CHAPTER 27: MY MOTHERS TEARS

I woke up with my heart pounding, my chest tight with unease. Even though I had come back to life, everything felt wrong strange air, strange faces, strange body.

Nothing around me felt familiar.

The only thing I knew for sure was that the girl whose body I now lived in Riley must have been deeply unhappy. What kind of wolf would choose to end her own life unless she had lost all hope?

I didn’t know what had pushed her to that point. But I knew one thing I wouldn’t make the same mistake.

And the only person in this new life who gave me even a small sense of safety... was Lewis.

He stood beside the bed, his eyes calm and unreadable. When he looked at me, it was as if he wasn’t really seeing me like he was searching for someone else behind my face. His energy was cold and steady, the kind that came from an Alpha who’d learned to hide everything behind control.

"Ms. Ashbourne," he said quietly, his voice smooth but distant. "You shouldn’t be out of bed. Lie down and rest."

His tone was polite, but his scent carried no warmth. Just ice and smoke.

It wasn’t hard to understand this bond between us wasn’t about affection. The engagement had been arranged between our packs, a deal made by our elders. Not love.

Lewis didn’t want this, and honestly, I didn’t either.

But unlike the old Riley, I wasn’t going to run from it. I needed power and in our world, power came through alliances. Lewis Hale wasn’t just any wolf; he was the Hale heir, respected even though he’d been injured and couldn’t walk. His control, his intelligence, his bloodline... all of it made him valuable.

If I wanted revenge on Julian, on Camilla, on everyone who destroyed me I needed someone like him by my side.

So even though my legs trembled, I stood tall. I looked him in the eye and said softly, "Mr. Hale, I won’t sit down until you agree to marry me."

He frowned slightly, his jaw tightening. I could feel the flicker of his wolf behind those calm eyes a quiet warning not to push him.

"Ms. Ashbourne," he said carefully, "do you understand what you’re asking for?"

"I do," I said. My voice shook a little, but I held his gaze. "I want to marry you."

Maybe the spirit of the old Riley still lingered somewhere deep inside, watching me, confused or afraid. But this body was mine now. Her past pain and my fury had fused into one. I couldn’t waste this second chance.

Before Lewis could answer, the door burst open.

"My daughter!" a woman cried.

She rushed into the room, her scent familiar soft jasmine and worry. Before I could move, she wrapped her arms around me and held me tightly.

Warm tears soaked my neck as she whispered, "I’m so sorry, Riley. I should’ve been here sooner... my poor girl."

I froze.

This must be Riley’s mother.

For a moment, my hands hovered awkwardly in the air. Then, slowly, I let them fall around her shoulders. Her embrace was warm so different from the cold distance I had known all my life.

It made something inside me ache.

I remembered my own mother how her affection had turned into bitterness the moment Camilla entered our lives. I had forgotten what it felt like to be held like this.

When the woman finally pulled back, I saw her clearly. Her eyes were kind, her features graceful. She looked like she had once been strong before life and sorrow dulled her light.

"Riley," she whispered, touching my face gently. "You’re safe now. I won’t let anyone hurt you again. Not your father, not anyone."

Riley. That was my new name. My new life.

I swallowed hard and whispered back, "Mom..."

Her tears fell faster as she hugged me again. "My silly girl," she murmured, her voice shaking. "You’re safe now. You don’t have to be afraid anymore."

My mother’s tears stopped as quickly as they came. Her soft, gentle aura shifted into something sharp and fierce. The wolf in her rose protective, strong, ready to fight for her cub.

She stepped between me and Lewis, her scent changing from warmth to warning. "Mr. Hale," she said, her voice firm but polite, "I thank you for saving my daughter’s life. But a union is not something to be rushed. I only have one child, and if she doesn’t want this bond, it ends here. The engagement will be called off."

Her tone left no room for argument.

Lewis, ever calm and collected, didn’t seem surprised. He gave a small nod, his silver eyes cool and unreadable. I could sense that he had already planned to end the engagement long before my mother arrived.

Before I could speak, the air in the room changed heavy, suffocating.

The door opened, and in walked a tall man dressed in dark clothes, his dominance filling every corner. His scent was bitter like iron and smoke. Even before he spoke, my instincts screamed Alpha.

His voice was low and commanding, the kind that demanded submission. "You think you can just end this engagement?" he said, his cold gaze sweeping over my mother. "Not a chance."

Even though I wasn’t Riley, the body I now inhabited reacted instantly my pulse spiked, my wolf cowered. Fear rolled through me like a wave. Her memories her pain were still inside me.

"Riley," he barked, his words slicing through the air like claws, "this bond isn’t up for debate. You will marry Lewis Hale. Even if I have to drag your cold body to his pack lands myself."

A chill ran down my spine.

So this was Riley’s father Grant Ashbourne. Her Alpha. A man used to controlling everyone beneath him.

I wanted to fight back, to show him that I wasn’t his frightened daughter anymore. But Riley’s fear ran too deep, and my body trembled against my will. My legs refused to move.

Lewis’s energy shifted beside me. Calm, yes but his wolf stirred beneath the surface, cold and sharp. His voice came out like steel. "Mr. Ashbourne," he said slowly, "if your daughter doesn’t wish to bond with me, I won’t force her. This engagement should be reconsidered."

"No," I said.

The word came out before I even thought it through.

Everyone turned to look at me my mother, shocked; Lewis, expression unreadable; Grant, his brow raised in disbelief.

I took a breath, forcing strength into Riley’s weak frame. My wolf bristled, steadying me as I stepped closer to Lewis. I reached out and took his hand. His skin was cool, his touch steady an anchor in the chaos.

"I agree to marry Lewis," I said, meeting Grant’s eyes head-on. "I want to be his mate."

Grant narrowed his eyes, watching me carefully. I could almost hear his thoughts trying to figure out what game I was playing.

But this wasn’t a game.

Riley’s life had been suffocating. Her father’s dominance had crushed her spirit until she couldn’t breathe. No wonder she’d wanted to end it all. But now, this body was mine. This life hers and mine was my second chance.

Lewis tried to pull his hand away, but I held tighter. I stood taller, letting my wolf’s energy rise. "I’m not doing this for power or alliance," I said clearly. "Not for my father. Not for anyone’s approval. I’m choosing this bond because I want it."

Because I understood what it felt like to lose everything to have your heart torn apart, your world burned to ash.

And I was done being weak.

"I will rise again," I said, my voice steady. "And I’ll make sure everyone who hurt me remembers my name when they howl in regret."

In that moment, even Grant Ashbourne went silent. My wolf stood tall within me reborn, ready to fight.