Just because you’re the oldest slave her doesn’t mean you’ll harm someone I like and I won’t say anything, I might be young but I won’t let that happen with that she forcefully pushed miss Catherine and she landed on her butt on the floor.
Aurora watched in shock as Luna, the girl she had promised to protect, transformed before her eyes. The fragile creature she had come to know was now a fiery guardian, standing between Aurora and the madam’s wrath. The room was silent except for the sound of Miss Catherine’s heavy breathing.
“How dare you?” Miss Catherine spat, pushing herself off the floor. Her eyes were narrowed, her lip curled into a snarl. But Luna didn’t flinch; she was a wall of fierce determination.
“You can’t treat her like this,” Luna insisted, her voice surprisingly steady. “We’re all in this together. We have to stick up for each other.”
Miss Catherine’s eyes narrowed, and for a moment, Aurora thought she saw a flicker of something almost human in the madam’s gaze. But then it was gone, replaced by the cold, hard stare that had become all too familiar. “You’re a fool, Luna,” she said, her voice dripping with venom. “This is how it is here. You either learn to survive, or you become a plaything for these monsters.”
“We can do better,” Luna insisted, her chin lifting in defiance. “We don’t have to be like them.”
Miss Catherine’s face contorted into a sneer. “Better?” she scoffed. “You think you know better than me?” She took a step closer to Luna, closing the space between them. ” That you can play hero?”
Aurora felt a surge of courage, bolstered by Luna’s unexpected bravado. She stepped in front of her friend, blocking Miss Catherine’s path. “You can’t touch her,” Aurora said firmly, her voice steady despite the tremor of fear that danced in her stomach. She reached out and grabbed Miss Catherine’s wrist, her hand shaking with the effort of stopping the madam’s powerful swing. “She’s not alone here.”
Miss Catherine’s eyes narrowed, and she studied Aurora for a long moment. Then, she released Aurora’s arm with a huff. “Fine,” she spat. “You want to be the hero, be my guest. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.” With a dramatic flounce, she turned and stalked out of the room, the door slamming shut behind her.
Aurora’s heart was racing, her breath coming in shallow gasps. She looked back at Luna, her eyes wide with shock. “Thank you,” she whispered, her voice trembling.
But Luna’s gaze was not on Aurora; it was fixed on the now closed door, her eyes narrowed in contemplation. “It’s not over,” she murmured. “This changes things.”
Meanwhile, Damian had indeed been watching the whole scene unfold from his hidden vantage point. He had observed Aurora’s fiery spirit and Luna’s unexpected bravery with a mix of intrigue and annoyance. Her refusal to be broken, her fiery retorts, and the protective stance she had taken with Luna had stirred something within him-something he hadn’t felt in a very long time. He found himself torn between punishing her for her insolence and admiring her unyielding will.
As he made his way back to his private chambers, he couldn’t shake the image of Aurora’s trembling form, standing up to Miss Catherine. It was clear she was different from the other girls. They had been broken in so easily, their spirits crushed by the weight of their new lives. But Aurora… she was a challenge. And Damian loved a challenge.
The next morning, Aurora and Luna woke to the sound of hushed whispers and footsteps in the hallway. They exchanged wary glances, the fear of what the new day would bring thick in the air. As they stepped out of the room, they were met with a scene that was both unexpected and surreal. In the grand hall, a lady in a gown so beautiful it seemed to shimmer with an otherworldly light was holding court. The other girls hovered around her like moths drawn to a flame, their eyes full of admiration and envy.
“That’s Lily,” Luna murmured to Aurora, her voice filled with a mix of awe and apprehension. Lily was a legend in the mansion, a girl so beautiful and skilled that she had earned a special place in Damian’s heart-or so the rumors went. Her long, raven hair cascaded over her bare shoulders, and her eyes, a piercing blue that could cut through the darkest shadows, surveyed the room with a cool detachment.
Aurora felt a pang of jealousy and fear as she watched the other girls fawn over Lily. She was the epitome of everything Aurora feared becoming-beautiful, broken, and utterly lost to this twisted world. Yet there was something in her gaze that spoke of a fiery spirit, not entirely extinguished.
Lily’s eyes flicked to Aurora, and a slow, evil grin spread across her face. She sauntered over, the click of her heels echoing in the grand hall. “Well, well,” she said, her voice a purr that sent a shiver down Aurora’s spine. “The little virgin who thinks she’s above us all.”
Her eyes raked over Aurora’s naked form, a cruel glint in her gaze. “You’re going to learn your place,” she said, her words a promise of pain and degradation. “And when you do, maybe you’ll be worthy of serving the master.”
Aurora felt a wave of revulsion at the mention of Damian. Despite his power and the fear he inspired, she couldn’t bring herself to think of him as anything but a monster. Yet she knew she had to be smart, to survive. She swallowed her pride and met Lily’s gaze. “What do you want from me?” she asked, her voice shaking slightly.
Lily stepped closer, her breath warm against Aurora’s cheek. “I want to see you suffer,” she whispered, her lips curling into a malicious smile. “You think you’re special because he hasn’t claimed you yet? Trust me, sweetie, your time will come.”
Her hand shot out, grabbing Aurora’s chin and forcing her to look into those cold, calculating eyes. “And when it does, you’ll wish you had taken the easy path,” she hissed, her grip tightening.
Aurora felt the bite of Lily’s nails but held her ground, the fire in her eyes matching the other woman’s. “I’ll never be like you,” she said, her voice low but firm. “I’d rather die than become what you are.”
Luna stepped forward, placing a protective hand on Aurora’s shoulder. “We’re not alone,” she said to Lily. “We have each other.”
Lily’s smile grew colder, her eyes flicking to Luna. “Ah, yes,” she said, her voice dripping with mock sweetness. “The little bird with a broken wing. How… touching.”
The room fell silent as the tension grew thick, the air crackling with unspoken threats and challenges. Aurora felt a hand squeeze her shoulder, and she knew it was Luna, offering silent support. It was a small gesture, but it bolstered Aurora’s courage.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Aurora spat back at Lily, her voice shaking with barely contained rage. “You might be content being a monster’s plaything, but I won’t let that happen to me. Or to her.”
Luna’s grip on Aurora’s shoulder tightened, a silent reminder of their bond. Lily’s smile never wavered, but there was a flicker in her eyes that suggested she knew she had hit a nerve. “We’ll see about that,” she said, her voice as smooth as silk. “But for now, the master has other plans for you.”
The mention of Damian sent a fresh wave of fear through Aurora, and she couldn’t help but shiver. Luna’s hand tightened on her shoulder, offering a silent reassurance that she wasn’t alone. Together, they followed the line of girls into the grand dining room, where a lavish breakfast was laid out. The smell of rich, buttery pastries and freshly brewed coffee made Aurora’s stomach growl, but she couldn’t bring herself to eat. Her appetite had been replaced by a constant knot of dread.