A few minutes later, Kamal, Kazzah, and their family elders hurried back to their estate.

But as soon as they passed through the gates, Kamal could no longer contain his fury.

Grabbing Kazzah by the neck, he lifted his grandson off the ground, staring at him with piercing intensity.

“You’re a fucking disappointment! How dare you put us, the entire Silverfang family, into such a humiliating position after all my hard work?!”

With a swift motion, Kamal flung Kazzah several meters away as though the young man were nothing more than a mere rag doll.

“I’m sorry, Grandfather, ugh!” Kazzah tried to apologize before slamming into a wall with a loud bang.

Kamal took a deep breath, remembering that the Andronys were being hosted in their state.

He forced himself to calm down, though the look of disgust and disappointment he cast upon his grandson stung Kazzah far worse than being thrown.

“Listen carefully, wolves of the Silverfang clan: the succession race has been extended. Kazzah is no longer my chosen successor.”

“Grandfather! Please, I…” Kazzah began, but the killing intent leaking from Kamal silenced him instantly.

“You will address me as Alpha!” Kamal barked, his voice cutting through the air like a blade.

“Your privileges as my successor are revoked, and be grateful I didn’t remove you from the succession entirely. Do you have any idea how much harm you could have caused to this family?”

Kamal’s rage surged again, but he managed to take another deep breath and recompose himself.

Kamal approached Kazzah slowly, each step radiating an oppressive weight that felt like a mountain crushing down on the younger wolf.

“Your luck lies in the fact that the young dragon is as greedy as he is cunning. For some reason, he chose to make friends instead of enemies; you should learn something from him.”

Stopping mere inches from Kazzah, Kamal’s gaze turned colder than ever. “The Androny matriarch treasures that boy immensely, and we desperately need what they’re offering us to elevate our family’s status. Forming an alliance with the Andronys will lay the foundation for generations to come, and I intend to achieve this before retiring. If you, or anyone else, get in my way, obstructing this family’s future, I won’t hesitate to crush you. Am I clear, pup?”

Hearing his grandfather repeat the same insult Sokram had used earlier ignited a fire of rage within Kazzah, but it also drove home the message.

All he could do was bow his head in submission.

“Yes, Alpha.”

“Hmph!” Kamal turned sharply and strode toward the main mansion.

Kazzah attempted to stand and follow him, but one of the elders blocked his path.

“You heard the Alpha, young contender. Your privileges are revoked, and starting today, you’ll return to the whelps’ quarters, or your father’s house. Don’t worry about your belongings; whatever belongs to you will be delivered wherever you decide to stay.”

Kazzah stood there, stunned, as the reality of his situation sank in.

Once arrogant among his peers and shielded by Kamal’s influence, he now faced the prospect of living in the whelps’ quarters, a fate he couldn’t fathom enduring.

As he remained frozen in place, his mind churned with thoughts of revenge. ‘One day, he vowed silently, I’ll make you pay, you fucking lizard.’

Meanwhile, outside the City Lord’s palace, Karini and Layca chatted casually with Leona and Sokram’s two grandmothers while watching Sokram and his team organize their schedule for the next few days.

“Well, it seems we’ll have to postpone going to the butcher,” Sokram lamented, visibly disappointed that his plans had been disrupted.

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“I wanted to introduce you to someone very skilled and affordable, but we’ll have to wait until tomorrow.”

“That’s the least of our concerns,” Kan interjected, shaking his head. “Little brother, you just earned us four years’ worth of pay. You can keep the boars for yourself.”

Everyone nodded in agreement, but Sokram shook his head firmly. “As much as I’d love to, I don’t think it would be fair. We all hunted them together. Besides the five female boars I gave to Alpha Silverfang for the feast, we should share the rest.”

Savannah sighed, knowing Sokram wouldn’t budge.

“Look, I understand you’re trying to be fair, but you’ve already given us so much. Please, don’t make us feel more indebted. Besides, we’re attending a feast with the Androny family, and you even convinced them to allow us to bring our families. That alone will improve our standing with our families. So keep the boars.”

“Sigh… Alright, I’ll keep the boars, but on one condition: you will join me for a barbecue the day after tomorrow. Bring your families too. My family’s estate may be smaller than the Silverfangs’, but we can host you just fine.” Sokram offered with a sincere smile.

“Deal!” the team agreed enthusiastically, beginning to bid their farewells.

However, Sokram held Lucy, Amber, and Savannah back, and consequently, Timothy, who lingered nearby, waiting for Lucy to finish their conversation.

