The Pack's Daughter: Read Chapters 1-5

Aysel's POV

The Moonlight Hall shimmered.

Wolves from every bloodline bowed in reverence, their breaths trembling as the drums of the Luna Ceremony thundered through the night.

And I stood at the center of it all-barefoot, veiled in white moon-silk, the sacred mark glowing faintly on my wrist.

In a few more breaths, I would speak the words that would bind my soul to Alpha Damon, heir of the Blackwood Pack-the strongest Alpha the eastern realm had seen in a century.

My voice would seal our bond.

My vow would crown me Luna.

And the entire pack would kneel to me.

But fate-no, my adopted sister Celestine Ward-always found a way to make me bleed.

"Aysel Vale," the High Priest intoned, his voice echoing through the marble arches. "Step forward, and swear before the Moon Goddess your vow to the Alpha."

I did.

The silk of my gown whispered against the floor as I faced Damon. His silver eyes caught mine, softer than I remembered, yet distant-as if I was something he'd already owned and forgotten.

"I, Aysel Vale-"

Bang!

The heavy oak doors of the Moonlight Hall burst open.

Knox Draven, heir of the Ironhowl Pack, stumbled in, breathless. "Celestine is hurt!" he shouted.

The words struck the room like lightning.

The chanting stopped.

The moonfire dimmed.

Even the goddess herself seemed to hold her breath.

At the altar's center, Damon froze. The ceremonial crown in his hands clattered to the floor, rolling to my feet.

"What did you say?" His voice was hoarse.

"Lady Vale just called," Knox gasped. "Celestine's been attacked by rogues. She's in the healers' ward. It's bad."

The hall erupted into gasps and whispers. The elders rose, the warriors stirred-but all I saw was Damon, already stepping down from the altar, already forgetting that his Luna stood before him.

Because Celestine Ward-the darling of my pack, the fragile, flawless adopted daughter-was hurt.

"Damon," I said softly, the single word catching in my throat.

He didn't even look at me.

I reached for him, fingers trembling beneath the veil. "You don't want to finish the ritual?"

He turned slightly, his eyes filled with something I used to mistake for tenderness. "Aysel... Celestine needs me. I'll be right back."

Right back.

Like all the other nights he said that and never came.

I smiled faintly. "And what if I don't let you go? You know I despise her."

His gaze hardened. "Aysel, this isn't the time for jealousy."

Jealousy.

That was always the word he used to silence me.

When Celestine fainted in his arms and I waited alone in our quarters.

When she cried about her dreams and he held her until dawn.

When he said, "You're my future, Aysel," even as his eyes followed her across the hall.

Now he stood before the entire pack and said the same thing-again.

"My vow," I whispered, my voice shaking, "only comes once."

Damon's expression flickered with guilt-but not enough to stop him. "Don't be dramatic," he said softly, almost like a scolding. "You've waited twenty years for this Luna mark. You can wait another night."

The murmurs started immediately:

"She's not even Luna yet, and he already runs to another she-wolf."

"Perhaps the Moon Goddess changed her mind."

"How pitiful-to be abandoned mid-ceremony."

The sound of them carved into me deeper than any blade.

Skylar stepped forward, fury blazing in her eyes. "Damon, are you her healer or her mate? Every time Celestine faints, it's you she calls for! You think she times her ‘attacks' for nothing?"

Gasps filled the hall.

Damon's eyes darkened. "Skylar, enough. Mind your tongue."

"No," she snapped. "You mind yours, Alpha. Look at your Luna-she's breaking, and all you see is Celestine."

He turned to me, jaw tight. "Aysel, control your friend. Don't make this worse."

Control.

Another word he loved to use-control your anger, control your tone, control your jealousy.

All while he lost control every time Celestine so much as whispered his name.

The High Priest's trembling voice broke through the silence. "Alpha, if the moon sets before her vow, the bond cannot-"

"I don't care!" Damon roared. "I won't let Celestine die!"

And just like that, he left.

He left me standing in the ruins of my own coronation, surrounded by whispers and broken vows.

