Chapter 276
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Riley’s first instinct was to raise her arm, shielding herself from the blow. The sharp crack of Selene Ashford’s jeweled clutch striking her forearm sent pain shooting up her bones, but she refused to cry out.
Mia surged forward, her fury palpable, only to be seized and slammed down against the table, her arm pinned cruelly beneath someone’s hand.
“Stop this madness!” Mia cried, her voice trembling with rage. “My Lady is betrothed-she has a rightful mate. She would never debase herself by chasing another male!”
Selene’s lips curled into a venomous sneer. “Betrothed? And yet she clings to my Aaron like a heat-starved wench. Tell me, Riley-does your mate not satisfy you? Or do you simply crave every male’s touch?”
The venom in her words dripped like acid, her insults sharp enough to flay skin.
Riley’s claws itched to tear free, to shred Selene where she stood. But before she could summon her strength, Zao-his bloated frame reeking of ale and sweat— latched onto her wrist. His piggish eyes glittered with spiteful satisfaction, the memory of her earlier defiance still burning his pride.
He had wealth. Influence. A thousand reasons, in his mind, to believe Riley should have fallen at his feet. That she hadn’t-that she had struck him-had turned his lust into vindictive malice.
With Zao’s bulk pinning her, Riley couldn’t evade the next onslaught. Selene’s blows rained down, her clutch scraping Riley’s skin until crimson welts appeared across her cheek.
Mia’s eyes went bloodshot, her voice hoarse as she screamed, “Her betrothed is Lucien Duskgrave, Prince of the Stormridge Pack! Harm her, and none of you will live to regret it!”
The name cracked across the room like a whip. For a heartbeat, silence reigned.
Then-laughter.
Wild, mocking, unrestrained laughter that shook the very walls of the Silverfang
Den.
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“The Alpha Prince of Stormridge, betrothed to a convict bitch?” one sneered.
“If that’s true, then I’ll eat wolf scat with a smile,” another jeered.
“Riley, stop playing the goddess. You’re nothing but filth dressed in white.”
The derision spread like wildfire, the pack of former peers howling at her expense.
Aaron coughed, feigning restraint, though his eyes shone with malice. “Enough. We’re all packmates from Mooncrest High once. No need to kill her.”
Selene turned sharply, suspicion flashing in her eyes. “Aaron. Do you like her? Is that why you’re shielding her?”
He paled, shaking his head so fast it was almost pitiful. “No-never. She’s nothing to me. If you want to break her, Selene… do it. I won’t interfere.”
A cruel satisfaction curved Selene’s lips. She raised her hand again, but another woman stopped her, grinning wickedly.
“Don’t waste your claws on her. Look at this cake. Wouldn’t it be more fitting to smear this little fraud in sugar and cream?”
The room erupted with savage agreement. Hands reached for plates and slices, hurling them with vicious glee.
Thick frosting struck Riley’s face, smothering her nose and mouth. She gasped, choking as cream clogged her throat and the tang of fruit syrup stung her eyes. More cakes followed, splattering her hair, her white dress, her skin until she was drenched in sticky humiliation.
Still-Riley did not break. Her body shook, but not from surrender. Beneath her skin, her wolf clawed and snarled, demanding she fight, demanding she tear their throats out for every ounce of shame they cast upon her,
Mia’s face was crushed against the table, her tears falling helplessly as she screamed, “Stop! Stop, you monsters!”
The mob only laughed harder, their jeers filling the air.
“Look at her now! The proud Ebonclaw princess, reduced to a frosted mutt!”
“Maybe this will remind her not to act so pure.”
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her veins, hot as molten iron.
And then-
)
The last restraint inside Riley snapped.
A guttural growl tore from her throat, low and resonant, shaking the air itself. Her bones cracked and lengthened, fur bristling as her frame exploded into the sleek, lethal form of her wolf.
Silver streaked through her midnight coat, her eyes blazing molten gold.
The room fell silent-then erupted in chaos.
“Sh-she shifted!” someone shrieked. ” White Wolf!”
Riley lunged.
Her claws raked across the table, splintering wood as she tore herself free from Zao’s grasp. With a savage snarl, she slammed into him, her weight pinning him to the ground. His scream was cut short by her fangs snapping inches from his arms.
Selene staggered back, face pale. “Y-you—”
Riley’s head whipped toward her, lips peeled back to reveal gleaming teeth. She stalked forward, each step a promise of blood. Selene’s bravado crumbled; she scrambled away, shrieking, clutch raised like it could shield her from a predator born to kill.
The others fared no better. Aaron tripped over himself in his haste to flee, while the red-dressed woman who’d offered the cake weapon was hurled into a wall, Riley’s paw swiping her aside like prey unworthy of attention. Plates shattered, bodies scrambled, panic reigned.
Only Mia stayed still, her eyes wide but full of desperate relief.
Riley prowled the ruined den, her growls reverberating through the air. These were no longer classmates-they were trespassers in her hunt, and she marked them with tooth and claw, driving them to the edges of the room until none dared
to move.
Her chest heaved. The copper taste of blood-hers and theirs-hung heavy in the
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air. Her wolf wanted more, demanded she finish it. End the threat.
But before she could strike again, the heavy oak door burst open.
The force of it silenced everything.
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Lucien Duskgrave stepped through, shadow and fury incarnate, his dominance slamming into the room like a stormfront. The cowards froze, their terror now shifting from Riley’s wrath to his.
Riley’s wolf turned at once, her golden eyes locking on him. A shiver of recognition passed through her-mate, Alpha, anchor.
And in that moment, her wolf relented.
The silver-furred predator dissolved back into flesh and blood. Bones cracked, fur receded, leaving Riley human once more, naked and trembling, her body streaked with frosting, blood, and sweat. She collapsed to her knees, her strength drained by the shift and the battle.
Lucien’s gaze seared her. His fury was no less for finding her already victorious. If anything, the sight of her battered body—so defiant, so near breaking—ignited his rage to something unstoppable.
He moved with lethal precision. In three strides he reached her, his boot slamming into Zao’s chest with a thunderous crack. The piggish man flew backward, hitting the ground in a heap, groaning in agony.
Lucien loomed over the room, his eyes a storm of midnight fire, daring anyone to move, daring anyone to breathe wrong.
And Riley, weak though she was, lifted her chin. Her body shook, but her eyes— wolf-bright and unyielding-met his.
She was bloodied. She was exhausted. But she was not broken.
She would never be prey.
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