WHO DID THIS TO YOU

TRIGGER WARNING:- VIOLENCE AND ABUSE

I made my way over to Kieran's room, walking slowly down the corridor, my mind racing with a series of thoughts. What could Kieran possibly want from me? And how far would the Queen go to make me suffer now that she had exposed such a deep secret and her plans had fallen apart? My heart pounded nervously in my chest as I gulped, determined to face my challenges head-on, no matter how difficult or terrifying it might be.

Suddenly, a sharp slap to my face snapped me out of my thoughts. The blow was so powerful that it sent me crashing into the nearby wall. I clutched my stinging cheek, my eyes shimmering with unshed tears. My attacker was none other than the Queen herself, glaring down at me with fury. I knew she was ready to kill me now, to waste no time in making my life a living hell. There would be no mercy—of that, I was certain.

"You bloody witch!" she sneered, yanking me up by the arm and delivering another brutal slap to my face. I collapsed to the floor again, tears filling my eyes as I wondered what I could have possibly done to deserve such cruel punishment. "The audacity of you, thinking you can just come into my family and ruin everything, just like that whore of a mother you had!" she spat, grabbing my hair. This time, instead of hitting me, she dug her nails into my cheeks, squeezing painfully as more tears welled up in my eyes. I struggled to free myself, but it was no use. Her assault was relentless, showing no signs of stopping.

I tried to beg, to plead for mercy, but before I could, she wrapped her hands around my throat and began strangling me. I gasped for breath, fighting for my life as the maids stood by, too terrified to intervene. "I will put an end to you," she hissed through clenched teeth. Just then, someone came running—Zora, Kieran's wife. "Mother, stop this!" she cried, her voice pleading as she tried to pry the Queen off me. But it was harder than she expected. "Please, mother, stop!" Zora begged, finally managing to shove her away from me. I fell to the floor, clutching my neck and gasping for air, barely holding on.

"Mother, please, we shouldn't do this to her. No one deserves to be treated like that," Zora begged as I fought for my life, finally gasping as air returned to my lungs. I was on the ground, panting heavily. At that moment, all I could do was blame my birth mother. If she hadn't slept with the king, maybe I wouldn't be suffering like this, treated with such cruelty. Why did she choose to destroy someone else's family and then bring me into this world of pure pain and chaos? I hate her so much for everything.

"You!" Luna's voice cut through the air as she turned to Zora. "Why the hell are you defending her? You should be beating this woman because she's about to steal your husband and everything that belongs to you!"

Zora stood silently for a few seconds as I struggled to stand, still clutching my neck. She finally spoke, looking directly at me.

"It's not her fault, Mother. She's as much a victim as I am. If anyone is to blame, it should be Father for leaving such a rule before my husband can become Alpha." She took a deep breath, gently holding Luna's hand, her voice steady and calm. "We mustn't blame others for someone else's mistakes, Mother. I understand how you feel, but trust me, everything will be alright. For now, I beg you—please don't hurt her anymore."

Zora's words seemed to soften the queen. Luna gave me one final glare before yanking her hand from Zora's grip and snapping, "If you show her any pity, she might just do to you what her mother did to me." With that, she stormed away angrily, leaving me alone with Zora, who looked at me with concern.

"Are you alright?" she asked softly.

I quickly nodded, forcing a smile as I wiped the tears from my cheeks. Sniffing, I looked at her and smiled again, trying to seem okay.

"Yes, I am fine," I said, pausing for a moment, suddenly feeling guilty. "I want to apologize for what happened. I swear, I have no intention of taking your husband from you. He is basically like a brother or should I say my actual brother, so there is no way I would ever have those kinds of thoughts. I am so sorry if I have hurt you in any way. I never meant to..."

She didn't let me finish. To my surprise, she hugged me, gently patting my back. I was taken aback but found comfort in her unexpected warmth.

She broke the hug and said, "You shouldn't let anyone treat you the way they do. I am sorry you have had to suffer like this your whole life." She held my hand, her touch comforting, as she smiled at me. "Well, you are my sister-in-law now, and I will do whatever it takes to protect you. I will make sure things change from now on," she added, giving me a reassuring smile.

I didn't know how to respond to her kindness. How could someone be so nice and caring? It made sense why Kieran chose her as his wife—she was kind and perfect. Anyone would be lucky to have her, and my heart broke at the thought of how perfect she was. I felt like nothing compared to her.

Beyond her kindness, she was also stunningly beautiful—something I could never hope to compete with. After one last smile, she walked away, leaving me still at a loss for words.

As I made my way to Kieran's room, guilt gnawed at me. I should never have slept with him that night. I was on the verge of ruining their happy marriage, just like my mother ruined the Queen's. Regret flooded my mind. I shouldn't have done any of it—it was unbearable just to think about.

When I arrived at Kieran's chambers, two guards stood outside. As soon as they saw me, one of them went inside. A few seconds later, he returned and gestured for me to enter. I gulped, flashing them a small nervous smile before stepping into the room. Every step felt heavier than the last.

My heart pounded in my chest. The room was all too familiar—it was the same place where that night had happened. Kieran stood inside, shirtless, appearing as though he had just finished a bath. He was engrossed in some scrolls, not noticing my presence. Then, I noticed a mark on his back, one that hadn't been there before that night...

It was a strange arrow-shaped mark, the tip painted red as if it were signifying blood. What could it mean? Just then, Kieran turned slightly, noticing me. "You are here..." he said, before returning to his scrolls. But then, he froze, slowly placing the scroll down on his desk before turning fully towards me.

I couldn't help but admire him at that moment. He was even more perfect than I remembered—his body was sculpted and flawless. As he moved closer, my throat tightened, and I instinctively stepped back. I shouldn't be feeling this way about him, not when he was practically my brother.

But he kept closing the distance, and soon, he was right in front of me. His hand reached for my face, and I flinched, recoiling in fear. His fingertips, however, brushed gently against my cheek, tracing a slow path to my lips, then down to my neck. A strange, electric tension was in the air between us, pulling me closer when I should have been pulling away.

"Who did this to you?" he suddenly asked, his voice low, filled with a sudden concern as his fingers hovered over the bruises on my neck.

Answer me, who did this to you?.."