After Gary escaped the battlefield alongside Edvard, Lupus remained behind, still standing tall in his monstrous form. His broad chest rose and fell, each breath rippling the air around him like waves. Though blood dripped steadily from the corners of his mouth, it was difficult to gauge just how much strength he had left. Despite everything, Ylva had already moved behind him. She gently placed both her hands against his back. "They're long gone now," Ylva said softly. "You don't need to stay in this form anymore." Energy swirled from Lupus and into Ylva. Her eyebrows twitched, her face contorting slightly as she endured the pain. Both of their bodies began reverting to their human forms. As soon as the transformation was complete, Ylva slipped her shoulder beneath Lupus's to help him walk. His body was bare, vulnerable for the first time, and Ylva could see the deep scars and markings carved into his skin. "Let me help the both of you," Galark said, emerging from the wreckage that surrounded them. "You fought hard. Both of you." With Galark's assistance, they left the shattered battleground behind and returned to the castle. Upon their arrival, a banquet of food was already laid out for them. Without hesitation, they devoured the meat before them. Clothes were brought for Lupus, though he chose to remain shirtless. The markings on his body were now visible to all in the castle, a symbol of the Alpha's endurance, pain, and strength. Eventually, after eating, Lupus's weak footsteps echoed down the hallway as he made his way toward the throne room. Only Ylva and Galark were allowed to follow. Once inside, Lupus slumped down onto the throne, his body heavy with exhaustion. The two of them looked at him in silence. This was not the Lupus they knew. He looked broken. Weary. Drained. This was the Alpha, the strongest of them all, yet now, he seemed almost... human. "I never imagined," Lupus said finally, breaking the silence, "that he would become so strong in such a short time. It makes me wonder… why did he choose to run?" "You can remember it?" Ylva asked. "You remember everything that happened?" 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶 "I may not be entirely myself yet… but yes," Lupus replied with a slow nod. "I remember." From the beginning, Ylva had feared this. Watching Gary rise, watching him clash with Harvor, she had known what it meant. If Gary was capable of defeating Harvor, then the young Alpha had the potential to rival even Lupus. She had been right. If Lupus had fallen in that fight, the entire Ironfang Pack would've crumbled. And she was certain the Howlers had no interest in preserving them. After all, they already had a Luna of their own. "Why do you think he helped them during the attack?" Ylva asked at last. "We never expected the two sides to fight together. Was it because they discovered our contingency plan through Midwak?" "There wouldn't have been time for them to learn something like that," Lupus said. "Maybe the thought crossed their minds, but Gary... Gary wouldn't have been the first to offer his hand to them." A faint smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "That kid… he's a good one. I bet they pressured him, cornered him into it. Gave him some speech about destiny, about making choices. In his eyes, this was probably the moment, the turning point. If I were in his position, I can't say I wouldn't have done the same." Lupus chuckled quietly to himself, lost in thought, until Ylva snapped him back to reality. "So what do you want to do?" she asked, her voice sharp. "Do you want to retaliate? We know the perfect time to strike. We can wipe out one threat quickly and then prepare for the next!" Her voice gained strength as she stepped forward. "We can rally the Ironfangs and call upon the Dark Guild. With their help, we'll crush them!" Ylva wasn't entirely sure if her foresight had shown her this, if she'd glimpsed it somehow. But she had trusted her instincts. It was why she had taken Midwak's hand, why she had forced his power to be turned against his own pack. Her visions didn't often stretch so far… but this time, she was convinced it had been worth it. What she hadn't expected, however, was that the Howlers would carry such a massive weakness. A vulnerability that made them easier to break than anyone had anticipated, even when they appeared at their strongest. Everything will be fine, Ylva told herself. We'll recover from this. We lost many Ironfangs, but with Dark Guild enhancements, we'll rebuild. We'll grow stronger. "And what?" Lupus snapped. "Do exactly what the vampires want? Are you an idiot?" Ylva's eyes widened in shock. "I must've made you Luna for your strength," Lupus muttered coldly. "Not for your brains." At once, Ylva dropped to her knees and bowed her head. "Galark!" Lupus called, his voice regaining some of its commanding tone. "First, send word to the Pack. Have them help the people in the city. Aid the injured. Rebuild what was damaged in the fight." Galark stepped forward immediately. "Yes, Alpha." "We'll need someone to blame for this chaos. Pin it on the Altered Hunters. That's the only path forward now. I'm sure they'll help us push that narrative as well." "Understood. I'll take care of it." "And whatever funds are needed… use them freely. Make sure our support is felt." "But what about the Howlers?" Ylva spoke again, lifting her head. "We're not going to attack? We don't have long until the next full moon!" Lupus fell quiet, deep in thought. Then, at last, he spoke. "Find my brother. Tell him… I want to talk." ***** For updates on MWS and future works, follow me on my social media below. 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