The Pack's Daughter (Aysel and Magnus) novel Chapter 56

**Midnight Letters by Daniel Crowe**

**Chapter 56**

**Aysel’s POV**

A low, derisive laugh escaped Magnus’s lips, reverberating through the lavish hall like a mocking echo. “Her? Worthy of me?” His tone dripped with scorn, a clear dismissal that hung heavily in the air, leaving a bitter taste in the mouths of those who heard it.

A low growl rumbled from the depths of the room, a warning from his father, Alpha Bastien, who seemed ready to unleash a torrent of reprimands. But before he could voice his discontent, the old Alpha struck the marble floor with his cane, the sound resonating like a gunshot that shattered the murmurs of the gathered wolves. “Enough! You’re making a spectacle before the entire pack!” His voice boomed with authority, silencing the whispers that had begun to swell like a rising tide.

The atmosphere thickened with tension, the air almost electric with unspoken rivalries. Even the youngest wolves, usually brimming with energy, stilled their hearts at the sharpness of Bastien’s tone, their eyes wide with apprehension.

I let my gaze wander across the grand hall, absorbing the myriad of faces that blurred together into a sea of unfamiliarity. The scents swirled around me, each one a reminder of the rigid ranks and hierarchies that dictated this world. I struggled to recall even half of the names that floated through my mind, but in truth, I had little desire to do so.

Yet, amidst the throng, one figure emerged from the crowd—Sandy Sanchez, the daughter of Magnus’s third uncle. She scrutinized me with a piercing gaze, her expression shifting from curiosity to a frown. “Vale… as in the Moonvale Pack? Are you related to Celestine Ward?”

I raised an eyebrow, intrigued by her sudden interest. “You might not be mistaken,” I replied, allowing a hint of mystery to lace my words, my tone playful yet guarded.

Instantly, her face contorted, recognition flashing in her eyes like a sudden spark. I could see it—the gossip, the whispers that had swept through the pack like wildfire. Celestine’s sister. The scandal. The unwanted daughter—the very notion seemed to linger like a bitter aftertaste.

A murmur rippled behind her, and soon, the air grew thick with the scent of disdain, rotting like a forgotten carcass in the sun. Wolves thrived on hierarchy, and nothing entertained them more than the downfall of a noble, especially one cast aside.

Ulric’s snarl sliced through the tension next. “Not every lowborn wolf is fit to be Shadowbane’s Luna.” His voice was sharp, a predatory hunger that sought to draw blood while masquerading as righteous indignation.

He aimed to humiliate Magnus, to undermine his authority through me, a mere pawn in his twisted game.

I tilted my head, feigning innocence, as if I hadn’t heard the venom in his words. “That’s fine,” I replied sweetly, my voice laced with quiet venom. “I don’t mind Magnus marrying into my pack instead.”

The hall fell into an eerie silence.

Even the flames flickering in the sconces seemed to hesitate, caught in disbelief at my audacity.

Moon above, I could feel the shock wave ripple through the room, a palpable energy that tasted sharp and metallic on my tongue—delicious.

Magnus didn’t correct me, nor did he flinch. Instead, he looked down at me, amusement dancing in his eyes—wolfish, indulgent, and dangerously protective.

“Absurd!” Bastien roared once more, his cane slamming against the floor with such force that I feared the marble might crack beneath the pressure.

Across the table, a younger she-wolf—Rudi Sanchez, the favored daughter of Alpha Bastien—finally erupted. “How dare you speak that way at a Shadowbane feast? You are an outsider, and this is a sacred family gathering!”

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify