Frank’s POV: I felt like I was suffocating. Ivan’s pressure was so overwhelming that it felt like it was crushing me. Despite being an Alpha myself, the difference between us was so vast it was suffocating. Just as his fangs were about to pierce my neck, I heard my father’s voice, calm and steady, “Hold on! He’s Susan’s father!” “Susan?” Ivan’s fangs withdrew from my neck, and he turned to face my father. “Is that her name?” “Yes,” my father replied, leaning heavily on his cane as he struggled to rise. He shifted from kneeling to supporting himself on his cane, still keeping one knee on the ground. “The girl you took … She carries my son’s bloodline. He’s Susan’s father. You can’t kill him … ” I noticed Ivan’s golden wolf eyes narrow just slightly. Though his gaze was still filled with hostility, he withdrew his claws, and I finally managed to break free from his grip. “Grayclaw Tribe … ” Ivan’s voice rumbled like thunder as he bared his teeth. “For her father’s sake, I’ll spare you this time. But you’ve tarnished the Silvermoon bloodline. One day, we’ll settle this score.” With that, he turned and leapt out of the courtyard, disappearing into the vast, snow-covered landscape. Once he was gone, the heavy pressure that had been suffocating us lifted, and the others began to rise slowly from the ground. I was still shaken. The claw marks on my neck healed in an instant, but I was left reeling with confusion and a deep sense of dread. I heard my mother, Tamara Lincoln, mutter angrily, “That Silvermoon Alliance b*stard!” I didn’t try to comfort her. Instead, I immediately looked toward the corner of the yard where Susan had been bound. All that remained was a patch of red-stained snow and two broken pieces of a silver alloy chain. My father’s face darkened. “I never imagined that b*stard would be Ivan’s fated mate. But what did he mean by saying we tarnished the Silvermoon bloodline?” A sudden realization struck me, and everything clicked into place in an instant. The Silvermoon Alliance had eight sons and one daughter. The daughter had always been frail and had never appeared in public. If that was true, then the woman I had encountered 15 years ago—she was the cherished, only daughter of the Silvermoon Alliance? The weight of this revelation hit us like a thunderclap. Regret overwhelmed us, and we were filled with such remorse that we could have vomited blood. Had we known, we never would have dared treat Susan the way we did! We would have revered her as a deity! My mother’s lips trembled with disbelief. “So she’s from the Silvermoon’s bloodline … Hurry, hurry, let’s go get Susan back … ” I, too, was filled with regret. Thinking about how I had treated Susan made my stomach churn. Frustrated, I yelled, “How do we get her back? Can we just go and take her now?” My father’s expression tightened as he thought for a moment. “We’re all family to Susan—her true grandfather and grandmother! No matter how angry the Silvermoon Alliance is, they can’t deny that fact. Plus, she caused Cynthia’s miscarriage, and that’s the truth too … ” He was right! I nodded vigorously. Susan had caused the death of my son, and that was indisputable. Her actions had already betrayed the tribe. According to the law, I could have had her executed on the spot, but I didn’t. I showed mercy, with only a minor punishment. Silvermoon Alliance should be grateful to me! “Once we explain, everything will be fine.” My father suddenly straightened up, his posture shifting as he gathered his resolve. “We’ve shown mercy to a traitor. Silvermoon should be grateful … ” His cloudy eyes sparkled with a glint of hope, as though he could already see our tribe’s rise to power at the Alpha Council.