The next time my eyes fluttered open, I found myself in a comfortable bed in a white room with bland windows. Beside me was a man in a grey coat collecting data from the monitor; unaware I was up, he picked up some papers near a table before walking out and closing the door behind him.

My eyes were so heavy that they kept closing on themselves; fighting it was futile, even if I wanted to know what was happening. Before I could drift off again outside, an argument erupted.

Voices of a man and woman loudly echoed throughout the room from the closed door.

“Amelia, where is he?” a familiar voice questioned.

The walls were made of concrete, but somehow, I perceived them. That was when I noticed a small black cat with bright blue eyes sitting by it when I glanced towards the door.

“He doesn’t want to come.” The woman called Amelia answered.

“Are you sure he’s the one who doesn’t want to come, or you?” the man huffed.

Who are they…

“Why would he want to come? Tell me, Ben, that thing in there killed our parents. She dragged him from his party and into the abyss before anyone could do anything! It took us hours to find him!” she snapped back.

“Both of you have to understand that it wasn’t her fault.” Ben tried to convey his point.

“What are you saying?! Everything that’s happening is that thing’s doing! It’s nothing more than a monster that needs to be put down!” Amelia fumed.

Are they talking about me?

The dull echoing within me was enough to alert me this wasn’t a dream.

“I knew it. You and Grandpa are the ones feeding him these useless thoughts! Are you insane?! Did you even care to read my report?!” Ben growled.

“Ben, I don’t think you get—” he quickly interrupted Amelia, losing his cool.

“No, you don’t get it because you weren’t there. They’ve given you roses and flowers as if life were black and white all your life. But it’s fucking grey! If we had listened to Fenris instead of telling him his feelings were wrong!” Ben’s voice shook.

Ah… it’s about…

“Amelia, he came to us multiple times, telling us his friend was in danger. He even came to us on the day of his birthday, caring more about his missing friend than his party and gifts. What child does that?! He was serious! I don’t think I even saw him smile the whole time!” his voice was so brittle.

“But we ignored Fenris, thinking it was a stupid witch coven that we had already put down once before. If we had searched just a little longer instead of feeling nothing could happen, everything would’ve been avoided!” he snarled, slamming his fist into the wall.

It caused the entire room to vibrate. Lycans could barely ever control their temper.

“Tell me, sister, don’t you understand we could’ve avoided this? Don’t you realize that the thing you’re calling a monster is just another victim of our negligence?! It’s all our fault! No one else is to blame for this tragedy!” Ben ranted, having had enough of everything.

She continued, unwavering in her beliefs, “As the eldest, I won’t allow Fenris to be exposed to this thing. No matter what you say!”

Ben’s words had rolled off her without a care, triggering him to sigh.

“Well, good thing it isn’t your choice. And stop calling her a thing. She’s a child that needs help. Fen was the only one who saw it before us, so she’ll be his charge, and that’s final.” He declared.

Charge? Who…? What does that mean?

“No, Ben, you can’t do that! He’s a child still traumatized! That thing is something that needs to be locked away or killed!” she snarled, letting her raw emotions show, triggering her brother to lose his patience once again.

“Can you read the damn report I gave you instead of saying things that make no sense?! If you had read it instead of riding off into grief, you’d know she can’t die!” He snapped.

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His voice was trembling, too.

“The cat who helped us made damn sure to warn me and every survivor around that if she died, so would the world! You can ask Tania if you doubt me! I’m sure she’ll set you straight, too!” Ben declared.

Are you the wolf that I last saw? Why… defend me…?

Amelia struggled to find an argument against what he informed her of. But it wasn’t long before she resumed trying to sway her brother.

“That doesn’t mean that monster needs to roam free!” She resumed the dispute, growling under her breath.

A soft, broken chuckle left Ben, “She won’t be free. She’ll live within the Cerberus Order. Under Fenris’s protection. Either way, it isn’t your choice.”

“And it’s yours?!?” She snarled, stomping over to him.

“Are you stupid, sister? He’s an alpha by birthright. This is his burden to carry now by clan rule. The council that’s forming soon will say the same, too. She’s too dangerous to leave alone, and she trusts him.” His tone didn’t boast confidence.

No, it was low and full of doubt, though he knew he couldn’t back down from this situation.

“I won’t allow this! Father saw him as nothing more than an heir. I won’t allow this world to hurt him, too!” she snapped, turning away from her brother.

