Third Person's POV Inside the warm Shadowbane villa, Magnus lowered his head and pressed a gentle kiss to the crown of Aysel's hair. She leaned comfortably against him, watching the screen as though it were a mere play. On-screen, the bride smiled falsely. The groom remained expressionless. The ceremonial video unfolded beautifully-romantic, polished. Damon saw it all with numb disbelief. He had never realized there were so many images and memories of himself and Celestine together. Each time he had broken promises to Aysel. Each time he had turned his back on her-how had he ever dared claim a clear conscience? The video reached one particular moment: Celestine's birthday, years ago, during a lavish Moonvale Pack banquet. Beneath the approving gazes of Moonvale elders and the Blackwood Alphas, he had held Celestine in a lighthearted opening dance. From afar, they looked like a blessed, golden pair. The camera swept the hall. Aysel Vale was nowhere to be seen. Damon's eyes reddened suddenly. The guests assumed he was moved by shared memories. Only the Moonvale Pack knew the truth. To be forced to relive the past-to examine oneself as an outsider-how painful was that reckoning? Aysel had never known such celebration. Her birthdays had been marked only by endless rain and ceaseless reproach. Yet all of this- It should have been hers. Luna Evelyn clamped a trembling hand over her mouth, collapsing silently against Alpha Remus's chest.Lykos clenched his fists, staring at his smiling past self on the screen. Back then- Aysel had been Damon Blackwood's true mate. Celestine was shameless. Every "proof of love" she displayed had been built by trampling over Aysel. How dare she present it so proudly? Even the Blackwood elders wore complex expressions. Who could have known? The two families once so promising had fallen to this state-neither pack retaining its former glory. Perhaps the only truly content wolf in the hall was Celestine herself, lost in nostalgia, eyes gleaming as she clung to her former radiance. Outside the broadcast, Magnus tightened his arms around Aysel, lowering his head to kiss her hair once more. They had once been blind, foolish, unworthy of her. But the treasure now rested in his grasp. And from this moment on, everything she had lost- He would return to her, tenfold. The guests did not quite understand why, after the ceremonial montage of the bonded pair ended, the atmosphere in the hall abruptly turned heavy-like air before a blood moon. The Master of Ceremonies, however, sensed it immediately. Years in the trade had sharpened his instincts. He had hosted plenty of political bonds and pack-arranged unions-wolves who shared a den but not a heart. Yet something about this pair unsettled him deeply. The hall was magnificent. The sigils were flawless. The ceremonial altar glowed beneath crystal lights. The bride even wore a constant smile. And yet- A cold prickle crawled up his spine, as if he were presiding not over a mating rite, but a funeral. He stole a glance at the groom-reeking of alcohol, eyes rimmed red like a wounded Alpha on the brink of losing control-then at the family in the front row, weeping with an intensity far too raw for celebration.The unease thickened. Suppressing his thoughts, the Master of Ceremonies cleared his throat lightly and forced cheer into his voice. "Well then! Our Alpha groom and Luna bride truly are a well-matched pair~ Childhood companions who have finally completed their bond-such unions are rare indeed! Come, let us offer them our blessings with applause!" Please-clap. For the love of the Moon, clap. The unaware guests followed his cue, laughter and applause rippling through the hall. The tension loosened-just barely. Before he could breathe in relief, the bride shot him a dark, chilling glance. ...What did I say wrong now?! Being glared at by the groom one moment and the bride the next, the Master of Ceremonies swallowed his bitterness and pressed on, pretending he saw nothing. "Damon Blackwood," he intoned solemnly, invoking the ancient wording of pack law. "Do you vow, under Moon and blood, to honor the bond of mating-to love Celestine Ward, to claim her as your Luna?" Damon did not respond. "Alpha Damon?" the Master of Ceremonies prompted softly. Then, more urgently. "Alpha Damon?" Still nothing. Every second Damon stood on that stage felt like ritual dismemberment. Love her? The words would not come. In this lifetime, the only wolf his soul had ever recognized was Aysel. The silence stretched too long. Unease rippled through the guests again. Even the most professionally trained Master of Ceremonies struggled to keep his composure. Alpha Blackwood and his mate frowned deeply, anger flashing