THE WILD CAT

Chapter 21

The next morning, everyone was already in the training room—everyone except Riley. She was still in her bedroom, curled up on the bed and feeling absolutely miserable.

“Gosh, why did my period have to come now?” she groaned, rolling from side to side. “I feel like I’m dying.”

A knock suddenly sounded on the door, making her groan even louder.

“Go away!” she yelled, assuming it was the maid checking on her.

The knocking continued, and Riley’s irritation flared. “Didn’t you hear me? I said f**k off!” she shouted. A small part of her felt bad for snapping like that—Samantha was a kind woman—but the sharp pain in her stomach had left her grumpy and short-tempered.

The knocking stopped.

A few minutes passed in silence before the door slowly opened on its own.

“What the heck—”

Riley turned her head and froze when she saw Theo standing in the doorway, his eyes already on her.

“You look like a mess,” he said as he stepped inside and closed the door behind him.

“How did you get in here?” Riley asked, confused. She was sure she had locked the door. She quickly sat up on the bed as he walked closer.

Theo casually lifted a bunch of keys and waved them in the air. “Nothing is really private around here. Besides, I have a key to every room in this mansion.”

Riley sighed. “Just great,” she muttered sarcastically.

“By the way, why didn’t you come to training?” Theo asked. “Antonio told me you told him to f**k off.”

Riley blinked, suddenly realizing it had been Antonio she’d yelled at—not the maid. For some reason, that made her feel slightly relieved.

“So,” she said carefully, “you’re here to punish me for not coming?”

“Well… yes,” Theo replied, causing her eyes to widen.

“But,” he added after a brief pause, his gaze softening slightly, “seeing your condition, I think you had a reason.”

Riley felt awkward under his scrutiny.

Theo took in the state of the room—and then her. She looked exhausted, messy, and clearly in the middle of that time of the month.

“Is it because I look messy?” Riley asked quietly, glancing down at her legs.

“Well, that,” Theo said, then pointed behind her, “and the bloody sheets.”

Riley’s eyes widened. She turned sharply and froze when she saw it—the bed soaked in blood.

“Oh no…” Panic hit her all at once. She jumped up from the bed, frantically looking around, unsure what to do.

“Calm down,” Theo said, grabbing her arms gently to keep her still.

But Riley was far from calm. She felt dirty, exposed, and horribly awkward.

Seconds later, tears spilled down her cheeks. “This is all your fault!” she yelled through her sobs.

“What? What did I do?” Theo asked, genuinely confused by her sudden outburst.

“If you guys hadn’t kidnapped me, I’d be in my own comfy bed right now, taking care of this properly!” Riley shouted, pushing him away as she continued crying. “I feel horrible here. I just want to leave!”

She tried to walk past him, but Theo caught her wrist and pulled her back.

“Let go of me!” Riley said, hitting his chest weakly, but he didn’t move.

“You do know there’s plenty of stuff here to take care of this,” he said calmly, nodding toward the bed and then to a drawer beside the standing mirror. He guided her over and opened it.

Inside were pads, tampons, painkillers—every kind of menstrual care she could think of.

“Oh…” she muttered, momentarily stunned.

“Should I help you with it?” Theo smirked.

Riley gulped, staring at him for a second—then suddenly grabbed him and dragged him toward the door. Theo complained loudly as she shoved him out.

“Thanks for coming,” she said sharply, “but bye.”

She slammed the door shut and locked it.

“You do know I have the keys,” Theo chuckled from the other side.

Riley groaned, running her fingers through her hair as she headed toward the bathroom to take a shower.

Theo chuckled softly outside the door and was about to walk away when he nearly collided with Serial, who stared at him with a confused expression. His smile vanished instantly, replaced by a cold, unreadable look.

“Master Theo,” Serial said, her tone stiff. “What are you doing in the 100th Wild Cat’s room?” She emphasized 100th like it was an insult.

Theo stepped closer until he was standing directly in front of her. “Don’t you ever question me again,” he said coldly.

Then he walked away, leaving Serial standing there, fuming.

That evening, everyone gathered in the main hall—including Riley, who was finally feeling a little better.

Armani, Theo, and Lucas stood on the stage, speaking quietly among themselves.

“What’s going on?” Riley asked Quinn.

Quinn shot her a sharp glare, clearly reminding her of their last unpleasant conversation.

Riley scoffed and turned to Skylar instead, but Skylar deliberately looked away.

“You two are hopeless,” Riley muttered, folding her arms.

Suddenly, Armani stepped forward.

“Today, my brothers and I will be sending some Wild Cats on a mission,” he announced.

Riley’s eyes lit up as she listened closely.

“This mission isn’t particularly difficult,” Armani continued. “So the Wild Cats selected will be those ranked from the bottom—numbers one hundred to ninety.”

Riley smiled.

“I’m ranked one hundred,” she said a little too loudly. “So I’ll be going.”

The hall went silent. Everyone turned to stare at her—most of them glaring, confused by her obvious excitement.

Armani tilted his head slightly. “You there,” he said, pointing at her. “Come up here.”

Riley swallowed hard and slowly made her way toward the stage.