One by one, they all followed him-priests, elders, even the wolves who had sworn loyalty to me. The moonfire dimmed, the sacred music died, and the scent of crushed petals turned sour in the air.

Skylar's fists trembled at her sides. "Say the word, Aysel. I'll make him regret this."

But I couldn't speak. I couldn't move.

Because for years, I'd watched him walk away.

Every time she cried, he went to her. Every time I bled, he told me to endure.

And every time, I forgave him.

But not this time.

This time, I watched him go-and something inside me broke clean in half.

The altar's communication stone flickered. A message shimmered across its surface, carved in mocking silver light:

"You lost."

Celestine Ward.

I wiped my tears and looked up at the Moon Altar-the place where I was meant to be crowned, now littered with broken petals and his discarded vows.

Maybe I lost my Luna crown tonight.

But the game isn't over yet.

Aysel's POV

Three nights ago, Celestine came to find me.

"You know Damon's planning your Luna Coronation, right?" she said sweetly, though venom laced every syllable.

Her eyes-those wide, shimmering amber eyes everyone called gentle-hid something darker that only I ever saw: envy, sharp and starving.

"I heard the Elders wanted to skip the ceremony entirely and announce the bond straightaway," she continued, brushing an invisible speck from her silk sleeve. "But Damon insisted on doing it properly-he wanted to hear your ‘yes' himself. Isn't that romantic?"

I looked up from the documents on my desk, keeping my tone even. "So?"

Her lips curved, too slow, too deliberate. "So, Aysel, you-of all wolves-don't deserve happiness."

She tilted her head, the candlelight glinting off her pale hair. "Let's make a bet, cousin. Three nights from now, your pretty coronation won't happen at all."

And in that moment, I understood. She'd already set something in motion.

Celestine Ward, my aunt's daughter-taken in by my parents after her mother's death-my cousin by blood and foster sister by name, the Moonvale darling, my rival by fate, was never content unless she was standing on the ruins of my joy.

The Luna coronation ended in chaos.

One cry, one name-Celestine-and Damon had run.

As if the moon itself had called him.

The guests scattered. The chants died. The pack banners hung heavy, dripping with wax and silence.

Skylar tried to insist on driving me home-she'd seen my face, pale as bone-but a message came from the Frostfang elders. Something urgent. She had to go.

So I told her to leave. I lied and smiled like always, because that's what I'd been trained to do.

The hall emptied. I stayed behind, staring at the crushed moon-roses littering the marble floor. For a long while, I said nothing. Then, quietly, I laughed.

Because it was almost funny, wasn't it?

The ceremony, the vows, the illusion of choice.

I left the Moonvale Hall past midnight, walking along the river under the faint scent of blooming nightshade. The moonlight on the water looked like a wound trying to heal.

I didn't want to go home. Not yet. The house would smell like disappointment and old grief.

That's when I noticed them-footsteps behind me. Too close. Too steady.

Rogues, or drunk wolves from another pack.

Didn't matter.

I lifted my phone, pretending to take a selfie, and caught their reflections in the screen-three of them, closing in.

My pulse slowed instead of quickening. Funny. Fear had long ago stopped visiting me.

I pressed the emergency rune on my phone. Damon's name flashed across the screen-he'd insisted on setting it up last year after a fight broke out during a council banquet.

"If you're ever in danger," he'd said, holding my wrist to program the mark. "Call me. Don't be reckless again. Promise me."

I had promised.

And tonight, for the first time, I actually kept it.

The call connected.

"Aysel?" Damon's voice was low, tired-familiar enough to ache.

He sounded distracted. I could hear soft beeping in the background. A healer's ward.

"Someone's following me," I said.

There was a pause. Too long. Then:

"Aysel, I really can't do this tonight. Please, don't make a scene."

He thought I was lying. Again.

A woman's voice drifted faintly through the receiver-my mother...oh now is Celestine's mother, Luna Evelyn.

"Damon, give me that."

