Chapter 25
25
Riley’s POV
+8 Pearls
By the time I returned to the Ebonclaw Pack manor, the night had fallen completely. The courtyard was quiet under the cloak of darkness, the scent of roasted meat and pine smoke drifting faintly through the wind.
Mia was already standing outside the front gate , her wrinkled hands anxiously wringing the hem of her apron. The moment she saw me limping toward her, her tense shoulders sagged in relief and she rushed forward.
“Miss Riley! Thank the Moon Goddess, you’re finally back.” Her voice trembled with a mix of concern and affection.
Before I could answer, her gaze swept over me, catching the gauze on my forehead, the blood crusted around the edges, and the bruises creeping up my arms. Her eyes filled with pain.
“What happened to you?” she asked , reaching out carefully.
“I’m fine,” I said quietly, shaking my head . My throat was dry, and even that small lie tasted bitter.
Mia wasn’t convinced. “Are you really? You look like-”
“I said I’m fine.”1 cut in gently but firmly, trying to push down the heat rising behind my eyes. I needed to be strong. Not for me–for Carmen. “How’s Carmen? Did anything happen while I was gone?”
Her expression shifted, softening with a smile. “She’s okay now. Thanks to Master Kael, the school’s decided not to expel her after all.”
I froze.
So that’s how he wanted to play it..
Mia sighed in deep gratitude, completely unaware of the poison underneath it all . “ You know, Miss Riley, Master Kael isn’t a bad person. He helped a lot behind the scenes, If the two of you could just talk things through… he really would make a good brother . ”
I didn’t respond. I just stared at her, lips curling into a faint, bitter smile.
A good brother?
Kael Vale had always been two–faced. Charming in public, ruthless in private. And somehow, he made even those he hurt feel like they owed him something.
He used Carmen to get to me. This time it was her next time it could be Mia. That’s who he was.
And still, I couldn’t walk away. Not without leaving the people I cared about behind.
I forced a smile. “I’m glad she’s okay.”
Then I walked toward the manor.
Inside, the grand dining hall was lit with golden warmth. I could hear laughter before I even stepped in
Kael, Scarlett, Alpha Alaric , and Luna Zara were all seated around the table, eating and chatting like the perfect Pack family.
A roast boar, honey–glazed root vegetables, and fine wine sat on polished plates. The air was full of warmth, clinking glassware, and carefully crafted lies.
And the moment Lentered, the mood shifted.
Kael’s eyes snapped to me, the smile on his face vanishing like smoke, “Oh. So you remembered where the Pack lives.”
His words dripped with sarcasm, no concern in sight. Just contempt.
Luna Zara frowned slightly and gave him a warning glance. “Kael, don’t speak to your sister like that .”
Then she turned to me with a forced warmth. “Riley, don’t mind him . Come, eat with us . ”
15 PM 다
25
I shook my head . “No need. You go ahead.”
She persisted, still trying to wear her mask. “Skipping dinner isn’t good for your health. Just have a little.”
I glanced at the table–empty platters, stripped bones, half–drunk glasses.
“I’m not in the mood for leftovers,” I said flatly.
Her smile froze.
* +8 Pearls
Tension immediately thickened the room. Alpha Alaric’s face darkened as his gaze cut across the table toward me.
Scarlett, ever the little angel, set down her utensils with practiced gentleness. “ Riley , we waited a long time. When you come, we thought you’d already eaten. We just started a moment ago, really.”
“ Yeah ,” Luna Zara jumped in, nodding. “Everything here is your favorite.”
That was a lie. I could smell the seafood from across the room.
I took a slow breath, letting the fury simmer just below the surface.
didn’t
“Really? Then tell me something. Out of six dishes and a soup, three of them are things I’m allergic to: crals, shrimp, and pineapple. I thought you said it was all my favorites?”
Zara’s expression faltered. Her eyes darted away ..
I didn’t stop.
“You never even asked me what I liked. You never remembered. You just sa
said whatever sounded nice.”
Kael slammed his chopsticks onto the table . The noise cracked through the air like thunder. “That’s enough, Riley. Mom and Dad were worried about you. Scarlett too. Don’t come back here acting like the whole world owes you something”
I looked at the faces around me. All so perfectly composed, so hollow,
They wanted peace? They wanted quiet?
They should’ve left me the hell alone.
I smiled, slowly. Coldly
“You said everything was just prepared, right? Then tell me why are all the plates empty? Want me to lick them clean?”
Scarlett’s expression twitched.
I turned to Zara. “Or maybe you can remind me what exactly are my favorite foods??
She opened her mouth , but nothing came out.
I chuckled darkly. “Don’t worry. I’ll remind you. I don’t have favorite foods, Luna Zara . I was raised not to be picky. Anything that didn’t make me sick was good enough.”
I took a step closer to the table, eyes locked on Kael now.
“But I do avoid what I’m allergic to. You knew that. You all knew that . And you still served it.”
My voice dropped to a near–growl. “Is that what you call kindness?”
Karl’s face darkened, the fury in his eyes barely restrained.
Alaric rose slowly from his seat, the weight of the Alpha thick in the air. “ You ungrateful brat. We gave you a roof, food, a second chance-”
“I never asked for any of it. I cut in. “Did I beg you to bring me back? Did I ask to be paraded as your long–lost daughter, just to be treated like dirt in my own home?“
3.35 PM
25
His voice boomed. “We gave you lif
life!”
I stared him down, rage searing through every nerve.
“Then maybe you shouldn’t have.”