Riley’s POV

The moment I closed the door bbehind /bme, I copsed onto the bed with a long, weary sigh.

Moon above, how I’d missed the feel of an actual mattress.

If I hadn’t been stolen at birth, if fate had yed fair just once, I’d have woken up on a bed like this every single morning for thest twenty–three years. Not on concrete. Not on wood. Not on moldy nkets bin /bba /bstorage closet.

I closed my eyes and tried to absorb the rare silence. The rare stillness. For once, no screaming, no threats, no footsteps. outside my bdoor/b.

Just… quiet.

Ten minutes passed–maybe more–before I heard the knock.

Three taps, Rhythmic. Gentle. Predictable.

I didn’t even have to guess.

“Come in.”

Mia stepped inside. careful as ever, holding a bowl that steamed like a dream. The smell hit me first–rich, warm,fortingb. /b“Miss Riley,” she said softly, “you should eat something. You barely touched your dinner earlier.”

I sat up, epting the bowl with a nod, but didn’t eat right away. Instead, I nced at her..

“They all think my wolf showed up because of some ck magic tonic,” I saidb, /bvoice low and almost bitter. “Even Kael. No one’s asked how or why. Not even you.

bMia /bmet my eyes, unflinching.

“I didn’t bneed /bto ask,” she said simply.

I blinked. “Why not?”

She sat beside me, hands folded in herp. “Because the day you took that belt for me the day you raised your arm and your ws came out just to shield me…” Her voice trembled, just slightly. That’s when I knew, Your wolf never left.”

I looked away. Something hot and sharp twisted in my chest.

“I just didn’t know what they did to you,” she continued, quieter now. “What they put you through in that prison. What kind of pain would make an Alpha wolf go so quiet… so still.”

She reached out and gently touched my bandaged hand.

“But I never once believed she was gone. Only that you were protecting her. Or maybe she was protecting you.”

I didn’t trust my voiceb, /bso I said nothing.

She gave ba /bsmallb, /bsad smile. “They can talk about curses and potions all they want. I saw bwhat /breal strength looks like. And it bwasn’t /bborrowed. It was yours.”

bI /bsat up, leaning against the headboard bas /bshe handed me the bowl. It was her usual sunfire noodles–handmade, served in clear broth, topped with moonleaf bgreens/b, a poached egg, and just enough wild chive oil to make your mouth water. The scent alone made my stomach grumble.

I blinked bquickly/b, suddenly fighting the sting behind my eyes.

“Thanks, Mia,” I murmured, my voice cracking

She was the only one in this house who had ever treated me like bI /bmattered. She noticed when I bwas /bcold, She brought me

+8 Pearls

food when I was locked away. She stood between me and ric’s lists more times bthan /bI could count.

If not for her… I wouldn’t have survived..

“Truly,” I added, my fingers tightening around the bowl. “I’m still alive because of byou/bb.” /b

Her eyes welled up, but she smiled gently.

Then, after a pause, she whispered. “Miss Riley… maybe you should run. Tonight. Slip away while they’re distracted.”

Her words hit like a gust of wind through my already cracked defenses.

Fora split bsecond/b, I wanted to say yes. Gods, I wanted to say yes.

But then Nyra stirred inside me.

“Run?” her voice was faint, almost a sigh. “You’ve run enough. We both have. You know what must be done.”

I exhaled slowly and looked back at Mia. “I can’t,”

Her face crumpled. “Why not? You don’t owe them anything. You- Her voice broke. “bYou /bdon’t know what he did while you were unconscious.

I didn’t need to ask. I already knew.)

Nyra’s presence pulsed gently in my chest, coiled but aware, She never truly slept–not when danger was near.

Mia tried to keep her voice calm. “They dragged you out of the hospital bed, Riley. The wound on your shoulder split open. You bled through your gown, and he still forced you binto /bthe car like you were ba /bsack of grain.”

I swallowed hard.

Nyra growled softly in the back of my mind. “Cowards. Bastards. They will pay, Riley. I’ll make sure of it.”

