On the second day of the Lunar New Moon Festival, my daughter and her mate brought the pups back to the Ashenvale den for the seasonal gathering.

I reached out eagerly to take the second pup from her arms, my heart swelling with warmth.

"Little one, let your grandmother hold you!"

My daughter's mate corrected me with a sharp edge in his voice: "Mother, you are the maternal grandmother, not the paternal one."

I froze, my wolf stirring uneasily beneath my skin. "We agreed the second pup would carry the Ashenvale clan-mark. If not his grandmother, what else would I be?"

Seeing Garrick's expression darken, Lyra quickly took the pup back from my arms.

"Mother, what pup carries the mother's clan-mark? How would outsiders view Garrick if we did that?"

"The pup is marked as Rowan Hayes—his name still carries a piece of our family in it!"

My mate Fenris and I exchanged a long look across the den. We had agreed—two pups, one marked for each bloodline.

Were they planning to devour our entire legacy?

I let out a cold laugh. "If that's how it is, then our territory and stores won't pass to those outside our bloodline."

1.

Lyra's face shifted at my words.

"Mother, what do you mean by that? 'Outside our bloodline'—how harsh that sounds!"

"You and Father only had me, one daughter. Who else would inherit everything if not me?"

Fenris and I had followed the Pack Council's guidance years ago, limiting ourselves to a single pup. All these years, we had cherished Lyra like the most precious treasure in our den.

Who could have known we would raise a daughter so consumed by her bond that she lost all sense? The moment she finished her training at the Academy, she demanded to mate.

Her chosen mate, Garrick Hayes, had been her fellow trainee—a rogue-born wolf from an outer territory with no standing. His parents held no rank, no resources, and his family had too many mouths to feed.

When both families gathered to discuss the mating arrangements, the Hayes clan couldn't offer a single tribute. No den-gift, no territory share, no ceremonial offerings.

We opposed it firmly, terrified our daughter would suffer in such a union.

But Lyra had set her heart on Garrick. Later, she forced our hand by carrying Bram before any formal ceremony.

We had no choice. Fenris and I gave our blessing.

We provided the den-house and everything needed for their new life. We never received any bride-price—instead, we added fifty thousand in resource stores as her dowry.

I proposed that Garrick join our pack as consort, taking the Ashenvale name. The Hayes clan refused absolutely.

Lyra sided with Garrick: "Mother, if you make Garrick take our name, how will others see him?"

With her belly growing rounder by the day, I could only grit my teeth and agree.

My one condition was this: they would have two pups, and the second would carry the Ashenvale clan-mark.

Lyra and Garrick discussed it and agreed at the time.

So when we learned she was carrying again, Fenris and I joyfully prepared everything for the new pup.

Lyra spent her recovery at the Hayes den. Because the second pup was male, Garrick's parents were overjoyed.

Finally, the Moon Festival arrived, and Lyra brought the pups home to visit.

But now she was telling me the second pup carried the Hayes mark.

"Mother, stop clinging to those old pack traditions! These days, it doesn't matter whose mark a pup carries!"

Lyra's words pulled me back from my memories. "If it doesn't matter whose mark, then why not Ashenvale?"

"We agreed—regardless of whether the second pup was male or female, they would carry our clan-mark!"

"You're breaking your blood-oath!"

My voice rose with my emotions, filling the den.

The second pup in Lyra's arms woke and began to wail.

"Mother, look what you've done—even the pup is rejecting the Ashenvale mark!"

"Besides, if we hadn't agreed back then, would you have let us complete the mating bond?"

I slammed my palm against the oak table. "So you never intended to mark the second pup as Ashenvale?"

Lyra clicked her tongue dismissively. "Well, if the pup had been female, carrying my clan-mark would have been fine. But he's male! Have you ever seen a male pup carry his mother's bloodline mark?"

"Male pups carry on the pack's legacy! They continue the bloodline! They're the ones who will care for us in our old age!"

Lyra's words made both Fenris and me tremble with rage.

"Carry on the legacy? Continue the bloodline? Care for you in your old age?"

"Your father and I only have you as our daughter. Does that mean no one will care for us in our old age?"

