Third Person's POV To Elira, Alpha Alaric was never deserving of love-only manipulation. A heart as black as his was made for using others, not for receiving true loyalty. She couldn't comprehend what kind of cursed bloodline had given rise to such a monster. Dean Elira Blackthorn composed herself quickly. Her gaze sharpened as she turned toward the stunned medical staff. "Well? Don't just stand there-save him!" Snapping to attention, the medics rushed to Alaric, fumbling to stabilize the blood-soaked Alpha and wheel him out of the room. Not far away, Luna Zara collapsed to the floor, unconscious and drained, her rage having consumed the last of her strength. Dean Elira ordered her taken to the operating room as well-not out of mercy, but because the medics were watching. As the Dean of the Mooncrest Medical Wing, even she had to pretend she cared about saving the disgraced Luna. Once the chaos cleared and silence returned to the hallway, Caelum Knox stepped to the side, revealing Riley, who had been shielded behind his tall, imposing frame. "Why didn't you tell Alpha Alaric the truth?" Caelum asked quietly. "That Scarlett isn't even his blood? If he knew... it'd destroy him." Riley gave a soft, cool smile. "That'd be letting him off easy." "He loves draining people dry. So I'll play by his rules-let the she-wolf he loves bleed him of every ounce of value he has." She folded her arms, her eyes calm yet icy. "Scarlett's locked in a cell now. He'll do anything to get her out. Even if it means selling off what remains of the Ebonclaw legacy." "And just when he thinks he's sacrificed everything for his daughter-" Her voice dipped, poisonous sweet. "I'll tell him the rest of Dean Elira's pups? Not even his." "He sent his real son, Kael Vale, to prison for them. Imagine how that will taste when the truth hits." Caelum arched a brow. "You don't pull punches." "Thanks," Riley replied, her tone casual.The two exchanged a quiet smirk. They left the medical wing, heading for the parking lot. But just as they turned a corner, a figure rolled toward them in a rusted wheelchair. The man was barely recognizable. His once-polished appearance was gone, replaced by sunken cheeks, hollow eyes, and tattered clothing. He looked like a wolf who'd been cast from his pack and left to rot. It was Maddox-Riley's former mate. He hadn't seen her in nearly two months. And now, suddenly, here she was-transformed. Riley looked different. Her face was fuller. Her hair sleek and glossy. Her skin glowed. She was no longer the girl who had once cowered beneath the weight of the Ebonclaw name. She looked... free. And Maddox? He was nothing but a shadow of who he once was. The difference between them was humiliating. He had once been proud-commanding courtrooms, respected across Mooncrest and beyond. Now he couldn't even walk. And standing next to Riley was a towering, broad-shouldered male whose presence radiated raw dominance. A surge of jealousy roared through Maddox's chest. "Who is he?" he growled, eyes burning as he looked at Riley like a wolf who'd just caught his mate in another male's bed. Riley didn't even flinch. She glanced at him with chilling detachment-as if she were looking at a stranger begging on the street-and then turned her gaze away. Maddox had lost control of his emotions ever since those two guards at Silverfang Den shattered his legs under orders from Duke. After that came the disbarment. His license revoked. His career annihilated. The last pieces of his life-his car, his condo, his savings-all gone in days. Now he lived in a damp, mold-infested basement, the stench of decay and failure clinging to him like fleas. Even during his worst years, he had never known this level of shame.But through all of it, he clung to one thought: Riley. He dreamed of her forgiveness. Of their past. And now, here she was. With another male. Like he never mattered. Maddox wheeled forward with a jolt, blocking her path. His voice cracked as he repeated the question, desperate and angry. "Riley, I asked you-who is he?" Riley's gaze narrowed. She sighed, tired of the scene already. "Who he is... has nothing to do with you." Her voice was like a dagger dipped in silver. The words landed with a force that knocked the breath from Maddox's lungs. His mouth opened, but no words came. The wolf she once was-gentle, soft-hearted, eager to please-was gone. And he had no place in the world she now walked.