Then her voice, sharp and cold: "Aysel Vale! Your sister just barely survived an attack, and you're still out prowling like some wild stray? Stop making excuses for attention! No one's leaving this ward, do you hear me?"

Click. Disconnected.

For a heartbeat, I just stood there, listening to the silence.

Once, that would've hurt. But now?

Now it was only... hollow.

The river wind bit at my skin. It was spring, yet the air felt sharp as knives.

The men behind me laughed-low, mocking. One of them whistled.

"Easy prey."

They thought I was prey.

And for once, I didn't need to pretend otherwise.

Inside me, my wolf-Mia-stirred, stretching beneath my ribs.

Finally, she whispered. Let's stop playing human.

A warmth began to bloom in my chest, spreading like wildfire through my veins. My vision sharpened. The world slowed. I could hear their heartbeats, smell the sour tang of fear beneath their arrogance.

I turned slowly, letting them see my face. My lips curved in a soft, practiced smile.

"I've been pretending to be good for so long," I said quietly, rolling up my sleeves. "You have no idea how much I've missed this."

Then I let go.

Mia's power flooded through me-silver and violent. The air itself seemed to bow. Alpha dominance cracked like thunder, smashing into them before I even moved. Their knees buckled, eyes wide with instinctive terror.

"W-What are you-" one managed to gasp. "You are not an Omega..."

I was already in front of him. My fist connected with his jaw-bone snapped like dry wood. Another swung a blade; I ducked, twisted, and slammed him into the pavement hard enough to crack it.

Mia laughed inside me, wild and hungry. Yes. That's it. Breathe.

Minutes blurred into motion-grunts, snarls, the metallic tang of blood and fear.

When it ended, they were scattered around me, limbs broken, groaning weakly.

I stood over them, breathing hard, the moonlight staining my skin silver. My knuckles dripped red.

For a long while, I said nothing. Then I lay back on the cold ground, staring up at the sky, and pressed my trembling hand to my chest.

"Only yourself," I murmured. "Only ever yourself."

Fifteen minutes later, I called the patrol to collect the rogues, gave my report in a calm voice, and ended the call.

A faint rustle.

One of them, half-conscious, tried to crawl toward me, knife glinting weakly in the dark.

Before I could move, a boot struck the rogue's ribs with bone-cracking force, sending him sprawling into the dirt.

A shadow stepped between us-tall, broad-shouldered, moving with the slow, lethal grace of something that ruled the dark. The air itself seemed to tense around him, as if the night recognized its master.

Moonlight slid across his frame like liquid silver over forged steel. His coat flared with the wind, revealing the carved lines of a body built for dominance, not mercy. The scent that followed was a heady mix of smoke, cold iron, and the faintest trace of blood and pine-danger disguised as allure.

He turned his head slightly, and the world felt smaller. Eyes like stormfire found mine, and my pulse betrayed me-steady one moment, wrecked the next.

This wasn't just a man.

This was a predator who could end me... or ruin me in other ways entirely.

My wolf stirred uneasily. I couldn't sense his rank.

Which meant only two things.

Either he had no wolf.

Or his power was so far above mine that my instincts dared not measure it.

I swallowed hard, gaze lifting to meet his.

Amber eyes met mine-ancient, unreadable, gleaming with something between curiosity and danger.

He tilted his head slightly, the corner of his mouth curving in a slow, knowing smirk.

"Interesting," he drawled, his voice low and rough as gravel yet smooth enough to tempt sin. "Didn't expect to find a little wolf this fierce out here."

He took one unhurried step closer, his presence wrapping around me like heat and shadow.

"Tell me, darling," he murmured, his tone a velvet threat. "Who taught you to fight like that?"

Magnus's POV

I hadn't meant to stop.

The night was young, the moon sharp and heavy over the city skyline, and my wolf-restless, violent-paced beneath my skin. I'd just left the Shadowbane estate, my father's voice still echoing in my skull, a litany of demands and power plays. So I'd stepped out midway, let my Lycan hound loose, and decided to walk until the fury cooled.

Then I smelled blood.

And fear.

