Chapter 6 Entering Hell Again

Aurora's POV Thanks to Filipa, no Rogues dared approach me in the next few days. However, she fell asleep once more upon exhausting all her energy to ward them off. She had told me that I carried Mom's Silver Wolf blood, but because of my human father's bloodline, I was currently too weak to shift right away. I just needed to give it some time. Then, I would eventually transform beneath the moon into a Silver Wolf just like my mom. That thought filled me with a kind of jubilance I had never known. I was the true Silver Wolf. Everyone would know that soon enough, including Damian. Maybe he had already realized Nicole's lies over the week. He might be waiting for me to return so that he could beg for my forgiveness. With those hopeful thoughts, I picked up my pace, eager to leave the forest. When I pushed aside the final bush blocking my view, I saw a Blackwood pack car right ahead. I was pleasantly surprised as I hurried toward it. "Aurora," a werewolf called out as he got out of the car. I recognized him. He was one of Damian's subordinates and listened only to his orders. Clenching my fists, I suppressed the surge of excitement arising in me. I responded as calmly as I could. "Yes." "By Alpha Damian's command, I'll take you straight to Nicole," he said it so casually, like he was saying something routine, such as taking me to a banquet or something. For a moment, I wondered if I had misheard. I blurted, "What? Did you say… you're taking me to Nicole?" His voice remained flat and impersonal. "Yes. You are to serve Ms. Whitlock as her maid. Your duty is to take good care of her." No, this was impossible! This shouldn't be happening! Had Damian gone mad? How could he order me to be Nicole's maid? Didn't he know I was the Silver Wolf? What had that cursed Nicole done again? I recoiled in fear, wanting to run back into the Forsaken Forest. I would still have a better life there even if it were highly dangerous. To my dismay, several werewolves reached out and restrained me like I was some unforgivable, despicable criminal. They dragged me back to Damian's manor. Nicole stood waiting at the door, like she had been expecting me. My body tensed as I stepped out of the car. She walked over with a smile and said, "Aurora, you're finally back." The sight of her disgusted me. She had conveniently forgotten that she was responsible for my suffering. With a cloying smile and eyes gleaming with malicious delight, she said, "Let's go in. I'm really looking forward to living together with you." I looked at her and felt utterly certain that beyond that door lay my personal hell. … "Ah!" For the third time, someone "accidentally" bumped into me and spilled my dinner across the floor again. Soup splashed all over me, and the only piece of bread that could have filled my stomach landed in the dirt. The indignance I had felt in the beginning had simmered down into calm indifference by then. I merely turned and stared at the she-wolf who had done it on purpose with an expressionless face. She laughed openly and jeered, "What are you looking at? Weren't you the Luna? How did you end up becoming Ms. Whitlock's maid?" "Why else? Alpha Damian dumped her!" "A half-breed like her should've been grateful just to join the pack. Yet, she lied to Alpha Damian and pretended to be the Silver Wolf. If it weren't for the kind Ms. Whitlock exposing her lies, we'd still be deceived by her." Her companions looked at me the way one might look at garbage. How ridiculous of them to treat a liar's words as divine prophecy, believing they had found the ultimate truth. I let out a derisive chuckle and turned to walk away. Arguing with idiots would lead nowhere. Sometimes, I even doubted whether they understood half of what I said. Unfortunately, my silence seemed to offend them. The angered she-wolves didn't plan to let me off so easily. They yanked my hair roughly. Sharp pain tore through my scalp and roots as I lifted my hands to protect my head. But that only made it easier for them to hit me. They kicked my stomach and brutally slapped me countless times. My ears rang. My cheeks burned with pain. I tasted blood in my mouth. If it weren't for the Silver Wolf's self-healing ability, I might have lost several teeth already. I comforted myself inwardly, "That's right. I am the Silver Wolf. I will gain my full strength soon. Then, these wolves will finally fear me. They will tremble with their tails between their legs and rue the day they ever laid hands on me!" Suddenly, the she-wolf leading the bullying shouted, "If you keep looking at me like that, I'll gouge your eyes out!" The hatred in my eyes must have been too obvious, for it startled her. She slapped me hard once more with all her might. My head whipped sideways from the blow. I swallowed the blood in my mouth and looked up defiantly. I saw Nicole standing on the second-floor balcony. Leaning forward against the balustrade with her hands cupping her chin, she watched my beating with lazy amusement. When she noticed that I was looking at her, she flashed a sweet smile at me. That venomous devil! I glared at her hatefully, wishing I could transform into a massive Silver Wolf right now and tear out her throat with my fangs. Finally, she spoke up languidly without any hint of a warning or chastisement in her tone. "What are you doing? She's the maid Damian assigned to take care of me. Please treat her with the same respect as you treat me." The maids laughed and let me go, tossing me to the ground like a rag doll. Then, they showered Nicole with praise for her kindness and generosity. It was beyond ironic. I pushed myself up slowly and brushed away the dirt from my skirt. Enduring the pain, I trudged slowly, wanting to go back indoors. Two Beta warriors tasked by Damian to protect Nicole were approaching from ahead. They seemed to be absorbed in their conversation. Not wanting to attract more trouble, I slipped behind a nearby wall and waited for them to leave. "The recent vampire attack was aggressive. They say a Vampire Elder directed it." "It was Silas, wasn't it? My brother stationed at the border told me about him before." I couldn't hear the rest of their exchange because the name, Silas, occupied my thoughts. Based on what I had overheard back in the Forsaken Forest, I knew that Silas led the vampires to attack the Blackwood pack to find and kill me. As that dreadful thought formed in my mind, I forced myself to calm down and reassured myself that no one knew I was the Silver Wolf yet. Silas wouldn't find me. I just needed to stay in the pack. My back was drenched with cold sweat, and my body trembled uncontrollably with fear. To avoid being caught eavesdropping by the passing Beta warriors, I warned myself repeatedly not to give myself away.