Unclaimed Luna’s Desire
Chapter 31 The Butterfly Trapped in the Spider's Web

Ellie's POV:

I stood at the door, psyching myself up for what felt like forever before finally opening it. This place had once been a nightmare for me. The moment I stepped in, there was Danial, striding right towards me.

He gave me a once-over, arms crossed, clearly taken aback by how much I'd changed. I wasn't the weak girl he remembered.

I was used to this reaction.

Since I bolted from home, I'd put on some muscle, thanks to Aelros training with me. Even I was surprised by how much I'd transformed.

Danial rolled his eyes, clearly pissed that I'd run off. "Took a lot of effort to track down your message."

Seeing his attitude, I knew I'd been played.

He wasn't going to spill the beans about my origins.

I swallowed my unease, trying to keep my voice steady as I pressed him, "Now that I'm back, can you finally tell me the truth about where I come from?" Danial sneered, "I knew you'd show up. It was just bait, and you fell for it."

He and my foster parents had no intention of telling me anything!

This was a setup!

They just wanted to trap me.

Panic started to set in.

I didn't know what they had planned, but I knew it wasn't good.

I took a few steps back, trying to keep some distance between us.

Before I ran away, I'd hurt Danial.

He was the vengeful type. No doubt he'd jump at the chance to get back at me.

Sure enough, he lunged at me and grabbed my hand.

I fought to break free.

Since I'd been away, I felt my strength growing.

There were moments I thought I could actually take him.

Danial mocked, "Last time was a fluke. Think you can hurt me again? Pathetic."

He aimed a knee at my gut, but I dodged it.

He was too slow.

Training with Aelros had made me quick. Compared to him, Danial moved like molasses.

But then I realized something. Danial had always been the favorite, and his physical strength was on another level.

I was running out of steam.

In the end, he overpowered me, pinning me down.

As I struggled, he slapped me hard.

My mind went fuzzy, like I was drowning in a storm.

Danial saw my intent to escape and patted my cheeks mockingly, "Think you can run away again?"

"Let me go!" I yelled.

He yanked my hair and dragged me towards the living room. I fought with everything I had.

Every touch from him made me want to puke.

I couldn't forget how he'd forced himself on me before. It made me sick just thinking about it.

I was furious and disgusted.

"Let me go! You liar! I got away from you once. Why won't you let me go!"

I thrashed and kicked, tears streaming down my face.

I heard footsteps near the door I hadn't closed. I thought I was saved, that someone would see what was happening.

I screamed for help, "Help! My family's trying to hurt me! Please!"

I knew if Danial got me into that room, things would get much worse.

I screamed like a maniac, but no one stopped. People just walked by, pretending not to see.

I knew they heard me, but they didn't care.

Everyone in the Pack knew I was worthless without a wolf. They only respected strength, and no one pitied the weak.

I was on the edge of despair.

No one kind-hearted like Aelros or Weslin was coming to save me.

I had to rely on myself to break free.

Because of my relentless struggling and screaming, Danial's grip started to weaken.

Now was my chance!

I kicked hard at his arm holding my hair.

It worked, and I broke free, crawling desperately to get out.

Suddenly, a familiar voice scolded from behind, "Danial, you disappoint me. Does it take this long to handle a wolfless waste?"

Only then did I notice David, my foster father, chilling on the sofa in the living room. He hadn't made a peep, so I didn't even realize he was there. David took a drag from his cigarette, flicked it to the ground, and started walking towards me.

He picked up a baseball bat on his way, weighing it in his hand.

His eyes were ice-cold, colder than I'd ever seen. It was like he was ready to kill me.

I couldn't stop shaking as I met his gaze. "Let me go!"

I knew I was no match for an adult werewolf, especially with both Danial and David here.

David would really kill me!

I knew he was that heartless.

I fought with everything I had, trying to make a break for the door.

Just as I reached for the handle, I felt the wind from behind me.

David was already there, and he swung the bat down hard on my head.

A hot stream of blood gushed from my forehead, running down my cheek.

My vision went dark, dizziness hit me like a truck, and I collapsed.

As I blacked out, my last thought was, 'I haven't told Aelros where I am. He's gonna be so mad.'

*

When I came to, I was in agony and starving. My head was still bleeding, and I could barely see. Even moving a finger was a struggle.

My shins and ankles were bruised. Danial must've taken his revenge while I was out cold.

It was my fault. I oversimplified things.

Since Danial's call, I'd been a mess, too anxious to eat, constantly worrying about my origins.

Now I was weak from hunger.

I thought, 'Do my real parents even know I exist? What kind of life did I have before my foster parents tormented me?'

I was back in the storage room, surrounded by familiar, awful memories. The simple bed, the crappy furniture, the pile of dirty clothes-it was all here.

Ignoring the pain, I tried to move and found my arms and legs tied up. I struggled to sit up.

Using my shoulder for support, I crawled towards the door like a caterpillar. All I wanted was to get out of this hell.

Finally, I made it to the door.

Just as I was about to call for help, I heard David and Danial talking outside.

"While Ellie's still out, we need to clean her up and send her to Paul," David said, pausing before continuing, "Everyone in the Pack knows Paul loves torturing humans. Ellie's wolfless, so she's perfect as a gift. Paul will definitely like her." My heart sank, like a bucket of ice water had been dumped on me.

I'd been missing for days, but my foster parents didn't care. They just wanted to use me for their own gain.

Even though I'd lost hope in the Garcias, their ruthlessness still disgusted me. They had no compassion for me.

I silently cried in disappointment.

Danial chimed in, "Dad, that's a smart move. We ordinary werewolves can never get close to the center of the Silvermoon Pack. But if Ellie catches Paul's interest, she'll be our ticket in. I can't wait for my friends to admire me when they replace out we're friends with Paul."

They talked about me like I was an object, completely ignoring my feelings.

I was heartbroken.

'God, why do I have to go through this pain?' I thought.

I was part of this family, but no one cared. They abandoned me for their own benefit.

The night was getting colder. The blood loss made me feel freezing, and I curled up to keep warm.

The spot where David hit me throbbed painfully, my eyelids getting heavier.

I was so tired.

I knew if I fell asleep now, it would be over, including my life.

I bit my tongue hard, the taste of blood filling my mouth, the pain keeping me awake.

I knew no one could help me now, not even Aelros. He might not even know I was missing.

Maybe Aelros couldn't wait to get rid of me as a burden. Who knew.

After all, I'd always been a useless, wolfless waste.