Men's fear-bright, sharp, defiant.

Down by the riverbank, under the flickering streetlight, a scene unfolded. A delicate figure surrounded by rogues-filthy half-breeds with too much lust and too little brain.

But it wasn't the danger that caught me.

It was her.

She moved like a cornered flame-fragile, fierce, heartbreakingly beautiful. Her dress was torn, her hair wild, her fists stained red. And her scent... gods, that scent. It wasn't rogue. It wasn't Omega. It was threaded with the unmistakable dominance of an Alpha.

Which meant she wasn't just some helpless wolf lost in the city-she belonged to one of the major packs. Judging by her refined scent, likely an heir.

She fought like a storm contained in flesh-every strike clean, desperate, precise. I could smell the iron of her blood, the fire of her will. She was all sharp edges and stubborn silence, and something in me-something feral and half-buried-snapped loose.

My hound rumbled low beside me. I raised a hand. "Stay."

For a while, I simply watched. I wanted to see how far she'd go. How long before she broke.

But then one of them lunged.

I moved without thinking.

A single kick sent the man's ribs collapsing with a sickening crunch. The rest froze, their stench of fear filling the night air.

I stepped between her and them, my shadow swallowing hers, the moon carving silver over my black coat. My scent rolled through the street, and every wolf in the area would have felt it.

The rogues stumbled back, trembling.

Good. They should.

I turned to the girl. She was still on the ground, chest heaving, eyes wide. There was blood at the corner of her mouth. Her scent hit me again.

The kind that makes a Lycan's pulse trip.

"Interesting," I murmured, crouching a little, letting my gaze drag slowly over her. "Didn't expect to find a little wolf this vicious out here."

Her pupils flared. She didn't lower her eyes-smart and stupid at once.

"Tell me," I said softly, my voice a low growl wrapped in velvet. "Who taught you to fight like that?"

She didn't answer. Just stared. Blood and starlight on her skin.

The rogues groaned behind us. I sighed. "You left a few breathing. That's sloppy."

Her brows furrowed.

"Rule number one," I added, straightening. "If you're going to fight, finish it."

Before she could speak, I turned, expression flat, and ended it for her.

A few crunches. A few screams. Silence.

When I came back, she was still on the ground, back against the dirt, glaring up at me like I'd just insulted her pride. Her lip curled slightly, and for the first time that night, I almost smiled.

"Quick hands," I said, "but a soft heart. Fire without fangs." I tilted my head, letting the moonlight catch the edge of my smile. "Tell me, little wolf, how do you plan to repay your savior?"

She said nothing.

Just stared, gray eyes sharp enough to cut through bone.

The corner of my mouth twitched. "No words? Fine. You'll think of something."

I reached out to help her up. But the moment my hand brushed her wrist, she shoved-fast, fierce, reckless. My balance broke, and I fell forward.

Her body caught mine.

A soft curse slipped from my lips as pain flared in her arm and my hand landed somewhere... unexpected. Warm. Unforgivingly soft.

Her breath hitched. Mine stopped.

For a heartbeat, the world froze. Her eyes went wide, her cheeks flushed, and before I could speak-

"Didn't anyone ever tell you," she hissed, voice trembling with fury, "not to stare at trouble on the roadside?"

Then she kneed me-hard-and yelled, "Help! Enforcers!"

Within moments, the sharp howl of sirens split the night-our kind's version of law and order.

I blinked, half in disbelief, half in amusement, as the little wolf glared down at me like I was the villain of the story.

"You repay kindness with chaos," I drawled, lying where she'd been moments ago. "That's bold."

She stood, brushing blood from her cheek, lips twisting into a smirk. "I'm bold," she said sweetly. "And very, very bad."

And just like that, she turned and walked away-head high, shoulders squared, defiance burning bright.

I watched her until the night swallowed her whole.

The Enforcers arrived minutes later. My Beta, Jackson, rushed in, panting, eyes darting between me, the unconscious rogues, and the fading echo of her scent.

He swallowed hard. " Alpha-should we... clean this up?"

