Third Person’s POV
Zara rushed to grab a maid, her voice rising with <b>panic</b>.
<b>“</b>Where’s Riley?”
The maid shook her head nervously. “We <b>haven’t </b>seen Miss Riley since this morning. Luna.”
+8 Pearls
Zara staggered back, her strength leaving her in <b>a </b>wave of dread. She leaned against the wall, her breathing shallow. Just then. Kael Vale stepped out of his room and immediately noticed her disheveled state.
“<b>Mom</b>?” he asked, concerned. “Are you okay? What happened?”
Zara looked up at him, her eyes red. Her lips trembled. “She’s gone. Riley’s gone.”
<b>“</b>What do you mean gone?” Kael’s voice tightened. “We <b>only </b>sent her out to cool off–she should’ve been backst night!!”
Zara sank to the ground, tears pouring down her face. “It’s my fault. I… I injected her with the suppressant. She was losing control again. But I didn’t mean to hurt her. Gods–<b>what </b>if she—”
Kael suddenly remembered Mia’s call the night before. He pulled out his phone and tried calling. Blocked. He handed it to Zara with <b>a </b>frown.
“Try calling Mia.”
Her hands trembled <b>as </b>she dialed. Blocked as well.
Kael exhaled sharply. “Let’s check the surveince.”
They hurried to the security room. As the footage yed out, the horror on their faces deepened.
There was Riley, barely conscious, her body streaked with blood, stumbling into the rain. Behind her was old Mia, no umbre, carrying the girl on her <b>back </b>through the storm like she weighed nothing.
Zara let out a broken sob, covering her mouth. “Riley… my child…”
Kael’s fists clenched as he stared at the screen. “She must’ve taken her to Moonhaven Hospital. Let’s
Moonhaven Hospital<ol><li>go.</li></ol>
Kael <b>drove </b>like a madman through the thunderous rain. The windshield wipers squealed with effort but barely made a
difference.
Zara sat in the passenger seat, <b>hands </b>wrung <b>tight </b>in herp. Her <b>lips </b>moved in a breathless prayer. “Let her be okay.. please, let her be okay.”
Riley stirred in the hospital bed, her eyelids fluttering <b>open</b>. Her head throbbed, but it was nothingpared to the agony deep in her chest. She stared at the ceiling, memories shing <b>in </b>cruel rity.
Zara’s cold expression.
The sharp prick of the suppressant <b>syringe </b>driving into her neck.
let’s face, pale and untouched<b>, </b><b>as </b>Riley’s own ws came out, moments from <b>raking </b>across her.
And then the ulence. The usations
almost shredded her own sister someone had shouted.
?tuir wolf—she should ve told us from the beginult
“You know the rules,” Kael <b>had </b>snapped “No ws against kin. Not in Ebonw
3:41PM 0
+8 Pearls
“And Scarlet? She didn’t even shift<b>. </b>She stood there, didn’t retaliate. That’s what true restraint looks like,” Zara h
had added.
They had praised Scarlett like she was the shining star of the Pack. Noble. Selfless.
But none of them seemed to care–or notice–that Scarlett hadn’t shifted because she couldn’t.
Her scent was wrong. Just slightly off. Riley <b>could </b>sense it now that her senses were sharper–now that the suppressant was fading from her bloodstream.
Scarlett had a wolf’s scent, yes.
But <b>no </b>wolf inside.
Riley had sensed that emptiness only once before–on the day she was handed to Zara by the cloaked woman with <b>ck </b>eyes and a voice <b>that </b>dripped with spells.
A witch.
Scarlett’s “wolf was fabricated. <b>An </b>illusion. A calcted lie.
And if Riley’s instincts were right that witch hadn’t just been giving Zara a child.
She’d been nting <b>a </b>weapon.
Just as Riley wiped away the tears stinging her vision, the hospital door creaked open.
She expected Mia.
But in walked Zara, followed by Kael. Both pale<b>. </b>Both visibly shaken.
Zara gasped when she saw her awake. “Riley–you scared me half to death!”
“Why would you sneak off like that? It was storming. You could’ve died out there.”
She stepped forward to hug her, but <b>Riley </b>sat <b>up </b>and pushed her back without hesitation.
Zara froze.
Kaci flinched.
Riley’s eyes were t. Cold. There was no hatred, no rage. Just… nothing,
That nothingness sent a jolt of panic through Zara. “Please,” she whispered. “I know I went <b>too </b>far. But I was trying to protect Scarlett. She’s your sister—”
“She’s not my sister, Riley said, voice low, firm.
<b>Zara’s </b>face crumbled. “You were about to <b>hurt </b>her. You transformed in front of family. That’s <b>not </b>who we raised you to be.”
“You raised me to be silent,” Riley muttered.
Kael stepped in, voice sharp <b>with </b>authority. “Thews are clear. No ws <b>against </b>family. And you’re a white wolf, Riley. <b>You </b>have responsibilities. Poweres with restraint.”
He motioned toward Zara “She didn’t sleep all night. We searched all of Stormridge for you. We were terrified.”
But Riley just turned away..
Karl’s voice hardened. “What do you want from us, Riley?“
“What will make you satisfied?”
3:41 PM
Only the sound of rain tapping the hospital window answered.
But deep down–Kael already knew.
And it terrified him.
Because nothing terrified a Pack more <b>than </b><b>a </b><b>white </b>wolf with nothing left to lose.
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