"This is special Luna training," Mom announced solemnly as Elaina eagerly flipped through an ancient leather-bound book about Luna traditions.

"Punishing the disloyal," Elaina read aloud, her finger tracing the words lovingly. "Perfect for tonight's lesson."

"Sometimes a Luna must use special methods to maintain order in the pack," Mom explained, filling a large metal bucket with ice water. "This simulates the Moon Goddess purification ritual."

The freezing water hit me like a thousand needles when Elaina dumped it over my head, soaking through my clothes as she laughed in delight. I closed my eyes, mentally transporting myself to Blood Stone City's Supernatural Medical School—my future, my escape from this nightmare.

"The training will continue until Elaina's birthday," Mom declared as I stood shivering uncontrollably in my soaked clothes. "Our little assistant has much more to contribute to your education."