I didn't answer right away. My gaze lingered on the street where she'd stood, that stubborn little spark refusing to die.

"Find her," I said finally, my tone calm, dangerous.

"Who?"

I shot him a look.

He paled. "Right. On it."

Jackson turned to leave, muttering something about the poor woman's impending doom.

But he was wrong.

I had no intention of hurting her.

I just wanted to know-what kind of wolf hides claws that sharp beneath eyes that soft?

Aysel's POV

I didn't even know what kind of storm I'd stirred until dawn bled over the Moonvale estate.

The moment I stepped through the gates, still reeking of dried blood and smoke, my father-Alpha Remus-met me with a snarl and a hand faster than thought.

The slap cracked across my face, sharp as a whip. My head snapped to the side, and for a second, the world went white.

"I should have known," he growled, his voice shaking the walls. "No daughter of mine would dare bring shame to this Pack!"

The metallic tang of my own blood filled my mouth. My wolf bristled, teeth bared under my skin. I didn't move. I didn't even blink.

Around us, the room froze.

Luna Evelyn gasped softly. My brothers-Fenrir and Lykos-stood tense, eyes bright with anger. And on the sofa, Celestine Ward-our precious family guest, our beloved ward-watched everything with the smallest, most poisonous smile.

So that was it.

Last night's ambush by those filthy rogues, the one I barely survived-it wasn't random. I'd suspected as much. And judging by the calm in Celestine's eyes, I'd been right.

The little snake had planned it.

She'd tried to have me ruined-or dead. And now, she'd turned my own family against me before the bruises on my skin had even faded.

I didn't say a word.

I just moved.

Three strides, and I was in front of her. Her perfume-sweet amber and deceit-burned my nose.

Then my palm connected with her face.

The sound cracked through the hall like thunder.

For a heartbeat, no one breathed.

Luna Evelyn screamed, "Aysel! What are you doing?!"

Before anyone could stop me, I struck again-the other cheek this time. "That's for last night," I hissed. "For the rogues you sent after me."

Celestine staggered, one hand pressed to her now symmetrical face, shock twisting into fury. She'd always been the serene one, the fragile one-the saintly sister everyone adored. Now she looked ready to shred me apart.

Fenrir lunged forward, grabbing my wrist and throwing me back. My spine hit the cabinet with a dull thud, right against the bruises from the night before. Pain flared, sharp and deep. My wolf snarled, but I bit it back.

No one noticed.

Of course they didn't.

Everyone's eyes were on Celestine-checking her skin, soothing her, murmuring comfort.

No one cared about the Alpha's daughter covered in dirt and blood.

"Why would you hit your sister?" Alpha Remus's voice roared again, shaking the chandelier.

I lifted my chin, tasting iron. "Then why did you hit me?"

He froze for a fraction of a second.

I smiled without warmth. "You taught me that, didn't you? Strike first. Then talk about justice later."

His face reddened with fury. "You dare compare yourself to me? You bought rogues to attack your own blood! Do you even realize what you've done?!"

"Bought rogues?" I echoed, my voice colder than moonlight. "Then where's the proof?"

"The rogue confessed!" he barked. "He said you paid him to crash Celestine's car. If it weren't for her mercy, you'd already be locked in the Enforcer's cell!"

I laughed under my breath. "So all you have is a liar's word."

Celestine's lips trembled. "Aysel, I don't know why you hate me so much. If you want me gone, I'll leave Moonvale. I'll leave the Eastern Territories forever. Just... stop hurting everyone because of me."

Her voice shook, fragile and pure. Her wolf lowered its head, radiating submission and heartbreak.

Perfect. She knew exactly how to play them.

Alpha Remus's growl deepened. "Enough! Celestine stays. She has every right to this house. If you can't accept that, you can leave."

The words hit harder than any slap.

And the worst part?

He was right.

Celestine's mother had died protecting me. It was the sin no one let me forget-the reason I'd spent my life paying penance to a girl who'd learned to weaponize forgiveness.

I couldn't argue it. I didn't even try.

