Lily curled into herself. Her body shook uncontrollably as tears streamed down her cheeks. With nowhere else to go, Lily found solitude in the dressing room. The elegant gowns and robes surrounded a fortress, shielding her from the outside world.

She hugged her knees close to her chest, burying her face in them as silent sobs made her dry heave.

The marks from Zayn's whip still burned across her back, but the physical pain was nothing compared to the ache in her heart.

"Lily?" A voice called out.

"Lily, are you in here?"

Lily raised her head slowly, blinking through swollen eyes. She recognized the voices, perhaps the only ones she could truly trust. She heard they push apart dresses and clothes, calling out to her.

Eventually, they found her.

"Oh, Goddess!" Talia gasped, rushing forward when she spotted Lily huddled in the corner. "What happened to you?"

Luna Eliza followed close behind, her face paling as she took in Lily's state.

"Who…who did this to you?" she whispered, kneeling beside the trembling girl.

With shaking hands, Lily signed to them. Her hands moved so quickly that her words became a blur of motion.

"Lily, you're safe now. We're here," Talia urged gently, "Slow down, we won't be able to understand if you sign too quickly."

Tears welled up in Lily's eyes as she nodded. Her shoulders shook again as she cries. She clutched her throat in frustration. If only she had her voice, if only she could scream, if only she could speak. Perhaps things would be different.

"It's okay, it's okay," Eliza soothed, wrapping an arm around Lily's shoulders.

The sudden contact made Lily flinch.

Eliza and Talia exchanged a glance.

"Let me see your back," she requested softly.

With trembling hands, Lily turned slightly, allowing them to see the angry red welts crisscrossing her back.

Talia's face hardened with fury.

"Zayn did this?" she asked, her voice dangerously quiet.

Lily nodded, fresh tears spilling down her cheeks.

"He– I'm going to kill him," Talia declared, rising to her feet, "Were his promises lies?! This is unforgivable!"

Lily grabbed Talia's wrist, shaking her head desperately. She signed more slowly this time.

'He's not himself anymore, Talia. Something's wrong. Victoria did something to him.'

"Even so, he had no right to hurt you," Talia argued, her eyes flashing with anger.

"Talia's right, Lily. This is unacceptable," Eliza added.

Lily pursed her lips, trying her best to maintain her composure as she signed, 'Please, Talia. Take me somewhere safe first. If Zayn were to find me now…'

The words struck Talia to the core. She had promised to protect the girl should anything happen. Yet now, she was hurt again.

"Of course," Talia said, her voice softening. "We'll get you out of here."

"Wait," Eliza interjected, worry creasing her brow. "If we take her away, won't Alpha Zayn see it as kidnapping? We could start a pack war."

Lily's hands moved again. 'I'm not his Luna anymore. He thinks Victoria is his mate now.'

Eliza and Talia exchanged shocked glances.

"How is that possible?" Eliza whispered.

"I don't know," Talia replied grimly. "But we need to get Lily somewhere safe first, then figure out what's happened."

Talia removed her coat and draped it over Lily's shoulders, careful not to press against her wounds.

"Let's go."

The three women moved cautiously toward the door. Talia peered out first, ensuring the hallway was clear before leading them out. They had barely taken three steps when they ran into Zayn.

"Where do you think you're going?" Zayn's cold voice echoed through the corridor.

Lily froze, her body going rigid with fear. Talia immediately stood protectively in front of Lily, blocking Zayn from getting to her.

"Lily is hurt. I'm taking her with me to check on her wounds," Talia said coldly, voice calm.

"She's my prisoner. She's not going anywhere," He growled, taking a step closer to her.

"Prisoner?" Talia spat. "What happened to you, Zayn? Lily is your mate, your Luna! Have you forgotten?"

Zayn growled, "She's no mate of mine. Has she been spouting lies to you too? She's the daughter of Grayson Brightpaw, Talia. She's the daughter of the murderer who killed my mate. Your sister."

He reached for Lily, but Talia blocked his path. "Don't you dare touch her again," she warned.

Zayn's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Step aside, Talia. This doesn't concern you."

"The hell it doesn't!" Talia snapped. "You've lost your mind if you think I'll let you hurt her again."

"Why are you protecting her? Have you forgotten what they did to Irene? How they cut your nephew from her womb while she was still breathing?"

Talia flinched at the brutal reminder, but she stood her ground.

Confusion flickered across her face. "Why are you bringing this up now? We buried that past, Zayn. We moved on."

From the corner of her eye, Lily spotted Victoria hiding behind a pillar. She was watching everything unfold with a smile on her lips.

"Moved on?" Zayn repeated incredulously. "How can you say that? How can you defend her?!" He gestured toward Lily.

"Because she's innocent!" Talia shouted. "She isn't the one who killed Irene!"

"Innocent?" He scoffed, "She's just as guilty as they are. All she does is lie! That's how she manipulated her way into our pack."

"Listen to yourself!" Talia implored. "This isn't like you, Zayn. Something's wrong with you."

"Don't let them confuse you, my love," Victoria murmured softly to Zayn. She'd revealed herself from her hiding place to whisper sweet lies to Zayn.

"Remember what I told you about her tricks. Talia has been fooled."

Talia's gaze snapped to Victoria, understanding dawning in her eyes. "What have you done to him?" she demanded.

Victoria's eyes widened in mock innocence. "I haven't done anything but support my mate through his recovery."

"Recovery from what?" Eliza asked.

"It's none of your business, Luna Eliza," Victoria snapped.

"Enough," Zayn growled. "Step aside, Talia. I won't ask again."

"No," Talia said firmly. "I won't let you hurt her."

Zayn sighed, "You leave me with no choice, Talia."

Talia stood her ground. She'd never stood up to an Alpha before. But Talia made a promise to Lily, and she was going to carry it through. She raised her hand and slapped Zayn across the face.

The sound echoed through the corridor, shocking everybody. Lily's mouth was agape. She couldn't believe it. Victoria and Eliza were stunned too.

Zayn's eyes widened in shock. It quickly turned into fury.

"You're not yourself, Zayn," she said quietly.

"Talia…" Zayn snarled.

A dark look flashed across his face. His movements were so quick, most of them barely saw what was happening. But Lily did. She knew what was about to happen. She had to do something. Talia squinted her eyes close, bracing for impact.

She didn't know what would happen next but her mind was already made up. She was going to protect Lily or die trying.

But nothing happened.

She wasn't hurt.