Riley was raised in a rogue settlement, orphaned and forgotten—until one day, the prestigious Vale family came to claim her as their long-lost daughter. She thought she'd finally found a home. But when she arrived at the Ebonclaw estate, she found another girl already living her life—Scarlett, the adopted daughter they had pampered and praised for years. Her so-called parents favored the fake. Her biological brother, Kael, lied in court to send her to prison—just to protect the imposter. Even her mate stood on the witness stand and turned against her. To protect Scarlett, they framed Riley for a crime she didn't commit. They sent her to prison. They shattered her body and nearly broke her mind. For five years, she endured. For five years, she suffered. And now—she's back. The once-favored daughter hides in shame. Her brother watches her with guilt in his eyes. Her parents beg for forgiveness. But Riley is no longer the naive girl they discarded. She's colder. Sharper. Unbreakable. The family who betrayed her wants her to kneel before their enemies, beg for peace, and sacrifice herself again for their legacy. But this time, Riley won't bend. She'll burn everything down first.

Chapter 1 Riley's POV

"You gave Blackmaw Pack's Alpha daughter Tessa false information. You lured her into the Black Forest, and now she lies in a coma after being mauled by Rogues. You deserve to die."

I froze.

Maddox—my mate—stood in front of me, his voice like ice, his eyes filled with contempt. Behind him, peeking from the safety of his shoulder, my adoptive sister Scarlett watched me with a victorious smile.

She did it. She set me up.

But no one cared.

Tessa was found on the brink of death, her body bloodied, surrounded by signs of a violent Rogue ambush. The scent markers left behind pointed to one culprit—one of Alpha Alaric's daughters from the Ebonclaw Pack.

Everyone knew there were two.

One was Scarlett, the sweet, perfect daughter raised under Luna Zara's gentle care, groomed for Pack leadership, adored by all.

The other was me.

I'm Riley.

The daughter who disappeared fifteen years ago. The one raised by Rogues.

Three years ago.

The Ebonclaw Pack raided our Rogue settlement. Their Alpha stepped into the clearing, caught my scent, and froze. He said I smelled like his "little pup."

He took me back.

And then it came true.

I had a father. A mother. A tall, handsome Alpha brother—Kael Vale. A real family.

But the little princess wasn't me.

It was Scarlett.

The girl they adopted when I vanished. The Beta-born child a seer had claimed could "heal" my mother's grief. She was accepted as their own, cherished without question.

And when I returned, they didn't want to choose.

So they simply didn't.

I was tolerated. A ghost in the family mansion. A name without a place.

And worse, I was incomplete.

My wolf—my birthright—barely stirred inside me. Sometimes, I could feel her pulse in my blood, like a whisper. But mostly, she slept. And that made me weak in their eyes. Unworthy.

So when someone had to be blamed for Tessa's suffering, they all looked at me.

Because Scarlett? She would never.

But me? A rogue-born, half-wolf disgrace? Of course I would.

I turned to Kael—my brother.

He had been the first to arrive at the scene of the attack. I had followed right behind him, just in time to see him stoop, pick something up, and quietly slip it into his pocket.

I saw what it was.

Scarlett's earring.

The same global limited edition he gave her when she shifted for the first time.

He knew.

He knew the truth.

So I looked at him now, heart pounding, throat dry, begging for just one word. One truth. One shred of loyalty.

"Kael..." My voice cracked. "You too?"

He stared at me, and for a moment, I saw the conflict in his eyes.

Then he exhaled, looked me dead in the face, and said, "Even now? Still lying when you're already as good as dead?"

My heart shattered.

I didn't even have time to react before Alpha Ronan charged forward.

His boot connected with my stomach, and I flew across the floor like a rag doll. Pain exploded in my ribs, sharp and burning, like every bone inside me had been cracked in half by his Alpha strength.

I gasped for air and looked up—at my father, Alpha Alaric.

He stood still, expression unreadable, eyes locked on me like I was nothing.

Beside him stood Luna Zara. My mother.

I pleaded with my eyes, silently begging her to step forward. To say something.

She hesitated.

And then looked away.

Another kick came. Then another. I curled into myself, not from fear, but from despair.