Lykos shoved a first-aid box into Fenrir's hands, muttering, "If anyone's leaving, it should be her. Having a sister like this is a disgrace."

Fenrir scowled. "Aysel, apologize to your sister."

I met his gaze, my voice steady. "It wasn't me. I won't take the blame."

Father raised his hand again-but I was faster this time. I dodged easily, wolf instincts flaring.

I turned toward Luna Evelyn and Damon Blackwood-the man who was supposed to stand beside me. The man who used to. "You believe them too?"

Neither spoke. Their silence was louder than any verdict.

Fine.

I pulled out my comm crystal and dialed the Enforcer line. "If I'm accused of a crime," I said clearly, my voice ringing through the room, "then let the law decide. Not my pack."

Gasps.

"You dare-!" Father's voice shook.

But I'd already pressed send.

Celestine's mask cracked for a flicker of a second. I saw panic there, raw and ugly, before she hid it again.

"Aysel," Luna Evelyn said sharply, "Pack business is not for outsiders. Celestine was ready to forgive you, and you throw it away. You disappoint us again."

"Then disappointment is mutual," I said quietly.

Fenrir's jaw clenched. "If you're found guilty, don't expect the Moonvale Pack to protect you."

Of course not.

They all looked at me like I was feral-an embarrassment, a stain on the Moonvale name. I could almost hear their thoughts: Let the Enforcers break her spirit. Maybe then she'll learn obedience.

Damon stepped forward, his scent-smoke and cedar-washing over me. His voice was low, pleading. "Aysel, if this is about me and Celestine-there's nothing between us. Please, don't ruin your future over pride. Just apologize. Once. That's all it takes."

My laugh came out hollow. "Apologize? For what? For fighting back? For not dying when she sent rogues after me?"

Lykos glared. "Watch your mouth."

"I am," I said softly, meeting Damon's eyes. "I'm just done watching my back."

The air thickened. Wolves stirred. The pack bond buzzed with tension.

Finally, I straightened, blood still crusted along my jaw. "Those slaps were fair," I said. "One for Father's hand, and one for the snake who thinks the Moonvale Pack belongs to her."

Silence.

Luna Evelyn's voice broke it, cold and final. "You've lost your mind, Aysel. Truly lost it."

"Maybe," I said, smiling faintly. "But at least I didn't lose my teeth."

The Enforcers arrived minutes later.

And just like that, for the second night in a row, I walked into their custody-head high, unrepentant-while my family watched from the doorway, pretending it was justice.

Aysel's POV

Daylight spilled through the tall windows of the Moonvale Enforcement Hall, harsh and cold as judgment.

Different guards were on shift now-wolves I didn't recognize.

When they heard that the one who called the Enforcers was also the prime suspect, they froze for a moment, brows furrowed, scent laced with disbelief.

Usually, a wolf who dared to walk into the Enforcement Hall of their own accord, asking to prove their innocence, was either a fool... or truly clean.

They took one look at me-at the bloodstains still faint on my sleeve, at my calm face-and their instincts tilted toward the latter.

But the victim's companions were loud, dramatic, swearing on the Moon Goddess herself. So the officers did what they had to-protocol over instinct.

Then came the part that made the air shift:

The "victim" and I belonged to the same Pack.

Celestine Ward-the Moonvale's precious adopted daughter, always bathed in Luna Evelyn's affection.

And me-the real daughter, standing alone on the other side of the room, demanding an investigation.

The female Enforcer doing the record blinked at the family tree for a long minute before muttering, "Moon help me," under her breath.

I didn't blame her.

Even from the outside, this was the kind of twisted Pack drama wolves gossip about for years.

Just a few hours ago, Alpha Remus had slapped me bloody in front of everyone. Fenrir glared like I'd killed his mate. Lykos practically growled my name like it was a curse.

And Damon, my supposed fiancé-had held Celestine as she coughed softly, pale and delicate, like the perfect Luna-in-training.

Watching him hover, the Enforcer's eyes darkened with disgust.

