The memory hit me like a blade to the chest. The locked door. The agonizing pain. The sound of their pleasure while I lay on the cold floor, screaming for mercy. And then—darkness.

I frowned, my nails digging into my palms. “They left me there,” I whispered, my voice shaking. “They left me to suffer while they—” My breath hitched, and I couldn’t finish the sentence.

My mother’s grip on my hands tightened, her expression darkening with barely contained anger. “Yes,” she admitted, her voice trembling. “They left you there, Olivia.”

My wolf whimpered in my head, but I silenced her, forcing myself to breathe through the pain searing through my chest. “And you?” I asked, looking at my mother. “How did you know?”

She sighed, brushing a strand of hair from my face. “The guard alerted me. When I arrived, you were burning up, thrashing in your sleep, crying out in pain.” She closed her eyes, pain flashing across her face. “I stayed by your side all night. You wouldn’t wake up. I was so scared, my dear.”

I stared at her, my heart aching. I knew my mother loved me. I knew she had no power against the triplets. She was just an omega, the wife of a man accused of stealing.

Swallowing the bitterness rising in my throat, I turned away, staring out the window. “I don’t think I can survive this, Mother.” My voice was barely a whisper, but I knew she heard me.

She took a deep breath and placed a gentle hand on my shoulder. “You can, and you will.” She tried comforting me, but it only made me more annoyed.

“No, Mother, you don’t understand!” I snapped, my voice rising. “You don’t know what those men—the ones the Moon Goddess cursed me with—are capable of! They made love to Anita right in front of me, and despite seeing how it was killing me, they ignored me. And when I fainted, do you know what they did? They threw me outside the room like I was nothing!”

My whole body shook with anger and pain. I wished I could do something—anything—to save myself from this hell.

Before my mother could respond, a sharp knock sounded at the door. She turned and opened it, revealing a guard standing on the other side. “The Alphas are having breakfast and demand that the Luna join them,” he announced.

My blood boiled at his words. Demanded?

“I won’t!” I yelled from where I stood.

But my mother, ever the peacemaker, turned to the guard and said, “She will join them shortly.”

As soon as she closed the door, she turned to face me. “Olivia, you have to go.”

I shook my head, stepping away from her reach. “No, Mother. I refuse. I won’t sit at the same table with them and pretend like last night never happened. I won’t!”

“Olivia,” my mother said gently, her tired eyes pleading with me. “I know you’re hurting, my dear. I know what they did was cruel beyond words. But refusing them now will only make things worse for you.”

I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. “Worse?” I scoffed. “What could be worse than what they’ve already done? What more do they want to take from me?”

My mother exhaled shakily, stepping closer. “Your dignity. If you refuse, they’ll punish you, Olivia, before the mansion staff. They’ll see it as disrespect, and they will make you suffer for it.”

Tears burned my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. “And sitting with them like an obedient little Luna isn’t suffering?”

“It is,” she admitted, cupping my cheek. “But it’s a battle you need to survive first before you can win the war. Do you understand?”

I bit my lip, hating that she was right. Hating that I had no real power here. I wanted to fight, to scream, to make them feel even a fraction of my pain. But what could I do against three powerful Alphas who hated me for no reason?

I swallowed my pride, the lump in my throat painful. “Fine,” I muttered, my voice hollow, “I’ll go.” My mother gave me a sad smile, brushing her hand over my hair. “That’s my brave girl.”

I turned away from her touch, wiping my face quickly before heading towards my bathroom. If I had to sit with them, I wouldn’t do it looking like a broken, humiliated mess.

After bathing, I chose a simple yet elegant dress—something that wouldn’t show how shattered I was inside. Something that gave a confident look.

Once I was ready, I took a deep breath and stepped toward the door. My mother gave me one last reassuring look before opening it for me.