Author’s POV

The Ebonw Pack dining hall was unusually quiet that morning.

+8 Pearls

Alpha ric, Luna bZara/b, Kael Vale, and Scarlett had already taken btheir /bseats–but none of them had touched their food yet. For once, the usual tter of silverware and forced pleasantries was absent.

When Riley finally emerged from the corridor, the atmosphere shifted. Luna bZara /bimmediately stood, walking briskly toward her with ba /bstrained smile.

“Riley, you

must be starving. Come, have some breakfast,” she said warmly, bgrabbing /bher hand and guiding her to the table, Alpha ric upied the head seat. To his right sat Kael; to his left, Zara. Scarlett, as always, nestled close to her mother.

The only remaining seat was between Kael and Scarlett. Neither of them were wee options, but if Riley had to choose. she’d rather sit beside Kael.

At least she knew his malice was honest.

Riley sat down silently, expression unreadable. She picked up her spoon and began eating the small bowl of dumplings in front of her delicate wolfbone broth with wild herbs, prepared by Mia. She didn’t say a word. Didn’t look at any of them,

All four members of the Alpha family watched her.

Alpha ric’s eyes were hard, his jaw clenched btight/b, restrained only by Zara’s silent warning nce.

Zara, for her part, wore a tight, polite bsmile/b, clearly torn between managing appearances and managing the brewing tension. She opened her mouth, likely to remind Riley to greet her elders, but whatever she had nned to say died on her lips.

Scarlett, ever the peacemakerb, /btried a softer approach. “Sister, bMia /bmade this especially for you,” she chirped, forcing a sweet smile. “Is it good?”

Riley didn’t reply. She didn’t even nce at her.

Kael drew a sharp breath through his nose, clearly struggling to keep his temper in check. His lips curled into a tight, disingenuous smile.

“Riley,” he said, voice low but tense, “when you’re done with breakfast, take that damn bbandage /boff your head. You’re not actually injured. Walking around blike /bbthat /bmakes it look like someone in this house abused you.”

Riley’s hand paused slightly, spoon mid–air. The corner of her lips twitched–not in amusement, but in bitter contempt. Then she resumed eating, as if he bhadn’t /bspoken at all.

bShe /bfinished her meal quickly. After wiping her mouth with ba /bbnapkin/b, she stood.

“I’m done,” bshe /bsaid coldly. “Enjoy the rest of your breakfast.”

Kael mmed his palm on the table. “What the hell is your problem, Riley? Do you think we owe you something? You walk around with that miserable face like the whole Pack bhas /bwronged you.”

Riley turned to look bat /bhim, eyes like cracked ice–void of warmth or expression.

That look only enraged Kael further.

He stood, grabbed her arm, and with a sharp, angry gesture, ripped the bandage from her forehead.

Tll bprove /byou’re faking.” he growled. “You’re addicted to ying the victim.”

The moment the gauze came off, the scab beneath tore open. Fresh blood gushed from the wound, sliding down Riley’s bface /bin thin, crimson rivers.

The room fell silent.

Karl’s hand dropped like it had touched fire. His bpupils /bcontracted.

b36 /bPM.

He hadn’t expected real blood.

Zara gasped, eyes filling with tears. “Riley… What happened to your head?”

+8 Pearls

Scarlett’s eyes gleamed for a heartbeat with something unreadable–satisfaction, maybe–but she quickly masked it with a frightened expression.

“Are you okay, sister?”

But Riley didn’t flinch. Didn’t cry out. Didn’t even blink. The blood streaked down her pale cheeks, soaking into her cor, but her gaze remained hollow, unflinching.

She looked at them like they weren’t her family at ball/b.

Like they were monsters.

“Is this what you wanted?” Her voice was hoarse, distant. “Does this satisfy you?”

No one answered.

bAlpha /bric’s face didn’t even twitch. “It’s just ba /bbscratch/b,” he said gruffly. “No need to be dramatic.”

The silence that followed was deafening

Riley’s fingers curled around the edge of the table, knuckles white with pressure. The table creaked under her grip. threatening to buckle.

Kael, Scarlett, and Zara all immediately moved to steady the table–clearly remembering thest time Riley lost control and flipped it.

“Calm down,” Zara said quickly. “Your father didn’t mean it that way. He just–he just didn’t realize it was that serious. He cares. We all do…”

Even she didn’t bseem /bto believe her bown /bwords.

Riley stared straight through her, gaze sharp enough to pierce bone. Zara looked awayb, /bunable to meet her eyes.

The air bwas /bthick with tension.

Blood continued to drip from Riley’s head onto the tablecloth, bright and vivid against white linen.

“Care?” she echoed. “What a lovely word.”

bShe /bturned slowly, her voice quiet but soaked in contempt.

“bThank /bbyou /bso much for your concern, Alpha ric. Luna Zara. I’ll treasure it.”

Without giving anyone the chance to respond, she turned and walked out of the room.

Kael sat back down, jaw clenched. He shoved his bowl away, appetite gone. “I’m heading to the office,” he muttered, already storming out the front door.

Inside his car, Kael leaned bback /bin the leather seat, staring at the blood–stained gauze in his palm.

Something twisted deep inside his chest–tight, unfamiliar.

Riley had left the house just fine yesterday morning

But bthat /bnight, she returned bwith /ba head wound.

What the hell happened?

He closed his eyes, mind shing bback /bto her pale face and dead eyes. His stomach churned.

3:36 PM

She’s still my sister.

o matter by /b

No

bwhat /bbshe /bdid five years ago,

She’s still a Vale.

Hands clenching on the wheel, Kael finally reached for his phone and bmade /ba call.

bRonan/b,” he said through gritted teeth. “Was it you? Did you hurt Riley?”

There was a beat of silence.

Then bcame /bbthe /bvoice on the other end–calm, emotionless, unreadable. “Is that why byou /bcalled me?”

+8 Pearls

“I’m warning you,” Kael snarled. “I don’t care what she did in the past–she’s paid for it. She’s the daughter of bAlpha /bric. It‘ you ever touch her again-

Click.

bRonan /bbhung /bup without a word.

Kael cursed and Inurled bthe /bbphone /bonto the passenger seat. “Fuck!”

He sat in the car for a long time, jaw clenched, throat dry.

Finally, bhe /bstarted the engine and drove to the Pack’s central tower–but work was impossible. All he could see was her face.. Her blood.

After nearly an hour of fidgeting band /bfrustration, he picked up his phone again band /bdialed Mia.

“Mia. bHow /bis she? Did someone treat her wound? Riley… is she okay?”