Chapter 353\u00a0<\/p>\n
Riley\u2019s POV\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
I woke up not to the antiseptic scent of a hospital ward\u2026 but to the cloying sweetness of artificial roses and pastel-colored curtains.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My lashes fluttered. The bed was too soft, the pillow too scented. Everything around me was pink. Frills. Lace. A chandelier dripping fake crystal tears above my head.\u00a0<\/p>\n
What the hell\u2026?\u00a0<\/p>\n
I sat up too fast.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Pain seared through my shoulder like lightning. I hissed under my breath, clutching at the bandage. The white gauze was clean, but not fresh-blood was already beginning to soak through.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I pushed back the blanket and climbed out of bed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Barefoot.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Weak.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But awake.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I crossed the room and opened the door-and then it hit me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ebonclaw Pack estate.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I was back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Not in the dungeon. Not in the hospital. Not alone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Back here.\u00a0<\/p>\n
CA\u00a0<\/p>\n
In Kael\u2019s old bedroom-though someone had turned it into a frilly nightmare. Pink satin on every wall. Princess wallpaper. Stuffed wolves on the shelves. Like some designer had tried to cover up history with pastel lies.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My grip on the doorknob tightened.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I looked down over the stairwell.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The living room was full.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Father-Alpha Alaric-sat at the head of the pack like always, arms crossed and jaw tight. Luna Zara by his side, back straight, expression unreadable. Scarlett practically glued herself to Mother\u2019s side, and Kael sat stiffly on the armrest, watching something with barely restrained tension.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And then-Ronan.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Of course he was here. Ronan is Scarlett\u2019s fianc\u00e9, serving as a bridge between the two pack alliances, so he will appear here\u00a0<\/p>\n
13:13 Mon, Dec 29\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 353\u00a0<\/p>\n
DG\u00a0<\/p>\n
46)\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Blackmaw Pack\u2019s Alpha heir, looking every inch the polished predator-tailored suit, emotionless expression, golden eyes that missed nothing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett was the first to notice me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her voice pitched high, sugarcoated as always. \u201cRiley! You\u2019re finally awake.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Awake?\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stared down at them, heart still sluggish in my chest, blood like ice in my veins.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I hadn\u2019t been sleeping.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I had been unconscious. I\u2019d shifted. For the first time in my life, I\u2019d felt my wolf-really felt her-and now\u2026 she was gone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I called to her, mentally, desperately.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nothing answered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett\u2019s words twisted that truth into something soft and stupid.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Like I\u2019d just taken a long nap.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I said nothing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I simply looked at her. Cold and still.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She shrank beneath my stare, her voice trembling. \u201cD-did I say something wrong\u2026?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Of course not. Not in their eyes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Zara instantly reached to soothe her adopted daughter, stroking her back like I was the bully. She didn\u2019t say a word to me, but her look said enough: You\u2019re scaring your sister again.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then Father spoke.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And like always, he didn\u2019t bother softening the blow.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re really standing there glaring at your sister?\u201d he snapped. \u201cYou\u2019re over twenty already. You sleep like the dead, and when you\u2019re awake, you\u2019re either stuffing your face or sulking. We brought you home yesterday and you were out cold. One full day and night passed, and still-nothing but sleep. You tell me, Riley, what exactly are you good for?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His voice rose with each word.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve got no mate. No job. No wolf. Nothing. Just dead weight on this Pack.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
There it was.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The truth under the venom.\u00a0<\/p>\n
No wolf. No value.\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\/5\u00a0<\/p>\n
13:13 Mon, Dec 29\u00a0<\/p>\n
G\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 353\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
They still believed it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Didn\u2019t matter that I\u2019d shifted. They didn\u2019t see it. Didn\u2019t feel it. And now, neither could I.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My father thinks the last time I bared my claws in front of him was just for show.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He still believes I\u2019m weak and powerless.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Also it seems my dear former mate Maddox hasn\u2019t told them that I\u2019ve shifted into a white wolf.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That\u2019s fine.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It\u2019s only fair they witness it with their own eyes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
So I stared down at him, my voice cool. \u201cAre you done, Alpha Alaric?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The room tensed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He blinked, caught off guard. Probably expected me to cry, or at least look ashamed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Instead, I turned to go back to the room.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t you walk away from me!\u201d he roared. \u201cCome down here. We have something to discuss.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t want to.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Every instinct in me screamed to stay away from them. From this whole polished performance of a family.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But then I remembered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The million-dollar deal.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My ticket out.\u00a0<\/p>\n