My daughter and her mate exchanged uneasy glances, mouths opening as if to speak, then falling silent.

My mate had heard enough. He delivered his final terms without hesitation.

"Lyra, Garrick—our pack has given you a den-house, provided transport, and shared our tribute stores. We have only one demand. The second pup must carry the Ashenvale clan-mark and inherit our territory and resource domains."

"The pup is still young. Change his registry at the Moon-Clinic immediately."

"Otherwise, your mother and I will never allocate another coin of tribute to your household!"

My daughter's face flushed with anger at our words.

She shot to her feet, grabbing Garrick and Bram by their arms, storming toward the door.

"If that's how you feel, then we'll leave! We won't come back!"

"But let me remind you both—I am the only pup of the Ashenvale line. When you grow old and weak, you'll have no one else to depend on but me!"

Watching my daughter and her mate disappear through the den entrance, my heart turned cold alongside my mate's.

For several days, Lyra did not return.

Not a single call. Yet she posted constantly on the pack's social channels.

I scrolled through images of the second pup—barely a moon old, impossibly adorable.

But every time I remembered his clan-mark read Hayes, a sharp ache pounded behind my eyes.

Fenris and I never favored male pups over female. If we had, we would never have been content with Lyra alone.

Over a decade ago, our ancestral grounds were claimed for territory expansion. Fenris used the compensation to build our resource domains from nothing.

Year after year, our holdings grew. One craft den became two, then three, then more.

We had hoped to match Lyra with a mate of equal standing. Instead, she chose Garrick—a rogue-born Beta from some distant out-territory clan with nothing to his name.

Even before their mating ceremony, he had pushed her to demand gifts from her birth pack.

Three years into their bond, Garrick had already used Ashenvale tribute to build his rural parents a proper den-house and purchase a luxury vehicle.

Fenris and I understood exactly what the Hayes family wanted.

That was precisely why we demanded a second pup—one who would carry the Ashenvale mark and inherit our territory.

Now everything had crumbled. Lyra was certain we had no other heirs, that we would have no choice but to hand over our domains to her, which would ultimately fall into Hayes hands.

I called my daughter, hoping to negotiate once more.

The call rang and rang. No answer.

With no other option, I sent her a message: "If you insist the second pup keeps the Hayes mark, then your father and I will sell every resource site we own and travel the world."

"We have worked our entire lives. We will never let our legacy fall into outsiders' hands!"

After sending the message, I began packing with Fenris for our journey.

A lifetime of labor, and we had never once lived for ourselves.

The moment Lyra learned I had booked passage, she rushed back to the central den in a panic.

"Mother, is this really necessary? Regardless of which clan-mark he carries, he's still my pup!"

I let out a cold laugh. "The Ashenvale domains will only pass to those who bear the Ashenvale name."

My daughter sighed in defeat. "Fine, Mother. Garrick and I went to the Moon-Clinic this morning and changed the pup's registry. Transferring the full clan documents takes time, but it's done."

Fenris's eyes lit up instantly. "What is his name now?"

"Rowan Ashenvale. He carries your clan-mark!"

Seeing our doubt, she pulled out the official registry documents. "Look for yourselves. The change was made this morning."

Fenris and I took the papers. Indeed, it was a formal name-change decree.

Rowan Ashenvale. Marked as Ashenvale.

My mate's face broke into a wide smile. The pack's legacy would continue.

Lyra placed the pup in my arms, her expression still sour with resentment. "There. I changed his mark. My in-laws are furious about it."

"Mother, Father—I have to say, this second pup is male. He carries your clan-mark now. Surely you owe my in-laws some form of compensation?"

"Not a copper less, not a copper more—one million in tribute!"

My mate and I nearly lost our footing. One million?

She truly had the nerve to demand such a sum.

"Lyra, do you have any idea what one million represents in pack resources?"

She waved her hand dismissively. "It's just one million. Our pack isn't lacking for stores."

Fenris's brow furrowed deeply, a low rumble building in his chest. "You think tribute flows that easily? Besides, we already agreed—the second pup would carry the Ashenvale clan-mark. Now you want us to pay for what was promised?"