"Send her to the Werewolf Prison, waiting for the verdict of the Werewolf Court." Ronan snarled, his voice layered with Alpha authority that burned against my skin like acid.

My breath caught in my throat.

No.

Anything but that.

I had never been to the Werewolf Prison, but I'd heard the stories. Torture. Chains. Madness. No sunlight. No mercy.

Death would be kinder.

Two warriors grabbed me by the arms and began dragging me across the ground. My knees scraped against the dirt, and tears welled in my eyes—not from pain, but from betrayal.

From Maddox.

From Kael.

From them all.

Then Ronan crouched beside me and leaned in close, his breath brushing my cheek like frostbite.

"I'll make sure someone takes good care of you in there," he whispered. "For what you did to my sister."

And just like that, my last hope died.

Chapter 2 Riley's POV

The chains around my wrists were cold and tight.

Each step I took toward the courtroom echoed louder than the last, like the world was announcing my humiliation.

Two guards walked beside me—one on each side, hands firm on my arms, like I was some kind of feral beast.

Just before I reached the heavy oak doors, I saw them.

My father.

My mother.

Kael.

Standing in the corridor as if they'd just arrived by chance. But I knew better. They were waiting for me.

"Stop," my father said quietly to the guards. "Give us a moment."

The guards hesitated, then stepped back.

I stood still.

What was left to say?

"We need your help," Alpha Alaric said.

I blinked. My lips parted.

Help?

Then Luna Zara stepped forward, her expression soft—not with motherly warmth, but with practiced diplomacy.

"Scarlett can't survive this, Riley," she said. "You know that."

It hit me like a slap.

A cruel, unbelievable twist.

"She's never known pain," Kael added gently. "She's not like you."

Not like me.

"You grew up with Rogues," he continued. "You're strong. You've endured worse than prison."

My heart clenched.

"You want me to take the blame," I whispered.

They didn't deny it.

Kael stepped closer, lowering his voice. "I swear, I'll make sure you're protected in there. You won't suffer."

I laughed.

A bitter, hollow laugh that scraped my throat raw.

So this was love? This was family?

"Thank you," I said. "For finally showing me exactly what I am to you."

Then I turned without waiting for a reply.

The doors opened.

The courtroom was large, circular, made of dark stone and shadow. On the high platform sat the Council of Elders—and at the center, in his black uniform and silver crest, was Maddox.

My mate.

My judge.

My executioner.

Our eyes met for a brief moment. There was something flickering behind his mask of calm—a glimmer of guilt? Of doubt?

No. Just calculation.

Maddox was a Council Judge. An authority. A symbol of justice.

And he would rather protect Scarlett than defend his own mate.

Tessa's family was seated nearby, grief-stricken. Alpha Ronan glared at me with rage barely restrained beneath his skin.

One by one, the witnesses spoke.

Twisted truths. Skewed assumptions. Convenient silence.

Maddox presided over it all, pretending not to know the scent of my soul.

Pretending he couldn't feel the bond between us telling him I was innocent.

He never looked back at me.

Finally, the verdict fell from his lips like a dagger to the heart:

"Riley of Ebonclaw Pack, you are sentenced to five years in Werewolf Detainment for your crimes against the Blackmaw Pack and endangering the life of an Alpha heir."

My knees almost gave out.

Five years.

Five years in that place.

No trial by combat. No second chances.

Just exile.

Just silence.

Just betrayal.

I was dragged out of the courtroom. My body felt numb, as if every word I had heard had turned into a weight pressing down on my bones.

And then I heard footsteps.

Click. Click. Click.

Scarlett.

She stepped into the hallway, her arms folded, her expression smug and shining like victory.

"Prison suits you, Riley," she said sweetly, her voice laced with venom. "I mean, it's practically your second home, isn't it? Rogue-born and all."

I stared at her, my breath shallow.

"Don't worry," she continued. "Five years will fly by. And when you come back… well, if you come back… you'll find I've done such wonderful things with the life you wasted."

She leaned in.

"They all chose me. Even him."

She didn't say Maddox's name. She didn't have to.

