Chapter 1378: A Way To Break Free? There were a couple of serious issues with Kai becoming an Alpha, and it wasn’t just the apparent rule that Alphas were destined to fight one another. Maybe Gary was right. Maybe he would be able to suppress that primal urge, to push back against the instinct that told them to battle. Their history, the bond they’d built, surely that would hold strong. But being a Werewolf came with more than just instincts for violence, there were rules, curses, and consequences woven deep into their very existence. “Wait, isn’t that kind of a good thing?” Marie asked, her eyes lighting up as she leaned forward. “We’ve all been so stressed about the vow the Howlers made, not transforming during the full moon, worrying Lupus might attack us. But if Kai isn’t bound by those rules, then doesn’t that give us more power we can use?” “Did you forget all the trouble we went through before the vow?” Innu asked, his voice cutting through her optimism. “It was the opposite, Marie. Back then, on full moons, you all had to starve yourselves just to stop from turning. If you didn’t…” He paused, his face darkening at the memory. “You became monsters. Hungry, savage monsters that tried to tear apart anyone close to them. If Kai and his pack can transform, and the Howlers can’t, then no matter how strong Gary and Kai’s bond is, something natural is going to want to tear that apart.” He looked around the room, eyes resting briefly on Kai. “With two Alphas living in the same city… that kind of imbalance is bound to erupt.” Innu’s words echoed heavily, hitting on the very fear that Kai himself had been quietly stewing over. “What about Lupus and his group?” Olivia asked, her voice hesitant. “What happens to them during a full moon?” “They don’t transform,” Midwak answered bluntly. Everyone turned to him. He noticed the sudden attention and clarified. “I told you this before. Maybe because I joined your group so forcefully, you thought I was hiding something. But I wasn’t. Those in Lupus’s pack, ever since the vow, they don’t transform on the full moon.” 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮 “But when Gary was Alpha, and you were with us,” Olivia pointed out, “we did transform.” “Exactly,” Midwak said, nodding. “So, I can only assume that Kai would transform too, with the bloodlust, on the full moon. Just like before.” “When my father told me his story,” Gary chimed in, “he talked about how they had to force themselves not to transform during the full moon. That means they had the curse too, at one point. I think Midwak’s right. Whatever this is… Kai is still under it.” “That means we know one thing for sure, right?” Austin said, leaning back in his seat. “Lupus and his group, they musthave made a vow too. Something that restricts them.” All eyes turned to Midwak again. “I don’t know what vow Lupus made,” he said quickly, raising both hands in defense. “I promise, I really don’t.” He could feel the judgment in their eyes, like they were already accusing him of holding something back, and so he made his denial crystal clear. “It’s weird, though, right?” Marie added, brow furrowing. “Don’t vows apply to the whole pack? If one person breaks it, it affects all of them. So how does Lupus keep everyone in line? How does no one break it?” “I’ve got some guesses,” Kai suddenly spoke up, surprising everyone. He’d been silent, distant, sulking ever since the conversation began. Rightfully so. But they hadn’t expected him to rejoin. “I think Unzoku makes different types of vows. Ones that are custom-built for each pack. Maybe even vows that help push his plans forward,” Kai continued, stepping away from the wall where he’d been leaning. “If his goal is to get the packs to fight, ours against Lupus’s, then maybe their vow isn’t as restrictive. Maybe it encourages conflict.” He glanced at Gary. “Regardless, just talking about it isn’t going to help. Not unless we ask Lupus ourselves.” Gary clenched his fists at the idea. He still believed, desperately, that there had to be a way to make all of this work. The fact that they had just spoken to Lupus, the fact that they were close to reaching some sort of understanding… it proved that peace was possible, didn’t it? Couldn’t they all work together? The Howlers, Lupus’s pack, and now Kai’s. They could be stronger than ever, standing united against the real threats. Vampires. Unzoku. Whatever else came their way. But even so, there was one issue they couldn’t ignore. The full moon. That was something they had to sort out, now, before anything else. Eventually, Kai rose from his seat. Austin and Innu stood alongside him immediately. “Where do you think you’re going?” Austin asked, raising a brow. “I’m just trying to think,” Kai replied. “I pace when I think. That’s okay, right?” “That’s fine,” Innu said, watching him closely. “Just don’t start running again.” Kai did as he said, walking slowly, back and forth across the room. Austin and Innu stayed close, like silent guards. Could the situation really stay like this? Could they live side by side, just pretending their fates weren’t tangled by curses and ancient rules? Maybe. Maybe if Kai truly believed in his own strength, and not in whatever fate or strings Unzoku had wrapped around them, they could keep things together. Maybe the full moon was the only threat left they had to face. “What about the ritual?” Olivia suggested. “It’s what got rid of the curse before, for both the Howlers and Lupus. Couldn’t Kai do the same?” “You mean set up another vow?” Innu said, grimacing. “That sounds crazy. Unzoku’s the one who put Kai in this situation. And now it’s like we’d be asking him for help?” “I don’t think it’s a choice,” Austin said. “Maybe even Unzoku has to follow his own rules. Maybe the ritual isn’t about him. Maybe it’s something bigger.” “I’ve been thinking about that too,” Kai said, finally stopping in place. “What if contacting Unzoku is part of the plan all along? What if he’s counting on us trying to reach out to him?” **** For updates on MWS and future works, follow me on my social media below. Instagram: jksmanga *Patreon: 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.