Ember: The Forsythe Pack Series

By Audra M. Davidson

"You are not ruined. You're still healing. You'll never fully be over this. What you went through... no one should ever have to go through something like that."

Sometimes, the world can be an awful place, full of awful people. 

Pain. Hunger. Loneliness. Fear. Loss. 

These are all Amber has known since she

• Language: English
• Publisher: Palmetto Publishing
• Release date: May 18, 2022
• ISBN: 9798885903240

Audra M. Davidson

Raised in Northwest Illinois, Audra M. Davidson works as a 911 dispatcher for her local police department. She is married with three children. For Davidson, illustrating how to overcome abuse and destigmatizing therapy was an integral part of her story. Not only was it important for Davidson to write about the struggles and insecurities that can come from trauma but also the strength and resilience it takes to rise above them.

Book preview

Prologue

A

mber looked around in confusion and sorrow. The charred, crushed remains of the women and children of the pack lay around her in the dark, the smell of burnt flesh overwhelming, nauseating. She didn’t understand how this had happened, they were supposed to have been safe in the basement. That's what she’d believed when her father ordered them down here when the attack started. He’d promised to protect them.

But where was he? Where were the Warriors? Had the explosion been what started the fire?

Amber looked down one last time at what remained of her once beautiful mother, wishing her gift could have protected her—protected all of them—like it had protected herself. It wasn’t fair. What was the point of having this gift if it couldn’t save the ones she loved?

Holding back the breakdown she wanted to have, Amber whispered, Goodbye, mommy, into the dark room and turned away. The screams and sobs of her pack members echoed through her brain as she tried to make her way to the metal door that would lead to the staircase. She had to get away from all this death, all this destruction. It was suffocating.

Several beams from the ceiling had partially fallen, creating a crisscross of support that had kept the building from completely collapsing on her, but made getting through the room difficult. Amber tried not to focus on any of the details around her as she climbed over bodies and under the beams, thanking her werewolf sight that she was able to see enough to not trip, but wishing she couldn’t see the broken remains of her friends.

At least Merry wasn’t here. She knew she wouldn’t make it if he had been killed, too.

Finally reaching the metal door, Amber pushed as hard as she could against the lock, knowing it would only open from the inside. When she heard it creak, she pulled the door in, sliding through the gap and making her way to the metal stairs, thankful they had withstood the fire. Looking up, Amber could see light shining through a broken window in a wall that had fallen across the top of the stairway. Using the last of her strength, she shimmied up another fallen beam and pulled herself through the window.

Her immense relief at being out of the basement was short-lived. She looked around for her father, but what she saw instead made her heart stop. She was surrounded, on every side, by a group of vicious and mangy-looking rogues, at least a hundred of them. All of them dripping blood from their teeth, mud and sticks matting their fur. All snarling, all looking directly at her.

Behind them she saw dozens of bodies; the men from her pack—bloody, ripped apart, scattered all around the clearing. Among them she could see her father, the once proud, strong Alpha, with his chest ripped open, his blank, glassy eyes staring right at her.

Daddy…

Amber's heart shattered as tears ran down her cheeks.

There was no hope now.

The largest wolf stepped over her father's body and stalked toward her, licking his teeth and growling lowly. Fresh claw marks marred the fur across his left eye. His fur was cleaner than the other wolves, less matted, but the color was off—dull, like it was void of life. There was no color, no different shades to it other than an empty gray. He stopped in front of her, dark eyes looking her over. She whimpered as he lowered his nose to her neck and took a deep inhale, tears streaming down her face as she shook violently, but she turned her head out of instinct to allow him to smell her.

The large wolf in front of her shifted, bones cracking as his form folded back into that of a man. He had towered over her as a wolf. As a man, he was a giant, glaring down on her small body with eyes the same empty gray color as his fur. The bloody claw marks over his eye stood out even more against his skin. The distinct scent of rogue oozed off him, rotting meat and death.

How are you alive, Alpha's daughter? he growled out, having recognized her scent. All wolves’ ranks were recognizable by the scent they gave off.

Amber cried harder, looking down at her feet, unsure how to respond.

