Lucien’s POV
“My Alpha, about the socks… <b>Can </b>I get reimbursement?”
“Approved,” I said tly.
+8 Pearls
Duke grinned like I’d just <b>handed </b>him a promotion. “<b>Alpha</b><b>, </b>you’re the most handsome man in the world in my eyes.”
“Keep talking and you’ll be the only one left at headquarters doing overtime.”
He snapped his mouth <b>shut </b>immediately and trailed behind me in silence, practically wagging his <b>tail</b>.
The night outside had thickened into a pitch–ck shroud, stretching across the mountains like a predator on the hunt. Streetlights flickered like distant embers, and the moon hung low–nearly full, silver and sharp like <b>a </b><b>de</b>.
The ck Rolls–Royce gleamed under the lights. My driver noticed us and quickly stepped forward, holding the door open with practiced precision.
1 adjusted the girl in my arms. Riley. Her name lingered in my mind like a forbidden spell.
She was curled up against my <b>chest</b>, soft and limp,pletely unaware of the storm she slept through<b>. </b>Her breathing was steady, almost fragile, and hershes fluttered against her cheek like trembling feathers.
I hadn’t meant to carry her this far.
I should’ve let one of the omegas take her to her room, but something about her asleep like this–so vulnerable, so trusting- kept my arms locked in ce.
Then, out of nowhere, a shadow lunged at us, slicing through the warm amber glow of the overheadmps.
A fist came flying toward my face.
It never reached me.
There was a sickening <b>crack </b>as Duke intercepted the attack <b>midair</b>. Bone snapped. The assant let out a low grunt of pain and copsed to one knee, breath hissing through clenched teeth.
“Lucien Duskgrave!” the man spat, struggling in Duke’s grip. “What the hell is wrong with you? You crippled my parents! You sent my sister to prison! <b>What </b>more do you want from us?”
I narrowed my eyes, my senses sharpening. <b>That </b>voice was painfully <b>familiar</b>.
“Kael Vale,” I said slowly, <b>recognizing </b>the man beneath the disheveled mess.
Once the proud eldest <b>son </b>of the Vale <b>family</b>, now reduced to <b>a </b>shadow–his tailored suit wrinkled beyond saving, cor torn, his face gaunt and peppered with stubble. He looked like he hadn’t slept in <b>days</b>. The <b>bags </b>under <b>his </b>eyes <b>were </b><b>so </b><b>dark</b>, <b>it </b>looked like someone had socked him in both eyes.
Tharely registered his presence before Riley stirred in my arms.
<b>She </b>let <b>out </b>a <b>small </b>whimper, her brow twitching. Then hershes fluttered <b>open</b>, and her eyes–still zed with sleep–met
Shut
She <b>blinked </b>rapidly, taking in our closeness, the warmth of my embrace. And then <b>she </b>saw her brother–bruised, raging.
chackled in Duke’s hold
<b>“</b><b>Alpha </b>put me down” she said softly, almost shyly
Thesitated
But I felt her tense. The moment between us shattered. I let her slide from my arms.
She smoothed the folds of her dress, clearly flustered, and avoided my gaze. The cold air rushed in between us.
+8 Pearls:
Kael saw it <b>all</b>. <b>The </b><b>flicker </b>of something tender <b>that </b>passed between me and his sister. His jaw tightened like a coiled spring.
“Riley!” he barked, voice hoarse <b>and </b>cracking. “Mom and Dad are still in <b>the </b>hospital! You’re standing beside the bastard who had their legs broken–and you’re acting like it doesn’t matter!”
Riley’s expression didn’t change.
She stared at her brother with a calm that unnerved even me. No tremble. No panic. Just a deep, bone–deep weariness in her
gaze
“Family?” she repeated, as if tasting the word for the first time<b>. </b>Her voice <b>was </b>soft, but it cut sharper than any dagger. “When have I ever had one?”
Kael froze.
“I was just your burden. A stain on your perfect pack reputation. You used me, abandoned me, and when I <b>finally </b>had something of my own, you let them take it from me.”
He opened his mouth. <b>Nothing </b>came out.
Riley stepped forward, just once.
“I’ve been beaten, locked up, and left to rot. For what? Loyalty to a name that only brought me <b>pain</b>? You want to talk about <b>family</b>, Kael? Family doesn’t throw their <b>own </b>into a prison cell. Family doesn’t let their adopted rogue daughter take my ce and watch silently while I disappear.”
Her words were steady, but I could hear the strain. I knew the signs–every wolf in <b>this </b>cursed world had their <b>limit</b>. Hers had been broken a long time <b>ago</b>.
I stepped forward, my voice like ice.
“You should be <b>d </b>it was only your parents‘ legs.”
Kael turned toward me, eyes bloodshot, body trembling.
“You like her, isn’t it?” he hissed. “You think this justifies what you did to <b>us</b><b>?</b>”
I <b>took </b>a step closer, each movement deliberate, <b>exuding </b>the quiet power that had made entire <b>rogue </b>packs submit without a
word
Kael flinched even if he tried to hide it. He wasn’t used to looking up at someone who could end him in a single breath.
“She’s under my protection,” I <b>said</b>, voice low and clear. <b>That </b><b>means </b>anyone whoys a <b>hand </b>on her–anyone <b>who </b>schemes bnd her back, <b>locks </b>her up, starves her, humiliates her–answers to me.
Karl’s mouth twitched. “<b>You </b><b>think </b><b>because </b>you’ve <b>got </b>power, you can just rewrite what’s right and wrong?
I
“No,” I said. “I <b>think </b>because I <b>have </b>power, I don’t need to exin myself to people like you.”
Send Gifts