Chapter 5

Ava's POV

I entered into the room Lyra shared with Mira, Lyra was on the floor, her body curled inward, trembling as sobs wracked her small frame. Karen sat beside her, rubbing soothing circles into her back, whispering things I couldn’t hear.

“Lyra…is it true?” I asked, my voice barely more than a breath.

Lyra’s head snapped up. Her eyes were red-rimmed, swollen from crying, and filled with panic. She scrambled to her feet and rushed toward me, her fingers clamping onto my hands so tightly it hurt.

“Ava, can you do something? They’re taking Mira away from me.” Her voice cracked. “I don’t even know where they’re taking her to. Do something! I’ve never been away from my sister before. How will I survive? How will I survive in this cage they call a house? They should just kill me instead of taking my sister away from me!” She dropped to her knees with a gut-wrenching wail, pounding the floor with her fists.

I stood there, frozen. My throat closed up as I watched her fall apart. I wanted to move. To say something. To help. But all I could do was stare as her sobs filled the room.

God, I wished I could do something—anything—but deep down, I knew there was nothing. Nothing I could say or do that would bring Mira back or ease Lyra’s pain. The weight of that helplessness crushed me.

Lyra’s cries grew quieter, more ragged, and yet they tore through me. I couldn’t pretend to understand exactly how she felt—I still had no siblings—but I knew loss. I knew that suffocating emptiness. I’d felt it the day I realized my mother was never coming back. I was young, too young to understand the finality of death, but old enough to feel the wound it left behind, then my dad also left me. And now…watching Lyra crumble, it felt like that same wound had been torn open again.

A single tear slid down my cheek. I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I walked over to her and knelt down beside her trembling form. Karen stood up quietly and left.

I reached for Lyra and pulled her close, wrapping my arms around her as she collapsed into me. She buried her face in my shoulder, soaking my dress with her tears. My hand found her back, and I began to pat it gently, rocking her slightly, letting my own tears fall freely now.

“You’ll be fine,” I whispered, even though the words felt empty, even though I knew I needed them just as much as she did. “I might not be your sister, and I’ll never be able to replace her, but I’m here for you. I’ll do everything I can to make sure you don’t feel so alone. I promise. And I pray…I pray you two will find each other again someday—safe and whole.”

Lyra didn’t reply. She just tightened her grip around me like she was afraid I’d vanish too. I let her cry, her grief soaking into my skin, until her breathing slowed and her tears ran dry.

We stayed like that for what felt like an hour. Finally, she let go. Her eyes were glassy, her face streaked with dried tears. I wiped her cheeks with the back of my hand gently.

“You’ll be fine,” I said again, softer this time, my voice nearly cracking.

“Thank you, Ava,” she said, her voice hoarse. She gave me a small, broken smile and I returned it, my heart heavy. I wanted to ask her what happened, how it all went down...but I didn’t want to open that wound again.

But she spoke anyway, as if reading my thoughts. “After you were taken away yesterday…” she began, her voice trembling. “The Alpha came back and announced that one of us maids was being sold. Everyone thought it would be you. I mean, the Luna had her eyes on you, and we all assumed you’d be the one.” I nodded slightly. That made sense.

“Then this morning,” she continued, her tone hollow, “they told us all to assemble outside. You weren’t there, and that’s when it hit us—maybe it wasn’t you after all. Then a man got out of a black car. He looked us over, one by one, and then…then he picked Mira.” She paused, her breath hitching.

“I tried to go with her,” she said through gritted teeth. “I screamed. I begged. I told them I wouldn’t let her go alone. But the guards…they beat me. They dragged me back into this room like I was nothing.” Her voice crumbled and a fresh wave of tears surged from her as she buried her face in my shoulder again. “I can’t live without my sister, Ava,” she whimpered, her body shaking. “I just can’t.”

I didn’t speak. I held her tighter and rubbed her back slowly, murmuring soft, meaningless sounds as she wept.

Then the door creaked open, and we both looked up. Briane stepped in, followed by Rhea. “Ava,” Briane said, eyes meeting mine, “the Alpha sent me to call you.” My stomach twisted.

“I’ll be right back, Lyra,” I whispered as I gently pulled away. She nodded silently, her eyes wide and frightened.

I followed Briane out of the room, leaving Rhea behind with Lyra. Every step down the hall felt like I was walking to my own execution. My body felt heavy. My heart pounded. He wasn’t supposed to call for me. Not now. Not after he's married.

But then again, I should’ve known better than to hope. But I know he can't sex me when he have a wife now, right...

I knocked on his door, waiting. No answer. I pushed it open slowly. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, wearing only a pair of shorts. A whip dangled from his hand. My heart dropped.

I fell to my knees immediately, pressing my forehead to the floor. “Master,” I said.

“Stand and come closer,” he said, his voice dangerously calm. I obeyed immediately.

“Take off your clothes. Everything.”

My hands trembled as I stripped. First the thin cotton dress, then my underclothes. I stood naked before him, the air cold against my skin. It's not the first time I've gotten naked in front of him but i still felt a hint of embarrassment even though it wasn't a quarter up to the one i faced yesterday. I fell on my knee before him, fearing the worse.

“Did you think I’d forgotten about you?” he asked, his grin feral.

“No, Master,” I replied quickly.

“No, I think you thought I wouldn’t call for you again. It’s been what...over a month now?”

“Yes, Master,” I said.