Answer me! he roared, causing her to jump so hard she tripped over her own feet and fell back on her bottom. Growling even louder, he bent over and grabbed her by the hair, lifting her in the air so they were eye to eye. He shook her so violently she could feel her hair ripping from her skull, the pain so intense she thought she would throw up as she screamed.

You have three seconds to answer me before I rip your head from your body and feed you to my Warriors, Rat.

Amber's eyes went wide as she stared at the beast before her, realizing as he held up three bloody fingers that he was completely serious.

No, please don’t hurt me! I don’t know! she pleaded, words rushing out so fast they nearly tumbled over each other. I was in the fire, but it didn’t hurt me. Fire has never hurt me! My father says I was smiled upon by the Moon Goddess, that I have a rare and special gift. Sometimes I can make fire move, or get bigger, but it only works sometimes. Please just let me go! she sobbed out, praying to the Goddess he would show kindness and let her be, knowing all the while it was futile.

But… was he smiling now? Was there a chance? He even chuckled a little, surprise clear in his eyes.

A sliver of hope filled her, but died again as she realized she had said the wrong thing, had told him too much.

His eyes turned liquid black, glowing, his smile turning wicked, showing his canines as they elongated into his bottom lip.

Amber knew then there was no escape. Her father had told her to be careful with her gift, to keep it secret, but in her fear she had forgotten. So stupid.

How old are you? he asked her, his voice like gravel.

Ten, she whimpered, defeated. It's my birthday today…

What a delicious age. He chuckled, the sinister smile creeping back over his lips. Happy birthday, my sweet Little Rat. I think I’ll keep you. How about we go open your present, huh, Little Rat? I just can’t wait to show it to you.

The Man turned, still dragging Amber by her hair, past the fallen men of her pack, and into the closest house.

CHAPTER 1

Several Years Later

Amber

A

mber was awakened by a stabbing pain in her lower abdomen. Panic filled her as she felt wetness seeping between her legs.

No, not again. He’ll kill me for sure this time, she thought as more cramping seized her. Amber bit her lips to keep from crying out as she pulled herself off her makeshift bed, hobbling toward the corner of her cell, knowing the blood would be impossible to clean out of her thin mattress and blankets. She pulled up her dress to just under her breasts, leaving her bottom half bare.

Curling into a ball, Amber wrapped her arms around the small swell of her stomach, saying goodbye to her unborn child and crying as silently as possible in the dark, cold dungeon that was her home.

Hours passed. Blood continued to seep between Amber's legs. The cramping was over for now, but she knew it would return. The last time this happened, she’d bled and cramped for days. The blood loss had almost killed her. She knew the baby inside her was bigger this time, but the lack of sunlight made it impossible to tell how many weeks had passed since He’d put the baby there. Amber no longer knew what day or month, or even year it was. All she knew anymore was this room, this dungeon, and the Man who called himself Alpha. The Man she belonged to.

She heard the clang of the door banging open at the top of the stairs. The lights flaired to life, bringing Amber up to her knees.

No! Amber screamed inside her head, fear gripping her, making her heart race. A fresh wave of blood ran down her legs.

Shit, she muttered, trying to force her eyes to work in the sudden light. She scrambled around, doing her best to rub dirt around on her legs and over the ground, trying to hide the blood, knowing it would be useless. He would smell it anyway. He would know. He always did.

Amber listened as his footsteps clanked down the stairs at the end of the hall, one by one, finally landing on the dirt floor, where they started toward her.

"I brought you food today, Little Rat. Wasn’t that nice of me? What are you going to do to thank me, Little Rat?" He asked, his voice amused, excited, and menacing, sending a shiver down her spine.

Amber tried to calm her breathing as she stood, facing the door of her cell, looking down in submission like He expected. She ignored the cramping as it started back up in her lower belly, smoothing out her dress as much as possible.

She heard the sharp intake of His breath as He turned to face her. Rage filled His hard features, making the scars across His eye pull tight, becoming even more haunting. His large frame shook as fur started growing from the skin along His arms and back, His eyes glowing bright.

