Chapter 112: My Comfort

My skin was slick with sweat, but Lewis didn’t pull away.He drew me closer, one arm firm around my waist, grounding me like he always did when my thoughts spiraled too far. His breath brushed my ear as he murmured, low and steady, "Don’t be scared, Riley."

I wanted to believe him.

But fear wasn’t something I could command away.

By morning, the edge of my fear had dulled, but something felt wrong.

Lewis wasn’t beside me.

The space next to me was cold. Empty. It startled me more than it should have. I had grown used to waking with his presence nearby either seated close, alert even at rest, or already dressed, moving quietly through the house like he was guarding it.

The emptiness pressed against my chest in a way I didn’t like.

I got up and pulled on a sweater, following the sound of voices downstairs. I stopped halfway down the steps when the air shifted.

Tension crackled through the living room. Sharp. Unmistakable.

Lewis’s voice cut through it, controlled but lethal.

From my spot near the stairs, I saw him seated, shoulders squared, his posture rigid with authority. Even sitting, he commanded the room. In one swift motion, he flung a stack of papers across the space. They struck Julian square in the face before scattering across the floor.

"So this is how you handle what I entrusted to you?" Lewis said. His tone was calm, but it carried weight. "If I’d known you were this incompetent, I never would’ve let you take the role."

Julian stiffened.

Vicky hovered nearby, wearing a tight smile, her scent sharp with nerves. She spoke softly, like she was trying to soothe a volatile situation without actually fixing it. James looked worse. Flushed. Panicked. Desperate to keep the peace.

"Lewis," James said quickly, "you have to understand Julian hasn’t been himself since Elena disappeared. He wasn’t thinking clearly."

The room went still.

Lewis tilted his head slightly. A warning gesture. "So now her absence excuses his failures?"

James froze.

What he didn’t realize what he clearly hoped Lewis didn’t know was that the truth had already surfaced. Lewis had uncovered everything. The lies. The betrayal. The meetings that weren’t business. The evidence was clear, undeniable.

James swallowed and turned to Jeffrey, silently pleading.

Jeffrey didn’t intervene. He simply folded his hands. "I’ve already handed control of the Hale Group to Lewis. Whatever happens next is his call."

Lewis’s gaze snapped back to Julian.

"I’m calling a council meeting," he said evenly. "You’re done. A new leader will be chosen."

Julian’s face drained of color. Shock rippled through him, raw and disbelieving. He clearly hadn’t thought Lewis would go this far. Not with his mother’s history. Not with blood ties.

"You can’t do this," Julian snapped. "You’re my uncle."

Lewis didn’t raise his voice. He didn’t need to. "This position requires strength and discipline. You lack both. Consider this time away an opportunity to reflect."

The words sounded polite. Civil.

But everyone in that room knew what it meant.

Julian’s hands clenched at his sides. His pride flared, wild and reckless. "This isn’t about the pack it’s personal. You’re punishing me over old grudges."

Lewis let out a low laugh. It wasn’t warm. It wasn’t amused. "If this were personal," he said, "you wouldn’t be standing here arguing. You’d already be gone."

Then his eyes found me.

The shift was instant.

His shoulders eased. His expression softened, like a storm pulling back from the edge of land. "Breakfast is ready," he said gently. "You didn’t eat last night. Come sit with me."

I didn’t want to stay in that room a second longer. I nodded and turned toward the dining area, my heart still pounding.

After breakfast, he suggested we go out and pick up New Year’s gifts. I agreed easily.

Being with Lewis was effortless. His presence calmed the restless pull inside me. He was steady. Grounded. He didn’t overpromise. He didn’t hesitate when it mattered.

When I walked beside him, the world felt quieter. Safer.

And for a brief, dangerous moment, I let myself wonder.

What if he had found me first?

What if his hands had been the ones to pull me back before everything went wrong? Before Julian. Before the lies. Before the bond that nearly broke me.

If things had gone differently in my last life if I had ended up with Lewis instead I might already have children by now. The thought slipped into my mind without warning, warm and unsettling at the same time.

A family. A home. A bond that didn’t shatter halfway through.

"What are you thinking about?" Lewis asked.

His voice pulled me out of it. I blinked and smiled faintly. "Nothing important."

He didn’t look convinced. His gaze lingered on me, steady and searching, the way it always did when he sensed something shifting beneath the surface. "You seem calmer today," he said. "Last night scared me."

I let out a small breath. "I know. I lost control for a moment."

He reached out and brushed his fingers through my hair, slow and grounding. It wasn’t possessive. It wasn’t demanding. But it anchored me all the same. "It’s over now," he said quietly. "We’re here. That’s what matters."

Not long after, he mentioned stopping by a jewelry store.

I shook my head immediately. "You really don’t need to. I have plenty at home. Jeffrey already gave me a full set recently."

Lewis smiled, like I’d said something amusing. "There’s no such thing as too much," he replied. "Your only responsibility today is to enjoy yourself."

I raised a brow, teasing. "And you can afford that?"

His lips curved slightly. "I can afford you."

There was no bragging in his tone. I realized then how long it had been since I’d shopped simply because I wanted to. Back in school, my days were consumed by deadlines. After that came work, constant travel, endless obligations.

Julian never wanted to go out with me. He always had reasons. Too tired. Too busy. Later. Always later.

Now I knew why.

Most of my wardrobe had been chosen by assistants. Efficient. Thoughtless. Safe. It left no room for joy.

Lewis was different. He stayed close the entire time, moving at my pace, offering opinions that actually considered what I liked. His presence was steady, protective without being smothering.

That was when I saw it.

A thin necklace, simple but elegant. Something about it pulled at me. I reached for it, but before I could try it on, a staff member hurried over.

"I’m very sorry, Mrs. Hale," she said apologetically. "That piece belongs to a limited collection. It was already claimed. A new employee placed it out by mistake."

"Oh," I said gently. "That’s alright."

Before I could finish, sharp voices cut through the store.

"Hurry up. I don’t have all day."

"Do you think I enjoy being dragged around like this?"

I turned and froze.

Camilla walked in beside Yenik.

Of course.

The Hudson pack had gone through with the bond ceremony. They couldn’t back out, not after the scandal. Pulling away now would have made them look weak, disloyal. Reputation mattered more than comfort.

Even if they clearly despised the woman they were tying themselves to.

Yenik noticed us and stiffened. Then he forced a smile and pulled Camilla forward. "Well, if it isn’t Alpha Hale and his mate."

He leaned closer to her, voice low and sharp. "Say something."

Camilla’s jaw tightened. She lifted her head. "Hello," she said stiffly.

Then she turned to the staff. "Wrap up the necklace."

I smiled faintly. "That’s interesting," I said. "I was just admiring that piece. Funny how things line up."

Camilla’s expression flickered, but before she could respond, Yenik stepped in.

"If you like it, then it’s a gift," he said quickly. "From our pack to yours."

Her eyes widened. "What? You can’t just give it away!"

He glanced at her with open irritation. "You’re joining us. What’s yours becomes ours. Just pay for it and hand it over. Consider it goodwill."

The irony settled deep in my chest.

In my past life, Camilla had taken everything from me. My partner. My name. My place. Now she stood there, being stripped piece by piece, and it wasn’t even by my hand.

I turned the jewelry box slowly, meeting her gaze. "I hope you don’t mind," I said softly.

Yenik laughed. "Mind? She should be honored."

I looked at Camilla again. "You two suit each other."

He was cruel without shame. She was calculating to the bone.

Perfect, really.