The Pack's Daughter (Aysel and Magnus) novel Chapter 424

Chapter 424

Riley’s POV

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.

My own version of Glory in Bloom, inspired by a centuries-old Stormridge pattern I’d once seen in a book.

10:01 Fri, Jan 9 G

Chapter 424

I had recreated it from memory-and heart.

Finished

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.

“Alpha Lucien anticipated your concerns,” Duke said with a faint smirk. “He had a full styling team on standby. They’ve been instructed to have you banquet-ready in under thirty minutes. You’ll arrive before the celebration begins at eleven.”

2/4

Chapter 424

Finishes

He turned to the lead stylist, a tall, flamboyantly dressed man with a velvet choker and sculpted brows. “Andi, she’s yours.”

Andi placed a perfectly manicured hand on his hip and looked me up and down with a dramatic sigh. “Moon above… this is the one that caught Alpha Lucien’s cyc? He’s all dominance and dark fury, and she’s- what is this-celery wrapped in shadows?”

I blinked, caught between a laugh and a groan.

He tutted and stepped closer, inspecting me like a disappointed art critic. “Dry skin, dull eyes, cracked lips…. Sweetheart, are you sure you’re not a ghost pretending to be a girl? Even I have more feminine charm, and I’m two martinis away from challenging a rogue to a duel.”

I gave him a deadpan look. “Charmed, I’m sure.”

Duke’s jaw ticked. “Andi, if you’d like to keep this job and your tongue, I suggest you remember who you’re working for.”

Andi rolled his eyes so hard I thought they might roll out of his head. “Fine, fine. Sheesh. Everyone’s so sensitive in this pack.” He turned to me and offered a big, theatrical grin. “Let’s get you un-dead, darling.”

I caught Duke’s gaze. He gave me a quick, silent reassurance: Don’t take it personally. He hates every woman Lucien notices.

Ah. That made more sense. He didn’t hate me, he hated the threat I posed.

That made two of us.

Andi clapped once. “Lights on. Chair ready. Time to resurrect this Luna.

They moved like professionals-fast, efficient, precise. A makeup artist gently cleaned my face with a cotton pad, smoothing away the fatigue I didn’t even realize had settled in my bones.

Next came the foundation-light and cool against my skin-masking the shadows beneath my eyes. Concealer erased my exhaustion like a spell.

A brow pencil traced soft lines where my eyebrows had once been full of emotion but now lay dulled by grief and time. The stylist didn’t change their shape, just enhanced them-bringing a sharp grace to my expression.

Soft pink and warm browns dusted my eyelids, deepening my gaze without making it harsh. My lashes were brushed until they fanned like wings, and the eyeliner traced a soft flick at the corners-subtle, but fierce.

Then came the blush. Just a touch-delicate and flushed like someone had whispered a secret against my cheek. Finally, a glossed rose tint to my lips.

Andi stepped back with a dramatic flourish. “Now we’re getting somewhere.”

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.

Fri, Jan 9

Chapter 424

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