The adrenaline coursed through Garrett's veins, his heart pounding hard in his chest. He stood amidst the chaos of the battleground, panting heavily, his wolf form still dominant. With a guttural growl, he crushed the last remaining hunter in his mouth.　　Garrett's breaths came in ragged bursts as he released the lifeless body and turned to face Adam, his Beta, who looked ragged. The blade of a dagger was still stuck in his eye. He was surprised to see him as he assumed that Matthew would have remained with his mate.　　"Adam," Garrett panted, his eyes wild with the remnants of the battle's frenzy. "How many casualties?"　　Adam's golden eyes met Garrett's with an understanding that ran deeper than words. He nodded, his chest heaving as he caught his breath. "Many. Everyone has lost someone and some have been lucky. One of the prides that was closest to the bomb, the son only remains. The hunters have retreated. Whatever they came here for, they have gotten," he began.　　Garrett shifte

　　Brandy entered the room where her mother was sitting. A quiet storm of resentment and confusion swirled within Brandy. Things were getting out of hand, and she needed to say something.　　"What do you want, Brandy? If you're not going to say anything and just stand there annoying me, you can get out," Mandy said, breaking the silence.　　"We need to talk about getting this slave bond removed from me. I did not sign up for this," Brandy stated.　　Mandy regarded her daughter with a mix of condescension and annoyance. "Brandy, must we revisit this tiresome topic again? You brought this predicament upon yourself; you chose to lie to get Matthew. You knew the consequences of your actions. You can figure out a way out of this situation."　　Brandy's eyes glimmered with tears, but she refused to let them fall. "How can you talk to me like this? You didn't want Lily to be with Matthew, either. You told me to pursue him."　　"Hmm, I did no such thing," Mandy said matter-of-factly.　　"You did, and

　　"No! No, please!" Matthew pleaded with Kenneth. He could feel Baldur fading away. Tears streamed down his face as he realized what he had done. The excruciating pain from the loss was making him slip into unconsciousness.　　"It's already done. Normally, a wolf would fight against the poison. How sad that even your wolf would rather die than be bound to you," Kenneth said coldly. "Our blood pact has been fulfilled. Be thankful that I didn’t just kill you. Now you can start a new life as a human."　　Dina howled in agony within Lily. She never wanted this fate for Baldur. He had been unfortunate to be tied to such an awful person. ‘Baldur!’ Dina cried out, trying to connect with him to say goodbye, but it was too late. His essence was gone.　　Lily was having whiplash from everything happening. Tears streamed down her face as she looked at Kenneth and then back at Matthew, who was now lying motionless on the ground. Losing your wolf was one of the most painful experiences, and how did he

　　"I know my mate is dead!" Bethany snapped, causing Kelly to instinctively cover her mouth in shock. "That's what I know. You want to know what else I know?"　　"Bethany, I'm…" Kelly started, but Bethany interrupted her as she began pacing angrily.　　"I know, my son, your grandson is barely clinging on. I know that he may never see again, and he may lose a leg because of silver poisoning. He will never be Alpha now. His life is ruined. What the hell do I not know about this situation? What the fuck did I need to see by being there?" Bethany snarled. Deep down, Bethany felt regret about not going with them to the trial. Perhaps if she had, she would have been able to save them, but where they were, Bethany would have more than likely been killed along with her mate.　　Kelly's heart ached at the pain in her daughter's eyes. "Bethany, I'm so sorry," she said, taking a step toward her, hoping to offer some comfort. But Bethany pushed her away, her expression fierce as she glared at Kelly.

　　In the sterile confines of the pack hospital, Matthew lay motionless on the bed, his once vibrant form now pale and frail. Kelly was inconsolable, her anguished sobs filling the room as she clung to her dying son's hand. The scent of despair and grief hung heavy in the air, a suffocating reminder of the tragedy that had unfolded.　　Jack stood by the bedside, his fists clenched in impotent rage. His eyes bore into Ethan demanding answers. "How could this happen? How could someone kill a werewolf's wolf without an Elder's involvement?"　　Ethan's expression mirrored the gravity of the situation as he explained, "It should be impossible, Alpha Jack. No one but the Elders should possess the knowledge or the power to do this."　　"Then, Elder Richard did this!" Kelly said hysterically.　　"No, that is impossible. All the Elders are accounted for. Elder Richard would not have been able to do this. Whoever did this must have been taught how to do this," Ethan explained.　　Kelly continued to so