Reflect on his choices.

Silence stretched between them, thick and suffocating.

The tension in the room was a living thing, pressing down on Aiden and Lucian with an unbearable weight.

The Alpha's gaze burned into them, his jaw clenched tight, his expression a storm of quiet fury.

The Luna, unable to bear the silence any longer, pulled out her phone and scrolled swiftly before thrusting it toward them.

The screen lit up with a video, shaking slightly as if taken by an unsteady hand.

Lucian's stomach twisted.

In the video, he could see himself moving through the crowd at the party, searching for Aiden.

The flickering lights of the venue cast strange, eerie shadows across his face.

And in another video, there was Aiden. He was on the dance floor, drunk, laughing, his movements wild and careless.

The video ended abruptly, but the damage had already been done.

The Luna turned her sharp gaze to Aiden, her lips curling in disgust as though she had swallowed something foul.

It was not just disappointment, it was loathing. She looked at him as if he had tainted her son, dragged him into impurity.

Aiden swallowed hard.

"Your teachers called!" she snapped, her voice like a whip cracking through the silence. "You missed school today! Care to explain?!"

Aiden's mind scrambled for an excuse, even though the evidence was right there in front of them.

He opened his mouth, but before he could say a word, Lucian subtly touched his arm, a silent command to stay quiet.

The Luna's anger was directed at Aiden more than at Lucian.

Her eyes screamed the words she didn't say aloud: You filthy little thing. Stop dragging my son into your miserable life.

But the Alpha- he was different. His anger wasn't loud. It didn't explode in shouts or accusations. It was a deep, simmering kind of rage, controlled yet terrifying.

"Aiden," the Alpha said, his voice low but carrying an undeniable authority. "Go up to your room."

Aiden hesitated. His feet refused to move, his body frozen with the need to stay beside Lucian. Aiden knew he was being favoured at that point.

"Noman!" The Luna's voice rose sharply. "What do you mean by 'Aiden, go up to your room?' Don't tell me you're going to punish my son alone when that brat is the one who dragged him into this! If anything, he should be the one thrown out of this pack before he ruins our name!"

Aiden flinched. He always did when she talked around him.

The Alpha's expression darkened. "Dragged? Does that even make sense to you?" His voice was still low, but it cut through the room like a blade. "The great prince of Moonlight Pack was dragged into doing something stupid and thoughtless? And by who? His younger brother? The same brother he should be guiding, protecting, leading by example?" He shook his head, his disappointment more crushing than any shout. "I have never been more disappointed in my life."

Aiden's heart pounded. Younger brother. Younger brother who just involved with his older brother in romantic ways?!

The Alpha turned his piercing gaze back to Aiden. "I said, go up to your room."

Aiden clenched his fists. He didn't want to leave. But he had no choice. Without any more hesitation, he turned and walked away, though his ears remained sharp, listening to everything that followed.

~

The moment Aiden was gone, the Alpha exhaled deeply, his broad shoulders rising and falling as if he was controlling his emotions. Then, his voice came sharp and commanding.

"What got in you! Why on earth would you do whatever you did today?! Are you forgetting who you are?!" he began, each word laced with disappointment. " You think you can do as you please while carrying the title of the future Alpha?"

Lucian kept his head high, his face unreadable, though his hands clenched at his sides.

"You were raised with discipline, trained to be an Alpha, not a reckless child who wastes the night in drunken parties and skips school the next day." The Alpha took a step closer, his presence suffocating. "You don't get the privilege of mistakes, in this pack! Not when you carry my name! Your people look up to you. You're supposed to be better than them. Stronger. Smarter. More controlled."

Lucian's jaw tightened, but he remained silent.

"I was hard on you for a reason," the Alpha continued. "Not because I don't love you, but because I need you to be prepared for the weight of leadership. You think you can afford to be careless?" He scoffed. "The moment you show weakness, the pack will doubt you. And when they doubt you, they won't follow you. And if they don't follow you- you are nothing."

The words hit hard, but Lucian didn't flinch. They were said to him several times, and he knows they will still.

"Since you think you can do as you please, you will spend the night and day confined in the dungeon," the Alpha declared. "Maybe then, you'll reflect on your actions!"

Lucian didn't argue. He knew there was no point in resisting.

The punishment was set.

~

Aiden lay in his bed, staring at the ceiling, his heart restless. He had heard it all.

Lucian was being confined. Locked up in a dungeon for the first time in his life. And it was because of him.

Guilt gnawed at him, twisting his insides. Lucian had never been punished before

,he had never messed up before. But tonight, because of him, Lucian was suffering.

Would this change things? Would Lucian realize he was better off without Aiden?

The thought was unbearable.

When the house fell silent, when the night stretched into deep hours, Aiden made his decision.

He was going to see him.

The dungeon positioned near the packhouse, a looming structure made of thick, reinforced steel.

Two guards were stationed nearby, but the deep rise and fall of their chests told Aiden they were fast asleep.

Careful not to make a sound, Aiden slipped past them, his heart pounding in his ears. He approached the cage, gripping the bars, his breath coming out in uneven gasps.

Inside, Lucian sat on the cold ground, his back resting against the bars. He was motionless, lost in thought, but the moment he noticed Aiden, his entire body went rigid.

He stood swiftly, his eyes scanning Aiden in disbelief. Then, in an instant, he moved closing the distance, pulling Aiden into his arms.

Aiden melted against him, gripping his shirt tightly. Relief washing over him. But still felt guilty.