I looked away, swallowing down the scream rising in my throat.

"See you never, sister," she whispered, then walked off, her laughter echoing down the corridor like a curse.

The guards pulled me forward again.

Step by step, toward the gates of the prison.

Toward the darkness.

Toward the place they thought would break me.

The cell door creaked open. The stench of blood, rust, and mildew hit me like a wall. The floor was damp. The walls were stained.

And then—

Agony.

It hit me out of nowhere.

A blinding, soul-tearing pain erupted in my chest, like claws digging into my heart and ripping it apart from the inside.

I screamed, collapsing to my knees.

My wolf whimpered deep within me—then howled in pain.

And through the storm of torment, I heard it.

His voice. Maddox. Through the bond.

But it wasn't warmth or apology that reached me.

It was ice.

"I reject you as my mate."

The bond snapped like a shattered bone.

The silence that followed was louder than any scream.

My hands trembled against the stone floor.

Tears blurred my vision—not from the pain of rejection, but from the truth it carried.

He chose them.

He chose her.

And now, I had no mate. No family. No name. No one.

Only rage.

Only darkness.

Only the fire that began to smolder in the broken ruins of my heart.

This is my hell.

And if I survive it, I swear…

I will make them all burn.

Chapter 3 Riley's POV

Time dissolved in that cell—hours bled into days, days into the endless gray of existence. I lost track of seasons, of the moon's cycle, even of my own reflection in the polished metal sink.

My knuckles scraped concrete as Harper's boot slammed into my ribs.

"Choose, mutt—shank across the face or ten slaps?"

Her breath reeked of rotting meat, but I kept my eyes fixed on the rusted drain in the corner.

Five years in this pit, and I'd learned the first rule of survival: when wolves bare their teeth, show your throat before they tear it out.

"Slaps," I croaked, voice rough but steady.

The first blow snapped my head sideways, blood flooding my mouth with copper heat. I counted each strike like a prayer.

Seven.

Eight.

Nine.

"Pathetic," Harper muttered, spitting at my feet before storming off with her pack of hyenas.

I stayed hunched, the sting on my cheek already fading beneath the deeper ache of memory.

This is how I've lived for 1,825 days—choosing the lesser evil, swallowing my pride like broken glass.

My mind wandered, as it always did, to day one at Ebonclaw Pack.

Kael had cornered me in the library, his cologne sharp like pine needles.

"Blood or not, Scarlett's my only sister," he said, voice low and threatening as his fingers clamped around my wrist, leaving bruises.

"Touch her again, and I'll make the Rogues look like babysitters."

I'd nodded like a fool, still naive enough to think family meant protection.

How laughable.

He'd rather see me in chains than believe I hadn't lured Tessa into the Black Forest.

Maddox…

I squeezed my eyes shut, but his face floated up anyway—his smile, the one that made my ribs ache.

The first time we met, his pupils dilated, his wolf howling in recognition.

"Mate," he whispered, pressing a daisy behind my ear.

Those early days were all fireflies and stolen kisses.

Until Scarlett started spraining her ankle on our dates. Until every birthday dinner came with an "urgent" call from her.

And he always left—murmuring apologies that tasted like ashes.

My parents?

Father never looked me in the eye.

Mother flinched every time I tried to hug her.

Once, I baked them a pie with wild berries I'd foraged.

I found it in the trash, untouched.

On the counter, Scarlett's macarons sat pristine, waiting for praise.

And Tessa...

She and Scarlett were inseparable.

I saw them sharing a picnic by the lake the day she was attacked.

So why would Tessa follow me into the Black Forest?

A guard's baton slammed against the bars.

"Visitation," he grunted.

I didn't move.

Didn't even lift my head.

I'd stopped looking forward to those words years ago.

Here, the rules allowed family visits once a month.

Sixty months. Sixty chances.

Not once had anyone come. Not my parents. Not Kael. Not even Maddox.

I used to sit by the glass, brushing my hair with my fingers, pretending the bruises weren't so bad.

I'd stare at the hallway, waiting for a silhouette that never appeared.

Not a letter. Not a whisper. Not even a lie.

Eventually, I stopped hoping.

