Ryleigh stood at the small bathroom sink, her toothbrush lazily working back and forth as she stared into the mirror. Her hazel eyes stared back—wider, more alert than usual. Beneath the sleepy puffiness, there was something steely. Something sure.This was the day.She spat, rinsed, and wiped her mouth with a towel, studying herself. There was no magic spark, no sudden transformation—but she could feel it. The invisible shift inside her. She was about to do something Margaret Blackthorn hadn’t seen coming.And Ryleigh couldn't wait.The house was quiet as expected. It was still early—just after sunrise. No footsteps echoed in the grand halls, no distant clangs of kitchenware or voices drifting through the stairwell. But she knew the others were awake. Working. Quiet little shadows who moved before anyone else rose from their featherbeds.She was one of them… but not today.She slipped out of her sleepwear and tugged on a pair of soft black joggers, a fitted white undershirt, and a gr
The soft hum of the washer filled the laundry room, blending with the rhythmic thump of the dryer in the corner. The scent of lavender detergent filled the warm air, familiar and clean, but Ryleigh no longer found comfort in it. It smelled like routine. Like captivity disguised as order. Her hands moved over the linens with methodical precision, folding, smoothing, stacking. The motions were automatic by now, as natural as breathing. But her mind was far away—circling the same silent weight that had followed her every step since Margaret Blackthorn slipped her that check like it was a gift. She hadn’t shown anyone. Hadn’t spoken a word of it to Natalia or Derek. She’d kept it buried at the bottom of her purse like a secret grenade. But lately, she’d felt it ticking. A fuse slowly burning down. One hundred thousand dollars. It wasn’t just a sum. It was an insult and an offer all in one. A tidy little payoff for a lifetime of silence. A bribe wrapped in clean paper and perfectly scr
Ryleigh sat on the edge of her narrow bed, the quiet of her room pressing in like a second skin. The day had been long, her legs sore, her thoughts heavier than ever. The overhead light cast a dull glow against the pale cream walls—bare, cold, and impersonal. The only splash of life in the room was the modest blanket folded neatly at the foot of her bed and the small wooden nightstand beside her.She pulled out her phone for the second time today.Three messages from Derek.Her heart skipped as she opened them, reading slowly, savoring each word as though it had weight.Derek: I miss you. I keep thinking about you. In a few days, I’ll be heading to Brazil. The sickness is spreading faster than we thought. It’s getting worse.Please be safe. I’m going to reach out to Damien first thing—he needs to know what’s coming.She frowned, rereading the last line. Contact Damien? That didn’t sound good. If it was urgent enough to involve the Alpha, things were more serious than she realized.She
Thursday morning came like any other. Pale light filtered through the tall windows, painting streaks across the marble floors as the pack house stirred to life. Ryleigh moved silently through the corridors, her soft-soled shoes making no sound as she climbed the staircase toward the Luna’s suite. The key weighed heavily in her apron pocket, like a secret threatening to slip free. She paused at the door, heart fluttering. Not from nerves—but from memory. The memory of what had happened the day before in the Luna’s closet. The heat. The closeness. Damien. Her cheeks warmed despite herself. She took a breath to steady her thoughts and unlocked the door with a soft click. The suite welcomed her in silent elegance. No light, no sound, no sign of the encounter that had nearly stolen her sanity in that narrow walk-in closet. No lingering scent, no scattered clothes—nothing but perfect order. Still, she got to work. Ryleigh moved with purpose, redusting spotless surfaces, smoothing out
The steam clung to the bathroom mirror, casting the room in a hazy, dreamlike glow. Ryleigh stepped out of the shower, warm droplets clinging to her skin as she reached for the fluffy towel hanging on the hook. She wrapped it tightly around herself and padded softly across the tile floor, the residual warmth from the water making her feel cocooned and comforted, if only for a moment.She grabbed a fresh pair of cotton shorts and a loose t-shirt, slipping them on before flipping her head forward and towel-drying her damp hair. Her long, straight strands fell in a soft curtain around her face, and she ran her fingers through the tangles absentmindedly. Her heart still felt heavy, the thoughts of the evening refusing to quiet, even under the soothing hum of running water or the comfort of clean pajamas.Her phone buzzed on the dresser, its light casting a faint glow in the dim room. She reached for it quickly, heart fluttering at the name on the screen.Derek.For a moment, everything st
Ryleigh moved quickly, forcing her hands to stay steady as she finished straightening the Luna's suite. Her mind was still spinning from the encounter that had just unfolded—an encounter that left her both shaken and disturbingly exhilarated. She smoothed out the final pillow, tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, and practically bolted for the door.Her pulse thundered in her ears.She needed space. She needed air. She needed to get out of here before Damien came back.The hallway was mercifully empty, and Ryleigh kept her head down as she turned the corner—only to nearly collide with Natalia."Whoa," Natalia said, steadying her. "You alright? You look kind of... flushed."Ryleigh forced a smile, but she could feel the heat still lingering on her cheeks. "I—I don't feel well. Think I caught something. Maybe the flu."Natalia narrowed her eyes, studying her. "Want me to call the doctor?"Ryleigh’s stomach twisted at the word. The doctor. Sweet, beautiful Derek. The person she wa