I forced a smile onto my lips. “Maybe marrying into the Stormridge won’t be so bad.”

Mia stared at bme/b, horror on her face. “You bcan’t /bmean that.”

“I don’t, I whispered.

But she and her daughter were the only two people in the world I cared about.

And I knew one thing as long as they remained within ric’s reach, I would never be free. So I had to stay. I had to y along until I had what I needed.

One bmillion /bcredits. bThat /bbwas /bthe bride price.

Enough to bget /bMia and her daughter out of the country,

They were my weakness. My soft spot. If they stayed, the Vales would always have a chain around my neck.

“I should eat this before it gets soggy,” I said, changing the subject band /bshoving a mouthful of noodles into my mouth before bMia /bcould argue.

She watched meb, /bsadness etched into every bline /bof her face.

Late the entire bowl–soup and all.

When she left with the empty dish, my smile dropped instantly.

I sat in the silence and made a silent vow.

“Just a little longer, Mu. Hang on. Once I get that money, I’ll burn this house to the ground if I bhave /bto.”

The next seven days bpassed /bin uneasy calm.

I barely left my room except to eat. I avoided everyone else like the gue. Even Scarlett, for once, kept her distance.

But I knew it couldn’tst.

That morning, after brushing my hair and slipping on something simple, I opened my bedroom door and nearly ran face-

first into Zara.

bShe /bwas smiling. Too widely. Too fake.

n her hands was a glossy shopping bag-

1 froze. “What do you want?”

Zara kept her tone light, sugary sweet. “I just wanted to give you something. A gift.”

She held up the bag like it was the moon itself. “I bhad /bthis dress specially picked for you. For tonightb./b”

I didn’t btake /bit.

“I’m not in the mood for charity, Zara, Just say bwhat /byou want and go.”

The fake smile twitched. “Riley, do we really have to keep fighting? I’m still your mother.”

I let out a sharp. humorlessughb. /b“You’re my mother now? Since when? When you ignored me in the storage room? When you let your husband beat me bloody?”

“Don’t you

want to try on the dress?” she asked weakly. “Let me be a mother bto /byou, just once?”

“Why now?” I snapped. “What’s bso /bbspecial /babout tonight? Wait–let me guess. There’s a banquet. Some public event where you want me bto /bshow up like a good little daughter, arm candy for the Stormridge heir.”

Her bsilence /bwas answer enough.

I stepped back and crossed my arms. “If you really cared, you’d give me money. I could buy my own dress. Something I actually like. But no, you want me to bwear /byour pick, smile on cue, and impress your precious guests.”

“You think I want to sell you off?” bshe /bwhispered, eyes welling with tears onmand.

“Yes,” I said bluntly. That’s exactly what you’re bdoing/bb./b”

“I’m trying to help,” she pleaded.

“You’re trying to look like you care. But you don’t. You never have.”

I could see it in her eyes–guilt and shame fighting for dominance,

“Let me guess,” I bsaid/b. “The banquet’s tonight, right? The Stormridge prince will be there, and you want me to dazzle him with my charming bpersonality/b?”

“Riley…

b“/bSave it,” I cut in, stepping forward. “We both bknow /bI don’t have a choice. You want me to go because you think it’ll make you look good. bAnd /bif I refuse, you’ll bfind /ba way to punish meb./b”

She said nothing.

That silence told ine everything.

Nyr?stirred again, her voice low and lethal. “Let me out, Riley. Let me bspeak /bbthrough /byou. Let me show them bwhat /ba real Alpha looks like”

“Not yet,” I whispered back. “Soon”

bZara /btried to smile again, but I could see the cracks.

b“/bbYou’ve /balways wanted to be epted,” she said gently. “Maybe tonight’s your bchance/b.”

“Maybe,” I murmured, reaching for the door.

“Riley-

“Don’t worry.” I said without looking back. “I’ll wear the damn dress.”

And I will.

Because when I burn this family to ash, I want them all dressed for the asion.

Send bGifts /b