Chapter 112

Chapter 112
Riley’s P.O.V
The house was quiet when I stepped in, but that didn’t mean I was in the clear.
I hadn’t even made it halfway across the foyer before I heard the voice I’d hoped to avoid for at least a few hours.
“Where are you coming from, Riley?” my mom asked plainly, her arms crossed over her chest as she leaned against the archway leading into the sitting room. She wasn’t angry—yet. But her tone was sharp, controlled. That was worse. That meant she was watching. Calculating.
I swallowed hard. “Mom…”
She raised an eyebrow, waiting.
I shifted under her gaze. My skin was still buzzing from the drive back, the memory of Rhys’s hands and lips etched into every part of me like fire branded under my skin. I was sure she could see it—see him—all over me. Could mothers smell that kind of thing?
“I only went out with a friend to eat,” I said, trying to sound casual. But my voice wobbled slightly at the end, betraying me.
“I don’t think anything is wrong with that, Mom,” I added quickly, my eyes flicking to the stairs, silently begging for an escape.
She didn’t move. “I need to meet your new friend, Riley. Bring her here tomorrow.”
I blinked. “Her?”
She nodded. “This girl… Zoey, right? The one you mentioned last week?”
My stomach dropped. Of course she assumed it was Zoey. That’s who I had said I’d gone out with. That’s who I was supposed to be with.
But how do I tell her it wasn’t Zoey who kept me out late? That it was Rhys—the boy she hadn’t even noticed yet. The boy who touched me like I mattered, kissed me like he couldn’t breathe without it.
But Mom wouldn’t want that, would she? She’d see Rhys the way any alpha’s wife would—dangerous, secretive, too old, too intense. She’d never understand what I felt with him.
Still, the guilt crept in slowly. I hated lying to her, but I didn’t know how to stop.
Maybe that’s why I asked her the question that had been sitting in my chest for weeks now.
“Mom… I’m turning eighteen soon.”My voice dropped into something softer, more uncertain. “How will I know my mate? And how does it work with my wolf? When will I… you know… feel her?”
She softened instantly, her expression warming. She stepped closer and gently cupped my face in her hands. “You’ll know, Riley. It’s not something you need to figure out with your head—it’s your heart, your instincts. Your wolf will guide you, and when the time is right, she’ll rise inside you. You’ll feel her. Like she’s always been there, waiting.”
I nodded slowly, unsure whether I felt reassured or more terrified.
“Don’t worry, dear,” she said softly, brushing a curl away from my face. “You’re exactly where you need to be.”
But what if I wasn’t?
What if the pull I felt toward Rhys was that instinct? What if my wolf already knew, and I just hadn’t caught up?
I murmured goodnight and climbed the stairs to my room. My fingers grazed my lips, remembering the way his mouth had devoured mine in the car, the way his touch made my whole body tremble like it was waking up for the first time.
How could something feel that good?
Even now, curled beneath my blanket, I couldn’t stop replaying it. The pressure of his fingers, the breathy sound of my name on his tongue, the reverent way he looked at me like I was more than just a girl—like I was his.
I wished I could feel it again.
No—I needed to.
When morning came, I couldn’t sit still. I looked for Rhys everywhere—on the grounds, near the training field, even by the guest cabins. But he was nowhere.
Was I crazy to think he might’ve waited for me? Maybe he was avoiding me. Maybe what happened last night was just a mistake to him. Or worse—maybe.
Still, I kept searching. Just one more moment, just one more glance. I didn’t even know what I’d say—Thank you? I missed you? Can we do it again?
By the time I reached the library, my mood had sunk somewhere below ground. I slumped into a chair in the far corner, burying my face in my book without reading a single word.
Then, I felt it.
The shift in air. The scent that made my pulse spike. Musk and smoke and something wild beneath it.
Rhys.
Someone slid into the chair beside me. I looked up, heart leaping.
And there he was—leaning back like he had all the time in the world, his dark eyes fixed on mine with a smirk that made my knees weak even though I was sitting.
“Looks like you’re excited to see me,”he murmured, low enough only I could hear. His voice curled around me like silk.
Before I could respond, he reached over and pulled my chair a few inches closer to his. The quiet scrape against the floor made my heart jump.
“What are you doing?”I whispered, glancing nervously around. The library wasn’t packed, but it wasn’t exactly empty either.
He didn’t answer. He just leaned in closer, his hand sliding under the table. I gasped as I felt his fingers graze my knee, slowly dragging upward. My skirt was already short, and with each inch he gained, my skin burned hotter.
“Rhys,” I warned, eyes wide. “Someone could—”
But then his lips brushed my ear. “Let them watch,” he whispered, his voice dripping with hunger. “You taste too good to wait.”
I barely had time to process that before the sudden sound of footsteps—and a familiar, too-loud voice—ripped through the moment.
“Riley!” Zoey’s voice rang through the room like a fire alarm. I flinched, instantly pulling my chair away, heart hammering.
Rhys didn’t even look fazed. He rose smoothly, adjusting his shirt like nothing had happened. He turned to me with a slow, satisfied smile, his eyes lingering on my lips like a promise.
Then, without a word, he walked off—leaving me breathless and aching all over again.
“Girl, I’ve been looking everywhere for you,” Zoey said, dropping into the seat across from me. She looked annoyed, oblivious to the electricity still sparking in the air around me. “What’s your deal today?”
I shook my head, trying to steady my breathing. “Nothing,” I said, forcing a smile. “Just… reading.”
But inside, my thoughts were screaming.
Because Rhys wasn’t just a crush or a bad decision anymore.
He was temptation.
He was danger.
He was the storm I wanted to drown in.
And the worst part?
I wanted it to happen again.