Third Person's POV The news struck Luna Evelyn like a thunderclap. "Aysel Vale! Are you out of your mind? You burned your grandmother's house down!" Her voice trembled with fury and disbelief. No one in the Moonvale Pack had ever thought Aysel would go this far. That she would strike out in anger, perhaps, or come demanding what she thought was hers-but to destroy the only thing her grandmother had ever left her? Impossible. When the Fire Guard from the northern district called that morning, Luna Evelyn had nearly dropped the phone. "That house was your grandparents' bond site!" she cried, voice cracking with grief. "It was where their souls first intertwined under the Blood Moon! You said it mattered to you, that you would preserve it forever! Look what you've done!" The official report called it an accident. But everyone in the pack knew better-it was no accident. Not when she'd beaten Celestine bloody the night before. They all whispered the same thing: Aysel burned it because she couldn't stand the idea of that ancestral home being transferred to Celestine. If she couldn't have it, no one would. For the first time, Luna Evelyn saw how cold her youngest daughter's eyes could be. Aysel only laughed softly. "So you do know how much it meant to me. Yet you still chose to betray Grandmother's will." Luna Evelyn faltered. "We had our reasons-" "I don't care what reasons you had," Aysel cut her off, her voice sharp as a blade. "Better that it burns to ash than be given to a murderer." "Aysel! Watch your tongue!" Luna Evelyn screamed, her tone half fear, half heartbreak. "Your grandmother's death was an accident! Why can't you let go of this madness? Celestine is your sister in blood-why would she ever harm her own kin? Don't let jealousy blind you!" Aysel's expression didn't waver. She knew she had no proof-and they would never believe her anyway. Luna Evelyn pressed on, desperate. "You know arson is a crime, don't you? And that house meant so much to Celestine. You've already hurt her badly-she was taken to the healer's ward last night!" "Oh?" Aysel's tone turned flat. "Then go ahead. Report me."There was silence on the other end. Heavy, suffocating silence. Then came the strained reply, furious and powerless all at once: "You know we can't. Aysel Vale, what have you become? I don't even recognize you anymore." Of course she couldn't report her. Aysel knew that well. The burned-down cottage still legally belonged to Luna Evelyn, and to accuse her own daughter of torching an old, near-worthless house would only make the Moonvale Pack a laughingstock among the clans. The matter would be buried-like everything else they swept under the rug. Aysel's voice turned cold. "Then maybe it's time you meet the real me. From now on, I won't be the daughter you can leash with guilt and reputation. Push me again, and you'll see how cruel I can truly be." The call ended. For a long moment, Aysel sat in silence. Then she turned to find the man-the stranger-watching her from the shadows of her small apartment. His golden eyes glinted like those of a predator amused by the chaos before him. "So," she said dryly, "you see? Threatening me with a little fire won't work. Now get out." Magnus Sanchez-though she didn't yet know his name-tilted his head, a faint smirk curving his lips. "So you didn't save me out of fear. You just couldn't resist my looks." The dark tension broke, absurdly. Aysel blinked, speechless. "Has anyone ever told you that you're unbearably vain?" "Now someone has." She exhaled sharply. "You heard all that. I'll have trouble soon. Staying here won't be peaceful." Her meaning was clear-it wasn't a safe den for him to recover. He ignored that. "You know," he said after a pause, voice low and teasing, "sharing family secrets with a stranger isn't very wise. A lone wolf like me... might find it convenient to kill and bury you right here." Aysel rolled her eyes. "If you kill me, I'll haunt you." "I've never tasted a she-wolf's ghost before," he murmured. "If you're offering, I don't mind finding out." "You're insane." "Mutual diagnosis," he said easily.And just like that, the wounded Alpha stayed. From the couch, he watched as she stomped off to her room, pretending to be angry-but her steps were light, her tail flicking in irritation more than rage. A smile tugged at his lips. Showing mercy to a demon only invited it to stay. And Magnus Sanchez had always known how to take advantage of a crack in the door-until he owned the entire room. --- By the time the two wolves slept through the day-curtains drawn, scents mingling faintly-the world outside had already erupted in uproar. The fight with Celestine Ward hadn't even settled before this new scandal broke. Within the Moonvale estate, chaos reigned. Alpha Remus slammed a fist onto the table, fury shaking through his old bones. "That girl's gone too far this time! Burning her grandmother's cottage-has she lost her mind?" "She'll be taught a lesson," said Fenrir, his eldest son, his tone cold. "Cut off all her accounts. Every card, frozen. Let's see how she acts when she has no money left to make trouble." Alpha Remus grunted in approval, then sighed, glancing toward the infirmary where Celestine lay. "That poor child's been through enough. When she's healed, hold a global dance gala for her-make it grand. Let the world see the Ward blood still shines bright." "Understood," Fenrir said quietly, though resentment flickered behind his calm. Every time Aysel made a mess, he was the one left to clean it up. He picked up his phone. "Freeze all of Aysel Vale's accounts. Not a single coin transferred to her for the next six moons. And contact a few healers from overseas. Celestine's body has always been frail-make sure she gets the best treatment." His assistant hesitated... wasn't Miss Aysel's account frozen years ago-when she left the pack? Fenrir frowned. He'd forgotten. Somewhere along the line, everyone assumed someone else was supporting her. Even Celestine had claimed she'd given her sister millions out of ‘sisterly love.' He scoffed under his breath. "Ungrateful as always." The assistant didn't bother reminding him further. Freezing Aysel's nonexistent cards was a regular family ritual by now. He turned instead to contacting healers-because in his experience, Celestine Ward could leap and spin across a stage one night, then land herself in a healer's bed the next. Better to call a few extra. Just in case.