So I descended the stairs, each step measured. I took a seat in the middle of them all, like I was on trial.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I guess I was.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Father sipped his tea, voice casual. \u201cYou\u2019re not a child anymore. It\u2019s time you stop leeching off the Pack and do something useful. Your mother and I have arranged a match.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My stomach tightened.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNorthridge. The Stormridge heir. You\u2019ll marry into their family. It\u2019s a good match for someone like you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Someone like me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Meaning: a daughter without a wolf. A daughter they couldn\u2019t parade. A daughter too troublesome to keep.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He kept talking.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYour manners are poor. Your temper is worse. But you are still technically our blood. We\u2019ll prepare a decen dowry. The rest is up to you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
3\/\u00a0<\/p>\n
13:14 Mon, Dec 29\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 353\u00a0<\/p>\n
G\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ronan\u2019s knuckles went white on the teacup. I saw it-the moment he realized exactly what kind of trade had been made.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His eyes didn\u2019t flicker.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But his energy changed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Luna Zara reached across the table, laying a hand on mine like we were close. \u201cWe\u2019ll miss you, sweetheart. But girls your age don\u2019t stay single forever. It\u2019s time. You don\u2019t want to be left behind, do you?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I slid my hand away slowly, letting my silence speak for itself.\u00a0<\/p>\n
If this match were so desirable\u2026 why hadn\u2019t they given it to Scarlett?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Because I was expendable.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And she was the precious, sweetnered she-wolf with perfect lineage and a sob story the Elders adored.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They knew I wouldn\u2019t refuse.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Because I couldn\u2019t afford to.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I said nothing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But Kael exploded.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWait-what? You\u2019re marrying her off to him? Without even talking to me?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Alaric\u2019s face darkened.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Zara quickly cut in. \u201cKael, this isn\u2019t your concern-\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe hell it isn\u2019t!\u201d he snapped. \u201cRiley doesn\u2019t even know him. She\u2019s not-she\u2019s not like Scarlett. She hasn\u2019t even fully shifted. She\u2019s not ready-\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cEnough!\u201d Alaric thundered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kael\u2019s jaw clenched. His fists curled.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And then-everyone looked at me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Waiting for my answer.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I lifted my chin and met Kael\u2019s gaze. My voice rang clear.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI accept.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The room froze.\u00a0<\/p>\n
f\u00a0<\/p>\n
Zara\u2019s lips parted in joy. Alaric gave a satisfied grunt. Scarlett blinked like she didn\u2019t expect me to say yes. Kael\u2019s face crumpled with something dangerously close to heartbreak.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And Ronan?\u00a0<\/p>\n
4\/5\u00a0<\/p>\n
13:14 Mon, Dec 29\u00a0<\/p>\n
G\u00a0<\/p>\n
46\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 353\u00a0<\/p>\n
His cup shattered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Glass sliced into his palm, blood blooming bright and fast.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett gasped. \u201cRonan! You\u2019re bleeding-Mia! Get the med kit!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
But he didn\u2019t flinch.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t move.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He just stared at me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Like he was trying to see something through the fog.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His blood dripped steadily onto the white carpet, spreading like a rose in bloom.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And I\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t look away.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Didn\u2019t move a muscle.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Didn\u2019t feel a thing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He stared at me like I was a stranger.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And maybe now I was.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Because the girl who once skipped her only national academic competition to care for him during a 39- degree fever?\u00a0<\/p>\n
She was gone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That Riley-the one who cried when he was sick, who dragged him to a clinic on her back, who held his hand while he slept?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Buried. In the same grave where they\u2019d put her future.\u00a0<\/p>\n
All that was left now\u2026 was this.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A girl who would marry for survival and never look back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
798\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2729\u00a0<\/p>\n
Joseph King is an editor and storyteller who ensures every chapter is clear, polished, and engaging for readers.<\/p>\n
Midnight Letters by Daniel Crowe 353 Chapter 353\u00a0 Riley\u2019s POV\u00a0 Finished\u00a0 I woke up not to the antiseptic scent of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20626","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pack-princess"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20626","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20626"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20626\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20626"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20626"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20626"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}