Chapter 7. The Dying Light Within

“You think you can just lay around because you got a few scratches?” she sneered, kicking my leg as I struggled to stand. “You’re a slave. You don’t get days off.”

I bit back a cry of pain, forcing myself to get up. My body screamed in protest, my vision swimming as I swayed on my feet. But I couldn’t fall. If I did, she would beat me again.

“Get to the kitchen. There are dishes to wash,” Mira ordered, her voice cold and merciless. “And if I see even a speck of dirt, you’ll be back in the dungeons.”

I stumbled to the kitchen, my body trembling with pain and exhaustion. My hands were swollen and bruised, my fingers aching as I scrubbed the dirty pots and pans. The other maids watched me with disgust, whispering and laughing as they passed by.

“She deserves it,” one of them muttered, her voice dripping with disdain. “Stealing from the Luna. What a filthy rat.”

Another one sneered, “I heard she’s cursed. That’s why her wolf is so weak. No wonder the Alpha