"You bitch! You fucking Rat bitch! I can smell the blood! What did you do?" the Man screamed at her as He ripped the metal gate off the cell, throwing it behind Him. The small tray of food lay scattered over the floor. She shrank back, cowering in the corner, knowing this could very well be the end for her. He had warned her that this was her last chance to provide Him with an heir—whatever that meant. He had even stopped giving her the drink that burned and made her sick, and hadn’t punished her as much.

But He was mad now. Madder than she had ever seen Him, and now there was no reason for him to hold back.

Claws extended from His hands as He reached for her neck, slamming her body into the wall. She begged Him to stop, crying that it wasn’t her fault, she had been careful, she hadn’t done anything, but He refused to listen. He smashed her into the wall again, her head cracking against the cement, just as a bright white light glowed from over His shoulder, nearly blinding her. She watched a figure emerge from the light as a buzzing started inside her skull, growing louder and louder until it overwhelmed her senses.

Everything went black.

Amber slowly became aware of a strange smell in the air. It was so fresh, so… clean. Her first thought was that she must be in Heaven. There was nothing that smelled this good in her cell.

She sucked in as much of the scent as she could, filling her lungs until her rib cage refused to expand any more, humming contentedly. As she took another deep breath, she let out a snort when something tickled the inside of her nose. She opened her eyes, lifting her head as she looked around in wonder.

Trees… she thought in awe. That's what she smelled. Tall, green, beautiful pine trees. And grass, which had been what tickled her nose. A whole forest of trees and grass and flowers and everything she had missed all these years, and she was right in the middle of it all. To her left she could see a cliff, a vast lake stretching out far below, the moonlight sparkling on its glassy surface as thousands of stars lit the night sky above. It was chilly, but she didn’t mind. She was outside, above ground, free.

She smiled to herself. This is Heaven for sure, she thought, not even upset that He had finally killed her. It had been so long since she had seen the sky, seen anything that wasn’t that dark cell. This was a moment of pure joy. She ran her fingers through the grass, then plucked a flower and brought it to her nose.

Amber used a nearby tree to pull herself up, only then noticing that she was naked, bare skin coated in a mixture of blood, dirt, and dried sweat. She had thought she would be cleaner in Heaven. Oh well. A soak in the lake would feel wonderful. It was a ways down, and she’d have to find a slope leading to its bank, but she was excited at the prospect of exploring. Of seeing what else she could find.

As she moved to walk toward it, a loud crack split the calm behind her. Amber spun around just as three giant wolves stalked out of the trees, padding toward her with purpose.

Shit… maybe this is Hell after all, she thought, realizing she was still, in fact, on earth. Why does this keep happening to me?

She trembled as she stood her ground, only now realizing just how weak and sore she was, how much the night's chill was setting in, but she refused to be captured again. She would either get away, or die trying. She cast her gaze wide, terror gripping her as she searched for an escape.

The largest wolf she had ever seen growled low, stealing her attention as he stopped close before her. His deep brown fur and icy blue eyes were beautiful in the moonlight, but all she saw were the razor-sharp teeth that were level with her face.

They would catch her if she tried to run. She would have to jump from the cliff. There was no other way out.

Knowing she would not survive the fall, she steeled her nerves and prepared to bolt. She’d had a feeling she would not survive the loss of this baby anyway, thankful that at least she’d gotten to see the outside world one last time.

A whine from the wolf in front of Amber caught her attention. She focused on him again, watching warily as he lowered himself to his belly and continued to whimper, inching closer to her in a submissive way. It confused her enough to make her pause. What…

Then the wind shifted.

An amazing scent slammed into her, clouding her mind and consuming her thoughts. Everything else faded away. The smell of the forest was nothing compared to this—caramel and warm summer rain, mixed perfectly with just a hint of the mountain. It stirred up a feeling inside of Amber, a long lost memory of comfort and safety.

Her frantic mind stilled. Her body calmed. She was aware of herself walking toward the wolf as if in a trance, when a fresh gush of blood coursed down her legs, distracting her. Looking down, she started to feel detached from her body, as if her legs were not her own. Her ears started ringing, darkness creeping around the edges of her mind as the world tilted under her feet. She looked up at the wolf one last time as her vision faded out.