Her scent turned sharp with judgment.

"You expect me to believe that girl tried to kill this one? Sure."

If wolves could roll their eyes out loud, she just had.

The way Damon brushed Celestine's hair back, how her trembling fingers clung to his sleeve-it was obscene. The kind of thing that made every instinct in me want to bare my fangs.

But I didn't.

I just sat there, calm as ice, answering questions, voice steady.

The Enforcer-young, sharp, and probably the only one here with a working brain-watched me for a while, then quietly placed a cup of hot tea in front of me.

And a small bar of chocolate.

I almost smiled. She must've noticed how the Moonvale servants didn't even bring me breakfast. Their loyalty began and ended with whoever the Luna favored.

The case itself wasn't complicated.

The driver confessed.

He was hired-but not by me.

The name that came out stunned everyone.

Aine Rook.

A dancer from the Bluemoon Pack. Celestine's rival in their shared troupe.

She admitted everything-said she only meant to injure Celestine lightly, ruin her chance to perform as lead. But she'd used the ongoing family feud as a cover. She'd heard rumors of me "hating my sister," and decided to frame me, knowing my family would swallow it whole.

Clever bitch.

If I hadn't walked in to confess nothing, she'd have gotten away with it.

Celestine, of course, chose forgiveness. Because that's what she does best-turn other wolves' sins into the stage for her own sainthood.

Aine's dancing career was over, but she didn't seem to care. Her scent was cold, her expression unreadable, as she passed me by on her way out.

She paused just long enough to whisper, "You may have proved you're clean, Aysel Vale, but you still lost. You always will."

I didn't answer.

Her words stung less than they used to. Maybe I was just numb.

Back in the hall, silence reigned.

Alpha Remus's face twisted with something like regret-until he opened his mouth.

"If you hadn't been so arrogant," he said, "your classmates wouldn't have turned against you. You brought this on yourself."

I almost laughed. "Right. And if she ever sheds a hair, it'll be my fault for breathing too close? You should just wrap her in glass and light incense for her three times a day."

He slammed his hand against the table, a growl rising from deep in his chest. "Watch your mouth!"

The young Enforcer snapped, "No physical aggression in the Hall, Alpha."

The command tone of an officer cut through even Alpha authority, and Remus froze, hackles still half-raised.

Celestine coughed weakly, leaning harder against Damon. Luna Evelyn's voice dripped with reproach.

"Aysel, look what you've done. Your sister's health is fragile enough-must you drag her through this?"

Fenrir folded his arms, expression dark. "You knew you were innocent. You could've handled it quietly instead of embarrassing the Pack."

Lykos snorted. "Maybe that's the point. Some wolves crave attention, even if it means a cell."

I stared at them all-my blood, my Pack, the family I'd once believed would die for me-and felt nothing but cold.

"Right," I said. "I'm dramatic, I'm jealous, I'm vicious. But at least I'm still a wolf, not some creature that hides behind a saint's shadow and calls it love."

The room went still.

Then I tilted my head, lips curling in a tired smile. "Funny how you can all smell lies but never hers. Maybe your noses are just for decoration."

One of the male Enforcers choked trying not to laugh. The young female officer's tail flicked once, amused.

Luna Evelyn's jaw tightened.

The Enforcer turned toward me and said clearly, "Aysel Vale, the case is officially cleared. You're free to go. As for Celestine Ward, as the injured party, you may be contacted for follow-up."

Finally.

I thanked her quietly and turned to leave. Damon made as if to follow-but Celestine swayed, clutching his sleeve, and he froze.

Typical.

I didn't look back until Luna Evelyn's voice followed me out. "Aysel, wait. You and Damon's bonding ceremony yesterday had to be halted due to Celestine's injury, but the High Priest has divined the date of the next one-less than a month from today.. You should stay at the estate until then."

The words hit like a joke from the gods themselves.

I turned slowly, eyes landing on Damon-on the arm still wrapped around my sister.

"Luna Evelyn," I said softly, "look again. He's already holding his Luna. You really think it's still my ceremony?"