Chapter 271
Riley’s POV
The next morning, sunlight poured through the windows, warm and bright.
Finished
Today was Carmen’s birthday. Mia and I had woken early and climbed into Lucien’s sleek black, Silverfang Den.
car.
headed for the grand
The Den wasn’t just any place–it was the most luxurious hotel in all of Mooncrest, a stronghold where only the most powerful of Stormridge Pack’s allies and elites gathered. Its very walls carried an air of dominance, as if even the stone recognized the wolves who passed through.
When we arrived, Lucien leaned down to me, his voice low but firm. “Riley, you a client here I must see first. When I’m done, I’ll join you.”
and Mia go
ahead
private room 101. I have
I nodded. “Go on, Lucien. Don’t worry about us. It’s still early, we’ll wait in 101.”
He gave me one last look, as if reluctant to leave me even for a breath, then strode off with the silent confidence only ant Alpha Prince could wear.
Mia and I followed the attendant down a long corridor lined with crimson carpets soft enough to swallow each step. The walls glittered with gilded sconces, and the air smelled faintly of oak and
scent that screamed wealth and old power.
When the attendant pushed open the door to 101, my breath caught.
its surface adorned with
A massive redwood table gleamed under the light, polished smooth as still
arrangements of fresh roses and delicately placed silverware. Every detail whispered of refent. On the walls hung paintings I was certain cost more than I had earned in my entire life, their strokes powerful and commanding. Above us, a crystal chandelier rained soft light down, turning the entire space into something out of a palace.
Even Mia, who had spent decades serving in the Ebonclaw Pack’s manor, froze at the sight. Her hands fidgeted nervously. “This place… it’s too fine. I almost don’t dare sit.”
I smiled gently at her. “Don’t worry, Mia. Lucien chose this for us. We’ll sit, as he intended.”
Still, I couldn’t shake the strange weight in my chest. If not for him, I would never have set foot in a place like this. Wolves like me weren’t meant to breathe air this rarefied.
We sat quietly, waiting for Lucien to return. Barely five minutes passed before I caught the echo of footsteps outside, too loud, too many, the careless shuffle of wolves who had no respect for silence. Voices followed, brash and mocking.
“Was it 101 or 107?”
“No, definitely 101. The ‘class idol‘ booked it. He’s already a sales manager for Duskgrave Holdings right after graduating–can you imagine?”
“Duskgrave Holdings! The capital’s most feared Alpha line. For him to already hold such a title–gods, his power must be something else.”
Laughter followed, smug and sharp. “He even secured a Stormridge Super–VIP room. That’s not something just anyone can touch.”
I stiffened. Stormridge Pack’s most exclusive rooms didn’t open for outsiders. Whoever this wolf was, he was either bluffing- or had made himself useful to the Duskgraves.
The door burst open without so much as a knock. A crowd spilled inside—men in slick suits or carefully pressed casual clothes, hair greased and shining like wet für. Heavy chains swung at their throats and watches gleamed on their wrists. The women trailed in after them, their dresses low–cut and glittering, shoulders bare, the air thick with their perfume. The scents clashed together–jasmine, musk, rose, synthetic sweetness–so heavy it clawed at my nose until I felt faint.
I blinked, caught between shock and disbelief. Why were they here–in our room?
They froze, too, when they saw me and Mia seated at the table.
The pause didn’t last long. A woman in a scarlet dress sneered, her lips curling. “Riley? What are you doing here? Last night
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11:52 PM P p.
Chapter 271
you turned down our invitation, said you were busy. And now you’re already here before us?”
My stomach dropped. Recognition hit–the same wolf who had mocked me in the washroom yesterday.
Finished
Before I could answer, another in yellow chimed in, her voice dripping venom. “Some people love to pretend they’re too pure for us, but the truth shows, doesn’t it? The moment she learned the idol was hosting at the Silverfang Den, she came running.”
Her eyes rolled, her disdain sharp as claws. The others joined in,
1
their gazes crawling over me with
that same contempt.
The men, though–their stares were different. They drank me e in, eyes fashing with the same hungry glot I had seen too many times before. Back in Mooncrest High, they used to whisper about me when they thought I couldn’t hear–too thin, too pale, but still the prettiest in class. The kind of beauty that made them
tless.
Now, after months of healing in Stormridge, my body had regained strength, my skin carried the glow of health again. My hair, black as raven feathers, flowed down my shoulders like silk. No jewelry, no heavy paints on my face–just me. But still, I felt the weight of their gaze, predatory and unashamed.
“Riley, you’ve only grown more beautiful since school,” one murmured.
A scoff cut him off. “What good is beauty when she’s a convict?”
That set the others off, cruel grins flashing.
“Ha! A female wolf doesn’t need brains or honor. Even if she’s crippled,” or broken, there will always be males eager to breed her.”
Laughter erupted, sharp and jeering, a sound that scraped against my bones.
Mia shot up from her seat, fury radiating off her small frame. “Enough! Get out! This room is not for the likes of you!”
The laughter faltered for a moment before turning meaner. They stared at her, eyes gleaming with scorn.
“Your room?” one man echoed, chuckling darkly. “This is a Stormridge Super–VIP suite. Not even the Alphas of smaller packs can book these. And you expect us to believe you two nobodies belong here?”
Another sneered at me, his words sharp as knives. “Riley Vale–always the pauper. In school you couldn’t even afford lunch. You’d sip cold water like a starved pup. We offered you leftovers, and you turned up your nose, like you were better than us. Always pretending.”
Their laughter returned, louder this time, filling the room like a pack of jackals circling blood.
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