THE WILD CAT

Chapter 13

Riley’s pov

Theo’s grip on my wrist was like steel. I tried twisting out of it—once, twice—but he didn’t budge. Not even a flicker of hesitation as he dragged me down the corridor, his strides too fast, too sure.

“Theo, let go!” I hissed under my breath, but he ignored me.

Before I could yank back again, he shoved open a door, pushed me inside, and the heavy thud of it slamming shut echoed behind us.

My palms clenched. “What are you doing?” I demanded, glaring at him as I moved toward the door. “Why bring me here—”

His hand caught my arm and the next thing I knew, my back hit the wall. Hard. Air escaped my lungs in a sharp gasp.

“What are you doing?” I barked again, my voice shaking more than I wanted it to.

He leaned in close, his voice a low growl. “Yes,” he murmured.

“Yes, what?” I snapped, heart thudding against my ribs.

“Yes, I’m crazy.”

The words hung between us, thick and heavy. His green eyes locked onto mine, unblinking, unrelenting. My throat went dry. I swallowed hard, my gaze darting from his face to the door and back again.

“Why are you causing us to fight?” he asked, his voice suddenly quieter, dangerously quiet, as he leaned closer still. His breath brushed my skin, then his nose traced near my neck, as if trying to read me by scent alone.

I turned my head sharply away. “No one sent me to you,” I hissed. “Because you guys kidnapped me!”

I shoved him—hard. Hard enough that he stumbled back and hit the floor with a dull thud.

For a heartbeat, I froze. My pulse roared in my ears. Oh god, he’s going to kill me.

But then, out of nowhere, a low chuckle rolled out of him.

I blinked. “What’s funny?” I asked, my voice tight, wary, every nerve in me braced for his next move.

“You know…” Theo rose to his feet slowly, his gaze dragging over me like a predator deciding whether to pounce or not. “You’re a really interesting girl.”

I stiffened as his voice dropped lower. “And to think I almost killed you.”

My brows knitted, that old memory flashing—the fight, Kika’s hands around my throat, his cold command. He did want her to kill me back then.

“Whatever,” I muttered, forcing my voice to sound bored even though my pulse was anything but.

I turned, ready to leave this lunatic behind, but his hand shot out, fingers curling around my wrist. With one tug, I stumbled right into him, my palm pressed against his chest just to keep some kind of space between us.

A flicker of heat shot through me at the contact. My skin tingled where it touched him, and his green eyes darkened for a second, unreadable, dangerous.

Then, just as abruptly, he let go—shoving me back like I burned him.

“What’s your problem?” I snapped, regaining my balance.

He didn’t answer. Not a word. He just turned and walked out, leaving me standing there with confusion swirling in my chest.

“What a maniac,” I muttered under my breath, brushing off my dress and heading back toward the party.

The music was louder now, the crowd buzzing. My eyes caught Skylar and Quinn across the room, relief washing over me for a split second. At least they were familiar faces in this madhouse.

But before I could take a single step toward them, a hand clamped onto mine.

I turned, and my breath caught.

Kika.

Her eyes burned into mine, both her hands wrapped in thick bandages, crutches tucked awkwardly under her arms.

How the hell is she even here? I thought, my stomach twisting. I paralyzed her…

“Congratulations on becoming the 100th wild cat,” Kika said with a faint smile, her voice surprisingly calm.

“Thank you,” I replied, trying to mirror her expression, though my gaze kept drifting to her bandaged arms. She looked like she was barely standing. “I’m really sorry for all this,” I added, gesturing toward her injuries.

“No, it’s cool. You fought hard and won the title.”

I nodded, but guilt pricked at my chest.

“I guess I made a mistake underestimating you,” she said with a small laugh.

I let out a tight breath. Honestly, I had no idea I could beat her at all. With her skill level, I should’ve been torn apart. If it wasn’t for my uncle’s constant training drills—ones I used to hate—I’d have been cooked.

Thank goodness he wasn’t here to rub it in. I could already hear his voice: ‘Told you those skills would save your life one day.’

“I’ll take my leave now,” Kika murmured, snapping me out of my thoughts as she hobbled away with her crutches.

I watched her retreat, unsure what to make of that strangely civil encounter, when a hand touched my shoulder.

“Hey.”

I turned—and there he was. Lucas.

