Lucien's POV The moment I stepped into the grand hall, the scent of blood hit me like a thunderclap. Not just any blood-no. This was the kind of blood that reeked of humiliation and pain, the kind that came from a she-wolf being torn apart, not just physically, but soul-deep. My wolf snapped awake, howling inside me. My instincts surged like wildfire as I strode toward the center of the chaos. Several high-ranking noblewomen were standing there, pale and jittery. One of them offered me a nervous smile. "Alpha Lucien... we were just playing around. It was just a harmless-" "Just a joke," another chimed in weakly. I didn't spare them a glance. My eyes locked onto the battered body crumpled on the cold marble floor. Riley. Her dress was in shreds, her pale skin marked with bruises and claw scratches, blood matting her hair, face swollen beyond recognition-and yet, I knew her. No matter what they did to her, I would always recognize her. My white wolf. My heart clenched, rage flooding every inch of my body. Without hesitation, I shrugged off my custom-tailored coat and knelt beside her. As gently as I could, I draped it over her trembling, blood-soaked body. Gasps rippled through the room behind me. They'd never seen me like this. Lucien Duskgrave-cold, controlled, untouchable-cradling a woman soaked in filth and blood like she was the most precious thing in the world. Because she was. I scooped her into my arms. Gods, she was light. Too light. Like all the strength had been drained from her bones. Then, she stirred. Her lashes fluttered, blood sticking them together, and she cracked open her eyes to look at me. Her lips curved into a fragile smile. "Alpha..." Her voice was barely audible. "You came for me..." That smile-gods, that smile-stabbed through my chest like an iron blade. My throat burned. I swallowed hard and whispered, "Yeah. I'm here." I could feel every shiver of her broken body through my shirt. Her shoulder blades were so sharp they felt like knives under her skin. My hold on her tightened instinctively. Then, I looked up. And the room went silent. I didn't need to raise my voice. One look was enough to silence even the most arrogant nobles. My fury bled into the air like a storm cloud thick with lightning. My gaze landed on Lady Seraphina-the woman who once tried to manipulate her way into my pack and my lineage. She froze under my stare. Her eyes widened with recognition, then horror. She knew. She had gone too far. "Seal the hall," I said, my voice icy and calm. "No one leaves until I say so." I turned to the pack enforcers standing at the edges. "Anyone who laid a hand on my girl... better pray their limbs are worth enough to cover her pain." My Beta, Duke, was already relaying the order through his comms. And that's when Seraphina broke. She let out a shrill scream and rushed at me like a cornered beast. "Lucien, please! She seduced your father! I only did this to protect the honor of-" "Seduce?" I echoed with a cold, bitter laugh. I turned and walked toward her, step by step, forcing her to retreat until she slammed into the banquet table behind her. "Looks like Lady Seraphina needs a refresher," I said, "on how to tell the difference between truth and lies." I leaned in close, letting my words fall like blades. "Just like the last time... when I had to remind you of the difference between a miscarriage... and a surgically removed womb." She gasped, stumbling as her hands gripped the tablecloth. Her manicured nails tore deep grooves into the velvet, and her scent was drowned in fear. I didn't spare her another glance. I turned back to Riley, still cradled in my arms, and walked toward the side exit. The black marble beneath my feet was now streaked with blood-her blood-and each step I took felt like it etched itself into my bones. As I approached the head of the table, my grandmother, Matriarch Duskgrave, rose from her seat, her face stormy with pain and fury. "Grandmother," I said quietly, "May I borrow your ceremonial cloak?" Without hesitation, she unclasped the heavy embroidered cloak from her shoulders and held it out to me. Her voice trembled with anger as she said, "Take it. And Lucien... make sure no one who harmed our girl walks out of here untouched." "I will," I promised. I draped the cloak around Riley, covering her completely. The rich crimson fabric with golden embroidery wrapped her like a second skin. Only a sliver of her pale ankle showed-white as snow against bloodstained silk. Silence fell again. No one dared move. I turned and walked out the grand hall's double doors. The final glint of chandelier light caught on Seraphina's twisted face before the doors shut behind me. She stood there shaking, lips moving wordlessly, until she finally turned to her husband. "Lucien's wrong," she stammered, voice shaking. "That woman... she's your mistress, isn't she? That white wolf you've been hiding-she's your whore!" But no one answered. Because the truth had already burned its way into every wall of that cursed hall. And now... vengeance would follow.