Chapter 1513: The Alpha’s Absence An intense battle between the Howlers and Lupus’s pack had erupted at midnight, and it had raged on for six and a half relentless hours. There had been major losses on both sides. Many of the humans, as well as the allied Altereds and fighters the Howlers had brought with them, were gone, bodies lying silent where they had once stood. On Lupus’s side, it was no better. Many of the Ironfangs had fallen, as well as several of the strongest werewolves in their ranks... even Ylva, the Luna who had once commanded their entire pack. And yet, despite all that bloodshed, the battle hadn’t truly ended. Instead, it had frozen. All across the battlefield, for the first time since the night began, every werewolf took a step back. They jumped away from their opponents, teeth bared, eyes darting. Because something had changed. The rest of Gary’s friends and allies, who had felt a terrifying surge of power moments ago followed by a deep rumble from the ground itself, had all turned their heads in the same direction. Everyone was looking toward the same place. Because just moments ago, three Alphas had been locked in battle there... and now, all of them were gone. “No...” Xin whispered, her voice trembling. “They’re really not here anymore. It’s not like they’ve been hit away or blasted out of the area... they’re just... gone.” “You’re right,” Marie replied, her tone shaken. “I can’t sense them either. I can’t smell Kai anymore, I can’t feel his presence... even that chill in my spine I felt when they were near, it’s completely gone.” The aura of an Alpha was something all werewolves could feel. It wasn’t just smell or sound, it was instinct. A pressure in the air that clawed at their nerves, warning them that a predator stronger than anything else stood close by. Especially when three of them had been active and battling with full power, the sensation had been impossible to ignore. And now, it was gone. That was also why the entirety of Lupus’s group had stopped fighting. They had frozen, their claws hovering, eyes wide, as if waiting for their Alpha to reappear. But there was only confusion, confusion that mirrored across the faces of their enemies as well. “What do we do?” one of the werewolves muttered nervously. “Ylva is gone... and now where’s Lupus?” “What do you mean, what do we do?” another growled. “We only have one choice, don’t we?” “We keep fighting! The other side’s exhausted! There’s still plenty of us left! If we just take out those Lunas, we can push through to the rest!” There were still over a hundred werewolves from Lupus’s group. Their numbers had dropped drastically, a ragged mix of armored warriors and unarmored regulars, but they were far from wiped out. And seeing the exhaustion on their opponents’ faces, they still had hope. But not everyone on their side felt that way. Having fought against the transformed werewolves, having seen firsthand the Lunas’ overwhelming power, many of them were shaken. Even though the three Alphas had disappeared, both Xin and Marie were still standing in their Luna states, radiant and deadly, ready to fight. And that begged an even darker question: wherever those three Alphas were, were they still in their Alpha forms? Could they still be fighting each other right now... somewhere unseen, in some place no one could reach? No one knew. “Ah, crap!” Park shouted, throwing his arms up. “I can’t believe this! Even after everything we’ve just been through, after all the blood and death, and with us not even knowing where our leaders are... these guys still want to fight?!” “That’s fine,” Olivia said, cracking her whip in the air with a sharp snap. A grin tugged at her lips. “Honestly, I haven’t had my fair share in this fight anyway. Not being able to transform this whole time has been incredibly frustrating.” The Howlers didn’t want the fight to continue. Many of the Lupus pack didn’t either. But without an Alpha to command them, if even a handful decided to keep going... the rest would have to follow. “ARGHHH!” The werewolves’ roars echoed as they crouched low, ready to charge back into the blood-soaked battlefield at any second. “STOP!” A single voice thundered across the chaos. It was sharp. Deep. Commanding. Everyone froze. Lupus’s pack members turned their heads, and saw a man walking slowly through their ranks, pushing aside the larger wolves as if they weren’t even there. He was dressed in little more than a tattered loincloth, a massive bow strapped across his bare back. And immediately, they recognized him. Gasps spread through the remaining warriors. “Luzen!” someone shouted. “You’re alive! We still have one of the Ironfangs with us!” “It’s Luzen, the strongest of them! We can still win this if, ” “Shut up,” Luzen snapped. His voice was sharp as steel. “Didn’t you hear me already? There is no reason for us to keep on fighting. If we fight now, we will lose this battle. The brothers and sisters still standing by our side will bleed... and for nothing.” He glared at them, his presence alone making several flinch back. “There is no reason to fight,” he said coldly. “Our Luna... and our Alpha... are no longer with us.” His gaze swept the field, fierce and unwavering. “We all have to admit it. We have lost this fight.” One of the werewolves who had been crouched to pounce snarled in anger and stomped forward, teeth bared. “Luzen, what are you saying? You can’t make this decision for us! Do you think you’re Lupus now?!” The instant he got close, Luzen’s hand shot out. He grabbed the werewolf by the head, muscles bulging, and slammed him into the ground with bone-cracking force. Before the wolf could even gasp, Luzen raised his foot and stomped down on his skull. “We surrender!” Luzen roared. His voice carried through the ruined battlefield, cutting through the smoke and silence. “And if anyone disagrees, ” His foot pressed harder. “, then you can fight me instead.” Across the field, on the Howlers’ side, Innu couldn’t help but smile faintly. He shook his head, a quiet laugh slipping from his lips. “I had a feeling that guy wasn’t dead.” **** ****** For updates on MWS and future works, follow me on my social media below. Instagram: jksmanga P.a.t.r.e.o.n: jksmanga When news drops about My Vampire System, My Werewolf System, or any other series, you’ll hear it there first. Feel free to reach out, if I’m not too busy, I tend to reply.