The son-in-law who had been silent finally spoke, his scent carrying that calculating edge I'd learned to recognize. "Alpha Father, Alpha Mother, this one million is merely a small portion of your territory's wealth. But it would ease my parents' hearts greatly."

"Besides, Lyra and I have already decided—the second pup will be raised in your den. He'll bear the Ashenvale mark anyway!"

Garrick's tone carried a petulant challenge, as if daring us to refuse. My wolf stirred with anger, but Fenris caught my sleeve, giving a subtle shake of his head.

"One million then," he said, his voice carefully measured. "From this day forward, Rowan Ashenvale remains in our den. He is an Ashenvale pup, bound to our bloodline."

The moment the tribute transfer was confirmed, Garrick's expression transformed entirely—his scent smoothing into satisfaction.

Later, Fenris told me he understood. After all, the second pup was male, a potential heir. The Hayes clan not wanting to surrender the clan-mark was natural enough.

Consider the million a settlement payment, he said.

From the day little Rowan moved into our den, our home filled with warmth and laughter once more. His small presence brought life back to chambers that had felt too quiet for too long.

My daughter and her mate began visiting the Ashenvale estate more frequently as well.

During one evening meal, Lyra mentioned wanting a new transport—one of those sleek modern vehicles that ran on pack-approved routes.

I chuckled. "If you want to purchase one, go ahead. Since when do you need to report such things to us?"

She smiled, that familiar wheedling tone entering her voice. "I was hoping you and Father might contribute a bit toward it."

My head snapped up, eyes fixing on her. "Lyra, have you depleted your allowance already?"

She shook her head slowly. "It's all gone."

My fingers tightened around my eating utensils until my knuckles went white. The anger in my chest rose like steam from a boiling pot.

Last time, she'd claimed we needed to compensate her in-laws—demanded we transfer one million in tribute as settlement for the clan-mark change.

Then she said we still owed Garrick compensation. After all, he was the pup's sire, a male wolf. Having his offspring bear the Ashenvale mark instead of Hayes had wounded his pride.

So Fenris and I had transferred another five hundred thousand to Garrick directly.

Now, barely a week later, my daughter was asking for money to purchase a vehicle.

Every few days brought another excuse, another demand. At this rate, before little Rowan even grew into his first shift, our pack's stores would be completely drained.

"Lyra! You go too far!" I couldn't contain my fury any longer. "Your father and I don't run a tribute vault for your convenience!"

"Today it's one million, tomorrow five hundred thousand, the day after that it's vehicles and den-houses. We cannot sustain your demands!"

"The five hundred thousand we just gave Garrick a week ago—wasn't that enough to cover a new transport?"

My daughter's lips twisted into a pout. "Well, Garrick's younger brother is taking a mate soon. They need to build a den, purchase a vehicle, gather the bride-price offerings."

"The one million you gave the in-laws, and the five hundred thousand you gave Garrick—it all went toward Kellan's mating preparations."

Fenris and I exchanged glances. His eyes had gone hard as flint, his wolf barely contained beneath the surface.

"They used the tribute we provided... for their younger son's mating ceremony?" His voice trembled with barely suppressed rage.

Garrick stepped forward quickly, his posture shifting to something more submissive—though not nearly submissive enough. "Alpha Father, my brother's intended mate's family demanded a den and transport. You know my birth-pack's territory is poor, so..."

"I couldn't just watch him fail to secure a mate, could I? Besides, what pack doesn't spend resources on mating ceremonies?"

Lyra moved to stand beside him, adding her voice to his defense. "Exactly! We're all one pack now. Why must you always be so calculating about these things?"

I drew a long breath, forcing myself toward calm. "Garrick, so you understand that taking a mate requires resources?"

"Then tell me—what did you contribute when you bonded with my daughter Lyra?"

At my question, Garrick's expression crumbled entirely, his scent souring with shame and resentment.

Unable to bear seeing her mate challenged, Lyra positioned herself directly between us. "Mother, enough! You know perfectly well Garrick's birth-pack had nothing to offer!"

I slammed my utensils onto the table with a crack that echoed through the dining chamber. "When one's pack has nothing, one should recognize their place! One should keep their tail tucked and conduct themselves with humility!"