REVENGE OF THE BETRAYED WOLF

Sienna finished her conversation with Apollo and, determined to get away from Dionysus while calming her Zeal, sneaked out of the manor with her sister. They headed for an abandoned cabin belonging to the family.

Once there, they set about setting up the cabin. Sienna noticed Greta's haggard face, marked by the invisible scars of her past that she was trying to bury. Without wasting any time, she approached her sister with crystal-clear eyes, wanting to ask her what she'd had to endure in silence during the time she wasn't by her side, with sadness she took her hands and with a compassionate gesture she inquired.

"Little sister, I'm really sorry you suffered after I left, I don't know exactly what happened to you, but from the look of you, you must not have been dealing with something good." Sienna gently stroked Greta's hand, bringing her comfort. "The goddess Selene brought you back to us, and now we're fine, with you by our side, our lives will change," Greta said with a hopeful smile.

However, the unease that lingered in Sienna's mind came out of her mouth.

"Greta, tell me the truth: did Pirro hurt you?

"About two years ago, one evening, I was outside the manor and ran into Pyrrhus. I greeted him as usual. Greta lowers her eyes sadly before continuing, "Within seconds, he grabbed me by the right arm and dragged me into a wooded area. I screamed for him to let go, remembering his lust-filled eyes as he told me he'd soon take me in his arms. He was waiting for the day when I would become a lady so he could be one of his wolves who would please him in bed".

She raises her head to meet her sister's gaze, tears begin to roll desperately down her cheeks, "I just cried, I stood still not knowing what to do, my body didn't react", she raises her right hand and with her fingers wipes away the tears and lets out a stifled sigh, "At that moment Claudia arrived, she saved me, she convinced Pirro to let me go and from then on I ran away. My legs were shaking, I felt like I had reacted when I found myself in Mum's arms." Sienna listened intently to her sister's painful story, feeling anger and sadness seize her heart as she realized what Greta had been through. She clasped Greta's hands tightly, sharing the pain and anger in her heart. "That monster, how could he do that to you? You were only a child. I hate him with all my soul, he must rot in hell," she murmurs bitterly, hugging her regretfully, "I'm sorry I wasn't there to help you."

"After that, Mom tried to help me escape, like you did, but I wasn't so lucky. One of her men discovered us, Mum was punished, and from then on I worked as a servant in our own house," Greta said as she separated from her sister. A knot formed in Sienna's stomach as she heard the difficult reality Greta had faced in her absence, feeling the weight of guilt for not having been there to protect her.

"If he were alive, I'd kill him myself with my bare hands. Look at you, how that bastard got to you. I imagine he made you do hard labor and didn't feed you. I don't even want to think about what I'd do to that monster after what he did," murmurs Sienna, her teeth clenched in rage.

"Since that event, Mom has taken care of me and I've always stayed in the kitchen with Mrs. Chloe. From then on, I decided to dress in rags and make my appearance worse so that Pyrrhus wouldn't come looking for me. I'd rather starve than be touched by that wolf". Greta flashed Sienna a wry smile, "But he's dead now, and you're with us."

"Yes, sister, I won't be separated from my family anymore," Sienna replied sympathetically, trying to reassure her.

Lucia awoke with a start, her face reflecting incomprehension and fear. Seeing Apollo, she gasped and asked, "What am I doing here?

"She put her hand behind her head, visibly frightened, and asked: "What am I doing here, where is this man? Tears began to roll down her cheeks, "I killed him, he wanted to hurt me. I swear I didn't do it on purpose."

"Calm down, Lucia, you didn't kill him. Besides, all you did was defend yourself against the bastard." Apollo tried to reassure her, feeling his heart clench at seeing her in such a state, "That wolf will never come near you again."

"But when I saw him fall to the ground, I stuck a knife in him." Lucia, distraught, cried out, "I was only defending myself! That alpha wanted to force me to be with him, but that's not what I wanted. I didn't want to hurt him." "Listen to me." Apollo took her hands and covered them with his own. "You're not responsible for that wolf's attack. He won't appear in your life again."

"What? I killed him! He must be dead in that cabin. I have to talk to alpha Crono to ask for clemency for my life so he won't lock me up for murder. I swear I was only defending myself," she said, crying.

Apollo could see the despair in her eyes and let out a bitter sigh. In a gentle voice, he told her.

"Nobody's going to lock you up. You don't need to talk to Cronus, because he knows about your bitter experience and he just wants you to get better. Besides, you've got nothing to reproach yourself for, divine justice takes care of him. Look at me," she says, looking up, "you don't have to worry about something that's not your fault. Now I just want you to calm down and rest."

"What am I doing here? I've got to get to the mansion, they must be looking for me." Lucia tried to bend over, but a sudden movement produced a pain that prevented her from moving, "Oh, it hurts."

"You're stubborn, woman. I'm telling you to calm down. Crono and Freya know you're here in my house. They've agreed to keep you under my care, so stop moving and rest. The doctor has examined you and ordered you to rest, and I'll see that you do."

"But I'm supposed to be at the mansion, and I don't understand what I'm doing here with you. Did you save me?"

"Yes, I found you, I brought you here, and you're staying here." He spoke in a firm voice and let go of her hands, "Come on, stop protesting, you're my responsibility now." Apollo rose from the bed and continued, "Now don't move, I'll get you some soup to eat."

"But you haven't answered what I'm doing here."

Apollo didn't answer him; he simply headed for the exit and left the room. Uncertainty invaded Lucia's mind as she stood alone, trying to make sense of the situation she and Apollo found themselves in.