Julian's eyes met mine. He looked confused. He stared like he wanted to dig under my skin and find the girl he thought he knew.
Was he thinking of me?
Poor Julian. If only he'd seen sooner. But it's too late now. This second life is not for love. It is for justice. No it is for revenge. I want to see him fall. I want to strip him of every scrap of pride. And Camilla I will make her pay too. I want them both empty and broken.
He whispered, barely loud enough to hear, "Riley…"
"That's right," I answered.
I turned to Lewis and smiled. The smile was soft but full of teeth. "Let's go."
As the car pulled away, I caught one last look at Julian. He stood in the snow like a statue. His face was frozen. I watched his lips move. He mouthed the words without sound.
"She looks… so much like her… almost exactly."
The sight stayed in my head until a hard hand clamped my wrist. Pain flared. I gasped. Lewis's grip was brutal, cold as river ice. His eyes were knives.
"Ouch!" I cried. I tried to pull back. "My wrist… you'll tear the wound open!"
He didn't let go. For a beat his fingers dug in deeper. Then his hand twitched. He reached for my sleeve like he wanted to check the bandage.
I laughed a little, made a joke to hide the fear. I took his cuff and smiled wider. "Relax. I'm kidding. The injury's on the other hand."
His face darkened. The chill in his gaze dropped colder. He began to pull his hand away. I tightened my hold and pretended to wince again. "Ah careful, that really hurts."
He froze. He looked at my wrapped wrist. For the first time I saw something in his eyes other than stone. Curiosity. Maybe doubt.
Then he asked, low and measured, "What exactly are you after?"
Lewis had always seemed carved from granite. No heat. No noise. Impossible to read. But now the surface cracked. He was watching. He cared enough to ask.
I needed him to think I was weak. I needed him to hold me close and protect me. I lowered my voice and let a small tremor slip through. I let Riley's fear show.
"What could I want?" I whispered. "You might not… want me."
He struck on it at once. "Not want you? Why would you think that?"
My heart thudded. If he backed out now, I lost everything safety, access, the truth. I swallowed and kept the line steady.
"I'm scared you'll change your mind," I said. "I'm scared you'll leave me."
I wasn't acting then. The fear sat heavy in my chest. Without this bond I had no way back into their world. I couldn't reach Camilla or Julian. They had tightened their hunting nets. I needed to be inside, close enough to see the threads.
And Lewis had what I wanted. He had the files, the proof, the old pack secrets that could tear them apart. He held quiet evidence that would make their names rot. Thinking of it made my pulse quicken.
Camilla had made me a nightmare. She had stolen my life and paraded it like a trophy. I wanted to return the favor tenfold. I wanted their world to burn slowly. I wanted them to claw at each other like starving wolves.
If one day they found the truth about what lay inside that statue in their hall a grotesque token fashioned from my blood and flesh I would watch Julian's face crack. I would watch the pack turn on him.
When he thought I was dead, a woman with my face stood and took my place. She was about to marry his uncle. Would that wake him? Would it pinch at something buried in him? Would curiosity or guilt stir?
He believed my story ended with the river. How wrong he was. That was only the first page. The real hunt has just begun.
James would likely find Julian a new mate soon. That pack always trades like pieces on a board. They do not love. They bargain. But what if Julian's glance drifted to Riley? What if for one moment he saw more than a pawn? That would drive Camilla wild. She needs him like a pup needs the den. I wanted that need to snap and scream.
I did not want clean revenge. I wanted mess. I wanted suspicion. I wanted them to devour each other before I finished the job.
The plan in my head folded itself tight. It had many parts, like a trap with teeth. Lewis was the center. This bond was not optional. It was my base. Today had to be the start.
I kept my chin down. I let my face show a soft worry. I wanted Lewis to believe I was shy, fragile, sincere. Harmless.
"Riley, even if this is just for show, the pack will talk. Marrying an Alpha who walks with a limp will bring judgment. Are you sure you want this?"
I met his eyes and held my ground. His gaze searched mine for doubt. I did not give him any.
"I'm sure," I said. My voice was steady. "Believe me."
After everything lies, betrayal, blood I knew I could not love again. Love had been my weakness. Now I needed something sharper. Lewis loved another. That made him perfect. No feelings. No messy hopes. Just a pact. Protection and power for me. Stability and an ally for him.
He watched me a long time. Then he gave a short nod. "I can't offer love," he said, "but I can give stability. Money, protection, whatever you need."
"That's exactly what I want," I said. I let a small, honest smile touch my lips.
Romance was dead inside me. The new me had two goals: rise and settle the score. Lewis looked away toward the window. The car rolled on in silence.
We passed streets I used to know. My mind drifted to the statue the terrible thing in their hall. If I could bring that into the light, their lies would start to crack. Harris was probably stumbling now, finding nothing. But that statue if we found it would change everything.
"What are you thinking about?" Lewis asked. His voice was flat but curious.
We had arrived at the Registry of Bonds. He watched me like he watched a map, trying to guess my next step.
"Second thoughts?" he asked. "You can still walk away."
I reached for his hand and squeezed it. "I'm not backing out."
A laugh left me, dry and surprised. How strange life is. Julian and I had tried to get a bond once. Fate always stopped us. Accidents, distractions, Camilla stepping in at the right moment. The world had been pushing me away from him for years.
Now I stood beside his uncle, about to seal a bond in less than a day. Fate had a sharp, cruel sense of humor.
When we sat for the registry photo, I matched Lewis's cool look with one of my own. This was not about love. This was rebirth. This was war.
The photographer frowned. "Sir, could you smile? You look like you're at a wake."
Lewis did not move. His face stayed calm and unreadable.
I did not want the memory to be cold. I leaned close so my breath touched his ear. "Just a little smile, Lewis. For me?"
For a flicker, his ear glowed. "…Fine," he muttered.
That was enough. I gave a real smile as the shutter clicked. The camera caught something small and rare between us.
Minutes later, the bond certificate was in our hands. Lewis kept steady. "I'll take you back to the infirmary," he said.
I shook my head. "I am your mate now, Mr. Hale. I should live with you."
His pause told me more than a hundred words. Before he could object, I added, "Not for romance. I want to stay close. I am your woman now, aren't I?"
He sighed, quiet and reluctant. "Fine. We will go to the Hale Residence first. Later, we will find a proper house."
The Hale Residence. My heart did not jump. It beat with something colder expectation. That was the battlefield. That was where the pack watched each other, where power lived. Being there put me close to Julian and Camilla. Close to the truth.
"Alright," I said, soft and sure. "I'll go where you say."
The gates rose. The hedges were trimmed like teeth. The iron was polished to a mirror. It looked the same. Everything had changed.
I stepped out slow. Snow crunched beneath my boots. I smelled the pack air, the hush of a place that kept secrets.
I was back.
Julian. I hope you are ready.