Chapter 401\u00a0<\/p>\n
Third Person\u2019s POV\u00a0<\/p>\n
D\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u0f66 . 74%=\u00a0<\/p>\n
+5 Pearls\u00a0<\/p>\n
Theo Hale stood at the edge of the dimly lit room, watching the she-wolf in the hospital bed. Tessa Blackmaw looked more like a porcelain doll than the feared daughter of the Blackmaw Pack. Pale. Fragile. Hollow.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He exhaled slowly, then stepped closer. \u201cTessa,\u201d he said softly, his voice a careful blend of warmth and resolve. \u201cI know what happened in your room yesterday\u00a0<\/p>\n
Tessa didn\u2019t respond. She didn\u2019t flinch. She just stared at the ceiling, expression vacant.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t want justice for yourself?\u201d Theo asked, his tone tightening. \u201cFor Riley?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She wanted it. Goddess, she did.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But the truth was clear-carved into the expressions she had seen yesterday. Alpha Alaric. Luna Zara. Kael Vale. Maddox. Even her own brother, Ronan Duskcliff. All of them had shielded Scarlett.\u00a0<\/p>\n
All of them had silenced her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They stopped her from speaking when she had the chance. Held her back. Warned her with their eyes, their words, their unspoken threats.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett wasn\u2019t just the pampered foster daughter. She was the golden child of the Ebonclaw Pack\u2019s carefully constructed facade.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And Riley Vale?\u00a0<\/p>\n
She was the stain they tried desperately to scrub away.\u00a0<\/p>\n
So no-Tessa couldn\u2019t trust them. And she didn\u2019t trust Theo Hale either. He\u2019d always been friendly with the Ebonclaws. He had never stood on Riley\u2019s side before.\u00a0<\/p>\n
So she lay still.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Theo kept talking, trying everything-logic, sympathy, even anger. But Tessa remained silent, unmoved. She was the perfect picture of a lifeless puppet.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It frustrated him deeply.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Until he changed tactics.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cRiley\u2019s missing,\u201d Theo said suddenly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That word-missing-shattered something in the room.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Tessa\u2019s pupils dilated, just for a second. Her fingers twitched. Her eyes, once dull, flickered with a pain so raw it nearly made Theo flinch.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He caught it. That flicker of soul.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And he pressed forward.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cShe disappeared last night,\u201d he said, voice low. \u201cNo one knows where she is. Alaric, Maddox, even Ronan-\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
10:10 Mon, Jan 5 WG\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 401\u00a0<\/p>\n
they\u2019re all searching. But you know what\u2019ll happen if they find her first.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
74%\u00a0<\/p>\n
+5 Pearls\u00a0<\/p>\n
Tessa\u2019s breath hitched. Her throat made a strangled sound-more sob than word. And then tears. Hot and fast, trailing down her temples into her dark hair.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She tried to speak, but nothing came out. Her vocal cords failed her-either from trauma or magic Theo couldn\u2019t see. All she managed were broken, muffled vowels and the desperate thrash of a silent scream.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Theo stepped closer, grabbing a tissue and gently wiping her tears.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t push yourself,\u201d he said softly. \u201cJust rest. When your strength returns, you can still speak the truth. You can help clear Riley\u2019s name.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Tessa wept silently, curled like a dying ember, while Thep gave her one last nod and turned to leave.\u00a0<\/p>\n
By the time he stepped out into the hallway, Theo\u2019s mind was spinning.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He was going to the Second Mooncrest Hospital to follow a lead. But as he approached the hospital\u2019s underground garage, he spotted two familiar figures through the windshield-Dean Elira Blackthorn, the sharp-eyed Pack Medical Alpha who ran Mooncrest First Hospital, and a man standing too close to her: Scarlett\u2019s driver.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Theo\u2019s brows lifted.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Strange pair, he thought. Elira was always professional to a fault. Why would she be meeting with a lower- ranked enforcer?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Still, he didn\u2019t stop. He had other things to do.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He drove through the late afternoon traffic of Mooncrest, heading toward the Second Hospital-but halfway there, a thought struck him like lightning.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He parked at the curb beside a flower shop.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Today was a weekend, and the place was packed with couples and sweet scents.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Theo-tall, lean, dressed in casual slacks and a fitted black tee-was instantly noticed. With his styled dark hair and effortless swagger, he gave off that careless heir vibe that turned heads.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A young florist immediately rushed over. \u201cSir, shopping for someone special?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah,\u201d he muttered, hands in his pockets.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t want to admit it even to himself, but visiting Riley empty-handed didn\u2019t sit right. She\u2019d been through too much-and he\u2019d treated her like trash for years.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This bouquet was his\u2026 apology. Sort of.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He wasn\u2019t the kind of guy to say I\u2019m sorry. But maybe the flowers could say it for him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIs it for a man or a woman?\u201d the florist asked sweetly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWoman,\u201d Theo replied.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The florist grinned knowingly. With his looks and aura, she assumed it was for a lover.\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
10:10 Mon, Jan 5 G.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 401\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLeave it to me, sir. I\u2019ve got just the thing to help you win her heart.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He gave her a skeptical look but didn\u2019t stop her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As the florist disappeared to prepare the bouquet, Theo stepped out for a smoke.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u0f2374%=\u00a0<\/p>\n
+5 Pearls\u00a0<\/p>\n
He leaned against the post, cigarette between his lips, gaze lazy but sharp. Passersby slowed down. Girls nudged each other and giggled. A few bold ones lingered, whispering.\u00a0<\/p>\n
One particularly brave girl approached, phone in hand, clearly about to ask for his contact.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Before she could speak, the florist rushed out with a flourish.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYour order\u2019s ready, sir!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She handed him an enormous bouquet-ninety-nine perfect red roses, wrapped in crimson silk.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Theo stared at it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Even a romantic idiot knew what red roses meant.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This wasn\u2019t a neutral bouquet. It was a full-on confession.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Seriously? He groaned internally. She\u2019s a patient recovering from trauma, not someone I\u2019m about to propose to.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He wanted to return it. Badly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But people were watching. And Theo Hale, prideful Alpha-born and one of Mooncrest\u2019s top-ranking Pack physicians, wasn\u2019t about to be seen making a fuss over flowers in public.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Besides\u2026 Riley probably didn\u2019t even know what red roses symbolized.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She\u2019ll just think they\u2019re pretty.\u00a0<\/p>\n
With that self-justifying thought, he took the bouquet.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The florist winked. \u201cGo get her, Alpha.\u201d 00\u00a0<\/p>\n
Theo sighed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2026Yeah. Thanks.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Send Gifts\u00a0<\/p>\n
924\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u76ee1\u00a0<\/p>\n
10:10 Mon, Jan 5 G.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Pack\u2019s Daughter\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 401 Chapter 401\u00a0 Third Person\u2019s POV\u00a0 D\u00a0 \u0f66 . 74%=\u00a0 +5 Pearls\u00a0 Theo Hale stood […]<\/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-20676","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pack-princess"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20676","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=20676"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20676\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20676"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20676"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20676"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}