**Midnight Letters by Daniel Crowe**
**Chapter 253**
In the shadows of a moonlit night, Lykos found himself trapped in a tangled web of memories and emotions, a prisoner of his own thoughts. Outsiders had always painted a simplistic picture of his life, believing he had but one true sister—Celestine Ward. Yet, they were blissfully unaware of Aysel, the sister whose presence had once been a constant in his life, now reduced to a mere whisper in the wind.
He had once held a deep-seated disdain for Aysel, viewing her as a tempestuous force, unpredictable and embarrassingly humble. Unlike Celestine, with her effortless elegance and the radiant aura she carried wherever she roamed, Aysel seemed to lack that same charm. To Lykos, she was merely a blemish on the Moonvale Pack’s otherwise pristine reputation.
The Aysel that Jenny spoke of—brilliant, cherished, and admirable—was a stark contrast to the stubborn, infuriating sibling Lykos had known. Before the truth of their shared bloodlines had been laid bare for all to see, he had struggled to reconcile the two versions of Aysel in his mind. Their bond had once felt so robust, so harmonious, yet now it appeared to have taken root in others, flourishing in a way that rendered him an outsider in his own family.
But she had been his sister, a title that once held so much weight. He could still recall the depth of her love for him, how it had wrapped around him like a warm blanket on a cold night. The thought of losing her forever twisted something deep within him, a hollow terror that propelled him into a reckless act—he had snatched the plush moon-bear totem from Jenny’s hands and crushed it beneath his foot, as if annihilating the symbol could somehow rewind time and restore their past.
Jenny’s shock was palpable. Had it not been for the professor’s timely arrival, she might have launched herself at him, fueled by the fierce loyalty of a young Shadowbane wolf who would not tolerate disrespect. Lykos felt the weight of her disbelief, the tension crackling in the air as he stood there, his heart racing with a mixture of anger and regret.
Later that evening, in a foul mood that clung to him like a shadow, he sought solace at the racing grounds, hoping the thrill of speed would drown out the chaos in his mind. Instead, he encountered a group of privileged young wolves who recoiled at the sight of him. Their laughter echoed in the night, sharp and mocking, as one of them jested, “Watch out! If Young Master Lykos crashes into something, he might not afford the damages. And who knows when his fancy car will be repossessed to pay off his family’s debts?”
Each laugh felt like a dagger, twisting deeper into his already wounded pride. It was a bitter truth he had never wanted to face: the downfall of the Moonvale Pack had stripped him of his identity, leaving him feeling like a mere shadow of his former self. For the first time, he grasped the brutal reality that without the esteemed name of the Moonvale Pack, he was nothing more than a ghost wandering through the remnants of his past.
Rage bubbled within him, a fierce desire to lash out at anything and anyone that crossed his path. He reached out to a few old acquaintances—not the elite wolves he once mingled with, but rather the ordinary-born who had once enjoyed his lavish lifestyle. In a moment of desperation, fate chose to mock him once more.
He stumbled upon Jenny again, the very same girl who had walked away from him earlier that day. She was animatedly chatting with her friends, her laughter ringing out like music in the night. “I’m going to take first place in the race, just to show off to my little cousin-in-law!” she declared, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “And I’m planning to invite Aysel next time for a night run!”



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