Chapter 174
174
Third Person’s POV
A sharp, bone–cracking thud split the silence of the woods.
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behind
The girl’s shriek was cut short as four front teeth flew from her mouth, mingling with a spray of blood. Her nasal bone cracked audibly, and she collapsed next to her boyfriend, her screams of agony echoing through the moonlit grove Ashmoor Academy.
Carmen stood above them, expression calm , her breathing steady. No panic . No hesitation. She had executed this like a well- rehearsed maneuver.
With a cold gleam in her eyes , she turned, swiftly vanishing into the shadows of the trees. Moments later, she crouched beside a half–buried rock, stripped off her jacket, gloves, and face mask , tossing the bloodied garments into a shallow pit. She flicked open a lighter, and with a hiss and crackle, flames devoured the evidence until nothing remained but ash and scorched soil.
The next day, the couple reported the attack, but despite the pack patrol and enforcers sweeping the scene, not a single clue was found. No scent trail. No witnesses. No silver to catch. Carmen had planned this too well.
Her attack wasn’t driven by the frustration of losing a million–credit payout–though it certainly stung. No, it was because of Riley,
Her sister.
Every day Lucien Duskgrave kept Riley locked inside the Duskgrave estate, was another day she suffered under a gilded cage of silence and secrets . Carmen couldn’t allow that. Anyone who delayed her mission to save Riley would pay in blood. That couple had chosen the wrong night to interfere.
While Carmen was settling scores in her own ruthless way, Riley remained trapped in the Duskgrave manor.
For seven days, she hadn’t stepped beyond the stone walls. Each morning, she resumed work on Matriarch Duskgrave’s cherished embroidery project–a sprawling silk rendering of a white peony, the sigil flower of the Stormridge Pack.
By the seventh day, Caelum Knox finally returned.
In the high tower office of the Duskgrave estate, Lucien stood silently behind his broad oak desk. The air around him was thick, cold, the way it always felt before a storm broke.
Caelum placed a thick leather–bound folder onto the desk. The weight of the truth thudded against the wood.
“All the intel on the Ebonclaw Pack is here,” Caelum said, his voice low.
Lucien said nothing at first. He opened the folder with slender fingers. Page after page revealed names, dates, medical records, education histories–details Riley herself had likely never seen. And with each turn of the page , his brows drew closer together, the fury in his golden eyes simmering hotter.
He had known the Ebonclaw Park was ruthless.
But this this was monstrous.
The truth clawed at his gut. Riley had been not merely neglected, but gutted, drained, betrayed. Her so–called family had sold her off, used her, imprisoned her, discarded her
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sted deeper into his chest like a silver knife
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At last, he stood, gathering the entire folder under one arm. Caelum frowned slightly
“ Alpha .” he said, “this file. it’s too cruel. Riley may not be ready to face it.”
Lucien’s voice was colder than the wind on the Frostfangs
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“She’s endured cruelty all her life without understanding why. If she must suffer, let her at least suffer knowing the truth.”
Then he strode out of the study, leaving Caelum behind.
For the first time in years, Lucien Duskgrave–war hero . Alpha heir, ruthless tactician– hesitated .
He stood before Riley’s embroidery chamber like a warrior before battle , palm hovering over the wooden door. He imagined her reaction, confusion, horror, heartbreak. Each possibility tore deeper into his core
Behind him, Caelum watched, eyes wide with disbelief. He had served under Lucien during the Rogue Purges, had seen him kill with a flick of his wrist. But now, for a woman. Lucien hesitated.
And Caelum understood why.
He’d read the same file.
The Ebonclaw Pack weren’t wolves–they were parasites.
Even in the blood–drenched world of werewolf clans, this kind of familial betrayal was rare. Parents stealing from their child, siblings conspiring against her. It was unspeakable.
Then, without warning, the door creaked open.
Riley stood in the doorway , framed by sunlight.
At first, confusion flitted across her face–but then her eyes locked onto Caelum and then dropped to the folder in Lucien’s
hand
Her breath caught.
“You found it” she rasped, voice hoarse from days of silence.
Lucien nodded slowly, his expression unreadable. “Everything. It’s all here. Do you… want to know?”
The weight of his words pressed against her chest.
Truth Or ignorance.
The folder felt like it might explode in his hands
Riley’s fingers twitched at her side. The collar of her simple dress fluttered with her shallow breaths . Despite all she’d
endured despite her burning curiosity–something in her hesitated. She could feel the truth vibrating off the folder like dark magic, ready to swallow her whole
Her voice cracked
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