The torn dress I had been wearing had been replaced, but the memories of what I had endured could not be so easily erased.
Frank said something else, but his words barely registered.
I was lost in my own world of pain.
After what felt like an eternity, he finally left the room with Alice in tow."Rest well. I'll come see you later," he said before closing the door behind him.
I lay rigid in the bed for hours, the memories of the night of degradation attacking me from all sides.
With trembling hands, I frantically dug through the chaotic mess on the couch.
Finally, my fingers closed around my phone and that god - forsaken tattered dress with the gaping, torn - open back.
Some sick, twisted individual had leaked the events of that night.
Videos of me, Ava, looking like a broken, defenseless creature, were splashed across every corner of the internet.
In those clips, my half - naked state, the thunderous, mocking laughter of the crowd that seemed to shake the very foundations of my sanity, and the dim, menacing lights that added to the nightmarish atmosphere were all laid bare for the world to see. Despite the feeble attempts to quickly ban these videos, countless vultures had already saved them, ensuring that my humiliation would be a never - ending, spreading plague.
As if that wasn't enough to completely shatter me, my personal information was ruthlessly exposed.
My phone transformed into a weapon of torture, bombarded with a ceaseless, vile stream of text messages.
The phone rang non - stop, each shrill ring like a dagger piercing my already shredded nerves.
"Hey, you filthy slut, how much for a night of your cheap tricks?""Where the hell are you? I'm gonna come and teach you a real lesson," another message threatened, filled with malice.
"Hey, whore, can I get a free ride on your sorry ass?" I stared blankly at the screen.
I powered off the phone, plunging myself back into a relative, but still suffocating, silence.
Just as I was about to leave the hospital, my phone rang.
It was my parents.
"Ava, dear," my mom's voice trembled with worry."You need to come home, now." I stood there, frozen for a moment.
The thought of returning to the Riverside Pack, to the safety of my family, felt like a distant dream I was too afraid to reach for.
But their words, filled with love and concern, broke through the walls of despair I had built around myself.
"Mom, Dad... I'm so scared," I whispered, my voice barely audible.
My dad's deep voice came through the line, steady and strong."We're here for you, Ava. You're not alone in this. Come home, and we'll take care of everything." I closed my eyes, a single tear rolling down my cheek.
For the first time since the nightmare began, I felt a glimmer of hope.
"I'm coming home." Just before boarding the plane, my phone's shrill ring pierced the air.
I glanced at the caller ID and snarled,"Frank, not now." Without a second thought, I hit the block button and powered off the device.
"Good riddance," I muttered under my breath.
Back at the hospital, Frank seethed.
"Where the hell is she?" he roared, pounding his fist on the bed.
Alice cowered, her voice trembling."I... I don't know, Frank. She must have left.""Find her!" Frank barked at the others.
"If any of you had done your jobs right, this wouldn't have happened!" Once I landed, I blocked everyone but my parents.
When I saw them, my mom rushed to me, tears in her eyes."Ava, my baby." She wrapped me in a tight hug.
My dad's voice was gruff with emotion."We're here for you, girl." As we embraced, my mom whispered,"It's over, dear. All those terrible videos and photos? They're gone. The werewolf council stepped in." My eyes widened."How?" My dad chimed in,"Someone from the pack used their tech skills to wipe it all out. And they cleared your name too." I sighed in relief. Just then, my dad's expression hardened.
"Frank's been looking for you, Ava. He's going crazy. What do you want us to do?" I was silent for a moment, then said,"I don't know yet, Dad." That night, as I drifted off to sleep, I heard a voice outside my room."Uncle, Auntie, the online stuff is all taken care of. I'm heading out." My mom's voice replied,"Thank you, dear. You've been a true friend to Ava." For the first time in ages, I slept soundly, knowing I was finally safe.
I stared at his retreating figure, a nagging feeling tugging at the back of my mind."There's something I'm forgetting, but what could it be?" I murmured to myself.
All I could recall was that I'd been in a relationship with someone named Frank, a man with a despicable character.
Nick, on the other hand, was always reassuring my parents with the utmost patience. As a trusted and powerful werewolf within my parents' pack, he was an invaluable asset to their company.
We had never crossed paths before, but as he frequently engaged in discussions with my parents about pack matters, our interactions gradually increased, and we grew closer.
"What are you daydreaming about? Weren't you starving?" Nick's clear, soothing voice jolted me out of my reverie.
He lowered his gaze, looking at me intently.
Brushing aside the lingering questions in my mind, I leaned in to study the menu.
Just then, a loud shout pierced the air."Ava!" I looked up, my heart pounding, as a figure emerged from the shadows.