Aysel's POV I didn't know whether someone had arranged it, but the moment I stepped out of the hall, the entire Shadowbane ancestral fortress went dark. Every lantern. Every corridor torch. Extinguished-devoured by shadow. In the suffocating black, I tried to find a few attendants to ask for directions. But whoever orchestrated this had planned well. After the Sanchez wolves rushed to the healers with Alpha Bastien, every remaining servant had been quietly reassigned... removed... vanished. I stood alone in the cavernous emptiness, my breath echoing back at me. My emotions rose and sank like storm waves. I wasn't certain Magnus was still in the fortress. I wasn't certain he was even alive. But for once, I chose to trust my instincts-and trust Mia, my wolf, who was snapping at the chains inside me. At worst, I'd just be wrong. At worst, this would all be one reckless, desperate mess. I replayed what little I knew, thinking through every place Magnus might be. Finally, I decided to head toward the Greenbamboo Wing-the only place he'd mentioned tonight. The storm outside was vicious. Twice the winds nearly tore my umbrella from my hands. The third time, I stopped fighting it and simply discarded the thing, letting it tumble away into the rain. I lowered my head and ran.If my guess was right, then Lyall Sanchez and his mate-suddenly "returning" to the fortress tonight-had been nothing but a spectacle, a distraction. Expose some convenient scandal from the previous generation. Shock the family. Provoke Alpha Bastien until he collapsed. And then- Lure every wolf away. A perfect misdirection. With inheritance and lineage involved, every Sanchez heir had their attention pulled toward the past. But the orchestrator's true target had never been the past. It had always been Magnus Sanchez. The only one who could know the Sanchez family's buried sins... The only one who could command the fortress staff without question... The only one who could move unseen within these ancient walls... Had to be someone from the bloodline itself. And tonight- Nearly every Sanchez wolf was present. All except a handful living abroad or secluded in recovery dens. So who was it? Rain hammered against my skin like thrown pebbles, sharp enough to sting. But I didn't slow. Couldn't slow. Find him. Find him.Find him- That voice inside me-Mia-was no longer a whisper. She was a roar. At last, approaching the Greenbamboo Wing, I saw it: A faint glow. A single stubborn light cutting through the rain. But before I reached it, several figures stepped into my path. Wolves stationed under strict orders. They stared at me-soaked, breathless, running straight through a storm-with confusion and alarm. I curled my fingers at my side, hiding the way my claws ached to emerge. I straightened my spine and met their eyes coldly. "I know you're only following orders," I said softly. "But as long as Magnus Sanchez breathes tonight, if any of you lays a hand on me-he will take that hand from you. Personally." Fear flickered through their silhouettes. They wanted to stop me. But they also wanted to live. Their hesitation was all I needed. I bolted past them. A few snapped out of their daze and lunged after me. Luckily, most of the wolves here were ordinary attendants-only a couple were true enforcers. The ones I could shake, I shook. The ones I couldn't shake, I didn't hesitate to strike. Mia surged with every blow, every dodge. By the time I reached the main house of the Greenbamboo Wing, a whole pack of them trailed behind me, shouting, scrambling- I shoved the doors open. Inside, a slender figure with an elegant posture stood with her back to me. She turned slowly at the sound, eyes sweeping over me with a mixture of admiration... and faint disappointment. With a lazy flick of her hand, she dismissed the wolves behind me. They hesitated- Exchanged glances- And withdrew. I gripped the doorway for support, rainwater dripping from my hair to the polished floor. My eyes fixed on her, shocked... but not truly surprised. "Fourth Aunt," I said quietly. Anna, Conor Sanchez's mate. A serpent hidden in silk. She let out a light chuckle. "Ulric and Magnus might be worthless men," she mused. "But their taste in women is surprisingly refined." Her gaze slid over my uninjured frame, and she sighed with true regret. "You're clever. I originally meant to use your corpse as a gift for Magnus." My blood went ice-cold. "These past days," she continued, strolling closer, "I've watched him... the way he moves mountains for you." For your birthday among the Moonvale wolves. For you in the auction hall, humiliating young Zark before all elders. For you, cutting off Giovanna's opportunities without blinking. For you, striking at both the Blackwood Pack and Moonvale Pack business fronts without hesitation. "So dramatic," she purred. "Even if it isn't love, there's certainly some sincerity." Her smile deepened. "To let him see your mangled body with his own eyes... Magnus's expression would've been priceless." She clicked her tongue. "What a pity." My voice scraped out low. "Where is he?" I stepped deeper into the room, boots leaving a trail of wet footprints across the polished Shadowbane floors.