The moment they heard Dean's answer, everyone instinctively shifted back in their seats, even Gary, who was mid-chew with a piece of beef jerky still in his mouth. "You… met him?" Gary asked, swallowing hard. "You met your brother?" "Yes," Dean replied casually. "And it was quite recent, too. "They say family troubles bring people together… I'm only now realizing just how true that is." He leaned back slightly as he continued. "To be honest, he's the one who sought me out. "Apparently, he still has connections out there in the world. He's been keeping tabs on me for a while." Gary didn't know how to feel. The situation was complicated, messy, even. After all, both Lupus and Dean were his family. He had a stronger connection to Dean, of course, he was his father. But their bond wasn't exactly ironclad. Most of Gary's childhood memories were spent away from him. So, yeah, his feelings were complicated. "I agreed to meet him," Dean went on, "because I knew he no longer saw me as a threat. Ever since I lost my fur, since I stopped being like him, he never came after me. "And I never went looking for him, either. I wanted a life away from that… away from everything." He looked around at the group. "But we can't avoid what's happening anymore. Not with the situation the way it is now." "I wanted to ask something," Tom interjected. "If the goal is to end this whole complicated family feud… couldn't you just ask Rickle to do the same thing he did for you? "Have him remove Gary's fur, make him human again, not a werewolf?" The question caught Gary off guard. He hadn't thought about that in a long time. What would it be like, to no longer be able to transform? To lose all his strength, just like that, with the snap of a finger? Would that make things better? If he was being honest with himself… the answer was no. If he had the choice, he would want to stay exactly the way he was. "It wouldn't work out well now that there are two packs," Dean explained. "The Alpha role would just shift to another member. "So even if Gary lost his powers, it wouldn't change the fact that Lupus sees him as a threat." Dean took a deep breath. "I'll be honest. I think the way things are now… might be the best possible outcome. That's why I came to talk to you." "When I spoke to Lupus, he told me, plain and simple, that he has no interest in hurting you, Gary. Or your pack. He wants to leave you alone." Everyone's eyes lit up at those words. It confirmed what Gary had been feeling too, deep down, he hadn't believed Lupus wanted to fight. "I know what you're thinking, Kai," Dean added, turning to face him. "And I feel the same way. How can we trust him, right?" Dean nodded to himself. "But I truly believe him. When it was just the two of us, he was open to solutions. "He let me go, let me live my own life. Even now, because of who you are, Gary… he's reluctant to fight someone he sees as family." Dean's tone grew serious. "And it's not just that. Right now, there's an enemy actively making moves against him." "The vampires," Xin said. "Correct," Dean confirmed. "He believes the vampires' real plan is to pit the two Alphas against each other. "Let them tear each other apart, and then sweep in after the damage is done, regardless of who wins." He leaned forward, his voice softening. "Lupus is someone who wants to protect his pack, his family, more than anything. And in his eyes, he still sees me… still sees us as family. "The ones hurting his family aren't you. It's them." Dean looked directly at Gary. "He's not asking you to fight the vampires with him. He's not asking for your help or your alliance. "All he's asking is that you stay out of it. "No interference. No sides. Just a moment of peace between you both." Gary leaned back in his seat, letting the words sink in. His body, tense for so long, began to relax. Lupus… was thinking the same thing he was. No more fighting. No more loss. Gary liked the sound of that. He really liked it. "I can't stay long, Gary, as always," Dean said, standing. "Before I came here, I visited your mother and your sister. It was good to see them again. "You've done well looking after them." He stepped toward the door but paused, glancing back one more time. "I passed on the message Lupus wanted to give. "And if it were up to me… I think you're doing the right thing. I truly believe there's another way, one where the two Alphas don't have to fight." Dean's expression grew thoughtful. "Maybe it's true that someday the Alphas will clash. But it doesn't have to be you two." Just as he was about to leave, he turned again. "He said, if you want to talk, he's willing. "After the full moon passes… he'll meet with you to prove he's genuine. "He said you'd understand what he meant by that." With those final words, Dean stepped out and left the four of them sitting there, quiet, thoughtful, unsure of what to say. Until finally, Gary sat up suddenly. "Wait!" he called out, standing. "Dad… can I ask you something?" Dean paused at the door. "If you don't know, can you ask Rickle for me?" Gary asked. "Has the system ever… glitched before? Or malfunctioned?" His voice dropped slightly. "And when you were a werewolf… did you ever hear a voice?" *** Author's Note: For updates on My Werewolf System and future works, follow me on social media: Instagram: @jksmanga P.a.t.r.e.o.n: patreon.com/jksmanga Stay connected to get early access, news, and exclusive content. I try to reply when I can!