Stopped pretending I mattered to anyone.

Stopped being Riley—the daughter, the sister, the mate.

And became something else entirely.

I pressed my forehead to the cold wall, breath ragged, fists clenched.

Let them live their perfect little lives.

Because one day, that door would open.

And when it did, I wouldn't be walking out as the girl they threw away.

I'd be walking out as the storm they never saw coming.

The clang of a deadbolt jolted me from a fitful sleep, the sound ricocheting off the walls like a gunshot.

"Prisoner 4729," a voice boomed, followed by the scrape of heavy steel. "Stand and face the door."

I pushed myself up from the cot, bones creaking like rusted hinges. The guard's uniform was stiff and starched, his expression unreadable. But there was something different about his stance. Then I saw the warden behind him, holding a sheaf of papers. His usual scowl was replaced by a cold, neutral mask.

"Riley Ebonclaw," he began, clearing his throat. "By order of the Werewolf Corrections Board, your sentence has been served in full. Effective immediately, you are granted release from—"

The rest of his words bled into static. My eyes fixed on the open doorway, a rectangle of blinding light beyond. For five years, that threshold had been a taunt. A mirage.

Now it gaped before me—real, raw, and waiting.

"—proceed to intake for processing."

He extended a clipboard, but my hands trembled too hard to take it.

I stepped forward. Each footfall was leaden.

The air beyond the cell felt different—thicker, richer, laced with forgotten scents: antiseptic, metal... and freedom.

As I crossed the threshold, the guard snapped a bracelet around my wrist.

I braced for the shock collar.

But it was only a plain tracking band, humming faintly with suppressed magic.

"Good luck," the warden muttered under his breath.

I didn't answer. Couldn't.

My gaze locked on the glowing red EXIT sign ahead—a beacon blazing through the long corridor.

For 1,825 days, I'd survived by crawling. By choosing pain over pride.

Now, stepping into the courtyard, sunlight hitting my face for the first time in years, something deep inside me stirred—

Something ancient. Something wild.

Something that hadn't whispered in a long, long time.

The door creaked open, and I squinted against the light.

They thought they'd broken me.

They thought I'd crawl forever.

But as the fresh air filled my lungs, I smiled.

Let them tremble.

The storm has just stepped outside.

Chapter 4 Riley's POV

The prison gates groaned open like the jaws of some ancient beast.

Light hit my face for the first time in five years. It should have felt warm.

It didn't.

The clothes I wore when I entered—now sagged off my body, hanging loose over skin stretched too tightly across brittle bones.

I limped forward, one foot dragging behind the other. Not because I wanted pity.

Because that's all my body had left to give.

A black Bentley idled at the curb. The window slid down with a soft mechanical whir.

Kael.

His gaze dragged over my legs, a sneer curling his lips.

"Still pretending to be weak after five years in a cell?"

His voice was sharp, cold—like glass dipped in poison.

My throat tightened. The sting behind my eyes caught me off guard.

My brother.

The one I once tried so desperately to please.

I said nothing. Just kept limping past him.

Kael stiffened behind the wheel.

In his memory, I was the eager puppy, always rushing to serve him, always begging to be seen.

He remembered me waiting outside his office with homemade soup during winter storms.

He remembered me massaging his shoulders when he came home late, pressing slippers to his feet with trembling fingers.

He remembered the girl who adored him like a god.

But that girl died somewhere between the prison bars and the courtroom bench.

"Get in," he snapped.

When I didn't move, he huffed and softened his tone—just a touch.

"Mom and Dad arranged a welcome dinner for you."

Mom and Dad.

The words felt foreign now.

Three years in that house taught me a bitter truth: I was never their daughter.

Not really.

I was the inconvenient reminder of a life they tried to forget.

And Scarlett? She was their sun, moon, and stars.

I said nothing. Just kept walking.

Kael cursed, slammed the door, and came after me.

His hand clamped down on my wrist and yanked hard.

"Are you done playing this little drama?"

I stumbled, hitting the ground hard. Pain shot through my leg like a knife. I tasted blood.

Kael towered over me, face twisted in disgust.

"Still acting fragile? Five years wasn't enough to knock the lies out of you?"

