Chapter 204 - 205: He made it sound like just being near him gave him the right
Isabella raised her hand. No one noticed.
She cleared her throat—once, sharply. It echoed like a whipcrack across the gathered crowd.
The women quieted. A few looked away, embarrassed. Others wiped their eyes.
"One at a time," Isabella said firmly, her voice crisp and commanding. "You deserve to be heard. So don’t drown each other out."
There was a short pause. Then nods.
One by one, they stepped forward. And with every testimony, the village’s atmosphere grew heavier. Tighter. Like the walls themselves were listening.
The first to speak properly was a short woman with burn marks on her arm. "I always thought it was normal," she whispered. "Men shouting, grabbing, pulling. But Gerwin—he didn’t just yell. He... punished. If you said no, he made you pay for it."
"How did no one see it?" Kian asked, his voice low and cold. "This is a small village."
"He was smart," the woman replied. "He never hit us in public. Only when we accompanied our mates to hunt, when the males were distracted, far away. Or when we gathered herbs. Always out of sight. And if he couldn’t do it alone, he’d whisper threats. Once, he laughed and said, ’No one questions a warrior in heat. Especially not when the female’s already been seen walking near his hut.’ He made it sound like just being near him gave him the right."
Another woman stepped forward. She looked like she hadn’t slept in days.
"He touched me. Not once. Not twice. Many times. In front of my children," she said, her voice flat. "When I threatened to scream, he smiled and said, ’Go ahead. See who believes the ugly sow over me.’"