Karl’s POV

The moment I stepped into the Vale estate, the scent of blood hit me like a punch to the gut. Then something else–fear. Raw, stifling fear.

Before I could take another step, the door flung open.

Scarlett crashed into my chest, trembling like a leaf. She looked up at me, tears streaking her face. “Kael, save me! Riley’s gone crazy–bshe /btried to kill me“”

My mind reeled, still fogged by the alcohol, but those words cut through it like ice water. I stepped forward, but then I heard

it-

Zara’s scream.

I turned sharply. My gaze snapped to the living room, where Riley stood in the center, her left hand dripping blood, the knife slick with crimson. bA /bfinger–her own bdamn /bfingery on the bfloor/b.

My heart lurched,

“Riley!” I shoutedb. /b“What the hell are you doing?!”

She didn’t even flinch. Her face was nk, bdistant/b–bas /bif her soul bhad /bchecked out.

“That’s the debt of birth repaid,” she said to bZara/b, her voice eerily calm. “We’re even now.”

Zara paled, her lips moving without sound. I moved to approach Riley, but Scarlett clung to me again, sobbing harder.

“She’s insane, Kael! She said we ball /bhave to die! She

I shoved her off.

She stumbled back, her mouth open in shock.

I didn’t care.

I rushed toward Riley, just in time to see her raise the de again–this time aimed directly at ric..

“You beat me half to deathb, /bshe growled, stalking toward him. “Now you can die with me.”

ric backpedaled, his face pale, his limbs trembling. I’d never seen him like that our father, our Alpha, reduced to a frightened old wolf. But then I sensed it too–the surge of dominance, thickening in the air like a storm.

He wasn’t just afraid. He bwas /babout to shift.

The power crackling off him was enough to freeze most Betas where they bstood/b. If he shifted bnow/b, Riley wouldn’t stand a chance. She’d be dead in seconds.

Zara must have realized it too. Her face twisted with horror. She stepped forward, not toward him–but toward her. Riley lunged.

“Kael! Stop her!” ric roared.

I had bno /bchoice

bsurged /bforward and wrapped my arms around her from behind, locking her elbows down. Her strength surprised me–she thrashed and kicked like ba /bcornered bbeast/bb. /b

“Riley! Stop! You’ll kill someone–damn it, byou’ll /bkill yourself!”

She screamed, her voice not quite human. Her eyes were wild, glowing faintly gold. My arms trembled holding her.

And then bZara /bstruck

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Her palm cracked across Riley’s cheek like a whip. The sound rang out like a gunshot,

Everything stopped.

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“bWhat /bare you trying to prove? Zara’s voice sliced the air like a de. “Ever since byou /bcame back, this house bhas /bbknown /bnothing but chaos. You want to die? Fine! Just don’t drag the rest of us down with you!”

Riley froze. Her breath hitched. She stared at Zara as if she didn’t recognize her.

The knife slipped from her fingers.

“You want to bknow /bbwhat /bregret looks like, bRiley/b? Take a good look. Because you’re the one destroying this family.”

Riley’s lips parted, but no bsound /bcame.

Then her knees buckled.

I caught her before she hit the floor.

Her head lolled against my shoulder, her eyes fluttering closed. Blood smeared across my chest. I could feel her going cold.

“Riley–Riley! bStay /bwith me!”

Mia burst into the room, pale and shaking. “Young Alpha–she’s lost too much blood. You have to take her now!”

I didn’t hesitate.

I lifted her into my arms, holding her like I used to when she was a pup afraid of thunder. Mia snatched something off the floor–her finger–and followed close behind.

“Open the damn gates!“I bellowed to the guards outside.

ric’s voice snarled behind me, full of venom. “Let her die out bthere /blike the rabid thing she is.”

I didn’t stop. Didn’t even look back.

But I heard the p.

Zara. Furious. Screaming.

Good.

Let him feel it for once.

The hospital lights were cold and sterile. I sat hunched in the emergency room waiting area, my shirt soaked with her blood, hands clenched into fists.

Every second dragged.

Mia sat beside me, her hands twisted in her apron. I could tell she wanted to bspeak/b, but I couldn’t handle small talk. Not now. Finally. I looked up. My voice came out low. “Mia… bwhat /bhappened? Why did she–why did Riley do this?”

bMia’s /beyes welled with tears.

“She tried to hold it in, young Alpha. For days. But they kept pushing her. The Alpha… your father… he beat her, tried to force her woll to bsubinit/b. And Scarlett.”

She looked away.

I swallowed the lump rising in my bthroat/b.

I’d known they were cruel. But this? I hadn’t seen. Hadn’t wanted to.

My gaze drifted to the emergency room door.

And for just a secondb… /bI smelled it.

Something beneath the bblood/bb. /b

A scent. Faint, but bundeniable/b.

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Wolf.

Not bjust /bany wolf.

bAlpha/b–blooded.

It shimmered in the air like a pulse of heat, brushing bagainst /bmy senses–feral, feminine, raw–and then it vanished.

I blinked,

bHad /bI imagined it?

leaned bback /bslowly, heart pounding.

Riley had never shifted. We all thought she couldn’t. That she was defective. Broken.

But now…

Now, I wasn’t so sure.

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