Jalen carried Aura on his shoulders in her wolf form as they approached the Village of Lilies. Ivy and Rhys supported a struggling Dax to the treeline. Rhys had guided them through the forest away from their pursuers since she had grown up here. The night was coming as the moons rose above the horizon. Jalen gently brought Aura off his shoulders and wrapped her in his cloak, so they could walk into the village without attention. The group moved quietly toward the village only to be stopped by a border patrol.

“Captain Dax?” Knight Yarhon asked.

Dax had his arms around Rhys and Ivy trying to keep himself up. His black light armor, clothes, and cloak were in shreds and tatters. He had open wounds that were no longer bleeding, and his weapon hung on his waist covered in dried blood. Sweat dripped off his brow and his eyes were drooping. Dax would have a second scar above his to match the one already across his eye. “Yes...Yar...hon. I… am ba..ck.” Dax huffed.

Knight Yarhon’s face saddened at the sight of his captain. Yarhon walked over and scooped up the captain. The knight’s small, muscular frame carried his captain toward the village’s center that had been a makeshift hospital. Dax murmured, “Take care of Aura,” as he was swept away by Yarhon.

Jalen kept Aura’s wolf form hidden under his cloak as Rhys received permission to enter the village. Ivy stayed close to Jalen until the patrol permitted them to enter the village. Rhys led the way to her cottage. When she entered the door, memories of her evening with Jalen flooded her mind. Her cheeks became flushed and beat red. Ivy snickered at Rhys, but Jalen remained oblivious to Rhys as he laid Aura down on the couch.

Aura breathed heavily while being out cold. Her body was patchy and mangled from whatever kind of torment her captors had forced on her. She had been in their clutches for only five days, but Aura seemed broken to Jalen. He tried to wake his sleeping friend, but she only whimpered at his touch. Ivy put her hand on his shoulder to signal him to leave Aura alone. Rhys came and laid a blanket on the sleeping, silver wolf. Jalen moved to the fireplace and tried to stoke the fire to life. Rhys and Ivy began to cook in the kitchen in the hopes the delicious smells would rouse their sleeping friend.

“This is the second time, Ivy,” Rhys sighed. “The second time that I have had Aura this broken and injured on my couch. That’s how we met. She was naked and injured in the creek when I brought her here. I have only known her for less than two months, and she has managed to turn my world upside down. She brought Jalen into my life and saved my village from a horrible disease.” Rhys’ eyes went misty, and Ivy wrapped her arms around to comfort Rhys. “Ivy… She has to be okay.” Tears flowed down Rhys’ face.

“Rhys, I have watched that girl appear more broken than she is right now. Aura will heal as she always does, but her mind may not heal as easily. Just be patient.” Ivy said. Ivy had met Rhys only two days, but it didn’t take long for them to become friends. They bonded over trying to keep Dax and Jalen on task because Dax and Jalen had been fighting on and off.

Nightfall…

Aura’s eyes blinked open. She saw a warm glow in the room, which caused her to panic. Until now, she would always awake in a dark room on the bottom of a cold metal cage. Where was she? She saw her patchy fur on her paws, causing her to whimper. The wall of books looked familiar like the white ceiling with the bouncing light from the warm fire. The couch was soft beneath her, which felt foreign to her. It hit her that she was in Rhys’ cottage, and she began to think she was dreaming. The whole world seemed quiet when she heard a sudden gasp as she lifted her head.

“You’re awake!” Rhys cried, running to Aura. She threw her arms around Aura’s wolfy neck, causing Aura to whimper in pain. “Sorry,” Rhys said as she began crying again.

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All the pain in Aura’s body was shocked back to life. She let out a chain of whimpers as her body shook in intense pain. All the torture, injury, and exhaustion set into Aura’s body. She remembered waking on Ivy’s shoulder and tearing into her tormentor. They had rescued her like the guild master had said they would. Aura suddenly remembered the last command that Guild Master Shadow had given her. Her stomach churned until she vomited on the floor.

Rhys looked at Aura with concern. Aura’s eyes displayed utter disgust and pain. Rhys quickly grabbed a mop and called the others into the room. Something was wrong, and Rhys hoped Jalen or Ivy could fix it. Rhys continued to mop up the vomit and placed a dirty bucket in front of Aura in case she needed to continue. She held her breath as she wrung the mop in the water bucket. The room began to stink from the vomit. Rhys pulled out her cleaning solution and mopped the floor clean as Jalen came running in the room, only to slide across the wet floor. He slammed face-first into the wall, groaning in pain. Rhys laughed, and Aura snickered in her wolf form. Ivy walked in on the scene and burst into laughter.

