Third Person's POV Night deepened over Mistyhowl Mountain Lodge, the canopy of stars above flickering like distant wolffire. Laughter rippled through the pack's younger members. "Did you hear? They say there will be shooting stars tonight. Do you think we'll see one?" "And if we do, what? Planning to confess to someone?" The teasing drew more laughter. Yet amidst the warm camaraderie, the music shifted. The lively band faded, replaced by the pure, crystalline notes of a piano. A wolf in white, his black trousers catching the moonlight, sat at the piano. His features were sharp, perfect as if carved from memory itself-the Alpha's presence commanding yet gentle. Fingers danced over the keys, flowing into the familiar strains of "Für Elise", every note carrying a bright, unspoken affection into the cool night air. Some wolves recognized him immediately. "That's Damon Blackwood, the pack's golden wolf!" "Wow, I thought he wouldn't show up this year." "Look at the decorations-everything's changed. Who is he planning to confess to?" "So many flowers..." "Could it be her?" "Impossible! Her mate is Magnus Sanchez, the Shadowbane Alpha. Damon wouldn't dare-he knows his place." "But he's liked Aysel Vale since school. Everyone knows." "Stop. Damon's betrothed is Celestine Ward now." Whispers and speculations rippled through the gathering. Wolves' eyes glinted with curiosity as they watched the Alpha play, enthralled. Yet someone noticed something was off... Where was the other key figure? Confused glances darted around.Aysel had just stepped aside to answer Magnus' call, finding a quiet nook along the lodge's cliffside garden. Hanging up, she emerged-only to be intercepted by a familiar classmate. A single rose was pressed into her paws. "He said... he has never forgotten the promise you made at eighteen." Another wolf stepped forward. "At twenty, he waited at the library. You weren't there, but he was." Another bloom appeared. "If he could redo that day... he wishes you had never gone abroad." "Loving you didn't start with the confession-it started long ago, every moment you grew up together." Aysel's face darkened. She refused every flower, letting them fall to the stone steps below. Wolves around her chuckled awkwardly, muttering apologies as they placed the petals down. This wasn't the romantic scene Damon had painted in his mind. Each word felt like grit in her throat. Aysel remembered every wound he had inflicted-he hadn't been blind to her feelings; he had simply placed his pride and his own guilt above her. In many ways, he was no different from the Moonvale Pack elders. Excuses meant nothing when weighed against betrayal. Back then, she had struggled to understand. Did she misjudge Celestine Ward? Had she been too sharp, too unyielding? Were wolf bonds not always black or white? She had understood, eventually: no grievance could outweigh the comfort of others' conscience. A wolf who received favoritism could sense the faltering loyalties around them-and Aysel refused wolves who were not pure in heart. She had quietly accumulated disappointment like a winter storm, until it reached its peak-and she let go, just as she had with the Moonvale Pack. Now, Damon Blackwood had the audacity to bring up old matters, attempting to pull her back into past miseries. Even without Magnus, she would not return. Her growl of revulsion was low, her claws grazing the petals strewn beneath her paws. She prepared to summon the lodge stewards to remove Damon. Then, a calm voice, threaded with warmth and quiet strength, cut through the tension.Aysel turned. The storm on her face softened instantly. She felt an odd pang of longing-and of relief. "Magnus!" There he stood, as if plucked from her memories, in the moonlit path lined with mountain flowers. His eyes were fixed on her, full of unwavering devotion. He stood alone in the wind, smiling, arms opening wide. The wolves who had delivered roses watched helplessly as the girl Damon thought he had a claim to turned without hesitation, leaping into the embrace of the true Alpha who had always held her heart.