He yanked me to my feet like I was garbage.

"You lured Tessa into that forest. You know what happened to her. And you still dare to act like a victim?"

I looked up at him from the ground, swallowing the scream in my throat.

"You were convicted because of evidence. Because the scent at the scene was yours."

"And Scarlett's?" I whispered.

He didn't answer.

Because he knew.

He knew the earring he'd found in the mud wasn't mine.

He knew the message came from Scarlett's device.

And yet, he stood in court and said nothing.

He yanked me to my feet, sneering.

"Don't think your time's up. Tessa's still unconscious. Until she wakes, your guilt remains. And you still owe Scarlett an apology."

Apology?

I didn't answer. Just pulled my arm free, stepped away.

The distance stung him more than my words could.

"Come home," he said again, trying to make it sound like an offer.

Like it meant something.

"Riley."

My heart clenched.

That voice.

Even after all these years, I knew it immediately.

Maddox.

He stepped into view—shoes polished, suit immaculate, face carved from the same cold stone as always. But it was the voice that gutted me.

"Congratulations on your release," he said, like this was some kind of graduation ceremony.

If someone else had said it, I might've forced a smile. Might've said thank you.

But not him.

Not the boy who once swore to protect me.

Not the man who stood in court and helped condemn me.

Not the one who begged me—begged me—to take the fall so Scarlett wouldn't have to suffer.

"She wouldn't survive prison," he'd said.

"But you… you're strong, Riley. You're used to pain."

I nearly vomited.

This man—this mate—had stood in the courtroom and watched them drag me away.

He'd looked me in the eye as the sentence was read and said nothing.

Worse.

He'd rejected me through the bond the moment the cell door closed.

I still remembered that pain. The mindlink tearing like muscle off bone. His voice saying,

"I reject you."

And now?

He wanted to pretend we were still something?

He reached out. "Riley, I came to take you ho—"

"I'm going home with Kael," I said, cutting him off without looking at him.

Just loud enough for him to hear the contempt in every syllable.

Kael blinked in surprise.

Maddox's hand froze mid-air.

I walked away—limping, trembling, barely holding myself together.

But I didn't look back.

Not because I wanted to go home with either of them.

I didn't want to go anywhere with anyone.

But the truth was, I was still on a leash.

One month. That's how long my observation period lasts.

One wrong move, one excuse, and the Vale family could have me thrown right back into that werewolf prison.

And this time, I wouldn't come back out.

So I walked. Not for Kael.

Not for Maddox.

Not even for myself.

I walked because the system was still watching.

And for now, I had to play the part.

Chapter 5 Riley's POV

The car ride was silent, but the silence wasn't empty. It was loud with everything Kael wasn't saying. Everything he refused to acknowledge.

I sat in the back seat, the worn denim of my prison jeans rough against my skin. My gaze drifted over the interior. Fuzzy pink seat cover on the passenger side. Strawberry bear plushies lined up perfectly on the dashboard. A woman's photo swinging from the rearview mirror—she was older now, softer, her smile bright and confident. Coddled. Protected. Untouched.

Scarlett.

She looked like she belonged. Like this car, this world, had been molded around her. And somehow, she still made it look like I was the outsider.

I turned my face away from the mirror. But my eyes caught on the shopping bag next to me. A feathered white gown peeked through the open top, so pristine it didn't even look real. It didn't belong to me. I didn't need to ask. Everything in this car screamed that I didn't belong.

My fingers curled, self-conscious. The calloused pads of my prison hands brushed over the cheap fabric of my jeans. Scarlett got couture. I got correctional uniforms and a criminal record.

Outside, the trees blurred past, and Kael finally decided to speak.

"Mom and Dad… they really missed you these past five years. They cried every day. The stress turned their hair gray," he said, like it meant something. Like it fixed anything.

He didn't stop there.

"When we get home, don't start with your old attitude. I don't want to see any rivalry with Scarlett. Don't make things difficult. If you behave, the Ebonclaw Pack won't treat you unfairly."

I didn't answer. Silence stretched, thick and uncomfortable. He checked the rearview mirror, eyes flicking back to me.

