Chapter 148
148
+8 Pearls
Third Person’s POV
Kael Vale’s fist came down hard on the metal side table , the loud clang echoing off the sterile walls of the Stormridge Pack infirmary
יחי
His father flinched at the outburst. Even while confined to a hospital bed with both legs broken, Alpha Alaric still tried to keep his spine straight, his jaw clenched in defiance.
“Don’t forget,” Alaric snarled, voice hoarse with pain and rage, “you were the one who testified against Riley at the High Tribunal . You were the one who pointed the finger, Kael. Don’t you dare try to pin this on me and your Luna. ”
Kael froze . His heart pounded like a war drum. Those words hit harder than any blow his father had ever struck him with.
How could he forget?
The memory was carved into his bones–standing in that cold courtroom, Riley’s golden eyes burning with disbelief and betrayal as he, her own brother, had declared her guilty. Even then, a part of him knew the truth. But he hadn’t fought for her.
“You think I don’t remember?” Kael growled through gritted teeth. His canines sharpened , claws flexing involuntarily as his wolf stirred beneath the surface, agitated by his guilt. ‘Every night, I hear her screams from that cell. Every Damn. Night. You think these broken legs are punishment? No. They’re karma.”
He turned his cold, furious gaze on his father. “You destroyed her. And you made me help.”
Luna Zara, lying in the next bed, winced. The pain in her legs must’ve flared again, but it was nothing compared to the look she gave her son–equal parts disgust and disappointment.
“How dare you speak to your Alpha that way,” Alaric spat, his pride still more intact than his bones, “You’ve been brainwashed by that girl–she’s nothing but a defect. A stain on the Ebonclaw bloodline.”
“Don’t call her that , Kael hissed. His voice dropped low, a predator’s growl rumbling in his chest. “Don’t you dare.”
Alaric surged forward, ignoring the agony in his legs . Veins bulged in his neck, face red with fury. “Get out! Get out before 1 make you ! ”
hut Kael didn’t move. He stood still, like a monolith carved of stone and regret.
Alaric’s breath became ragged, his body trembling from both pain and rage. His eyes fluttered, and for a moment, Kael thought he might faint. A sliver of satisfaction curled in Kael’s gut.
Was that wrong ? Maybe.
But watching the Alpha who’d once ruled their pack with an iron fist now reduced to this– sweating , gasping , helpless–it felt like a sliver of justice.
“You two did everything to break Riley,” Kael said, quieter now. “ You framed her. You locked her away . You let Scarlett take everything that should’ve belonged to her and you expected her to thank you?”
Luna Zara’s voice quivered. “We were just trying to protect the pack.”
Karl scoffed. “ No You were trying to protect Scarlett. The perfect laughter. The fake one”
Zara’s eyes welled with tears. “Scarlett never wanted to hurt Riley-”
She let Riley take the fall for her Kael snapped. “Don’t act like you don’t know that .”
Zara fell silent. Her hand clutched the bedsheet tightly , knuckles white. The silence thickened until she finally spoke again, this time with a tremor of maternal worry
“Marder’s returning from Northhaven today She’s coming to pay respects to Matriarch Dusk grave . You need to call her. Tell
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Karl blinked “What?”
“If Riley sees her,” Zara pressed, “she’ll retaliate. You know how she is–vengeful. She’s dangerous now,
Alaric grunted in agreement. “Scarlett’s still weak from her last recovery cycle. She won’t survive another confrontation
Kael stared at them. The same parents who once celebrated Riley’s birth with pride now feared their own daughter like a rogue beast.
Good. They should.
He thought of Scarlett’s bruised face back in the tribunal’s holding cell . He hadn’t dared tell Zara what had happened. That Riley had left those bruises after Scarlett begged for mercy. That it had taken three Enforcers to pull her off.
His voice was flat when he said . “I’ll think about it.”
Without waiting for another word, Kael turned and left the room.
Each step out of that infirmary hallway felt heavier than the last. He wasn’t sure if it was guilt… or something deeper. Regret had hollowed him out, and now all that remained was duty.
He stepped into the fluorescent–lit corridor–and stopped short.
Theo Hale stood near the exit, arms crossed. The silver Omega’s sharp eyes locked on him .
“Kael, Theo said . “You’re leaving already ?”
Kael nodded. “I’m going to find Riley.”
Theo’s expression didn’t change, but his stance straightened . “You know where she is?“.
“No. But I’ll find her.”
There was a pause . A beat of understanding passed between them–both men bound to the same girl in different ways.
“I’m coming with you, Theo said.
Kael narrowed his eyes. “Why ? ”
“I need answers ,” “Theo replied. “About her past. Her medical history. Her missing records. And I think she’s the only one who
has them”
Kael studied him for a moment. Then nodded.
They didn’t trust each other, not completely. But they both trusted Riley more than anyone else. And maybe, for now, that was enough
Together, they left the infirmary and vanished