Mate! was the last thing she heard as she dropped, strong hands catching her before she hit the ground. The feeling of warmth enveloped her as the scent became stronger, and she drifted peacefully into the black abyss.

CHAPTER 2

Merrick

M

errick's mind raced as he paced the empty waiting room. He’d ordered everyone else away so he could think.

Something was wrong with his mate. She’d been dirtier than he had ever seen anyone, and he had seen the fresh blood running down her bare legs—legs so thin he’d been surprised they’d supported her.

The smell of dirt and tears and blood had been so strong that he had almost missed it, but under it all, the smell of warm french vanilla mixed with just a hint of burnt wood, like a campfire, called to his wolf on every level, filling in every missing piece of his soul.

The instinct to rip something—or better yet someone—apart was so strong it had left him shaking. Someone had hurt his mate. Someone had to pay.

Hours had gone by since he’d carried her too-small body into the pack's hospital unit. It was hardly used, as wolves were generally fast healers, but occasionally there was a broken bone that needed to be reset before it healed itself wrong, or a wound that was too grievous to heal itself before too much blood was lost. Merrick was glad this unit was so well stocked. It looked like she would need all the help she could get.

When he had laid her on the hospital bed under the bright lights, he’d noticed through the filth that he could see every bone in her body protruding under her skin—skin that was covered in scars, scrapes, and bruises. Fury overwhelmed him at that moment, his wolf trying to rip to the surface. He’d turned and kicked the empty hospital bed next to him, sending it flying across the room and narrowly missing his Beta, Ethan. He’d thought she’d been attacked in the woods, maybe by a rogue out hunting, but he’d never expected this. He could see the years of abuse and neglect clearly written all over her. It had taken his Beta and five Warriors to hold him down when the Healer, Reggie, had tried to check her vitals. Reggie had ordered him to wait in the waiting room after that.

The waiting, pacing back and forth, had given him time to go over the events that’d led him here. Merrick thought back, trying to remember every detail in case there was something he’d missed. Something that might tell him who she was.

Earlier That Day

Merrick had been running in wolf form, Bane sniffing the ground, trailing a deer. His Gamma, Finn, was hot on his flank. They were just about to charge and overtake the doe when they were mind-linked about a security breach on the north side of the territory. Merrick immediately turned around and ran to the area as fast as he could, beating his Gamma by a full minute. Being Alpha had its perks, speed being one of them. While he ran, the security room guard had filled him in, telling him that there had been a motion sensor trip, and the night camera had shown something small and fast entering the territory.

As he got closer to the area, Brandon, one of the patrolmen, reported that he had found an unconscious, naked girl on a cliff overlooking the reservoir. Merrick and Finn had headed toward him, sniffing the ground to follow his trail. Brandon was watching her as they approached, waiting for further orders.

The female had been laying fifteen feet ahead on a patch of grass. As they studied her, Merrick linked the security room again to make sure nothing else of suspicion had been spotted, not wanting to take any chances. This could be a trap.

Security confirmed there was nothing else.

They observed her from the trees, hidden from view, as she sat up slowly and looked around her in wonder, a small smile on her delicate face. Even in the dark, Merrick could tell how filthy she was. Her curly hair was matted, frizzy and wild, like it hadn’t been washed in months. The rest of her was the same—dirt, sweat, and dried blood stuck to her like it was painted on. She looked down at herself and must have noticed it too, as she shakily rose to her feet and took a few steps toward the trail that led to the reservoir. He figured she must want to soak in the water. He knew he would if he looked like that.

Merrick's wolf, Bane, suddenly took control when the wind shifted and blew her scent his way. It was subtle, smothered by her filth, but it was there. The scent that called to his soul. He’d started toward her, Finn and Brandon following, flanking him as they stepped out of the trees. Brandon, being young and careless, had stepped on a stick, the sound like a gunshot in the silence of the clearing, causing the female to spin and stare at them open mouthed, panic clear on her face.

Bane had recognized his mate, and he growled out a warning to the others to back off as he approached her. The wolf was in control now. He would kill any male who got too close to what was his, and Brandon had already irritated him.

