Third Person's POV Alaric's lips twisted into a grotesque grin, blood still streaked across his face like war paint. His yellowed teeth showed as he let out a low chuckle, the corners of his mouth curling like a serpent slithering through shadows. "I slept beside you for thirty years, and every single night was a curse," he spat, eyes gleaming with cruelty as he looked down at the one-eyed she-wolf crumpled on the floor. "Especially when we mated-Moon above, you were like a dead fish. Cold. Unresponsive. Disgusting." His voice grew louder, crueler, echoing in the sterile room like venom. "You think you could compare to Elira?" he sneered, shaking his head smugly, as if mocking Zara with every syllable. "You're not even worthy of licking her paws." "I never loved you," he declared without hesitation. "If your father hadn't been the Alpha of Ebonclaw, if you hadn't come with a pack alliance and shares-ha! I wouldn't have spared you a second glance." "You were stupid, Zara. And I took advantage of it. Thanks to your trust, I now own what's left of the Ebonclaw seat. Once I'm discharged, I'll leave this cursed land with the she-wolf I truly love and my children-our real children. What can you possibly do to stop me?" He laughed wildly, tossing his head back like an unhinged beast. The blood on his face seemed to crawl, twisting down his cheeks like parasitic leeches. The veins bulged at his temples, mirroring his glee. The more he spoke, the deeper his claws drove into Zara's shattered heart. Every word slashed at her soul like silvered blades. And then... something in her broke. Her body, wracked with pain just moments ago, suddenly surged with unnatural strength. Adrenaline-no, rage-pulsed through her like wildfire. She stopped feeling the searing agony in her mangled eye. The throbbing in her ruined legs vanished. All she felt now was vengeance. Her breath rasped through gritted teeth. Her chest rose and fell like a beast ready to charge. Her bloodied hands slammed into the ground, veins bulging beneath pale, bruised skin as she forced herself upright. Alaric's laughter faltered. He blinked. Once. Twice. And then he saw her.Zara stood, looming, blood pouring down her face. Her once-gentle features were contorted in a mask of pure fury, her jaw clenched so tightly her teeth cracked audibly. Her one remaining eye was ablaze-wild, feral, unforgiving. She looked like something risen from the underworld. And Alaric... finally felt fear. "You monster," she rasped, voice hoarse, cracking under the weight of hate. "I'll kill you." She launched herself at him with frightening speed. He barely had time to scream before her claws latched onto the knife still wet with her blood. With strength only a mother stripped of everything could summon, she plunged the blade downward. A scream tore from Alaric's throat-shrill, high-pitched, animalistic. The blade hit its mark. His howl echoed through the room as his groin exploded in crimson. Zara stabbed again. And again. The knife rose and fell like the swing of judgment itself. Her movements were robotic, endless, deranged. "You like screwing around, don't you?" she shrieked, maniacal laughter slipping past her lips. "Here! Let me make sure you never do again!" Slashes and stabs became a blur. Blood sprayed across the bed, across her face, dripping from her fingers. Alaric thrashed, limbs jerking in agony. His legs kicked wildly, then spasmed, then slowly stilled. The bedsheets beneath him soaked red, the metallic stench of blood thickening the air. Out in the corridor, Riley remained frozen, eyes fixed on the horror unfolding inside. She felt nothing. No pity. No sorrow. She had been raised in that house. That same bed had once been hers. And now, watching her so-called parents rip each other apart like rogue beasts fighting over a carcass? It felt like justice.One had stolen her life. The other had abandoned her to darkness. Now one was blind. The other... emasculated. Was it extreme? Yes. But it was also deserved. A soft smirk curled across her lips. Her shoulders loosened for the first time in days. The pressure in her chest eased. Riley inhaled deeply, savoring the carnage. Only evil can devour evil, she thought to herself. And that was the natural order of things. Then-footsteps. Urgent. Rapid. From the far end of the corridor, Elira stormed forward, flanked by startled medics and two warriors from her shadow unit. Riley's eyes widened, but she had no time to flee. In a heartbeat, a large figure moved. Caelum Knox stepped in front of her, his massive frame shielding her completely. He pressed her gently into the corner between him and the wall, his scent enveloping her like a protective shroud. Riley stayed silent, lowering her head, letting her golden hair shield her face. Elira didn't notice her. Her attention was locked on the carnage inside. The door swung open. And even the seasoned medics, used to battlefield wounds and rogue attacks, stumbled back in horror. The room looked like a bloodbath. Alaric lay writhing in a crimson pool, his lower body utterly destroyed. Zara crouched beside him, her entire figure drenched in gore, the knife still clutched in her trembling hand. Her face was streaked in red, her gown tattered, her one eye gleaming with madness. Elira gasped, hands flying to her mouth as the scene registered. She looked at Alaric's ruined body-specifically his groin-and nearly collapsed.She had no love for him. Not really. But... that? That was permanent. He was done. And though she was stunned, the horror lasted only a moment. She steadied herself. After all, what did she expect? A man who would betray his Luna, his son, his entire bloodline-how could she have ever trusted him with her heart? Deep down, she had always known Alaric was a rabid wolf-just waiting to turn on her. She had feared he would kill her one day, just like he had tried to erase Riley. And now... she knew he never would. Because there was nothing left of him to fear.