***Author's note: trigger warning: rape and injury. Skip the entire flashback (between the two horizontal lines) if you do not want to read this. See notes below for the summary of the flashback. See the end of the chapter for more notes. ***

It was like day one all over again and Mal was ready to strangle the next person that looked at her funny. Or started whispering when she walked past. Or was in arm's reach. She wasn't exactly picky at the moment. These people gossiped more than Lady Tremaine.

Though she'd expected these particular rumors to start sooner; especially after Doug's scandalized reaction when they insisted on staying together. They'd been sharing a room before everyone else was even on campus, and she and Evie weren't exactly hiding. A lot of people had seen them come and go from the boys' dorm and they'd never even set foot in the girls' dorm. And usually she wouldn't care about rumors; they could be useful on the Isle and her pack was more than strong enough to fuck up anyone who tried to start any real trouble. Besides, a lot of these rumors were true. She and her pack were very "improper", and if the Ascendancy brats weren't such prudes, she and Jay would be more than happy to have some fun with them too.

No. What pissed her off was how those bastards were talking about her pack. Calling Evie a slut and a whore. Suggesting Jay was compensating for something by taking Basic Training. Acting like all of them were dirty and broken. So far most people ignored Carlos's existence, which was good. Their pup was too observant to not hear the rumors and…

Someone bumped against her shoulder and Mal snarled, sending the guy scrambling away. Whatever. As long as people were still scared of them, they'd be fine. Words couldn't hurt them. She wouldn't let them.

"So, what's the devil mutt for?"

"For all of them to share obviously. They probably use him every night. Bet he's a mess by the time they're done with him."

Mal froze.


He was late. In all fairness, he was usually late, getting caught in a list of chores almost as big as the house he existed in. Because, in all fairness, Mal couldn't, wouldn't, call it living. Even on the Isle the mansion was Hell. A Hell he didn't belong in. But that was a thought she refused to voice and tried to crush as often as it showed up. It was a weakness. It was an opening someone would happily use against her.

It didn't make it any less real or any less infuriatingly frustrating. Didn't stop it from haunting her thoughts or making her worry about the pup.

… And he was still late. So she had an excuse.

Which was why she was out on the streets at night and headed towards Hell Hall.

Her destination was only half a street away when she heard the muffled cry. Normally, she'd ignore it. It wasn't her problem. But, muffled or not, she knew that voice. Sprinting forward, Mal caught the sound of flesh colliding in a slap slap slap slap. A familiar slap slap slap slap.

"Fuck."

The green glow of her eyes lit Hell Hall's backyard and reflected in three different pairs of eyes.

"Get on now, girlie. You ain't supposed to be here."

Horace. Jasper. Crouched around a bloody body. All three stripped of clothes. Bruises darkening the body's pale skin. Jasper's cock buried inside its ass. Horace's cock shoved in its mouth. The only sign the body wasn't just a corpse were the faint tremors as it struggled to breathe.

Something in her chest snapped. Magic sharper than a knife hurled from her heart as she launched herself towards them. Teeth exposed in a snarl. Fingers curled like claws. Fire and thunder and metal and thorns replacing her blood.

Jasper snapped backwards, throat opened to his spine, body hurtling into the fence. Horace bolted. Her victim. Her prey.

But the prey didn't matter. Not when what was hers lay sprawled on the ground. Unmoving. Silent.

Broken.

Broken.

Broken.

Broken.

Steps audible, she moved towards him, towards what was hers, towards her pup. Kneeling beside him, she cupped his cheek, guiding his face from the dirt. Empty brown eyes stared past her. As if already dead. As if watching Thanatos appear.

A low snarl left her lips. No. Hers. Not his. HERS.

"Carlos."

Silence. Then his eyes fluttered closed. His body went limp.

A faint pulse struggled under her fingers.

It took no effort to lift him, hold him close. It would take no effort to bring him to where he belonged.

Fear dripped down her neck in time with the quiet rasps of his breath, the slow spread of blood from the wound on his hip to her skin.

They could save him. They would save him.

She didn't know if she believed that.


Green smothered the grey in her eyes as rage coiled in her was stupid enough to mock her pup?! To talk about him as if he was just a plaything?!

Magic crackled under her skin. They were going to pay with blood!

A hand caught her arm and she whirled, teeth bared, to come face to face with Evie. Their eyes met and Evie held her gaze.

"Not like this," Evie whispered, blue eyes locked with Mal's. Several murmurs filled the air and Mal snarled. Evie's grip tightened. "They aren't worth it. We can't go back there."

Fuck.

Fuck fuck fuck!

Sparks flew from her fingertips, Evie's subtly flinching around her bicep. Cursing, loud and viscous, Mal spat at the people watching them. As they scattered, Mal forced herself to breathe. In for seven. Hold for four. Out for seven. Seven. Four. Seven.

"They need to pay," Mal muttered. A few sparks still flew around her fingertips, but it was as calm as she was going to get. "What they fucking said-"

Evie, diplomatically ignoring the sparks, nodded. Eyes hard as sapphire, she said, "They will. But we'll turn their own game on them. Let's meet up with the boys."

Taking one more breath, Mal followed their princess towards the cafeteria. "I'll meet you there. I need to get something first." When Evie glanced at her, Mal rolled her eyes. "Not someone's head."

"Okay. Don't take too long."

"Yeah yeah."

As she broke off, Mal felt Evie watching her. She wasn't going to go after anyone's head. Or arm. Or leg. Or hand. Or anything. Not right now, anyway. No. What she was after was more important.

Careful, Mal slipped into the kitchen. Carlos could use a pick me up with all the rumors. And she needed to take care of her pup.

***Summary of flashback: Mal went to find Carlos because he was late. She found him "with" Jasper and Horace. She killed Jasper and sent Horace running. Carlos fainted when she picked him up and she left with him to get him help.

Hi everyone! I just want to thank you all for your support. I never expected to get such a positive response and I appreciate each and every one of you.***