Chapter 403\u00a0<\/p>\n
Riley\u2019s POV\u00a0<\/p>\n
I lowered my gaze.\u00a0<\/p>\n
To someone like Theo Hale, I didn\u2019t even have the right to exist in his line of sight-much less expect\u00a0<\/p>\n
concern.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Every time we crossed paths, his words cut sharper than a blade. If that\u2019s the reception I always got, why would I ever look forward to seeing him?\u00a0<\/p>\n
And now that he\u2019d found me here\u2026 it could only mean the Ebonclaw Pack wouldn\u2019t be far behind.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Those lunatics had already tried to trade me off like livestock-wanted me to marry into the Duskgrave family from Stormridge Pack, all for a stake in some damned Eastward development project.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I almost agreed. For Mia\u2019s sake. For Carmen\u2019s.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But ever since last night, when I learned my embroidery sold for a fortune, something shifted inside me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t want to keep swallowing dirt just to survive. Not anymore.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But that required time-time to stay hidden, to make enough with my own hands to protect the only people who\u2019d ever treated me like I mattered. Once I could get Mia and Carmen out of Mooncrest safely, I\u2019d have nothing holding me back. No weaknesses left to exploit.\u00a0<\/p>\n
If it came down to war with the Ebonclaws, I\u2019d burn the whole damned Pack down and not flinch.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I tried to focus on the soup in front of me-pigeon broth with goji berries-but it tasted like nothing. Like chewing on air.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Theo was still here, hovering like a storm cloud. His brows were scrunched, clearly pissed I wasn\u2019t groveling at his feet. The great Hale heir wasn\u2019t used to being unwelcome, clearly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I watched out of the corner of my eye as he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a cigarette. Typical.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But before he could even light it, a low, commanding voice stopped him cold.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t smoke in here.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lucien Duskgrave. I now knew his name.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And even though his last name was exactly the same as that of the infamous fianc\u00e9 from the legends, I told myself it had to be a coincidence,\u00a0<\/p>\n
They said the Alpha of Stormridge was old, hideous, an cursed-every mate he\u2019d ever taken had died because of him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But Lucien\u2026 the man standing in front of me\u2026.\u00a0<\/p>\n
There was no way he could be that Alpha.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lucien\u2019s tone wasn\u2019t loud, but it crackled with Alpha dominance so strong even I felt it brush against my skin like static.\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/4\u00a0<\/p>\n
10:10 Mon, Jan 5 G.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 403\u00a0<\/p>\n
Theo visibly stiffened. \u201cAnd who the hell are you to tell me what to do?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lucien didn\u2019t blink. \u201cThis is a hospital.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u0f66 \u0f51\u0f71\u0f72 73%\u00b0\u00a0<\/p>\n
+5 Pearls\u00a0<\/p>\n
Theo bit down on his lip and shoved the cigarette and lighter back into his pocket like a sulky pup.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cShe didn\u2019t say anything,\u201d he grumbled, gesturing toward me. \u201cWhy are you acting like her handler?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I froze mid-sip, caught in the crossfire. \u201cI\u2026 don\u2019t like the smell of smoke,\u201d I admitted softly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Theo\u2019s expression crumpled in disbelief.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He barked a laugh. \u201cSeriously? Who even is this guy, Riley? You\u2019re defending him like he\u2019s your mate or something. I\u2019ve known you for eight years and never even heard you mention him.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t respond. What could I say?\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t even know who Lucien truly was-not yet. Only that he\u2019d helped me, twice now, when no one else had.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Theo fumed in silence for a few moments, then turned on his heel and stomped toward the door like a sulky child.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cTheo-wait!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He paused, hand on the handle, but didn\u2019t turn back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Still, my voice must\u2019ve meant something, because the air around him seemed to soften just a little.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cPlease,\u201d I said, my voice low, almost pleading. \u201cDon\u2019t tell the Ebonclaws I\u2019m here.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His shoulders tensed, then slumped.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI won\u2019t,\u201d he said, quieter now. \u201cAnd I won\u2019t tell Maddox. Or Ronan either.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Relief surged through me so fast it left me dizzy. \u201cThank you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Just two words, but Theo looked like he\u2019d been handed a crown.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cJust get better,\u201d he muttered, a little sheepishly. \u201cMaybe I\u2019ll\u2026 stop by again sometime.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
And with that, he left.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The silence that followed was like snowfall. Still. Clean.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I picked up my spoon again and resumed eating, more relaxed than I had been in days. Across the room, Lucien sat by the window, sunlight streaming across his profile, casting soft shadows over his angular features.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He looked like he belonged in a different world. One of marble mansions and ancient power. Everything about him-his posture, his focus, the way he turned pages of his book with deliberate care-oozed quiet strength. Controlled elegance.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I glanced at him more than once, though I tried not to make it obvious. The way the sunlight reflected off his gold-rimmed glasses made his eyes seem even deeper, darker.\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\/4\u00a0<\/p>\n
10:10 Mon, Jan 5 G.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 403\u00a0<\/p>\n
There weren\u2019t many people who made me feel safe.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Fewer who made me feel\u2026 seen.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lucien was both.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u0f66 \u0f41\u0fad\u0f0b 73%\u00a0<\/p>\n
+5 Pearls\u00a0<\/p>\n
Most of the wolves I\u2019d known from high-ranking families were cruel behind their politeness, dressed in silk but rotted at the core. Maddox. Ronan. Even Theo, for years. The Ebonclaws, especially.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But Lucien?\u00a0<\/p>\n
He was different.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Steady. Composed. Not just powerful-gracious.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And that scared me more than I wanted to admit.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Suddenly, Lucien looked up from his book, catching me in the act of staring. His eyes locked with mine, and I forgot how to breathe.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cStill hungry?\u201d he asked gently.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I snapped out of it, cheeks burning. \u201cNo, it\u2019s good. Really good. Your grandmother cooks very well.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I hesitated, biting my lower lip. The memory of last night surfaced-me guzzling down two entire bottles of his wine without offering him so much as a drop.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That car he drove\u2026 a Rolls-Royce. Which meant those wines probably cost more than my yearly rent.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Crap.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAbout last night\u2026\u201d I started awkwardly, fidgeting with my spoon. \u201cThose two bottles of wine-how much were they? I\u2019ll pay you back.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lucien\u2019s lips curved into a slow, deliberate smile. He looked at me for a long beat, and then said, completely deadpan, \u201cFive hundred thousand a bottle.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My spoon clattered into the bowl.\u00a0<\/p>\n
What?\u00a0<\/p>\n
He said it so casually, like he was commenting on the weather. Five hundred thousand?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Was he serious?\u00a0<\/p>\n
My heart sank to my stomach.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And then\u2026 the tiniest flicker of mischief flashed behind his glasses.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Oh no.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He was messing with me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lucien Duskgrave was teasing me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
3\/4\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 403 Chapter 403\u00a0 Riley\u2019s POV\u00a0 I lowered my gaze.\u00a0 To someone like Theo Hale, I […]<\/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-20678","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pack-princess"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20678","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=20678"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20678\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20678"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20678"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20678"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}