Chapter 171
171
Third Person’s POV
Carmen hadn’t walked far when she suddenly sensed it.
A faint footstep. A presence.
Someone was following her .
Tch
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She narrowed her eyes ever so slightly. Was it a rogue from outside the borders? A drunk predator from another pack ? Or just someone with poor timing and worse instincts?
She had originally planned to head straight back to Ashmoor University. But now
A more interesting idea bloomed in her mind.
Without changing her pace, Carmen let her sharp gaze flick subtly around the moonlit street. There–mounted on a stone lamppost was a gleaming wolf–tech surveillance orb , glowing with that signature silver–blue core. It was linked to the Stormridge Guard Network.
Her lips curled
As long as she remained within that range , whoever was behind her wouldn’t dare make a move.
But she didn’t want to stay safe
She wanted to bait him.
Purposefully, Carmen turned and strolled into a narrow , shadow –drenched alley just outside the surveillance’s view. The cobblestones were damp, and the walls of ancient stone rose on either side like silent witnesses.
She moved calmly, pulling a communication stone from her satchel–engraved with a sigil that allowed direct contact to the Mooncrest Watch Division .
She activated it with her blood imprint, her voice trembling as she whispered, “Patrol? This is Carmen Hawthorne. I’m at Raven Hollow Alley, just west of the Stormridge Quarter. I’m being followed… Please send a guardian quickly … I’m scared ..
As the enchantment closed, silencing the spell, she slipped the stone back into her cloak .
Just as she stepped back into the half–light, her stalker emerged from the darkness at the end of the alley. Under the pale moon, she could make out his frame–a tall, broad – shouldered male, hood low, reeking of damp fur and bad intentions .
Carmen smiled.
“Oh Followed me all this way? What’s the matter? Did I catch your eye, handsome?”
The man froze, confused. He clearly hadn’t expected such a reaction.
She sauntered toward him with sugar on her voice. “ There’s an inn just down the street. Why don’t we go there together?”
The man blinked “What the ?”
Before he could step back Carmen was close enough to loop her arms loosely around his neck , warm breath fanning against
“Come on. Alpha” ale purred. “Don’t you want to play!”
Her touch was light, her tone teasing–but her heart was coleil like a serpent
The male grinned his gaze raking over her “Didn’t expect a sweet little thing like you to be this cagerTM
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“Oh?” she said sweetly, catching the glint of lust in his eyes. “You don’t like it?”
“I like it fine,” he breathed, hands twitching toward her waist.
And that was when she struck.
With the precision of a trained Ashmoor student, she drove her knee straight into his groin.
The man screamed, crumpling like wet parchment. He hit the cobblestones hard , gasping, clutching himself.
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Carmen took three graceful steps back. hair tousled, shirt torn just enough to sell the illusion. She stood still, watching him writhe.
“Little bitch…he spat through the pain. “You think this is over? I’ll tear your throat out!”
He lunged toward her again , full of rage and humiliation.
Carmen let out a shrill, practiced scream and turned on her heel, sprinting back toward the main road.
The predator chased her blindly.
They broke into the open street, just before the Stormridge Alpha Quarter gate–where crystal–lit lanterns illuminated every angle and enchanted cameras whirred silently atop the gate towers. Two sentries stood post nearby.
Perfect
Carmen let herself slow
She let him grab her wrist.
“Let go of me–NO–HELP—!”
Her scream cut through the midnight air like a blade.
“You scream now ? Too late, whore-!” the man snarled, yanking at her already–torn shirt, the fabric shredding under his claws.
Carmen collapsed to her knees, covering her chest with her arms. Her pale skin shimmered under the lamplight , body trembling, eyes wide and glistening with fear .
The patrol wolves arrived in a blur of steel and silver sigils .
Two guards leapt between them, pinning the rogue male to the ground, shackling him in anti–shift restraints as he bellowed in fury
“Don’t touch me ! I didn’t do anything-
Carmen laddled in silence, hair a tangled curtain , eyes wide with tears–yet behind that mask, her lips curled into the faintest most satisfying smile
Everything was going exactly as planned
The Next Morning – Duke’s Apartment
Morning sunlight filtered through the heavy velvet curtains of the Stormridge high–rise, slicing across Duke’s face like a
He groaned, suelding his eyes with one hand. His temples pounded as if a war drum was beating inside his skull.
Everything ached. His mouth was dry His head was full of fog and static
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His bed sheets were tangled, the floor littered with unfamiliar objects–shirt buttons, strands of hair that weren’t his, and a broken perfume vial that didn’t belong to anyone who lived here.
Duke’s expression darkened.
Something wasn’t right.
He reached for the console embedded in his nightstand and called up the internal camera records of the apartment.
There she was.
Carmen Hawthorne. The girl from Ashmoor University. The one with the umbrella.
She was shown helping him in–struggling with his weight. guiding him gently.
Duke sighed with relief… until the footage changed.
There she was again, later– tears pouring down her face , clutching her shirt, running our the door.
“What the hell…” he muttered, eyes narrowing.
He hit pause, stared at the frozen image .
Was this real?