Chapter 424\u00a0<\/p>\n
Riley\u2019s POV\u00a0<\/p>\n
After weeks of training with Lucien, I could feel the change in my body-stronger muscles, faster reflexes, and the stirring power of my wolf, Nyra, pulsing just beneath the surface of my skin.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I wasn\u2019t the same girl who had stumbled into the Duskgrave estate with hollow eyes and shackled hope. No. Now, when I looked in the mirror, I saw someone reclaiming her strength-piece by piece, claw by claw.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But there was more to healing than just fighting. I knew that. That\u2019s why, today, I wasn\u2019t training in the forest. I was at my desk, sunlight spilling through the tall windows of my room like a golden blessing, focused on a different kind of battle.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A labor of love.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The gift I was making for Matriarch Duskgrave.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She\u2019d taken me in when I had nothing but scars-on my body, in my soul. She\u2019d wrapped me in warmth I hadn\u2019t known in years. For the first time since my mother \u2018died\u2019, someone except Mia looked at me like I mattered. Not because of my bloodline or some cursed prophecy-but just because I was me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
So, I poured every ounce of that gratitude into this gift.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My fingers moved swiftly across the silk fabric, a needle held between them like a dagger. I was stitching a peony-Matriarch Duskgrave\u2019s favorite flower-into the center of a deep crimson tapestry. It wasn\u2019t just thread and silk. It was my soul in every stitch.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nyra stirred within me as I worked, lending me calm, steady focus. She was still weak, recovering from years of suppression, but even she understood the importance of this offering. It wasn\u2019t just embroidery. It was a declaration.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A promise.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I\u2019m not broken anymore.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Each time the needle pierced the fabric, I could feel my heartbeat steadying. I used soft rose threads for the outer petals, slowly layering in bolder shades-crimson, wine, gold-until the bloom looked almost real, like it might sigh under the weight of its own beauty.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t even realize Lucien was behind me until I felt his presence like a warm shadow. He didn\u2019t speak. He never did when I worked. Just stood there, silent and watchful, the ever-patient Alpha Prince.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t stop.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It wasn\u2019t until I tied off the last thread and let the needle fall with a quiet clink that I leaned back, my spine aching, my eyes burning.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A soft breath escaped my lips.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was done.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My own version of Glory in Bloom, inspired by a centuries-old Stormridge pattern I\u2019d once seen in a book.\u00a0<\/p>\n
10:01 Fri, Jan 9 G\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 424\u00a0<\/p>\n
I had recreated it from memory-and heart.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
The scent of ink, silk, and morning sun filled the room. I rolled the tapestry gently and placed it inside the velvet-lined box Lucien had given me. Black lacquered wood, engraved with an intricate crest of the Duskgrave lineage-it looked regal, powerful. Fitting for the woman who had given me a second chance.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As I stood, my knees buckled slightly-numb from hours of stillness. I caught myself against the desk, wincing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
How long had I been working? I glanced at the window. The morning mist was beginning to lift from the mountains beyond.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Another all-nighter.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I ran a hand through my hair, tried to blink away the fatigue. The sunlight bathed my skin in warmth, chasing away the chill. I stretched slowly, each joint cracking like old wood in a storm.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And just as I stepped into the hallway, carrying the gift box in both hands, I saw a tall figure in a black suit waiting for me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lucien?\u00a0<\/p>\n
No-he turned, and I saw it was Duke.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lucien\u2019s right hand. Loyal, deadly, and always watching.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stiffened instinctively. The last time Duke had shown up without warning, someone had ended up in a hospital-or worse.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He offered me a polite nod. \u201cMiss Riley. The preparations for the Matriarch\u2019s celebration are nearly complete. Lucien asked me to ensure your gift is placed securely in the inner vault until the banquet.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you,\u201d I said softly, tightening my grip on the box.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI wasn\u2019t sure when you\u2019d finish your embroidery,\u201d Duke said as he stepped into the hallway, \u201cso Alpha Lucien has already escorted the Matriarch to the banquet hall.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I gave a small nod. Of course. A celebration that grand couldn\u2019t begin without the Duskgrave name at the forefront.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My gaze drifted to the antique clock on the drawing room wall-its gilded hands pointed at ten.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I blinked, suddenly conscious of how haggard I must look after pulling an all-nighter hunched over the tapestry. \u201cCould I have a moment to clean myself up?\u201d I asked, trying not to sound embarrassed. \u201cIt wouldn\u2019t be right to show up to the Matriarch\u2019s birthday like this\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Before I could even finish the sentence, Duke snapped his fingers.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And just like that, a group of stylists swept in through the door, carrying makeup kits and garment bags like a mini army.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAlpha Lucien anticipated your concerns,\u201d Duke said with a faint smirk. \u201cHe had a full styling team on standby. They\u2019ve been instructed to have you banquet-ready in under thirty minutes. You\u2019ll arrive before the celebration begins at eleven.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\/4\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 424\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finishes\u00a0<\/p>\n
