Darken Moon University

Broken? : Aelira

Instead, Kaiden let out a low, vibrating growl that I felt more than heard. It wasn't a sound of aggression toward me, but a terrifying promise of violence toward the ghosts I had just summoned.

"I know what you're thinking," I said quickly, needing him to understand the rest before the silence suffocated me. "You think my life has been nothing but pain. That I’ve only ever known cruelty. But that’s not true."

I turned in his arms, needing to see his face. His green eyes were dark, turbulent with a rage that wasn't directed at me, but the intensity of it was still overwhelming. I placed a hand on his chest, right over his heart, feeling the steady, rhythmic thud against my palm.

"The Tennessee pack... they saved me," I said, my voice gaining strength. "When my old pack handed me over like a bag of unwanted laundry, I was terrified. I thought I was trading one hell for another. But Alpha Derek isn't like Elias. He didn't see damaged goods. He saw a victim who needed a home."

He placed me with Mike and Cheryl," I continued, a small, genuine smile touching my lips as I thought of them. "Mike is the Beta's second command, leading one of the warrior teams. He’s this mountain of a man who looks like he could tear a car apart with his bare hands, but he has the gentlest heart I’ve ever known. And Cheryl... she’s the head of housekeeping for the pack house. She took one look at the scared, silent girl I was and decided I was hers to fix. She fed me, clothed me, and taught me how to smile again."

Kaiden’s expression shifted slightly, the turbulent rage calming as he listened, though his eyes remained intense.

"And then there's Isaac," I whispered, my voice cracking slightly. "He’s their son. Four years older than me, and for the longest time, I thought he hated having a stranger forced into his family. He was protective, always watching my back, always stepping in when other wolves looked at me too strangely because of my eyes. I didn't realize until I was I came here... I didn't realize until it was too late that it wasn't annoyance. It was love. They all love me."

I took a deep breath, letting the warmth of his chest seep into my fingers. "But I couldn't just stay there under their protection forever. I wanted to be more than just the girl they saved. I wanted to help people the way no one helped my mother."

I looked up at him, searching his eyes for judgment, but found only rapt attention. "I applied to the healing program here because it’s the best in the country. It was my dream—to become a healer, to have the power to mend instead of just witnessing the breaking. I worked myself to the bone to get the recommendation, to prove that 'damaged goods' could still be useful."

A shaky laugh escaped me as I traced the line of his jaw. "And even though the chaos of the last few days... even though I was scared and the heat was overwhelming... I’m glad I did it. I’m glad I’m here." I paused, my heart hammering against my ribs as I voiced the realization that had been bubbling under the surface. "Because if I hadn't come, I wouldn't have met you."

Kaiden stared at me for a long moment, the green of his eyes swirling with an emotion so fierce it made my breath catch. Then, he let out a rough exhale and captured my hand against his chest, turning it to press a kiss into my palm. The gesture was tender, reverent, and it sent a fresh wave of goosebumps racing over my skin.

"I am glad you are here, too," he murmured against my skin, his voice vibrating through my bones. "But hearing what you survived... it makes me want to burn the world down, little wolf. Your father, and that Alpha Elias... They should have been protecting you. Instead, they broke a child and sold her."

He shifted, pulling me impossibly closer until there was no space left between us. "But they failed. They tried to break you, and instead, they created a warrior. You didn't just survive; you thrived. You will become a healer. You found a family that loves you."

The silence stretched, thick and heavy, but not uncomfortable. Kaiden’s thumb stroked over my knuckles, grounding me, but I could feel the tension humming in his muscles. He was processing everything I’d said, cataloging the enemies I’d named in my head.

"I can understand the brutality of the pack hierarchy," he said slowly, his voice vibrating against my cheek where it rested on his chest. "Power makes men cruel. But you mentioned something before, when the heat first took you. You mentioned... rape."

He stiffened slightly, bracing himself as if he physically didn't want to say the word but needed the truth. "When did that happen? Who did this to you?"

I froze, the cold creeping back into my veins despite the warmth of the blankets. I had known this question was coming, had known I couldn't keep that part of the story hidden forever, but saying it out loud made it real all over again.

"The night before I was shipped off to Tennessee," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "My father... he decided that if he couldn't break my spirit, he’d at least ruin me for anyone else. He wanted to make sure I knew I was nothing but property to be used before he handed me over to the Tennessee pack."

I squeezed my eyes shut, fighting back the bile rising in my throat. "He said no one would want a used toy, so the pack that bought me would treat me like the garbage I was. He wanted to strip me of my dignity before I even left his territory."

I swallowed hard, the taste of ash thick in my mouth. "The Alpha... he was the one who came to get me. He dragged me down to the cellar. It was cold and damp, smelling of mildew and old fear. He told me to strip, to bend over and grab my ankles so I could take my punishment. He said he was following my father's instructions to the letter, that—"

"Stop," Kaiden snarled, the sound so feral it vibrated through the mattress and straight into my bones.

He didn't yell, but the authority in his voice was absolute, a command that couldn't be ignored. He pulled his hand from mine and instead cupped the back of my neck, his grip firm but not painful, forcing me to look up at him. His green eyes were blazing, a turbulent storm of rage that made my breath hitch.

"I don't need to hear the details of the depravity," he growled, his jaw clenched so tight I could see the muscle jumping beneath the skin. "I don't need to know the specific mechanics of how they tried to destroy you. All I need to know is that they failed."

He took a deep, shuddering breath, as if trying to physically force the rage back down where it belonged. When he spoke again, his voice was lower, rougher, but the intensity hadn't dimmed. "They sold you, they beat you, and they tried to use you. But you are here. You are mine. And I will kill anyone who ever tries to touch you again without your permission."

The possessiveness in his tone should have frightened me. It was primal, violent, and utterly unyielding. But instead, it settled over me like a heavy, protective blanket. For years, I had been a victim, a pawn in someone else's game. Hearing Kaiden speak of me with such reverence, such fierce loyalty, felt like finally exhaling after holding my breath for a decade.