Chapter 18

• Magnus’s POV
• I watched the videos with a measured calm, but inside, a low rumble of satisfaction stirred. The voices on the line, Jackson’s carefully selected proxies, didn’t pause for breath—they tore into the Valefamily with an unrelenting barrage of words. “Blind and foolish, incapable of managing their own den, unfilial, unworthy…” The list was endless, unique, and sharp as a wolf’s fang.
• I could sense their defenses, even across the distance. They had blocked unknown numbers, switched off phones, tried backup lines. Clever wolves, but my team was cleverer. They were persistent hunters, shadowing their prey with surgical precision. The audio, loud enough to bleed into the moonlit banquet, drew awkward glances. I allowed a corner of my lip to twitch. Discomfort was delicious.