across their faces. What was this disgraceful son planning now?The bond was his choice. The ritual was nearly complete. Was he going to disgrace the pack by retreating at the final moment? Celestine's smile finally cracked. She stared at him coldly. Under the weight of countless gazes, Damon closed his eyes. "...I do," he said hoarsely. Applause erupted instantly. The Master of Ceremonies nearly collapsed in relief, urging the crowd to clap louder, faster-anything to bury the suffocating silence that had just passed. Damn it. This ceremony was breaking his heart in stages. After the rings were exchanged and the bond officially sealed, he wiped sweat from his brow and smiled stiffly. "A bond is strengthened by family blessings. And now, we invite-" "As the bride's former brother," a voice cut in calmly, "this blessing should be mine to give." Fenrir of the Moonvale Pack rose from his seat, gaze fixed on Celestine. The satisfied smile froze on Celestine's face. "Fenrir," she warned softly, venom beneath her tone. "Today is my mating ceremony." What was he trying to do? This was the ritual she had prepared for, waited for, dreamed of. The Moonvale Pack was already finished-did he intend to drag her down with them? She looked at him as one would an enemy. Fenrir, however, smiled easily. "Miss Ward lived under our roof for seventeen years," he said mildly. "And before leaving, she thoughtfully left us a keepsake. Naturally, the Moonvale Pack must return the courtesy." Their gazes locked across the hall. Celestine's anger boiled. She did not believe for a moment that Fenrir meant well.The Master of Ceremonies hastily tried to smooth things over. "Ah-well-since the brother is eager, then please-" Bang- The massive doors were thrown open. Fenrir's smile deepened. "No need to invite them. My gift has already arrived." When the guests saw who stood at the entrance, the hall exploded into chaos. "What the hell is going on?!" The Master of Ceremonies swallowed his words whole. Several enforcers of pack law-wolves bearing the insignia of authority-entered the hall. Amid the uproar, Fenrir turned to Celestine, whose face had gone deathly pale. "Two months in confinement," he said calmly. "Apparently, that wasn't enough to teach you restraint. Since the Moonvale Pack once pulled you out-today, you'll go back the same way." "Celestine Ward," Fenrir finished lightly, "are you satisfied with this gift?" The Moonvale Pack did not believe in being beaten without striking back. Under countless stunned gazes, an enforcer stepped forward. "Celestine Ward, you have been accused of stealing pack-level commercial secrets. Please come with us." The Blackwood elders leapt to their feet in disbelief. On the day of her mating ceremony- To be dragged away by her own brother? Utter humiliation. Celestine stared wildly at Alpha Remus and Luna Evelyn, searching for denial-only to find none. They had known. They had all planned this. To destroy her ceremony. Her body trembled beneath the white ceremonial robes, yet her voice remained sharp."You have no evidence." She had been careful. Clean. Fenrir smiled. "Celestine, did you truly think I wouldn't guard against you at all?" After her release and return to the company, he had installed additional surveillance-unknown to her. At the time, it had been nothing more than habit. Now, it was her sentence. The losses were irreversible. Waiting until today-until she stood at her highest point-was deliberate. She truly believed that after biting back at the Moonvale Pack, she could still become a Blackwood Luna? Former family now stood as open enemies. Celestine grabbed Damon's arm tightly. No-she could not return to confinement. Those narrow, suffocating cells-she would never endure them again. "Damon..." she pleaded, eyes glistening. Damon laughed suddenly. How familiar this scene was. When Celestine had been accused of plagiarism, he had stood beside her-against Aysel. And what had followed? Because of Dariusz, he had believed Celestine. Defended her. Even knowing she had destroyed Aysel's future on the stage, he had buried his conscience, reduced her sentence, and walked straight into Serena's trap-losing his father's trust entirely. He gently removed her hand from his arm. Celestine stared at him in disbelief. "We are bonded. If I go back to prison, it will affect you too."Damon smiled faintly. "So what? My life was already ruined by you." "You promised Dariusz you'd take care of me!" she shrieked. "Can you face the fact that he once saved your life?" Damon froze. Dariusz. Dariusz. Because of him, Damon had made so many wrong choices. Did he truly have to keep walking this path? This life- Perhaps he should have returned it long ago.