Third Person's POV When Aysel had returned to the continent, she had brought Magnus a gift-and, in her gentle manner, she had picked up an extra one for Jenny as well. She had handed it to the young she-wolf during Bastien's lunar-cycle birthday banquet. Jenny had been delighted. Overjoyed, even. She now wore the charm every single day-its faint scent clinging to her and announcing to anyone with a keen enough nose exactly whom she adored. It was obvious to anyone watching that Jenny and Lykos had already clashed earlier that day-over a small moon-plush totem that Lykos had carelessly damaged. After the incident later that night, Jenny's simmering fury finally erupted, and in her excitement she shifted partially, claws pricking through her fingertips before Aysel's steady voice drew her back. Lykos, of course, had fewer allies at his side. And even if Jenny was a side-branch wolf, she was still a Sanchez of the Shadowbane bloodline. Compared to the collapsing Moonvale Pack, most onlookers knew exactly which side to stand on. He never had the advantage-yet several people still interfered on Jenny's behalf, making Lykos's situation appear even more pitiful. Aysel ignored his wounds entirely. Her golden-silver eyes, touched faintly by the Moonvale Luna-line, turned toward the enforcers from the city patrol. "It was their provocation first," she said calmly, though her wolf's aura crackled beneath her skin. "And they nearly caused our younger sister to overturn her car. They should carry the primary responsibility. We do not accept settlement." The officer glanced uneasily at the towering Alpha presence behind her-Magnus Sanchez, arms folded, expression unreadable. Combined with Aysel's reasoning, there was little the patrol could contradict. The officer exhaled and turned back toward Lykos. "You truly refuse to explain why you intercepted her vehicle?" Lykos pressed his lips together, saying nothing. The group of ordinary-born young wolves who had followed him cursed their luck. Everyone in the circles knew Moonvale's fall from grace; the old crowd Lykos used to run with had already abandoned him. These few had only stuck around because Lykos used to spend lavishly. They had no idea who Jenny truly was. Lykos had been the one with the inexplicable grudge, insisting on targeting her. How could they know he'd provoked a major Shadowbane wolf?Now he refused to defend himself, refused even a sentence that might lessen their punishment-and so they were the ones suffering for his stubbornness. Unbelievable. Miserable. One of them tugged Lykos's sleeve. "You called her ‘pretty sister' just now-say something! Explain! Maybe she'll be merciful." But Lykos remained silent, as if he were carved from stone. His companions grew angrier and drifted toward the corner to discuss privately, occasionally shooting him hostile looks-clearly blaming him for dragging them into disaster. Lykos stood alone in the middle of the room, forced to endure the surrounding stares-disgust, ridicule, disdain-each one a claw scraping against his already-splintered pride. He felt like a fool. A pathetic, exposed little wolf. His ears rang. His thoughts fractured. And watching Aysel-who had once been the sister fate had placed beside him-tend to Jenny with gentle concern, asking whether she was hurt, whether she'd been frightened... the sight pierced him like fangs to the chest. He couldn't admit it. Couldn't say that his hostility toward Jenny had been born from something as small, as shameful, as jealousy. The kind he could never confess aloud. Jenny and Lykos attended the same university. They had even taken the same elective. Ever since returning from the hospital-after sitting at Celestine Ward's bedside, hollow and numb-Lykos had moved through life like a half-shifted wolf without a soul. Classes, meals, sleep, repeat. Anything to keep his mind from stopping-because whenever his thoughts slowed, he saw Aysel again. Saw the memory of her younger self, drenched in seawater, accused, pleading for help with eyes full of terrified hope. And he, coward that he was, had done nothing. Just when he was nearly driven mad by the weight of that guilt, he had seen Jenny in the classroom-surrounded by students. She was proudly showing off the charm Aysel had brought back for her, exaggerating just how beautiful, talented, and powerful her cousin-in-law was. Most of the students were envious, some even curious to meet the "perfect Luna-to-be" Jenny described so lovingly.A few muttered that Jenny was a shameless bootlicker. But others immediately corrected them: "That's the future Lady of the Shadowbane Alpha. If you had the chance to get close, wouldn't you take it? Besides, she's gorgeous and kind. Who wouldn't like her?" Their chatter echoed in Lykos's ears, tightening like thorns. He felt something inside him being chewed apart-slowly, deliberately-like ants eating him alive. He didn't like it. He didn't like any of it. And he had never once mentioned Aysel -his blood-sister-before any of his classmates. Not a single time.