Zayn’s howl shook the ground as he knelt by Lily’s side. His eyes blazed with fury that made even the bravest pack members step back. Blood still seeped from his own wounds, but he paid them no mind.
All he saw was Lily—pale, bleeding, and barely conscious.
“Cut her free,” he growled to the nearest guard, who scrambled to obey.
As the ropes fell away, Lily collapsed into Zayn’s arms. He cradled her against his chest, his hands trembling with rage and fear. Her blood soaked through his shirt, warm against his skin. With gentle movements that belied his fury, he pressed his palm against her wound, trying to stop the bleeding.
He used some of his own bandages to wrap the wound tightly, hoping it would stop the bleeding. What he could not ignore was what his pack had done.
Zayn turned his attention back to the gathering, his face twisted into a mask of pure rage.
“Who did this?” His voice was deathly quiet.
No one answered. The crowd shifted uncomfortably, gazes dropping to the ground.
“I asked,” Zayn said, his voice rising to a roar that echoed across the square, “WHO DID THIS?”
A man stepped forward, the bloodied knife still in his hand. “I did, Alpha. We were told you needed her blood to—”
One moment, Zayn was cradling Lily. Next, he had the man by the throat, dangling off the ground. The knife clattered uselessly to the stone ground.
“You dare touch what is mine?” Zayn snarled, his canines elongating with his fury. “You dare harm your Luna?”
“Alpha,” the man choked out, clawing at Zayn’s grip. “She—she’s a Brightpaw!”
With a disgusted growl, Zayn threw the man to the ground. He turned in a slow circle, addressing the entire pack that had gathered to watch Lily’s torture.
“Is this what we’ve become?” he asked. “Is this who we are now? Just like them? Just like her father, who tortured us? We torture an innocent woman?”
The crowd shifted uneasily. Everyone glanced at one another, but none of them dared to meet their Alpha’s eyes.
Someone from the back called out, “She’s the daughter of our enemy!”
“And what has she done to any of you?” Zayn challenged. “Has she lifted a hand against you? Has she ordered your torture? Your enslavement?”
Martha arrived at the scene with Shirley in tow. She rushed over to Lily’s side at once, putting pressure on the wound. She noticed the bandages Zayn had wrapped Lily in.
“What caused you to hurt her?” Zayn continued, his gaze sweeping the crowd. “What gives you the right?”
A woman near the front spoke up. “She’s a Brightpaw. Alpha. Her father destroyed our lives. His blood runs through her veins!”
Murmurs of agreement rippled through the crowd.
“Grayson is dead,” Zayn snapped. “I killed him myself. Xavier is chained in our dungeons, paying for his crimes. And Lily?” He gestured to her as he continued to speak. “I have punished her for who she is. But now she is my mate. She is your Luna.”
“But Alpha, her mere existence is a constant reminder of everything we have suffered,” another voice spoke up from the crowd.
More voices joined in, a chorus of agreement swelling. Zayn’s eyes flashed red, his wolf close to the surface. He took a step toward the crowd, ready to tear through anyone who dared speak against Lily again.
“Stop!” Martha’s voice cut through the tension. The elderly maid stepped forward, placing herself between Zayn and the pack members. Her face was streaked with tears, but her voice was steady as she spoke.
“You speak of suffering?” Martha asked the crowd. “Lily suffered too.”
Zayn paused, watching as Martha addressed the pack with more courage than wolves twice her size.
“I raised that girl from the day she was born,” Martha continued. “I watched her grow up unloved, unwanted. Her own father blamed her for her mother’s death. Do you know what that does to a child?”
The crowd grew quiet, listening despite themselves. free\we,bnovel.c o(m)
“When Alpha Grayson took your pack, do you think Lily was celebrating? She was locked in a room, forbidden to speak—not that she could. She was starved when her father was in a bad mood. She was beaten when her brother felt bored.”
Zayn remained silent, allowing Martha to speak.
The elderly maid wiped her tears away as she continued, “Once, her brother was in a foul mood. He forced her to strip naked in front of everyone. Whipped her until she collapsed for pure fucking entertainment! His own blood sister!”
She looked into the eyes of every pack member in the crowd as she spoke. Making sure they felt every word she spoke. Few dared to look her in the eye.
“Once, she spilled tea by accident. Do you know what he did? He forced her to soak in a tub of ice water for one whole day, in the middle of winter.”
Martha looked down at her hands, shaking.
“I was the one who pulled her out of the freezing water. Clutching her cold body, trying to do anything to warm her back up.” f.r(e)e\webn.ovel.co\m
Zayn looked over at Martha. This was the first he’d heard of this. His wolf howled in anguish at the thought of what Lily had endured. His heart ached for her. To be tortured by her own family, how could anyone survive that?
Zayn’s fists clenched so tightly that his claws drew blood from his palms. The crowd was filled with mixed reactions. No one dared to speak up.
“She has never known kindness from her family,” Martha said softly. “Never.”
Zayn stepped forward then, his voice controlled but filled with emotion. “Lily has worked in your fields without complaint,” he said, gesturing to Bianca, who stood nearby. “Tell them, Bianca.”
Bianca stepped forward, clutching her hand to her chest, “Lily worked harder than most. She never complained. Not even when the others bullied her. Rain or shine, she didn’t even take breaks.”
“She helps in the infirmary,” Zayn continued, “despite the glares and whispers she receives. Despite how many of you spit at her feet when she walks by.”
He looked back at Lily’s pale face, his expression softening for just a moment. “She never once complained about anything. Even when her hands were covered in cuts, when she was bleeding, she wished no ill harm on anyone.”
The crowd had grown silent, some shifting uncomfortably as they began to feel guilty.
Victoria, who’d arrived and blended into the crowd, pushed her way forward. “Have you forgotten about your mate, Irene, Alpha? Have you forgotten how they cut your child from her womb while she still breathed?”
The question hung in the air like a blade.
Victoria pressed on, her voice grew louder, “Have you forgiven her for what her family did to yours? Did you defend Lily because you love her?”
Zayn’s face darkened with pain. The memory of Irene’s screams echoed in his mind, he remembered it like it was yesterday.
“I will never forget what happened,” he said, his voice low and dangerous. “Nor can I forgive it. But Lily did not commit those crimes.”
“She benefits from them!” Victoria argued. “She lived in luxury while we suffered!”
Zayn laughed bitterly. “Luxury? You heard Martha. Lily was a prisoner in her own home. A slave to her family, just as we were.”
He looked around at his pack, seeing the conflict in their eyes. “I understand your pain. I carry it too. But Lily is my Luna now. Her burdens are mine to carry. If you hate her, you hate me too.”
Zayn reached for the dagger at his hip. The crowd tensed. He held out the blade to Victoria.
Victoria stared at the weapon, confusion clear on her face. “What... what are you doing?”
Zayn’s eyes were cold as ice as he pressed the dagger into her hand.
“Cut me,” he commanded.
Victoria’s eyes widened in shock. “What?”
“Cut me,” Zayn repeated, his voice unwavering.