As he got closer, he could smell the terror oozing out of her pores, hear her heart pounding weakly in her chest, her eyes landing on him. He watched her steel her features, glancing fleetingly at the cliff, and Merrick realized what she was about to do.

Merrick pushed forward and shouted in his head, fighting for control. Bane! Back off, you’re scaring her!

Bane whined out at this realization, and when she turned her beautiful sea-green eyes back on him, he got down on his belly and whimpered, hoping she would see that he meant her no harm. Confusion filled her face. She took in a deep breath just as the wind shifted, and a look of peace came over her as he watched her visibly relax. He knew then that she had caught the mate-scent as well, and relief filled him. She’d taken a few steps toward him when she faltered and looked down, fresh blood running down her legs. Merrick had watched in horror as the little color she had left drained from her face. She’d looked back at him, then her eyes were closing as she started to fall.

Merrick had to shove Bane back in his mind so he could shift in time to catch her, not wanting her to hurt herself even further. He’d gently picked her up, surprised by how light she was, and ran with her to the pack house as quickly as he could, linking his Beta to meet them.

As he thought over it all, it occurred to Merrick that she had looked familiar. Felt familiar. Like he’d known her before, but he couldn’t place her. The feeling was bugging him, like an itch that couldn’t be scratched. Her eyes, the shape of her face, her french vanilla scent… it had triggered something from his past. A girl he’d refused to think about for a long time…

Past

Brielle and Sierra had met at the werewolf academy when they were sixteen, and had become fast friends. The academy was located in Kansas, a neutral zone that no packs inhabited, built as a central training ground for all packs to send their adolescent wolves to. It served multiple purposes, the main one being a place where wolves could train and finish their studies.

Basic survival and fighting classes were mandatory for everyone, with specialized training and tracking classes for Warriors. There were also computer, business, and accounting classes, since many packs owned or ran businesses in their territory's nearby towns as a source of income. There were even leadership and administration classes for the pack's higher ranking members.

The second, but just as important purpose, was that the school served as a meeting ground. Once a wolf turned eighteen, they were able to recognize and mark their mate, the person destined for them, the other half of their soul. Going to the school gave them a chance to hopefully find their mate among the student populace, as well as form friendships with members from other packs. Peace had been much easier to maintain since the school had been built almost three hundred years ago.

Brielle and Sierra had both been the daughters of Gammas from their respective packs, training to one day be heads of security, and had bonded over their shared love of technology and coffee. To their delight, they had both been blessed to mate with the future Alphas from the neighboring packs in the Rocky Mountain range, meaning the friends would live near each other. Over the years they leaned on each other, learning how to be Lunas and wives, and eventually mothers, from each other's failures and successes.

Sierra had been overjoyed when Brielle called her with the news of her daughter's arrival. The baby was early, but healthy. Sierra packed herself and Merrick up and headed up to Brielle's pack, near Cheyenne, as soon as she could, excited to meet the new baby.

Merrick had gazed in awe upon the small sleeping form in his mother's arms. She was so delicate looking, like a little doll. He was standing back, afraid he would hurt her if he got too close. His mother didn’t seem worried, looking down at the small bundle with a bright smile on her face.

Mer! his mother had called, looking to the small boy. Would you like to come meet Amber? You two are going to be good friends.

He’d hesitantly sat next to his mother on the couch, holding his breath as she set the five day old baby in his arms.

There, Merrick. Good job son, support her head. She is so lucky to have such a strong, brave friend like you to protect her. She's special, and she’ll need you to help look after her as she grows. Can you do that, Mer? his mother asked, looking him in the eyes. At only three years old, he didn’t know then how serious she had been, but he nodded nonetheless and looked down at the baby in his arms.

Amber. So small, but a sense of power radiated off her, like an electrical current that tickled his hands. He leaned in close and sniffed her head, the sweet smell reminding him of the creamer their mothers added to their coffee. It filled his senses, warming him. He looked up at his mother's friend, Brielle, and smiled at her.