Movements came from behind the door while I struggled to understand everything they were saying. It was no mystery I was the topic in question, though I couldn’t discern the meaning behind their words.

“Amelia, you think I want that for him?! But it doesn’t matter! This is the only way! Don’t you get it?” Ben sighed, taking a step towards her.

When he did, the sound of wood hitting the tile floor echoed.

“I won’t allow it!” she wouldn’t relent.

“Then let me put it in simple terms for you. The phoenix crystal failed to dispel whatever the coven did to her. That poor girl is the vessel for the gate until she stops breathing. And if she stops breathing, we all do. Doesn’t that make it clearer?” He huffed, growling.

A loud slam came from the door again, vibrating the room again.

“Fuck! Don’t you get it?! Putting her in isolation would be a mistake! We already experienced what she did when she was scared and sorrowful! Can you even fathom what will happen when she’s full of resentment?!” conflict was present in his voice.

This was the first time I’d realized the burden I was placing on everyone around me.

“If we do that. We’ll be making the same mistakes that our ancestors did. Don’t you see that?” the young Lycan’s tone shook again.

“I...” Amelia struggled to find the words for her cause.

Both sides were right and wrong. There was no winning side to this dilemma.

“It’s over, Amelia. I love Fenris, too. He’s our goddamn brother, but his childhood ended the moment we failed them. Remember that we failed, not this poor child who...” Ben stopped momentarily, releasing another sigh.

“Did you even read what she endured? There’s no wonder why those things that emerged from her killed everything that they deemed as a threat. It’s a miracle there are any survivors. I don’t want to see what could happen if she’s full of hate.” Ben's voice was brittle again.

Amelia tried to defend herself, “I couldn’t stomach the medical report.”

“Well... I read every detail because I was among the people who failed her. And since you insist on calling her a monster. I’ll tell you everything that made her into that. So, prepare that delicate stomach can’t even handle a piece of paper.” Ben confronted her.

“Please don’t. I don’t want to know anything about her!” She sighed.

Ignoring her, he proceeded, “I’ll start with the straightforward stuff for you. Multiple beatings produced hematomas all over her body. She got lacerations on her lip and the inner tissues of her mouth. Probably from a fist or something else, we’re still trying to find things back at the manor to add to the report.”

The broom and beating…

“She also has multiple lacerations with a heated, sharp object on her torso, deforming her for life. I don’t think she’ll have normal breasts like you do, sister. So, consider yourself lucky to be the beauty of the Silverfang manor.” Ben paused, breath hitching with every stop.

“Her abdomen is scarred for life, and she has multiple burns, making me wonder if she’ll feel anything near them. They cut her arms and legs, which will probably leave scars, too. She’s lucky to have no impairment.” He took another step towards her.

“That child is just a year younger than our brother yet is thinner than she should be. They probably starved her often, but that isn’t even the worst of it. Amelia, she’s skin and bones. The doctors don’t even think her period will arrive if she keeps that weight.” Ben carried on, not caring how his sister was digesting the information.

“Oh, on her back, you can see scars from multiple whippings she endured over the years, too. That isn’t even the worst part. That’s—” his sister, who walked away, interrupted him.

“I don’t want to hear anymore!” Amelia dismissed.

A loud snap came from the door, startling me. It was like wood had snapped in half, a sound that echoed within me, reminding me of what Stella had done and leaving me shivering where I sat. A soft blue hue came from my body with it, quickly fading.

Thankfully, the wolf’s voice brought me back.

“Amelia! You won’t let your cripple little brother without his cane, right?!” Ben threatened, only for the sound of someone falling to echo.

Footsteps rushed towards the origin of the sound.

“Ben! Are you crazy?!” she scolded.

“She had multiple lacerations in her anus, rectum, colon, vulva, and vagina, too. We believe a stick was used to violate her. They found multiple splinters in her colon and her uterus, cervix, and vagina during surgery.” He continued.

All those words sounded so foreign to me.

“One even made its way to one of her ovaries, damaging it. She’ll have a hard time having a child like you. The saddest part is that it could’ve been avoided if we searched the manor. She laid there for an entire day!” Ben finished, struggling with his emotions.

Amelia called for help from the nurses down the hall. Most of what the wolf had said that day made no sense to me. I wouldn’t know until later what the sisters had truly robbed me of. After the help came, it sounded like they dragged him away.

The other wolf left, muttering under her breath. Tears streaked down my eyes, remembering everything that happened and who that voice belonged to.

Ben, I’m sorry for ruining your life.