"Riley. I'm talking to you. Did you hear what I said?"

I looked up. Calm. Cold. Tired. And then I spoke—more words than I'd said since leaving prison.

"In accordance with Article 48 of the Werewolf Corrections Code, inmates are entitled to visitation once per month by close family members."

"Once per month. For five years. That's sixty possible visits."

"I didn't get one."

I met his eyes in the mirror. My voice didn't rise. It didn't need to.

"Not once did you or our parents come to see me. Not for thirty minutes. Not for three minutes. Not even a letter."

He faltered. For the first time, he didn't have a ready excuse. His hands clenched on the steering wheel, the bones of his knuckles glowing pale.

Then, weakly—"You were too difficult. They thought if they didn't visit, you'd learn your lesson. They wanted you to reflect. They did it for your own good."

For my own good.

Right.

Just like it was "for my good" when they let Scarlett frame me for luring Tessa into that Rogue-infested forest. Just like it was "for my good" when I was sentenced while my own mate stood silent. Just like it was "for my good" when they fed me to the wolves and called it justice.

I didn't answer. I just turned back to the window and let the scenery wash past me.

Eventually, the car pulled into the Ebonclaw Pack estate. Kael hopped out first, grabbing the dress bag from the back seat like it was a sacred relic. He walked off briskly, forgetting I even existed—until, halfway to the door, he froze. As if just remembering he had a sister. He turned back, awkwardly clearing his throat.

"Go change. You're expected in the banquet hall."

And then he disappeared through the marble front doors.

The house loomed before me like a mausoleum. Familiar in outline, but dead in every corner. Five years hadn't made this place feel any more like home. If anything, it was colder than I remembered.

I stepped through the front doors and made my way down the same hall I'd once scrubbed on my hands and knees. To my room. If you could even call it that.

No windows. No warmth. No sunlight. Just a folding cot, an old desk, and boxes stacked to the ceiling. This was the storage room. They let Scarlett pick her own wallpaper. I got mold and shadows.

I closed the door behind me, breath catching. Kael told me to change into something proper.

I let out a dry laugh.

Proper?

The only clothes I owned were the ones on my back—cheap, shapeless, faded from too many washes in cold prison water. The T-shirt and jeans I'd bought five years ago with the money I made bagging groceries on winter breaks.

I remembered the way I beamed as I modeled them for Kael. He'd scowled like I'd insulted him.

"What are you wearing? Can't you dress like Scarlett? Throw that away. You look like a joke."

Back then, I'd swallowed my hurt. I'd tried again and again. Hoping. Reaching.

But not anymore.

I wasn't the same girl who begged for scraps of affection. Not the same sister who clung to a family that never wanted her.

Chapter 6 Riley's POV

Scarlett's elegance was paid for—in full—by wealth, privilege, and attention.

Me? I had nothing.

The Ebonclaw Pack never gave me their love, nor their resources. Yet somehow, it was still my fault I didn't turn out "graceful" enough. They brought me back into their home, but never into their hearts.

Sometimes, I wondered if my only purpose here was to make Scarlett—the impostor—look more beloved.

They say the unloved one is always the outsider. That fit me perfectly.

I stood in the cramped storeroom I'd called home for three years. My eyes landed on the only outfit I had left—a blue-and-white high school uniform. The same one I wore the day I was dragged away in handcuffs.

Five years ago, I'd received an offer from the country's top university. Instead of celebrating, the Ebonclaw couple threw a lavish send-off party for Scarlett.

The entire city's elite had been invited. Scarlett wore a million-dollar designer gown and a diamond tiara, smiling like the fairytale princess she always pretended to be. I stood nearby in plain clothes, watching it all fall apart as the police led me away. That night should've been my beginning. Instead, it marked the end of everything I thought I knew.

Five minutes later, still in my uniform, I made my way toward the Ebonclaw estate's ballroom.

Servants passed by, throwing confused glances my way.

"Who's that girl? Why is she dressed like a schoolkid?"

"Probably some part-time server from the hotel. Looks like a summer job."

"Mr. and Mrs. Vale really went all out for Miss Scarlett—inviting the Empire Hotel's head chef and all."

