The mbers of the Howlers, what was left of the Altered Hunters, and a couple of secret mbers who had long been part of the Settlent, all entered Slough in the early morning.
After barely surviving the battle with Lupus by the skin of their teeth, the group was ready to finally rest. None of them believed Lupus would launch another attack right away. For one, the Howlers were still a powerful force.
Only a small portion of them had been sent to fight Lupus and his group. In terms of raw strength, no one could confidently say Lupus's forces could wipe out the Howlers entirely.
With that in mind, everyone believed they could breathe, for a short while at least. Lupus didn't yet know the depth of the Howlers' relationship with the Settlent. Strategically, it made no sense for him to act too soon.
That was, until Midwak revealed one crucial piece of information.
"When... when I was with Ylva and Lupus," Midwak said, voice trembling, "the two of them forced sothing out of . They know, Kai. They know what happens to our pack on the night of the full moon."
Gary's entire body tensed with rage. Without a word, he shoved Midwak aside and dragged him a few steps away from the others.
"The rest of you go ahead!" Kai called out. "I'm going to find a place for Midwak to stay."
It made sense to the others, Midwak was from Notsburg. Park had already arrived with the car, ready to drive the group to their respective hos.
"And it might just be a grave," Kai muttered under his breath.
Midwak hadn't noticed it before, but now he was sure, Kai could be terrifying. As they turned down a side alley, far enough from prying eyes, Midwak felt the danger in the air. They were both tired, both injured, but if it ca to a real fight… if Kai decided to kill him right here and now, there was no telling who would walk away alive.
"What do you an you told them?" Kai snapped, slamming his palm into the brick wall beside Midwak. "You told them about our deal? About how we can't transform on the full moon? Why the hell would you do that?! You said you were on our side!"
"If I'd told you the truth back then, when you already suspected , would you have let go free?" Midwak shouted back, brushing off Kai's hand to create so space between them.
"I am on your side! That's why I'm telling you now. If I weren't, I'd have kept this to myself," Midwak added, trying to steady his breathing. "The Luna... she's a special kind of werewolf. She can pull the truth out of others, even if they're not in her pack."
"She forced it out of . And she did it in front of Lupus. So now, he knows. The entire pack knows. That's why I'm telling you now, so we can do sothing about it."
Kai pressed his hand against his forehead, frustrated beyond words. They had just made it through a nightmare of a battle, and already, they were back on the defensive. He wanted to scream. He wanted to punch sothing. But hitting Midwak now wouldn't help anything.
"We only have a week and a half until the next full moon," Kai muttered. "And without a doubt... they'll use it to attack us. That doesn't leave us with many options."
Midwak nodded grimly. He knew exactly what those options were.
"You could attack Lupus first, strike before the full moon. But you don't know the vampires' intentions. They could turn on you right after.
"Or... you could work with the vampires. Make a deal. Get them to help protect us. But they can't know the truth. If they do, they'll use it against us too."
Kai leaned against the wall, letting the weight of it all settle in his mind. He dragged a hand down his face.
"How do we always end up in these situations?" he muttered. Then he turned, glaring. "Wait, I do know. It's because of you."
"I know," Midwak said instantly. "Ylva targeted because she knew . I was the Howlers' weakness. And she struck exactly where she needed to."
His voice dropped lower.
"But Kai… I'm not the kind of person who usually serves anyone. You know that. But Gary, he's different. I promised him I would do whatever it takes to protect him… and the Howlers.
"If he wants to send alone to fight Lupus and his entire army… then I'll do it."
Kai studied Midwak carefully. This was the sa Oga who challenged Gary for leadership nearly every week, untaable, defiant. And now, here he was, ready to lay his life down for the pack.
"Gary really is special... in more ways than one," Kai muttered. "And he doesn't even know it."
anwhile, in the back of the limo, Park drove them through the city, dropping everyone off one by one. Austin, Blake, and Innu all returned to their hos, looking forward to rest and recovery.
Before they left, Gary reminded everyone to et up later that evening.
"Wolf's Pool Club. 8:00 PM. Don't be late."
Everyone agreed, except for Blake. He lingered, staring at his ho for a long while.
"It's been a while since I've been back here…" Innu said, glancing out the window at Blake. "I wonder if he's going to be okay."
There wasn't much else to say. The car pulled away, leaving Gary and the Altered Hunters alone. Eventually, they arrived at a grand hotel in the center of the city. All of them stepped out at once, stretching sore muscles and worn-out bodies.
"Kai has organized rooms for all of you," Gary explained. "They're expecting you at the front desk. You can rest there for the day."
The group nodded and began walking toward the entrance, but Gary stopped one of them.
"Except you, Edvard," he said. "Kai told it's important I keep an eye on you directly."
Gary offered a small smirk.
"So you'll be coming with . You're staying in my room."
*****
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