Third Person's POV Alpha Blackwood caught the murmurs before he saw the scene-low growls of gossip threading through the banquet hall. Alarmed, he strode forward, scent sharp with anger, and from a distance already saw both of his sons fighting. Or rather... Damon beating Quentin in a one-sided assault. Fury nearly made Alpha Blackwood shift on the spot. What was this place? A sacred Blackwood celebration, attended by half the continent's packs-Alphas, Betas, Elders-and his heirs were brawling like feral juveniles? In their own territory, he tolerated their rivalry. But here? This was humiliation. He stared at Damon, disappointment clouding his aura like a storm-darkened sky. Not long ago, Damon had finally accepted reality-listened to his mother's urging and gone on a formal mating-meeting. He had even matched well with Judy of the Thunderfang Pack, the only daughter of the Thunderfang Alpha-line's financial chief. Alpha Blackwood had been genuinely pleased. The Blackwoods were strapped for liquid assets. Thunderfang was the ideal alliance. Judy had good lineage, striking looks, and a straightforward nature-none of Damon's past entanglements bothered her. She liked him boldly, pursued him openly. And then, in a matter of days, his idiot son had reverted to old vices-entangling himself with Celestine Ward again. The mating candidate was lost. The Thunderfang Pack was offended. A valuable alliance shattered overnight. Alpha Blackwood had been so enraged he nearly snapped a whip across Damon's back. And now Damon was causing another scene."What is it this time?" Alpha Blackwood's voice was ice, ignoring the fact that Damon was still reeling from being slapped in front of half the hall. Quentin spread his hands, face all innocent wolf-pup mischief. "Big brother saw the cufflink on my sleeve and got upset I borrowed something of his." "A cufflink?" Alpha Blackwood echoed, incredulous. "You're fighting over a pair of useless cufflinks?" His brows cut sharp as he turned to Damon. "Enough. It's a trivial item. Quentin will compensate you with another pair later." He shot both of them a chilling glare, the kind that made nearby pack members flinch. "For the rest of the feast, behave. Do not embarrass me again." Damon opened his mouth, jaw tight, unwilling to swallow it. "That cufflink isn't just an item-it's-" "Enough." A hand clamped onto his arm, stopping the words. Damon's mother. The Blackwood Luna's expression was wintry, her tone colder still. "No matter how important it is, it's a mere object. It cannot compare to the Blackwood Pack's reputation. Stop this nonsense." Damon stared at her, wounded. But the Luna had already let go, her face devoid of emotion. She had once held high hopes for him. Even when Alpha Blackwood had all but declared Damon unfit as heir, she had fought for him. She had pushed tirelessly to arrange the meeting with Judy-spent favors, called in debts. And Damon had ruined it. She was tired. She fought at the front lines for years, only for her own son to drag her down at every turn. Now she even doubted whether the brilliant, noble, once-lionized son she remembered... had ever been real, or if it had all been her illusion. Alpha Blackwood had convinced her: Damon was unfit to inherit. Not with Magnus Sanchez lurking like a continent-level predator. Not with Damon's fatal weakness-his emotions-easily manipulated by women. A flaw like that could destroy the Blackwood Pack. Quentin, though average, would at least not bring devastation. And if not Quentin, they could hire a professional Alpha-manager. She herself held Blackwood shares-her perspective had shifted from protective mother to calculating shareholder. If Damon had true ability, he should obey his father-cast aside past glory, rebuild from scratch, begin again. She would not abandon him entirely. But she would no longer shield him. Their dual betrayal stunned Damon so deeply he forgot even to ask for the cufflink back. Numb, he drifted toward the exit. Just before he stepped out, someone appeared in his path- Celestine, clad in ceremonial dress, carrying a small box. She froze in surprise. "Damon?" He looked at her-at the concern in her amber wolf-eyes-and his breath caught. Suddenly he understood. Was this... what Aysel had lived through? Her things taken. Her actions misunderstood.Her pain dismissed. A home that should have been hers- invaded by a stranger, a usurper- one who strutted openly above her, brazenly devouring every piece of her life. And Damon...was living that nightmare now.