Aysel's POV "What? Didn't you hear Aysel call her cousin? Celestine Ward was taken in by the Moonvale Pack seventeen years ago-she's Luna Evelyn's sister's daughter. Aysel is the only true-born daughter of the Moonvale Alpha bloodline." Someone else snorted. "No, wait-the real point is that the Moonvale Pack stopped giving Aysel any funds after she turned eighteen, right? So are we sure the ‘real daughter' wasn't swapped after all?" Old wounds reopened, and with them came the stench of favoritism-sharp, metallic, and impossible to ignore. The entire Moonvale council went pale, the smug calm of their faces cracking. Even Damon, who had stood silent and grim ever since Magnus reclaimed my birthday celebration as my rightful one, turned toward them in disbelief. He knew my pack hadn't treated me well. But he had never realized the cruelty went this deep-how easily they could draw a line between me and her. I rarely complained. Wolves don't beg. Or maybe I once tried to tell him-before guilt clouded his ears and Celestine's name softened his heart. Each time I mentioned her, he would sigh and tell me to be kind, to understand her tragic past, to mend things between us. Because before my grandmother's death, I had endured everything in silence, hadn't I? Everything looked peaceful-perfect-on the surface. But after that? Every time Celestine crossed a line, every time her fangs sank into me, I stopped telling Damon. What was the point, when the pack always defended her? The tension in the hall thickened like fog. Finally, Lykos-my younger brother, and the ever-protected heir-snapped, his voice breaking through the murmurs. "You're lying! When did our pack ever stop giving you support? You're just greedy-making things up to hurt your sister!" The ignorance of the privileged. He was born with everything, never having to fight, never realizing that comfort itself was a shield. I met his glare calmly. "Brother," I said evenly, "playing with she-wolves is one thing, but don't let it rot your brain. Whether I received the Moonvale's support or not-check the records. The truth is simple." Then I turned, facing Alpha Remus, Luna Evelyn, and Fenrir-the so-called leaders of my bloodline. "Tell me, did I receive a single silver from the Moonvale treasury after I came of age?" Alpha Remus stiffened. "I gave you a pack credit token-" "Which was deactivated right after you issued it," I cut him off. The silence that followed was deafening. I watched realization dawn on him-the assistant who had mentioned the token's recurring cancellations, the repeated freezes. He had brushed it off then. Now, his silence was an admission. And for the first time, even Luna Evelyn's carefully composed mask slipped. So it was true. Everything I'd said was true. Then how had I survived, after being cut off from the pack's resources? They didn't know-and I didn't intend to tell them. I took a breath, the moonfire in my chest steady and cold. "Forget it. You've never treated me like a true daughter anyway. But tonight, in front of every pack represented here, let's make things official." I raised my voice, letting the wolves in the hall hear the final break in our bond. "Since Moonvale only recognizes Celestine Ward as their daughter, I will relinquish the title of the Moonvale heiress. From this moment, my life and my marriage are my own. The Moonvale Pack holds no say over me. From this night forth-our bloodline ties are severed." The air rippled with murmurs. Even the wolves from distant packs shifted uneasily, sensing the crack of oath-bonds unraveling. I didn't care. I wanted this. Because when the night ended, everyone would see Magnus Sanchez and me together-and tongues would wag, of course. Rumors would spread like wildfire across the continent. And when they did, I needed it known: if anyone thought currying favor with Alpha Remus or Fenrir could win them Magnus's grace-or a share of his empire's wealth-they were wrong. I would not let them feed off my bond, profit from my name, or wear my ruin as their crown.They had made me a lone wolf. Now they would watch what a lone wolf could become. Without Damon. Without their pity. Without their control. And with the Moon Goddess as my only witness, I tore the last thread between me and the Moonvale Pack.