He turned to the lead stylist, a tall, flamboyantly dressed man with a velvet choker and sculpted brows. \u201cAndi, she\u2019s yours.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Andi placed a perfectly manicured hand on his hip and looked me up and down with a dramatic sigh. \u201cMoon above\u2026 this is the one that caught Alpha Lucien\u2019s cyc? He\u2019s all dominance and dark fury, and she\u2019s- what is this-celery wrapped in shadows?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I blinked, caught between a laugh and a groan.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He tutted and stepped closer, inspecting me like a disappointed art critic. \u201cDry skin, dull eyes, cracked lips\u2026. Sweetheart, are you sure you\u2019re not a ghost pretending to be a girl? Even I have more feminine charm, and I\u2019m two martinis away from challenging a rogue to a duel.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I gave him a deadpan look. \u201cCharmed, I\u2019m sure.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Duke\u2019s jaw ticked. \u201cAndi, if you\u2019d like to keep this job and your tongue, I suggest you remember who you\u2019re working for.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Andi rolled his eyes so hard I thought they might roll out of his head. \u201cFine, fine. Sheesh. Everyone\u2019s so sensitive in this pack.\u201d He turned to me and offered a big, theatrical grin. \u201cLet\u2019s get you un-dead, darling.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I caught Duke\u2019s gaze. He gave me a quick, silent reassurance: Don\u2019t take it personally. He hates every woman Lucien notices.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ah. That made more sense. He didn\u2019t hate me, he hated the threat I posed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That made two of us.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Andi clapped once. \u201cLights on. Chair ready. Time to resurrect this Luna.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They moved like professionals-fast, efficient, precise. A makeup artist gently cleaned my face with a cotton pad, smoothing away the fatigue I didn\u2019t even realize had settled in my bones.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Next came the foundation-light and cool against my skin-masking the shadows beneath my eyes. Concealer erased my exhaustion like a spell.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A brow pencil traced soft lines where my eyebrows had once been full of emotion but now lay dulled by grief and time. The stylist didn\u2019t change their shape, just enhanced them-bringing a sharp grace to my expression.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Soft pink and warm browns dusted my eyelids, deepening my gaze without making it harsh. My lashes were brushed until they fanned like wings, and the eyeliner traced a soft flick at the corners-subtle, but fierce.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then came the blush. Just a touch-delicate and flushed like someone had whispered a secret against my cheek. Finally, a glossed rose tint to my lips.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Andi stepped back with a dramatic flourish. \u201cNow we\u2019re getting somewhere.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He turned to the racks of gowns, humming thoughtfully, fingers fluttering over silks and satins like he was communing with them. \u201cNo, no\u2026 too mature\u2026 too brooding\u2026 ah-here.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He held up a pale pink gown, all floating chiffon and delicate embroidery. It shimmered faintly in the light, as if it were spun from dawn itself.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Fri, Jan 9\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 424\u00a0<\/p>\n
1) finched\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis,\u201d he declared, \u201cis the one. You\u2019re not a warrior tonight. You\u2019re the Alpha\u2019s star-crossed phoenix\u00a0<\/p>\n
The dress clung to me like moonlight-lightweight, soft, flowing with every breath I took. When I stepped in front of the mirror, I barely recognized myself.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Gone was the girl buried by shadows and silence.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In her place stood a young woman with eyes that knew pain, but also grace. Her skin glowed, her lips were soft as petals, and her body-still thin, but no longer fragile-was held like she belonged to the stars.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Andi pinned up my hair into a low chignon, leaving soft wisps curled around\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cars and neck. A string of freshwater pearls settled against my collarbone, and with it, something in my chest settled too.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I looked at my reflection, and for a moment, I forgot the dungeons of Ebonclaw, the betrayal of my bloodline, the five years in chains.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I saw me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The real me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The one who existed before the pain, before the prison, before the lies.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI used to smile like that,\u201d I whispered, brushing my fingertips across my lips. \u201cBefore everything burned.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
And now, I was back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
No longer the outcast.\u00a0<\/p>\n
No longer the prey.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lucien had given me shelter. The Matriarch had given me dignity. And I had given myself permission to rise again.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This was just a birthday banquet.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But for me?\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was war paint.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And I was ready.\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 424 Chapter 424\u00a0 Riley\u2019s POV\u00a0 After weeks of training with Lucien, I could feel the […]<\/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-20699","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pack-princess"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20699","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=20699"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20699\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20699"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20699"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20699"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}