Jalen picked himself off the floor. “A little warning would have been nice, Rhys. I know I am funny, but you don’t need to set me up for stunts!” He looked around to see Aura snickering at him. “Aura! You’re awake! Thank God! I thought you would lazily sleep through the royal visit.”

Aura tilted her head at him processing his words. She let out a little growl, so her displeasure of his words was known. Jalen had always spewed out words without any thought. Aura honestly wondered how Jalen wasn’t slapped on a daily basis.

“Think you can shift?” Jalen asked as the laughter died down. “Loverboy will want to speak with you as soon as he is released from the hospital.”

Aura tilted her head again, and her ears went sideways, too. Who was this lover boy? Aura didn’t have a lover. She had a Dax, but she was uncertain what he was to her anymore. So much had happened in a week that she doubted his interest in her. Aura wasn’t the same woman she was a week ago. She had been forced to do so many horrible things. Her body was impure and mangled from the Guild Master Shadow’s torment and magic. That guild master was a sick bastard that deserved a brutal death. Her ears had folded backward, and her chest emitted a low growl. Tears rolled down her furry face. She wished she could just forget it all.

Jalen, Rhys, and Ivy froze in place as Aura growled and cried. They all looked at each other with sad expressions. No one knew what Aura had faced in her time at the Grim Guild, but it was clear that they had been too late to save her from her torment. Rhys finished cleaning and put away her mop and bucket while Ivy approached Aura, quietly. Jalen just watched in case he needed to hold Aura’s wolf back.

“Aura, please shift, so we can get you cleaned up,” Ivy whispered, getting Aura’s attention. Aura gave a nod and tried to force herself to shift.

Aura’s ribs were broken, and her wrists fractured from her torture. Her patchy fur receded into her skin like burning needles piercing her skin. Bones cracked and reshaped into her human form. Cries and screams filled the room as her body tried to finish the shift. Blood dripped down her body from her ears and tail disappearing into her body. Her golden eyes streamed tears as the final joint popped into place. Giant bruises and open wounds covered her maple brown skin. She was pale and battered. Her shift must have worsened her injuries. Aura had fallen onto the floor while finishing her shift and vomited more.

Ivy picked up Aura carrying her to Rhys’ bathroom. Jalen stayed in the living room cleaning up blood and vomit. Rhys had already started a hot bath for Aura while Aura was shifting. Ivy placed Aura in the bath, causing Aura to gasp at the sudden heat. No words were spoken as Aura’s friends bathed her. Rhys cleaned Aura’s hair with a sweet-smelling cinnamon shampoo, and Ivy carefully sponged her body. All Aura’s wounds burned as they were cleaned. Her stomach ached, but she didn’t have anything left in her stomach to vomit out. Is this what happens after being ripped away from the guild master’s control?

“Let’s towel you off, Aura,” Ivy said as picked up her friend. Aura seemed so much smaller in her arms. Rhys and Ivy dried off Aura, treated her wounds, and bandaged her. Ivy got Aura dressed in beige underwear and bralette and put a blue tunic and black tights on her. Rhys came and tamed Aura’s hair before deciding to trim it up. The patchy fur Aura had in her wolf fur translated to her human hair. Rhys had to shave and fade Aura’s hair on either side of her head just above Aura’s ears. Aura’s hair remained long on the top of her head down her back. Rhys layered the long hair and braided it. Aura looked better, and Aura nodded to Rhys as a thank you.

The girls returned to the living room just as Dax came storming through the door. “Is she awake?” He asked, exasperated, and bent over resting on his knees.

Aura walked toward Dax, slowly. Her body was filled with nerves. Aura didn’t want to face rejection. She already felt dirty, useless, and abused. Scared of his reaction, she just stood next to him. She gently reached toward him, but her hand shook nervously. All she could hear was the guild master’s voice in her head calling her pet and praising her horrible actions. She could see the pink glowing eyes in her mind when her eyes shut. Her body shivered as cold chills ran up her spine. Aura whimpered and fell to the floor.

Dax looked up at Aura balled up on the floor, whimpering and shivering. He reached toward her, but she scooted away. Tears formed in his bright blue eyes. “What’s wrong?” Everyone was quiet for a minute.

Ivy stepped forward scooping Aura up again. “Guild Master Shadow must have shattered her.”