For a moment, I almost rolled my eyes. Another triplet. But then I reminded myself: he was the only one who had shown me any sort of… care. Theo wanted me dead, and Armani—ugh—he probably wanted me erased from the planet altogether.

“Hi.” I gave him a small, reluctant smile.

“Come with me. I have something to show you.”

He didn’t even give me a chance to protest—his hand wrapped around mine firmly, pulling me along as though my opinion didn’t matter. My heels clicked against the floor as we moved, the party noise fading behind us.

We passed Theo, and I swear, the look on his face was enough to make the room combust. His jaw was so tight, I thought his teeth might crack.

Lucas didn’t slow down. Didn’t even glance back at his brother.

“Where are you taking me?” I finally asked, looking at the hallways flashing by.

No answer. Typical. This was the second time tonight I was being dragged somewhere against my will.

We reached a door at the far end of the hall. Lucas stopped, turned the handle, and looked at me. “Come on,” he said.

I stayed still for a moment, eyes narrowing. Who can blame me? Theo had already made it perfectly clear that following any of them was a death wish. From the way he acted earlier, his craziness had probably rubbed off on the other two.

But I stepped in anyway. Because I was a wild cat now—at least, that’s what they branded me as. And unlike most people here, I wasn’t going to shrink in fear.

The door closed behind me, and my breath caught for a second. Balloons floated around the room, lights strung across the walls, and rose petals scattered the floor.

“What is this?” I murmured, stepping forward slowly.

The view was beautiful. Almost unreal.

I walked to the window, the cool breeze slipping through, and stepped out onto the balcony. The night air rushed over my skin, calming the chaotic rhythm of my heart for a moment.

The breeze felt like a luxury I’d been starved of—cool, clean, free. It had been so long since I’d been able to breathe this kind of air.

“Congratulations on becoming a wild cat,” Lucas’s voice reached me, pulling my attention for a second. He was holding a bouquet—bright flowers clutched in one hand, his expression unreadable in the dim light.

But my eyes didn’t linger on him. They stayed locked on the city lights far in the distance, glittering like a promise I couldn’t touch. We must be far away from there, I thought. So far that even the thought of freedom felt like a cruel joke.

If I could just… jump. Run.

I leaned over the balcony slightly, peeking down. The ground was so far, my stomach turned. “My goodness,” I muttered under my breath, instinctively stepping back.

Lucas’s hand shot out, steadying me. “What’s wrong?” he asked, concern creasing his forehead, flowers still clutched in his other hand.

I quickly forced a smile, pushing that fleeting thought of escape deep down. Can’t let him know what I was thinking.

“Is this for me?” I asked, taking the bouquet from him before he could question me further.

“Yes,” he said simply, watching my reaction.

“Thank you,” I murmured, already turning to leave.

But his fingers wrapped gently—firmly—around my wrist. “Won’t you give me a kiss at least?”

I froze, staring at him. Was he serious right now?

I gulped, resisting the urge to snap at him. “Haha… fine,” I said, forcing a lightness into my voice.

He leaned toward me, a faint anticipation in his eyes. I stood on tiptoe and pressed a quick, dry kiss to his cheek—barely a whisper of contact.

To my surprise, his cheeks flushed. Actual color spread across his face.

I pulled back, blinking at him. Was he… blushing?

What a fool.

“I’ll leave now,” I said, already stepping away from Lucas before his flushed face could annoy me any further. If I was going to make it out of here, there was only one way—play the triplets, twist them around my fingers until they’re all too tangled to see what I’m really doing.

The party’s noise wrapped around me as I slipped back in. Music, laughter, the faint scent of alcohol and expensive perfume—it was all still going like nothing had happened.

I spotted Skylar and Quinn in the corner, both laughing at something ridiculous.

“Riley!” they called out the moment their eyes landed on me.

“I see you two are enjoying yourselves,” I teased, slipping between them with a small smirk.

Quinn was about to answer—her mouth just opening—when a loud, sharp noise cut through the air. It was the kind of sound that didn’t belong at a party. Something crashed—glass? furniture?—followed by panicked screams that rippled through the room.

My head whipped around with theirs.

And there he was.

Armani.

He stood in the middle of the chaos, one finger clutched in his other hand, blood streaking down his body like something out of a nightmare. His face was twisted—half rage, half pain—and his eyes scanned the room until they landed on me.

My stomach dropped.

What now?