C3

"Azel, you cannot simply sever a blood covenant and assume the pack will ignore your rebellion. I was the sentry who lost your scent trail in the eastern borderlands fourteen years ago, and I have carried that guilt through every full moon since. But this reckless defiance is not the answer."

"Save your late-night guilt rituals for the pack fires, Darius. Your negligence handed me over to the slave-traders, but my master washed that weakness out of my pelt. I am no longer your victim, and I have absolutely zero interest in fighting your precious little omega for a scrap of validation."

"Think very carefully about your next step, Azel. If you walk out of the Whitmore Moonkeep today, the Lunar Veil Dominion will lock your digital credentials. You will not receive a single contract, a single carcass, or a single scrap of territorial backing from our agency."

"The Dominion can launch a full boycott against your name across every territory on the continent if you do not submit to the Alpha's decree, brother. We will ensure no legitimate pack signs you."

"You speak as if the Lunar Veil Dominion has actually provided me with prime hunting grounds this past cycle. Since you forced me to merge my independent scout license into your family corporate structure, the tracking contracts I received wouldn't even feed a lone omega. You starved my ranking, let the trolls on the MoonNet Circle drag my reputation through the mud without ever deploying your pack public relations team, and now you want to tear my Bloodmoon Trials Arena slot out of my jaws just to hand it to Nyra. You possess a truly spectacular level of audacity to threaten me with a lack of resources. I have encountered feral rogues with more honor than the executives sitting at this table."

"You will watch your tongue when addressing the Pack Directorate, Azel!"

"Fortunately for my future autonomy, Malachi, when you hauled me out of the wild territories, you were both so arrogant about 'family unity' that you never actually forced me to ink a binding pack-agency contract. You told me we were one bloodline, that paperwork was for humans, and that the Whitmore name would protect me. I knew exactly what kind of snakes I was dealing with, so I kept my independent scout license active in the shadows. I don't owe your agency a copper coin in termination penalties, and I don't need your permission to hunt."

"You are burning the only bridge that keeps you safe from the silver-hunters, boy!"

"From this sunrise onward, I no longer run with the Whitmore crest. Do whatever you want with your corporate blacklists. You never publicly announced my true lineage to the higher councils anyway, so I won't have to waste my breath issuing a public retraction on the MoonNet Circle. Goodbye forever, alphas."

"She—he actually crossed the boundary ward. The boy has completely lost his mind."

"Let the feral bastard run, Mother. Since his skin is so thick and his pride is so unyielding, I will personally ensure he learns what it truly means to survive without a pack shield. He thinks this sudden tantrum will force my hand because I requested his arena slot for Nyra. I will show him that a wolf with nothing becomes nothing very quickly."

"Cassiel, use your secure frequency to contact the rival entertainment dominions. Tell the Blackridge syndicates and the Thornhart packs that Azel Whitmore is a rogue asset. Advise them against signing his scout contract."

"Consider it done, Malachi. A few cold nights in the neutral zones will break that wild pride. He will be scratching at our reinforced gates before the next crescent moon."

"I am certain he won't survive the winter circuit without our crest on his leathers. He will return to the Moonkeep on his knees, begging for our protection."

"This is all my fault. I should never have expressed an interest in the Bloodmoon Trials Arena. My presence has driven Azel back into the dangerous wild zones. Cassiel, Malachi, please rescind the boycott order. Once his heat settles and his temper cools down, I will personally venture to his outpost, prostrate myself, and convince him to return to the pack family."

"This internal strife has absolutely nothing to do with your desires, Nyra. The boy simply doesn't understand the concept of pack hierarchy or contentment."

"Exactly, little brother. He received the highest rank within the Whitmore bloodline the moment we brought him home, yet he constantly treats your presence as an insult to his territory. It is entirely unreasonable."

"You have no reason to offer him an apology, Nyra. That would only validate his feral delusions."

"If the Council doesn't project absolute strength right now, he will continue to disrupt the spiritual harmony of this entire fortress."

"We all know your spirit is pure and generous, Nyra, so you do not need to torment your mind over his exile. Your older brothers understand how to manage a rogue asset. He will learn to behave the moment the hunger hits his belly."

"If the boy cannot navigate the competitive circuit without our institutional backing, he will naturally seek reconciliation with the bloodline. Let the decree stand, Malachi. Do not interfere with his departure."

"I understand, Father. I will submit to the wisdom of the Council."

"Are you truly planning to ignore my alerts forever, Azel? I know you can see my priority signal on your device."

"What do you want from me, Ezekiel? Speak quickly. My connection in Frostclaw Hollow is limited."

"I heard a rumor floating through the high-tier channels that you are withdrawing your name from the Bloodmoon Trials Arena roster. Is the scout report accurate?"

"Who gave you that ridiculous piece of intelligence?"

"Tavian mentioned during our morning training session that you were preparing to step aside and hand the selection over to Nyra."

"There is no such arrangement. I will not relinquish my hunting rights to anyone, least of all an omega who cannot even scent a border ambush."

"Why must you always resist Malachi's guidance, Azel? He is your designated manager within the Dominion."

"Why should I submit to a manager who actively diverts my kills to another wolf's plate? Tell me that, Ezekiel."

"Malachi was my classmate during our academy years, Azel, and he remains a highly respected beta leader. He handles your logistics because he understands the commercial market. He has your best interests at heart. Stop being so stubborn."

"What exactly constitutes my stubbornness in your eyes, Ezekiel? Am I labeled feral and uncooperative simply because I refuse to let Nyra strip the skin off my back?"

"I am only trying to maintain the peace between our territories, Azel. There is no need to turn this into a blood feud."

"If I roll over and expose my throat, the Whitmore council looks stable, and you get to accompany your precious little darling to the gala without any family scandal blocking your path. I have reached the absolute limit of my patience with your double standards."

"Azel, that is completely unfair. My relationship with the Whitmore family is strictly professional."

"Save the denials for the MoonNet Circle, Ezekiel. You received a secret invitation to the Bloodmoon Trials Arena as a mystery challenger three weeks ago, and you never breathed a word of it to me while I was bleeding in the training rings to earn my own spot. You wanted me out of the arena so you could play the protective protector to Nyra on live broadcast."

"The production executives required absolute confidentiality regarding the wild-card entries, Azel. It wasn't a personal deception."

"The deception is etched into your very scent, Ezekiel. The moment the cameras turn on, your true alignment will be broadcast to the entire continent. Enjoy your little reality performance. I have a indie cinema unit waiting for my arrival in the remote mountains, and I won't waste another second of my life-force listening to your compromised advice."