A Broken Alpha Heiress' Revenge novel Chapter 114

Chapter 114

Riley’s POV

Finished

After weeks of training with Lucien, I could feel the change in my body–stronger muscles, faster reflexes, and the stirring power of my wolf, Nyra, pulsing just beneath the surface of my skin.

I wasn’t the same girl who had stumbled into the Duskgrave estate with hollow eyes and shackled hope. No. Now, when I looked in the mirror, I saw someone reclaiming her strength–piece by piece, claw by claw.

But there was more to healing than just fighting. I knew that. That’s why, today, I wasn’t training in the forest. I was at my desk, sunlight spilling through the tall windows of my room like a golden blessing, focused on a different kind of battle.

A labor of love.

The gift I was making for Matriarch Duskgrave.

She’d taken me in when I had nothing but scars–on my body, in my soul. She’d wrapped me in warmth I hadn’t known in years. For the first time since my mother ‘died‘, someone except Mia looked at me like I mattered. Not because of my bloodline or some cursed prophecy–but just because I was me.

So, I poured every ounce of that gratitude into this gift.

My fingers moved swiftly across the silk fabric, a needle held between them like a dagger. I was stitching a peony–Matriarch Duskgrave’s favorite flower–into the center of a deep crimson tapestry. It wasn’t just thread and silk. It was my soul in every stitch.

Nyra stirred within me as I worked, lending me calm, steady focus. She was still weak, recovering from years of suppression, but even she understood the importance of this offering. It wasn’t just embroidery. It was a declaration.

A promise.

I’m not broken anymore.

Each time the needle pierced the fabric, I could feel my heartbeat steadying. I used soft rose threads for the outer petals, slowly layering in bolder shades–crimson, wine, gold–until the bloom looked almost real, like it might sigh under the weight of its own beauty.

I didn’t even realize Lucien was behind me until I felt his presence like a warm shadow. He didn’t speak. He never did when I worked. Just stood there, silent and watchful, the ever–patient Alpha Prince.

I didn’t stop.

It wasn’t until I tied off the last thread and let the needle fall with a quiet clink that I leaned back, my spine aching, my eyes burning.

A soft breath escaped my lips.

It was done.

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Chapter 114

Finished

My own version of Glory in Bloom, inspired by a centuries–old Stormridge pattern I’d once seen in a book. I had recreated it from memory–and heart.

The scent of ink, silk, and morning sun filled the room. I rolled the tapestry gently and placed it inside the velvet–lined box Lucien had given me. Black lacquered wood, engraved with an intricate crest of the Duskgrave lineage–it looked regal, powerful. Fitting for the woman who had given me a second chance.

As I stood, my knees buckled slightly–numb from hours of stillness. I caught myself against the desk, wincing.

How long had I been working? I glanced at the window. The morning mist was beginning to lift from the mountains beyond.

Another all–nighter.

I ran a hand through my hair, tried to blink away the fatigue. The sunlight bathed my skin in warmth, chasing away the chill. I stretched slowly, each joint cracking like old wood in a storm.

And just as I stepped into the hallway, carrying the gift box in both hands, I saw a tall figure in a black suit waiting for me.

Lucien?

No–he turned, and I saw it was Duke.

Lucien’s right hand. Loyal, deadly, and always watching.

I stiffened instinctively. The last time Duke had shown up without warning, someone had ended up in a hospital–or worse.

He offered me a polite nod. “Miss Riley. The preparations for the Matriarch’s celebration are nearly complete. Lucien asked me to ensure your gift is placed securely in the inner vault until the banquet.”

“Thank you,” I said softly, tightening my grip on the box.

“I wasn’t sure when you’d finish your embroidery,” Duke said as he stepped into the hallway, “so Alpha Lucien has already escorted the Matriarch to the banquet hall.”

I gave a small nod. Of course. A celebration that grand couldn’t begin without the Duskgrave name at the forefront.

My gaze drifted to the antique clock on the drawing room wall–its gilded hands pointed at ten.

I blinked, suddenly conscious of how haggard I must look after pulling an all–nighter hunched over the tapestry. “Could I have a moment to clean myself up?” I asked, trying not to sound embarrassed. “It wouldn’t be right to show up to the Matriarch’s birthday like this…”

Before I could even finish the sentence, Duke snapped his fingers.

And just like that, a group of stylists swept in through the door, carrying makeup kits and garment bags like a mini army.

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Chapter 114

He turned to the racks of gowns, humming thoughtfully, fingers fluttering over silks and satins like he was communing with them. “No, no… too mature… too brooding… ah–here.”

He held up a pale pink gown, all floating chiffon and delicate embroidery. It shimmered faintly in the light, as if it were spun from dawn itself.

“This,” he declared, “is the one. You’re not a warrior tonight. You’re the Alpha’s star–crossed phoenix.”

The dress clung to me like moonlight–lightweight, soft, flowing with every breath I took. When I stepped in front of the mirror, I barely recognized myself.

Gone was the girl buried by shadows and silence.

In her place stood a young woman with eyes that knew pain, but also grace. Her skin glowed, her lips were soft as petals, and her body–still thin, but no longer fragile–was held like she belonged to the stars.

Andi pinned up my hair into a low chignon, leaving soft wisps curled around my ears and neck. A string of freshwater pearls settled against my collarbone, and with it, something in my chest settled too.

I looked at my reflection, and for a moment, I forgot the dungeons of Ebonclaw, the betrayal of my bloodline, the five years in chains.

I saw me.

The real me.

The one who existed before the pain, before the prison, before the lies.

“I used to smile like that,” I whispered, brushing my fingertips across my lips. “Before everything burned.”

And now, I was back.

No longer the outcast.

No longer the prey.

Lucien had given me shelter. The Matriarch had given me dignity. And I had given myself permission to rise again.

This was just a birthday banquet.

But for me?

It was war paint.

And I was ready.