"Yeah, they really adore her."

One of them stopped as they walked past me. "You'd better change into the proper uniform. The guests are important—don't embarrass the household."

Then she walked off, just like that. As if I was invisible.

I stood still.

Kael told me this was a welcome-back dinner. He didn't say they'd invited outsiders.

Was this really meant to honor me? Or was it just another twisted way to parade my shame?

They arrested me in front of the city's elite. Now they wanted to welcome me back in front of the same people?

I turned to leave.

But Kael appeared at the end of the hall.

His eyes fell on me. His face twisted.

"I told you to change," he barked. "What the hell are you wearing? Do you even understand what kind of event this is?"

I opened my mouth to respond, but he cut me off.

"You came out of prison looking like a disaster, and now you want to stand here looking pitiful again? Trying to make people pity you, to paint us as monsters? Riley, you're disgusting. You haven't changed one bit."

He reached for my arm.

I stepped away.

He missed.

"You're seriously dodging me now?"

I looked him in the eye. That same hateful, disgusted glare I'd endured for three years. Back then, it tore me apart. Now, it felt… empty.

"I don't have a dress," I said.

"Then buy one!" he snapped.

"I have no money."

Kael's face turned red with rage.

"You lived here for three years. We gave you everything—food, a roof, clothes. You got half a million transferred into your account every month. That's eighteen million in total! Don't tell me you couldn't afford a damn dress."

I didn't flinch. "I never got a single cent."

He sneered. "Liar. You think I won't prove it?"

He pulled out his phone and called the finance department.

"You're on speaker," he said. "Tell me how much we transferred into Riley's account each month."

A pause. Then: "Miss Riley? Sir, we never made any deposits into her account."

"What?" Kael's voice cracked.

"Luna Zara said Miss Riley came from… a less privileged background. She was concerned money would lead her astray. Since Miss Riley lived on the estate with all her basic needs covered, the allowance was canceled."

I stood silent.

But I felt him cracking beside me.

"And… Luna Zara raised Miss Scarlett's allowance to a million a month. Said it was to compensate for Riley's return. Surely you were aware of that, sir?"

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

You were raised by Rogues. Orphaned. Forgotten. Then the Vales came—claiming you as their lost daughter, heir to the Ebonclaw Pack. For three years, you tried to belong. You served, you obeyed, you loved. But they gave your place to Scarlett—the adopted girl they pampered while you scraped your knees cleaning their halls. When Tessa, Alpha Ronan’s daughter, was attacked, they needed a scapegoat. You were it. Kael, your brother, saw the truth but stayed silent. Maddox, your mate, stood in court and condemned you. They sent you to the Werewolf Prison for five years. You survived. You endured. And now, you're back.

The prison gates open. Sunlight hits your face for the first time in years. You limp forward, clothes hanging off your broken body. Kael waits in a black Bentley, sneering. 'Still pretending to be weak?' he says. You don’t answer. Maddox appears, polished and cold. 'Congratulations on your release,' he says, reaching for you.

You pull away. 'I'm going home with Kael,' you say—just to hurt him.

The car ride is silent. Kael reminds you to behave, to not cause trouble. He tells you your parents missed you. You remind him: 'Sixty visits. Not one.'

You arrive at the estate. Your room is a storage closet. The only clothes you have are your old high school uniform. You walk toward the banquet hall, still wearing it. Servants mistake you for staff. Kael explodes: 'I told you to change!'

'I don't have a dress,' you say.

'Then buy one!' he snaps.

'I have no money.'

He calls the finance department. They confirm: your monthly allowance was canceled. Scarlett’s was doubled.

Kael stares at you, stunned. 'You never got anything?'

You meet his eyes. 'You knew. And you did nothing.'

He reaches for you again. This time, you step back.

The ballroom doors loom ahead. Inside, the elite of the werewolf world wait—those who watched your arrest, who cheered your downfall. Your parents stand at the center, smiling. Scarlett glows in a million-dollar gown.

Kael whispers, 'Go in there and play your part. Or you’ll be back in prison by morning.'

You look at the door. Then at him.

This is your welcome home.

What do you do?