I will be her potector, he’d declared proudly in the strongest voice he could muster. I pwomise to do my best to aways be dere for her, to help her wearn and gwow, and keep her safe. I will be her best fwiend.

Brielle smiled back. I’m going to hold you to that, young man. She turned back to her discussion with his mother. They were always talking. Merrick thought it was boring. He caught something about fire and lights exploding as they sat at the table together, coffee in hand, as usual.

Merrick looked back down at the sleeping child only to realize she was already awake, peering up at him. He stared back, captivated by her beautiful eyes. The blue and green colors swirled together, reminding him of a photo his mother had shown him of the ocean. She reached her little arm out and placed her hand on the side of his jaw, holding it there for a moment before it dropped as she slid back into sleep.

Merrick smiled in wonder, unaware that his mother and Brielle were watching them, wondering already if they would be mates.

CHAPTER 3

Present

Merrick

M

errick shook his head to clear his thoughts, angry that he had let them drift back to her, his earliest memory. Amber was dead. Brielle was dead. Her whole pack was dead, as were his own parents. No reason to rehash all that. It would only bring back the pain.

The opening of the waiting room's door pulled Merrick out of his thoughts. He pounced as their Healer stepped through, nerves frayed from waiting for so many hours.

How is she? he demanded, questions rushing out one after the next. What's wrong? Who did this to her? Who is she? Where is she from?

Reggie held up his hands to stop the barrage of questions. We need to talk, he said heavily. And I need you to lock your wolf away so you don’t kill me.

Fuck. This was bad. This was really bad. The pit in the bottom of Merrick's stomach felt like an anvil had just dropped into it. He swallowed hard, running his hands through his hair. Locking one's wolf away was not an easy thing. It was painful to be separated from the other half of your mind, like removing a leg and telling someone to run, but Merrick knew Reggie wouldn’t be asking him to do so if it wasn’t completely necessary. Wolves could be volatile when it came to their mate's safety, to the point of being beyond reason, and it was very likely Bane would lose control at hearing the extent of the girls’ abuse.

Merrick pressed his forehead into the wall, arms extended on either side of his head, and braced against what he was about to do.

Bane, I’m sorry. It's for our mate. Please don’t fight this.

I understand, Bane replied sadly. Don’t let me out until you are safe in the woods, away from the pack. I don’t want to hurt anyone.

Merrick nodded and clenched his jaw as he forced Bane into the back of his head, picturing him being sealed into a solid cage made of silver, soundproof and inescapable. The mental toll was exhausting, and he was sweating by the time he looked back up at the Healer.

It is done.

Good. Follow me, Reggie said, turning back to the door and leading them down the hallway.

Merrick studied Reggie as they walked to his office, finding it easier than thinking about what was coming. His full name was Reginald, but he hated being called that, claiming it was too ‘prestigious’. He was tall and lean, with dark skin and short cropped hair that had just a touch of gray. His gentle but firm nature made him the perfect Healer, and his age meant he had a wealth of knowledge and experience, which was why he had been given charge of the hospital. Merrick was proud to have him in his pack. Some packs didn’t find hospitals necessary, since, for the most part, wolves could generally heal themselves, but Merrick had changed a lot about how his pack was run since becoming Alpha. And as he knew firsthand, not all wounds were physical.

Reggie entered his office and sat across from Merrick, a chart, a black stack of x-ray images, and a laptop on the dark wooden desk between them.

I’m warning you Alpha, it's bad, he started with no preamble. I’ve never seen anything like this. I honestly don’t even know how she's alive. How much do you want to know? Reggie asked, looking him in the eye, a rare thing for an Alpha to experience.

Everything, Merrick gritted out through clenched teeth, trying to mentally prepare himself.

Okay. Reggie blew out a breath, then began. Well. To start, she woke up shortly after you left and was terrified. Crying and shaking. Nothing I said calmed her down, and she flinched every time I tried to touch her. Her distress was making the bleeding worse, and she was already so pale, that I had to give her a sedative. I hated to do it, but her need for medical attention outweighed everything else. I wouldn’t have been able to treat her awake anyway, especially with what I found.

Here Reggie let out a deep sigh and rubbed his hands over his eyes, like he was trying to erase a memory.