“Poor thing. You missed me, didn’t you?” He leaned forward slightly.

I said nothing and the whip lashed across my shoulder. I gasped, the pain sharp and immediate, tears springing to my eyes.

“I told you to reply when I speak to you.”

“Yes, Master,” I choked out.

He rose, slowly, like a predator preparing for the kill. “You’ll be punished for that. I hate repeating myself. Stand up and lie on the bed with your back facing me."

I stood up immediately and lay on the bed, anticipating his next move. He bound my wrists to the bed, spread my legs. I turned my head to see him pulling down his short revealing his cock.

I looked away as I closed my eyes anticipating what's to come and then I felt a sharp pain on my ass as the whip landed on it. I whimpered as I bit down on the bedsheet, my screams swallowed by cotton. Blood filled my mouth. Tears blurred my vision, but I didn’t sob.

"Have you forgotten who I am?" He growled and I shook my head fast. The next reply that came was another whip. "How many times do I have to tell you to always reply to my questions?"

"I'm sorry, Master." I yelled out, oceans of tears falling down my face unto the bedsheets.

"Good. Don't forget who you are to me." I felt a weight on the bed and I saw him freeing my legs. "Shoot your ass out!" he barked and I quickly rest my elbow on the bed as I raised my hips and turned it toward him.

His hand wrapped around my hair, yanking my head back. I let out a small, involuntary sound, and his laugh was low and pleased.

“You're lucky I even kept you after that little stunt you pulled months ago,” he hissed.

Then, he suddenly thrust so hard inside me, there was no patience in him, no pretense of desire or care. Pain tore through me as he entered, rough and unforgiving. I bit down on my tongue so hard I tasted blood. His breath was ragged, animalistic, and his grip pulling harshly on my hair as he slammed into me again and again, each thrust jarring, merciless. Damn, it felt like my scalp was on fire and it takes everything within me not to scream out in pain.

I should have gotten used to it already but each round of it gets more intense than the last one and right now it felt like I should just disappear, just disappear to only God knows where. I just wanna leave here and I really hope for a miracle to happen but I know it's hopeless hoping for one.

"You're mine," he snarled against my neck, yanking my hair more, forcing my face to the side. "Say it."

I didn’t. I wouldn’t. So he hit me.

His palm cracked across my cheek, the sting echoing in my skull. Then again. Then the whip across my back, even as he stayed inside me, rutting like the beast he was.

He kept going—his grunts, his pleasure, all pouring into me like poison, but he didn’t pull out his dick. "So, say it...say that you are mine."

"I'm yours." I said, fearing what he might do again, then he pulled out and unchained my wrist.

"Don't you ever forget that, pet." he said.

"Yes, Master." I murmured, already crawling for my clothes.

"Go back to your room. I'll call you when I need you again." He said and I quickly put on my clothes and race toward my room.

I stumbled down the hallway, vision spinning, my legs weak. Less than two minutes from my room, everything went black. My knees buckled and I felt myself falling but I was grabbed by a strong hand.

"Are you okay?" The voice asked and I tried to blink my eyes so I can see clearly but it was hard as my face felt blurry. "You don't look okay, let me take you to your room." He said and I recognised the voice to be Thorne's.

He carried me silently, bridal style. My cheek pressed against his chest, and though my vision was blurred and my head was spinning, I could feel his heartbeat—calm, steady…so unlike mine.

He nudged my door open and stepped inside. With a gentleness I wasn’t used to, he began lowering me onto the bed—but the moment my back touched the mattress, I winced and let out a sharp breath.

He froze instantly. “Sorry,” he murmured. “Is it your back?” I managed a weak nod, my throat too tight to speak.

Without saying another word, he adjusted his hold and tried laying me down on my side. That was worse. The pain flared again, and a whimper escaped me before I could stop it. My body tensed like it expected another punishment, another blow.

Thorne’s brows drew together, worry etched across his face. “Okay… okay,” he said, more to himself than to me. “What about your stomach?”

He gently turned me so I lay on my stomach instead, carefully adjusting my arms and legs so I wasn’t stretched too far or awkwardly twisted. The relief was small—but it was something. My body still throbbed in protest, but it wasn’t as unbearable as before.

He placed a pillow beneath my chest to ease the pressure on my ribs and sat on the edge of the bed beside me. His eyes swept over me with something I couldn't quite pick, is it pity,...or fury?

“You’re shaking,” he said quietly.

“I’m fine,” I whispered, though I wasn’t. Not even close.

He didn’t argue. He just reached down and pulled the blanket up to cover my bare legs, tucking it around me like I was something fragile.

My eyes were closing now as I tried to keep it open. "Why are you doing this? Did you feel pity for me?"

"No." he answered simply, brushing a hand over my head, sweeping strands of hair from my face. His touch was warm, the opposite of the hands I’d come to fear. It make me felt something deep inside me which I couldn't point out.

“Then why? Why are you doing this? You know this goes against the Alpha.”

He looked away for a moment. “Because it’s what I’m supposed to do. Even if I can’t do more.”

I closed my eyes. I was so tired. I didn’t want to open them ever again.

“What do you mean it’s your duty?” I mumbled. “How is it your duty?”

His voice was barely audible. “Because you’re my mate.”

My eyes fluttered open. “Mate?” I whispered, the word foreign on my tongue.

“Yes… you are my mate,” he said, and the darkness finally took me...