Black cloth draped the halls of Blackwood Mansion.

The cheerful voices that usually echoed through the estate had been replaced by hushed

whispers and quiet footsteps. Servants moved about with lowered heads while healers prepared

Alpha Raymond's body for the funeral rites.

One after another, pack members arrived to pay their respects.

At the center of it all sat Ashley.

She knelt beside her father's body, dressed in a simple black gown. Her eyes were red, tears

streamed down her cheeks, and every now and then a quiet sob escaped her lips.

To everyone watching, she looked like a daughter shattered by grief.

"My Lady," an elderly woman said softly,...