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The echo of his distorted words slams into me with brutal clarity. My mind rings, rejecting it even as awareness flickers upon me.

This isn’t my story. It is Amara’s.

“The next day,” he continues, leaning forward, elbows resting on his knees, “the offering arrived.” His gaze drags over me. “Young. Pretty. Pink.”

My hands tremble.

“And untouched.” He adds, reminiscing. “Not a single wolf had taken a bite.”

My grip loosens from around Amara’s hand and flails before coming around to hug my knees closer as I keep on rocking back and forth.

Back and forth.

Back and forth.

Betrayal burns under my skin, and a broken sound escapes her, but I fold in on myself before it can reach me.

My breathing is uneven, my thoughts slipping through my grasp like sand.

“I’m sure you know the rest, don’t you?” He stands up, the chair creaking again as he pushes forward and marches towards me.

“If you don’t suck my cock—” He warns, “I’ll will be forced to fuck you both, right here.” He cups my core through my clothes.

A sharp, panicked gasp tears out of me as I shove at him. My hands are trembling, desperate to create distance.

The ringing, it’s growing louder. It’s too loud.

A black haze is forming in front of my eyes. It’s large, larger than ever and it’s growing, swallowing the entire room, turning the white hospital walls black.

It’s going to take me.

The room spins, my chest tightening as air refuses to come easy, each inhale shallow and shaking the entirety of my being.

I can’t look at her.

I can’t look at my sister.She knew. I’m here because of her. I was there because of her.

“Amara…” I gasp as iron-hard arms lock around my middle, hauling me off the ground. “H-how could you?”

The words break into sobs as I thrash in his hold—kicking, hitting, scratching—anything to get free, anything to make it stop.

“Everyone wanted you!” She snaps, her voice rising and it cracks with its intensity. “They called you pretty. You hair, eyes. They wanted you. Even my friends, they wanted you too.” Her chest heaves, eyes wild as they turn to look at the man behind me. “I thought he would want you too.”

My stomach drops.

“Guess what?” she laughs, the sound jagged and wrong. “He did. Do you feel pretty now—”

“I was thirteen—”

“And I was a kid too!” she screams over me, her voice desperate. “You expect me to be wiser because I’m a few years older?” She lets out a hollow, bitter laugh. “I didn’t wanna be raped. Better you than me.”

I don’t say anything. More like I can’t.

“This isn’t funny, Amara.” The girl’s trembling voice reaches me again.

“Did you give him my number?” My words are barely above a whisper but they reach her nonetheless as her shoulders stiffen. “When you came to see me?”

Her silence is all the answer I need. She handed me to a predator to save herself, but ended up getting raped nonetheless.