Chapter 1526: Forgive Me (Part 1) Both Gary and Kai’s eyes locked onto the broad figure standing on the hilltop. Lupus. Even before his body shifted, they could feel it radiating off him, his presence, his energy. He was just like them now. An Omega Werewolf. Their instincts didn’t urge them to attack him immediately. There was no primal agitation in their wolves that demanded it. But that didn’t matter. Their human hearts carried far heavier instincts, rage, grief, betrayal. This was the man who had caused so much pain. The one responsible for the deaths of so many Howlers. The one who had broken their trust, gone back on his word, and plunged them into chaos. Kai’s claws dug into the soil as he bared his teeth. “I’ll get rid of you!” he shouted, his voice cracking with raw fury. He launched himself forward, his legs kicking off the ground. Mid-air, his form snapped into place, bones lengthening, muscles bulging, fur bristling as his wolf body took shape. He hit the earth on all fours, sprinting full speed, fangs glistening with saliva as his jaws opened wide for Lupus’s throat. But Lupus was ready. At the last possible second, his arm transformed, dark fur spreading across it, claws sprouting, and he swung. The strike slammed into the side of Kai’s muzzle with bone-jarring force. Kai’s body was flung sideways, skidding violently through the grass until he crashed to a stop. “You think,” Lupus growled, his voice carrying across the field, “that just because I’m no longer in my True Alpha form, I’m weak enough for you to tear apart?” Kai pushed himself up, panting, but Lupus wasn’t finished. His movements were sharp, calculated, as though the instincts from countless battles still burned inside his blood. He hadn’t lost his edge from the fight with Kai recently. “You damn fools.” Before Lupus could move again, another shadow surged forward. A fully transformed brown-furred werewolf, tall and powerful, Gary. His body blurred with speed as he swung a massive claw down in an overhead strike. The impact rattled Lupus’s arms as he blocked with both limbs, the ground beneath his feet tearing apart as his body slid backward across the grass. His heels carved trenches in the soil before he finally stopped. He didn’t hesitate. With a sharp growl, his body expanded, fur rippling across his skin as he gave in to his transformation. The Omega form burst forth. At that same moment, Kai came at him from the side, leaping with his jaws wide. As though Lupus had eyes behind his head, he ducked, Kai’s teeth snapping down on empty air. “Not good enough.” Lupus’s claw shot out, his hand latching onto Kai’s tail. In one fluid motion, he swung the wolf through the air and hurled him like a weapon. Kai’s body crashed into Gary mid-charge, the two colliding in a painful heap. Gary had held back his strike, afraid to injure Kai, and the hesitation sent them both rolling. By the time they scrambled to their feet, Lupus was standing tall, claws dripping with menace. His eyes burned with an untamed fire. “I thought you’d grown,” Lupus said, his words sharp and mocking. “Weren’t you supposed to be a fighter from the AFA? Didn’t you defeat Harvor Ego in the ring? And yet, even in this weakened state of mine, I’m strong enough to toss the two of you around like cubs.” Gary’s chest heaved with anger. He wanted to deny it, but part of him wondered, was Lupus right? Had Gary only become so formidable because of the countless beasts he had devoured, the system’s blessings, and the powers of his transformations? If stripped bare, if forced to fight with only the core of what he was, would he lose? No. That didn’t matter. “So many people died, Lupus!” Gary roared, claws digging into the dirt. His voice trembled with grief as much as fury. “So many lives lost because of you!” He lunged forward again, his body leaping high, his claws coming down in a savage arc. Lupus took a step back, letting the strike slam into the ground, but Gary wasn’t finished. His leg whipped around, delivering a brutal kick. Lupus’s arm shot up, blocking, but the attack had been a feint. From the opposite side, Kai lunged again, this time sinking his teeth deep into Lupus’s forearm. His fangs pierced fur and skin, blood spilling as he locked his jaw and refused to let go. Lupus snarled in pain, his claws whipping across Gary’s chest in retaliation. Gary staggered back, but this time he didn’t fall. His eyes blazed as the fight burned hotter. “You’re not getting away from me,” Lupus spat, gripping his own bleeding arm. His other hand pressed down on Kai’s snout, forcing his teeth deeper into his flesh, yet Lupus didn’t flinch. Instead, he lifted Kai effortlessly, muscles bulging, and with a brutal swing slammed his entire body into the earth. The ground shook with the impact. Kai’s jaw unlocked from the sheer force, his body bouncing as he coughed and gasped for air. Gary’s fists trembled at his sides. His chest burned where Lupus’s claws had raked him, but the pain was nothing compared to the storm raging in his heart. “Why, Lupus?” Gary shouted. His voice cracked. “I thought, damn it, I thought we could work together! That we didn’t have to fight! I believed in you! And then you turned on us. You killed so many! Why?!” For a moment, Lupus didn’t answer. Then, slowly, he stepped back. The fur receded. The claws retracted. His towering wolf form shrank, collapsing until only his human self stood there again. His long black hair clung to his sweat-slicked face, his chest rising and falling. He lifted his hands, not in attack, but in surrender. “Let’s not fight, young one,” Lupus said, his voice strangely calm. “I promise you... you’ll want to hear what I have to say. And then, after you’ve heard me, you can decide for yourself whether to believe me or not.” **** **** For updates on MWS and future works, follow me on my social media below. 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