THE DECISION

Pain woke me before light did.

A sharp kick slammed into my hip, dragging me out of a shallow, dreamless sleep. I gasped, rolling over, the cold, damp floor scraping against my skin. Every muscle in my body screamed. My stomach twisted, empty and hollow. It had been two days since I’d last eaten.

“Get up, bitch!”

The familiar snarl cut through the shadows of the basement.

I blinked until the darkness took shape. Alex stood over me with broad shoulders, clenched jaw, eyes full of venom. Greg’s best friend. The man who once called me his sister.

Now, he looked at me like I was filth.

“I said get up!”

I scrambled to my knees, but my legs wouldn’t cooperate. Every step sent a jolt of fire through my bruised body.

He sneered. “You think being Greg’s mate makes you special?” His voice dripped with hatred. “You’re nothing, Aria. Just a mistake that shouldn’t have been born.”

My throat tightened, but I said nothing. Arguing never helped.

He stepped closer, his boots crunching against the dirt. “Kaida is our Luna. Not you. You’re a stain on this pack.”

I swallowed hard, trying to keep my trembling hands from showing. “I……I never said I was…..”

The back of his hand cracked across my face before I could finish. The sting burned all the way to my skull.

“Don’t speak!” he barked. “You don’t deserve to.”

My lip split, blood pooling on my tongue.

He leaned in close, his breath reeking of smoke. “You should be thankful I’m the one waking you up. If Greg found you still sleeping, you’d already be dead.”

And then, as if the pain wasn’t enough, he spat in my face.

Something inside me broke.

I didn’t wipe the spit. Didn’t flinch. I just stood there, shaking, tasting blood and humiliation.

“Be out in three minutes,” he warned, stepping back. “If you’re not, I’ll make sure Greg hears about it. You know what happens then.”

I nodded weakly. The moment he left, my knees buckled, and I sank to the ground. For a long moment, I couldn’t move. The basement felt colder than ever, shadows swallowing the last piece of warmth I had left.

Alex. My childhood friend. The boy who used to steal apples from the market with me. The one who promised he’d always protect me after my parents died.

Now he kicked me awake and called me nothing.

I pressed a shaking hand to my face. “Helena,” I whispered, calling out to my wolf. “Don’t cry, okay? I’ll get us out. I promise.”

She whimpered softly in my head,weak, wounded, but still alive. That was enough.

I dragged myself to the cracked mirror hanging on the wall. The reflection staring back at me wasn’t a girl anymore. She was a ghost  hollow cheeks, split lip, bruises like fingerprints across her skin. My once-bright hair hung in matted clumps, stiff with dirt and blood.

I splashed cold water on my face, tied my hair back, and forced myself upstairs.

The kitchen smelled of roasting meat and burning oil. Greg’s mother was there, her silver hair perfectly braided, her mouth twisted in the usual sneer when she saw me.

“Lazy girl,” she snapped. “There’s a coronation tonight. I want every inch of this place shining. Not a single speck of dust, or I’ll skin you myself.”

“Yes, Luna,” I murmured.

She clicked her tongue. “Don’t call me Luna. You have no right to that word.”

Then she was gone, the echo of her heels fading down the hall. I exhaled shakily, clutching the counter for balance.

All day, I scrubbed floors until my hands bled. My knees ached. My back screamed. I cleaned the ballroom until my reflection shone in the marble. The laughter of the pack drifted from outside carefree, cruel.

When I was finally done, I tried to slip away quietly. But the air changed before I reached the door.

The scent of pine and iron filled my lungs. My heartbeat stopped.

Greg.

I didn’t dare look up, but his boots came into view polished, black, deadly. His shadow stretched across the floor like a warning.

“Look at me,” he said coldly.

I froze. I knew better.

“Did you not hear me, Aria?”

His hand shot out, gripping my chin. He forced my gaze up until my eyes met his dark, merciless.

“What have I told you about looking at me?” he growled.

“I…….”

The slap landed before I could speak. My head snapped sideways, pain bursting through me like fire.

“You don’t learn, do you?” His voice dripped with scorn. “You’re cursed. Everything you touch rots. Don’t come near me during the coronation, or I’ll make sure you don’t live to see another sunrise.”

He grabbed my hair, yanking hard until tears stung my eyes. “Get out of my sight, you disgusting creature.”

He shoved me to the ground and walked away laughing that same cold, mocking laugh that haunted my nightmares.

I lay there, motionless, until the laughter faded.

When I finally managed to crawl back to the basement, my whole body trembled. I could barely stand. The walls swayed in and out of focus.

Then a knock. Soft, hurried.

I froze. Nobody ever came here.

“Aria,” a voice whispered.

My heart jumped. “Aaron?”

He stepped into the dim light, eyes darting nervously. He was one of the guards, the only one who didn’t treat me like dirt. He sometimes slipped me food or a blanket when no one was watching.

“What are you doing here?” I hissed. “If anyone sees”

“Listen,” he cut in, voice low and urgent. “I heard Greg talking with his men. He’s planning to poison you tonight. He said he wants to watch you suffer.”

My blood ran cold.

“What?” I breathed.

Aaron nodded quickly. “I don’t know why, but he sounded serious. I had to tell you.”

A noise echoed from the hall. His eyes widened. “I have to go. Please, Aria, be careful.”

And then he was gone.

For a moment, I couldn’t breathe. My vision blurred as hot tears filled my eyes. Poison. Greg wanted to kill me  slowly, painfully.

“I can’t take this anymore,” I whispered, my voice shaking. “Helena, we can’t stay here.”

Her voice was faint, but strong. Then we leave. Tonight.

I wiped my tears with trembling hands. “Then it’s decided.”

I grabbed the only things I owned a torn shawl, a piece of bread, and the faded picture of my parents.

Above me, I could hear the music of the celebration, the laughter, the dancing, the cheers for the new Alpha and his Luna.

While they rejoiced, I was preparing to vanish.

I looked up at the small crack in the ceiling where moonlight leaked through. “Moon Goddess,” I whispered. “Please. If you can hear me… just give me one more chance to live.”

Helena stirred inside me, her eyes glowing faintly through my reflection in the puddle beside me.

Run, Aria. Before it’s too late.

I nodded, my chest rising with something I hadn’t felt in years not hope, but determination.

For the first time since my parents died, I wasn’t waiting to be rescued.

I was going to save myself.

Even if it killed me.