The blood on her legs was from a miscarriage. She was about ten weeks along, so I had to perform a D&C to remove the deceased fetus and some of the uterine lining. She needed a blood transfusion and IV antibiotics. This, in addition with how she reacted to me when she woke up, and the vaginal scarring I saw while doing the D&C, leads me to believe she has been sexually abused. Probably for years. And I’m certain she has miscarried at least once before. Reggie looked up at Merrick again. "Alpha, breathe."

Merrick let out the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. The solid wood of the chair he sat in splintered and cracked under his hands as they tightened on the arm rests. The rage he felt was indescribable. Reggie had been right to tell him to lock up his wolf, or Bane may have well torn through the whole pack house by now, attacking any male that came near him.

Reggie cleared his throat. There's more. I need you to calm down if we’re going to get through this.

Taking a deep breath, Merrick nodded for him to continue.

She's obviously malnourished. I believe you saw how underweight she is. She's also very small and pale—underdeveloped. Based on her x-rays and blood work, I’m guessing it's been going on for at least fifteen years, possibly more. I’ve given her parenteral nutrients through her IV. We will get her started right away on vitamins and an eating regiment, as well as getting her outside a little at a time until her body adjusts to sunlight again. Reggie gestured to his laptop. "I’m going to show you some of the pictures I took while examining her. These will not be easy to look at, but it will be better for both of you if you do not react when you see it in person. She will be self-conscious and insecure. You’ll need to be strong for her and not make her feel worse. He gave Merrick a steady look. You ready for this?"

Merrick nodded stiffly, grinding his teeth.

Reggie opened the laptop and tapped a few buttons, then turned it so the screen was facing Merrick. The first image alone nearly made him throw up.

Four long, jagged claw marks started at her bottom, curled around to the front of her thigh, and ended at her knee.

This is her left thigh. The cuts were deep enough that there was damage done to the muscle, which is why it's so lumpy. There's a lot of scar tissue, and it was obviously not properly treated. I can’t even imagine how badly that hurt, or how she was able to keep it from getting infected. I would almost guarantee there is nerve damage. Reggie tapped the keyboard, pulling up a new image, this one even worse than the last. This is her back. She was whipped, probably dozens of times based on the build up of the scar tissue around the center of her shoulder blades, where the most damage was concentrated. Another tap, another image, this one of her upper torso and arms. These are burn marks across here, and here. Scar-wise they don’t look as bad as the others, but burns can be the most painful thing to heal from, so don’t take these lightly. I counted at least twenty over her entire body. It was hard to get an exact count since so many of her scars overlap. This next one is the worst, in my opinion, and will probably be the most sensitive for her.

Reggie looked at Merrick, waiting for the signal to go ahead. Merrick didn’t see how it could get any worse, but he grunted for the Healer to proceed. He clicked the laptop again. There, across her right hip, was the word ‘RAT’, carved into her skin. Merrick felt bile burning in the back of his throat as he fought to stay in his seat. He had never been this disgusted or angry in his entire life.

The rest of these, as far as I can tell, are just from being hit or kicked, most of them lining up with the bone damage underneath. Which leads me to her x-rays.

At this, Reggie stood, picking up the stack of black x-rays and pushing them into the illuminators on his back wall. He turned the illuminators on, then flipped the room's lights off. Merrick gaped at the images before him.

As you can see, Reggie continued, pointing out sections of damage ranging all the way from her skull to her feet, she has had multiple breaks and fractures that didn’t heal correctly. There's also evidence of bone thickening, as well as osteoporosis from lack of proper food and sun. And her long bones are not properly developed. Here you can see a skull fracture, he said, pointing out the area. This one looks recent, so we’ll watch her brain for signs of swelling. My best guess, based on her hands here, is that she's between twenty-five and thirty-five, but the damage makes her age impossible to pinpoint.

Reggie clicked off the illuminators, leaving the x-rays in place, and turned the room's lights back on before retreating back to his desk. Merrick could feel himself shaking, murderous thoughts running through his head. It took everything he had to continue listening to the Healer as he picked up another paper. He didn’t know how much