“Lucy, tell your mom I’ll visit tomorrow after midday, alright?” Sokram said with a reassuring smile, ensuring his voice carried enough for Timothy to hear.

Turning to Savannah and Amber, he added, “And you two, if you want to learn more, I’ll leave my schedule free starting tomorrow. Maybe Lucy will join us, too, after I speak with her mom.”

After finalizing the schedule, Lucy hugged Sokram tightly for a moment longer than necessary, leaving little doubt about her intentions.

She then left with Timothy trailing behind her.

Neither Sokram nor Lucy worried about Timothy having any stupid ideas against her; everyone in Eversnow knew better than to mess with Lucille’s daughter, whether inside or outside the slums.

When it came time for Amber to say her goodbyes, Sokram paused mid-step, turning back to catch Savannah’s arm gently.

With Amber already beside him, he guided both girls toward his two grandmothers, his confident stride hinting at the moment's significance. “Nanas, these are Savannah and Amber.”

“Oh? Isn’t it a bit soon for introductions like this?” Hannah teased, making the girls blush.

“It’s never too soon for it, Nana,” Sokram replied confidently.

Amber and Savannah panicked, unsure of what to say, but Sokram’s laughter eased the tension.

“Haha, not what I meant.” He winked at the girls. “Now you can see where I get my sense of humor.”

But the girls appeared somewhat disappointed with him denying his intentions toward them, a detail that didn’t escape Sokram’s sharp eyes.

“No, Nana, I brought them here because I’ll start teaching them magic, so they will be visiting us a lot from now on. Maybe the fox who just left will join us, too. But I need to talk to her mother first,” Sokram explained nonchalantly, knowing Karini and Layca could overhear.

“Can you really teach ferals how to use magic?” Karini asked, her curiosity piqued.

"Not traditional magic, but Spirit Magic, it’s far easier for ferals to grasp," Sokram clarified, his carefree demeanor unwavering.

His Master and grandmothers sighed heavily, recalling the day he developed a Spirit Magic cultivation method just so he could share his knowledge of Chaos Energy with Leona.

“Again, baby? Didn’t we tell how dangerous it is to reveal things like these?” Margiory sighed disappointedly.

Sokram's gaze met hers, unapologetically, but seeking understanding, “Everyone here is either trustworthy or under oath, Nana. And so is Lucy, but I will explain the details later. I’m sure you will be proud.”

Hearing that, Margiory perked up, casting him a curious glance.

While Savannah and Amber reacted strongly as well, particularly remembering the events of the previous night.

“You didn’t think to share this knowledge with your Master, too?” Karini teased, but Leona answered for herself.

“But he did, I even offered it to you a few years ago, and you refused,” Leona explained calmly, matching her disciple’s casual tone.

“You were serious back then?!” Karini exclaimed, realization dawning. “But he wasn’t even awakened yet!”

“Yes, which is why I made you and our daughters swear an Oath of Secrecy,” Leona elaborated, casting Layca a knowing glance, which she clearly understood that such an Oath would be expected of her as well.

But the deeper Leona went with her explanations, the more Karini’s frown deepened. “Even Lady Hannah helped us ensure it was a safe cultivation method. Our girls have benefited greatly from it too…”

Leona paused, letting it sink in while watching Karini's frown deepen as her eyebrow twitched.

“Is that why you are advancing so fast lately?” Karini pressed, losing patience.

“I…” Leona trailed off, reminded by the blood oath’s power that she shouldn’t discuss Chaos Energy without Sokram’s permission.

Leona didn’t like it, but she could only lie. “Yes.”

“So you’re telling me our girls know this, too? Why didn’t they tell me?! What about Cecille?”

Karini’s frustration boiled over, and she stepped forward, ready to throw a tantrum.

But Leona’s imposing figure blocked her path.

Holding Karini’s face gently yet firmly with her calloused hands, Leona spoke in a tone that brooked no argument, despite her warm smile. “We’ll talk more later. This isn’t the place, alright?”

“I’m sorry, Master. I just wanted to…” Sokram began, feeling guilty for inadvertently creating tension between the two wives.

But Leona stopped him.

“Don’t worry, we know.” She chuckled softly. “I’ll handle my wife later. She can be moody sometimes, but she’s a good girl, hehe.”

Hearing Leona refer to her as a “good girl” sent shivers down Karini’s spine, her white-furred ears twitching as her tail lowered submissively between her legs.