Chapter 206
206
Riley’s gaze swept slowly across the room, lingering on each face.
In their eyes, she saw nothing but sincerity and compassion.
Finished
For the first time in a long while, a warmth bloomed quietly in her chest. In that fragile, fleeting moment, she dared to believe that perhaps the Moon Goddess hadn’t been entirely cruel to her.
Yes, fate had dealt her a bitter hand–born to a bloodline that abandoned her, cast into the cold shadows of pain and falsehood–but still… she had found this. A circle of people who treated her with unguarded kindness.
And that warmth–so rare, so precious–was enough to shield her from the coldest winds of the world.
A radiant, genuine smile broke across her face–like sunlight after a long storm.
Golden light spilled through the tall windows of the Duskgrave estate, casting a soft halo around her. The morning sun kissed her skin, bathing her in a gentle glow that made her look impossibly serene–healthy, even.
Matriarch Duskgrave watched her with a loving gaze. “You must be hungry, child. Come, I’ll make breakfast with Mrs. Beck and Mia.”
She didn’t wait for Riley’s polite refusal–she simply rose to her feet and left with a decisive warmth, calling out to Carmen cheerfully, “Come sit, dear. Spend some time with her.”
The grand sitting room fell silent, leaving only three behind–Riley, Lucien Duskgrave, and Carmen.
Carmen’s thoughts were a storm–churning with urgency, anxiety, and questions. But Lucien’s presence was like an invisible mountain pressing down on the room. Regal, commanding, effortlessly dominant. The air around him hummed with power.
She opened her mouth–but the words died before they reached her lips.
Her eyes flicked toward Riley and quickly looked away again. Then she smiled sweetly and said, “Riley, I saw the garden outside earlier–there are so many beautiful blooms. Will you come walk with me? I’d love to see them up close . ”
Kiley, unsuspecting, rose to her feet with a gentle laugh and took Carmen’s arm. “You’ll love them. Alpha Lucien had them specially selected and planted–each flower chosen for its bloom cycle and scent.”
There was a lightness in her tone–a subtie lift, unintentional but clear. She didn’t say she adored him, didn’t fawn. But in her words was a quiet admiration that could not be missed.
Carmen’s chest üghtered.
She glanced sideways at Riley’s soft expression, at the light flush on her cheeks, and her heart clenched with worry
Condld i be Riley had fallen for him?
Lucien Duskgrave was no doubt remarkalde–powerful, composed, devastatingly handsome–but Carmen’s instincts screamed danger.
Str dared a glance at the man himself
He was seated, ne leg crossed eyes half–hdded as he watched the two when Not moving Not smiling
But watching
A predator waiting in steme
Carmen strerred Thock was like a panther tracking prey. She forced herself to breads evenly, bet heart pounding
bum and they surgeped in the garden did shat appresive weigh tally b
Carmen reinased shaky best casing scary. Datgeous That man was dang The Kid sal who once marked
3:55 PM P P •
206
Finished
Before she could dwell on it further, Riley was already leading her between bursts of color. The flower beds stretched across the courtyard like a tapestry of wild beauty–lavender, moon–roses, sunthorn lilies, and nightshade bloom mingled in striking harmony. Their scents wove together into something so heady and lovely it made Carmen briefly forget where she
was.
Then, she stopped.
“Riley,” she said softly, voice grave.
Riley turned, surprised by her serious tone. “What is it?”
“Do you want to leave this place?” Carmen asked, eyes filled with urgency and hope.
Riley didn’t answer immediately. Her smile faded, replaced by quiet contemplation. A long silence settled between them, heavy with emotion.
Carmen grew more anxious by the second.
“You asked me once–at the hospital–if I’d ever thought of studying abroad. I didn’t give you a real answer then, but I’ll give you one now: Yes. I want to go. I need to go. But not without you. I want to leave this place—with you and my mom. We could start over. A new life. One where the Ebonclaw Pack, the Duskcliffs, even Maddox–they won’t be able to hurt you ever again.”
Carmen looked around, lowered her voice, and added, “I know the Duskgrave family has been good to you. I see that. But Riley… those highblood families, they come with rules. With power plays. And that man… Alpha Lucien… he’s not just some kind aristocrat.”
She locked eyes with Riley.
“He’s dangerous. ”
Riley had been watching her intently the whole time, lips pressed together, reading every word that passed from Carmen’s mouth.
She knew .
She knew Carmen spoke from the heart.
And she also knew Carmen wasn’t wrong.
The Duskgrave family owed her nothing. She had no blood ties to them. Matriarch Duskgrave’s matchmaking efforts were gentle but unmistakable. And Riley… was painfully aware she didn’t belong here forever.
Lucien Duskgrave was brilliant Imposing. A king among wolves.
And she–scarred, maimed, half–healed–was little more than a shadow of what she once was.
He deserved more. Better.
Not someone like her, broken in both body and soul
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