The Pack's Daughter (Aysel and Magnus) novel Chapter 86

**Midnight Letters by Daniel Crowe**
**Chapter 86**

In the heart of the imperial city, as the moon hung high in the inky sky, not all souls found solace in slumber that night. Within the confines of the Blackwood household, an atmosphere thick with tension enveloped the air, reminiscent of a chilling winter fog that refused to lift.

Luna Blackwood burst into the room like a tempest, her satchel crashing onto the divan with a force that echoed her frustration. “What a cursed night!” she exclaimed, her voice laced with irritation. Even the Moonvale Pack, which was supposed to be a source of strength, had proven to be maddeningly unreliable. What was meant to be a simple gathering of allies had devolved into utter chaos. The engagement, once envisioned as a joyous celebration of unity, now felt like a cruel joke played upon her family.

Her piercing gaze fell upon Damon, her son and heir, who sat slumped in a corner, his expression dazed and disoriented. The weight of the night’s events hung over him like a shroud.

“Tell me,” she demanded, her voice dropping to a low, dangerous whisper that sent a shiver down his spine, “how did you find yourself entangled with Celestine Ward again tonight?”

Damon’s dark eyes flickered with the memory, a storm brewing within them. The circumstances had been… peculiar, to say the least. The Tylors had intervened, their pack threatening his every move. He had recognized the trap laid before him, yet the extent of the disruption had taken him by surprise.

Luna’s frustration boiled over as her hand slammed against the table, the sound reverberating through the room. “They called you, and you actually went? Do you not grasp the significance of this night? Your engagement to Aysel, which you fought tooth and claw to secure, has been undermined. And here you are, caught flagrantly elsewhere!”

“Could no one else have saved Celestine?” Damon shot back, his teeth clenched in anger, the fury in his voice echoing the power of his pack. “Were the Moonvale guards, the city watch, and even her own kin all dead, leaving only me to step in?”

Luna’s mind raced, grappling with the implications of what had just transpired. Had everything unfolded according to Magnus Sanchez’s sinister designs? The idea that the Shadowbane Alpha had orchestrated this entire series of events was almost too plausible to dismiss. Damon’s impulsive decision to aid Celestine, abandoning his betrothed in the process, was reckless—but ultimately, it had been his choice to make.

Her husband, Alpha Blackwood, dark and brooding like a storm cloud, weighed the potential fallout. The family had already compensated the Ward pack for past grievances; any remaining debts were theirs to manage, not Damon’s. Yet the looming specter of potential losses—prestige, influence, resources—tightened his chest. He couldn’t shake the feeling that the chaos had been deliberately engineered to ensnare them.

Luna Blackwood’s concern shifted. Her focus was no longer on Damon’s declarations of loyalty but on the potential future entanglements that loomed ahead. She felt an urgent need to protect the Blackwood lineage, ensuring that no wolf outside their pack could manipulate her son’s decisions.

Damon inhaled deeply, his breath steadying him. His hands curled into fists at his sides. “I know Aysel. She does not cast aside her affections lightly. What transpired tonight was likely a cooperation—a mutual understanding between her and Magnus to break Moonvale’s control. Magnus supports her, yes—but only to ensure she remains free. Beyond that, their paths will inevitably diverge. A bridge here, a boundary there. Aysel is no threat to me, nor am I to her.”

His parents exhaled in unison, the tension in the room beginning to ease. No romance had blossomed between Aysel and Magnus—at least, not in the way they had feared. Tonight’s display was merely a show of power, a calculated maneuver by Magnus to assert his dominance and protect his chosen wolf.

Relieved, Luna Blackwood and Alpha Blackwood shifted their focus. If Damon’s reputation remained untarnished, the family could begin to mend their standing. All else could be managed—alliances, prestige, and reputation would be reclaimed, one careful howl at a time.