Chapter 2 Shattered Vows

Aurora's POV

I woke up in the hospital bed with my body stiff and my head heavy. For a moment, I thought nothing had changed. Then I looked at the small mirror on the wall across from me.

My eyes were no longer the dull brown I had grown up with. They glowed silver, sharp and alive-the color of the wolves I used to dream about.

I lifted a hand, tracing the skin beneath my eyes, as if touching them would make the change real. My chest swelled, tight with something I had almost forgotten: excitement.

I had waited for this moment all my life. My wolf had been locked away twice, once when I was six, the day I was thrown out, and again when I returned to the Silver Moon Wolf Clan.

Both times, the bond to my wolf had been stolen from me like punishment. But now, sitting in this cold hospital room, I felt her stirring, weak, but present.

A small smile pulled at my lips. Despite the pain, despite the chains on my freedom, this meant I wasn't broken. I wasn't powerless anymore.

When I returned to my room, that fragile joy didn't last long. The witch was waiting for me. She stood in the corner, arms crossed, her smirk curling in that way that always made my stomach twist.

"You think glowing eyes make you special?" she hissed. "You think this changes what you are? You are nothing. You will never read your books again. I forbid it. I forbid you from wasting your time with words."

I froze in the doorway, my fists clenching. Books had been my only escape, my way of feeling free inside these walls. Now she wanted to rip even that away.

"Why do you care if I read?" I asked, my voice low.

She stepped closer, her shadow sliding over me. "Because someone doesn't want you free. Someone doesn't want you to live like the others. I only follow orders."

The way she said it made my blood run cold. She wasn't acting alone. Someone else was pulling the strings.

That night, I couldn't sleep. My eyes stayed on the ceiling, my fists clenched against the sheets.

I knew who it was. Vicky's brother,who is the accident victim.

He was the one who had sent witches after me, the one who had destroyed everything. The thought of him stealing my freedom burned so deep it kept me awake until morning.

By the next day, my body felt like stone, heavy from lack of rest. I dragged myself into the common room, still full of anger, when the television caught my eye.

Helen's face filled the screen. She was smiling, her hand wrapped around Beta James's hand. My former fate mate.

The caption below twisted my stomach: "Beta James and Helen announce their wedding date."

I froze. My whole body locked in place. The room faded. All I could hear was the pounding of my own heart in my ears.

This was the man who had once sworn to protect me as a Beta of the Silver Moon Pack.

Five years ago, when my world crumbled, he was the one who was supposed to stand by me.

But when Helen's tears came and the accusations rose, Beta James stood before the Elders.

He publicly accused me of seriously injuring Vicky, defending the Donald family and throwing me under the bus as if their lies were the truth.

Beta James also openly refused to make me his mate before the court.

Instead, he chose Helen, the one who framed me and stood by her as if I had never existed.

On the screen, Helen leaned into James, her head tilted toward him like she belonged there. He looked down at her with the same gentle expression that had once been mine, the expression I had once craved.

My chest tightened so hard it hurt. He had promised me forever. He had told me I was his choice. But there he was, holding her hand, smiling at her like I had never existed.

Behind them, my family appeared. Their faces weren't shocked or angry. They were blessing her. Smiling at her. Reaching out to comfort her, as if she had been the one abandoned. As if she had been the one who suffered.

A knot rose in my throat, thick and suffocating. No one had ever looked at me that way. No one had ever reached for me.

I stood there trembling, my fists tight at my sides. The world had moved on without me. I was left carrying the weight of betrayal alone.

The despair sank so deep it felt like my bones were hollow. I wanted to scream, to break, but I stood frozen, silent, my hands shaking.

The witch noticed. She leaned close to my ear and whispered, "Look at them. Look at how happy they are without you. Do you understand now why you are here? You will never leave. You belong to me."

I turned my head sharply toward her. "I don't belong to you."

Her eyes narrowed. "Don't speak back."

I raised my chin. "I'm not afraid of you."

The slap came quick across my face, her nails scraping my skin. My eyes stung with tears, but I refused to lower my head.

"You changed my eye color," she snapped, her face twisting with rage. "You think you can use your tricks on me? I'll make you regret it."

I pressed my lips together, swallowing the pain. If I answered, she would only hit me again.

The next morning, the doctor gathered us in the hallway. His voice carried over the murmurs: "You will work today. All of you. No exceptions."

We moved as a group. I stayed near the back, but the witches and their followers always found me.

Their elbows jabbed into my ribs, their shoulders slammed into mine. Finally one shoved me so hard I crashed to the ground.

"Get up," one of them laughed.

I pushed myself to my knees. My pride wouldn't let me beg. But when another shoved me again, something snapped inside me. I shoved back.

My hand landed on the witch's arm. Fire burst from my skin. The smell of burning flesh filled the air. She screamed, jerking away, her arm blistered where I had touched her.

Gasps filled the hall. I pulled my hand back, staring at it in shock. Faint light glowed along my skin, power humming under the surface.

The silence lasted only seconds. Then chaos erupted.

"You freak!" the witch screeched, clutching her arm. "You'll pay for this!"

The others lunged. They slammed me to the ground, my head cracking against the floor, their hands tearing at my clothes.

I fought, but there were too many. They stripped me bare, and one yanked scissors through my hair, hacking it short and uneven. Locks fell across my skin, scattered across the floor like pieces of me.

When they were done, I was naked, shivering, surrounded by fragments of hair. My sobs broke free, unstoppable. My chest ached as if my heart itself had cracked open.

Then, through the haze of tears, I heard her.

My wolf.

Her voice filled my mind, strong and steady. "Endure. Hold on. We will not always be alone. We will find our companions. Our gifts are not only glowing hands. We are stronger than this."

Her words wrapped around me like armor. My hands still shook, but I wiped the tears from my face and forced myself upright.

I picked up what remained of my clothes. They were filthy and torn, but I pulled them on anyway.

I walked back to my room, head lowered, changed into what clean clothes I had, and prepared for dinner as if nothing had happened.

The next few days passed in silence. No one dared touch me again, but their eyes followed me everywhere, filled with hate.

By Sunday evening, I felt almost broken. After dinner, I was sent to restock food in the hallway.

I carried boxes quietly, the weight biting into my arms. That was when the witch appeared again.

She grabbed my arm so hard I dropped the box. Her nails dug in, and then the sting of a blade cut my skin. Blood welled up instantly.

Her face hovered inches from mine, her breath hot with hate. "If you tell anyone about the bullying, you'll regret it. You'll regret ever opening your mouth."

Blood ran down my arm. My fear rose in my throat, but I forced it down.

"I'm not afraid to die," I said.

Her eyes widened for a moment. Then her face twisted with rage. She shoved me back, turned, and stormed off.

I pressed my bleeding arm close, breathing hard.

And I thought she would come back for revenge, but I was ready.