Finished


    Kael Valey curled on the sofa in his darkened room, the thick shadows outside the Ebonw Pack estate casting long fingers across the floorboards. His hands clutched a pillow tightly against his chest, and his face was buried deep within it, muffling the sound of the asional, involuntary sob.


    But even with the fabric pressed against his face, he couldn’t block out the visions in his mind.


    Riley.


    Every thought, every breath, every beat of his heart seemed to summon her. Her silhouette. Her voice. Her soft hands patting his back during another of his stomach re–ups. The way her eyes held no me even when she was the one hurting.


    And now she was gone.


    It had been days since she vanished, and still, not a single whisper of her whereabouts. Kael’s mind tormented him with cruel possibilities–starving on the streets, copsing from pain, hunted by Rogues… or


    worse.


    A new wave of guilt crashed through him.


    Why hadn’t I done more? Why didn’t I believe her?


    If he had stood up for her when she was dragged through the courts like a criminal…


    If he had protected her when everyone else turned away…


    If he had just shown her <i>a </i>fraction of the kindness she so freely gave…


    Maybe she wouldn’t have left. Maybe she would still be here.


    And now… after five years in that cursed prison, her body was permanently damaged. Her wolf hadn’t fully healed. And yet he–Kael Vale–had dared to question her loyalty? Her worth?


    The pain in his gut twisted viciously, but it was nothingpared to the ache in his chest.


    From the doorway, Luna Zara watched with wet eyes as her son broke down in silence. She stepped inside slowly, cing a hand on his shaking back, gently rubbing circles in a futile attempt to soothe him.


    “It’s alright, Kael,” she whispered. “We’ll find her. Your father’s already sent scouts.”


    Kael didn’t respond. His shoulders trembled, his body racked with guilt and physical pain.


    Zara cast a nce toward the hallway, where Alpha ric stood, arms crossed. His face was impassive, but the hard glint in his eyes betrayed his irritation,


    “She made her choice,” he muttered. “She ran. If she wants to live like a Rogue, let her.”


    Zara shot him a warning look. “Not now,”


    17:00 Thu, Aug 7 \ MG


    –


    X


    Finished


    But ric wasn’t finished. He stepped forward, lowering his voice just enough that Kael could still hear.


    “And don’t forget who let her into this house. She brought nothing but chaos. Fighting with Scarlett. Disrespecting elders. Do you really think she’s not out there plotting something now?”


    Kael flinched.


    Zara ignored her mate’s bitter words and pulled a nket over Kael’s trembling form. “Rest, sweetheart. I’ll have the kitchen prepare you something warm.”


    A whileter, a young she–wolf servant arrived with a tray and a soft voice. “Alpha Kael, I brought some millet and pumpkin porridge. It’s good for your stomach.”


    Kael slowly sat up, his movements sluggish and shaky. The familiar scent wafted toward him–sweet and earthy–but the moment the porridge touched his tongue, he grimaced and pulled away.


    “It tastes wrong.”


    The servant blinked. “But it’s pumpkin millet porridge. It’s always the same.”


    Kael shook his head, setting the bowl aside with a tter. “No. The one I used to have… it was different. Smoother. Richer. It helped.”


    Understanding dawned on the servant’s face. “Ah… you mean the one Mia used to make.”


    Kael stilled.


    “Mia always said it wasn’t about the ingredients, but the time and care. She simmered it on low heat for two hours, stirring it constantly to bring out the rice oils. Said that was how it truly ‘nourished the gut. And-” the servant hesitated, “–she said she learned the method from the young Miss. From Riley.”


    Kael’s heart clenched painfully.


    Riley… who had grown up in an underfunded rogue settlement, yet still managed to learn how to make porridge that soothed his pain better than any medicine. Riley, who had remembered he had stomach issues and gone out of her way to share what she knew with Mia, All for him.


    “She told Mia… that if she didn’t have time to care for you herself, at least someone else should.”


    The words sliced through Kael’s guilt like ws through flesh.


    After Riley was imprisoned, Mia had continued the porridge ritual for a time. But without Riley’s gentle reminders, the effort had waned. Days stretched into weeks between proper meals. Slowly, Kael’s stomach condition returned–and worsened.


    “Make it like she did.” Kael rasped. “Exactly like she did.”


    The servant bit her lip. “Alpha Kael, I… I’m sorry. I don’t know the full method. Mia said it required constant attention. Stirring, watching for consistency. No one else has the time. It takes over two hours….”


    “Then make time,” he snapped, his voice suddenly sharp. “If you can’t do it, bring Mia back.”


    The servant stepped back with a nervous nod and quickly retreated from the room.


    Kael dropped back against the cushions, staring up at the ceiling with hollow eyes.


    Even in absence, Riley’s presence lingered in everything.


    The food. The air. The aching silence.


    And now that she was gone, only pain remained.