Chapter 1368: An Honest Answer
As soon as Blackjack arrived, Kai didn’t waste ti. He led the vampire straight into one of the three private offices he’d had built inside the manor.
Kai had envisioned monts like this, important, private conversations with mbers of the team or external parties. He worked better in structured environnts, and an office allowed him to stay focused. That’s why he’d had an architect carefully design the manor, optimizing layout and access points so he could move quickly and efficiently throughout his day.
“This whole place slls new,” Blackjack said, sniffing the air. “There’s a mix of moisture in the wood… and I’m guessing you brought straight here so I wouldn’t see Gary? I can sll he’s here. Along with the others.”
Kai took his seat in the spinning chair behind his desk. Without replying, he calmly picked up his phone and tapped the record button, placing it face-down in front of him.
“For the record,” Kai said, voice firm. “And if you already knew that, then why are you asking questions? You think I’m hiding sothing? Going behind Gary’s back?”
His golden eyes narrowed.
“Right now, Gary’s busy. So if you have sothing to say, then you’ll be saying it to , unless I’m not good enough for that.”
Kai prided himself on controlling his emotions. Even in stressful monts, he remained composed. But sothing about this eting… even he was feeling a flicker of irritation, and that was rare, especially in front of a vampire.
“So,” Kai continued, his tone sharp, “I hope your visit cos with good news. Or at the very least, sothing worth tracking down. Maybe even a ssage.”
Blackjack finally took his seat across from him, crossing one leg over the other.
“First of all,” he said bluntly, “stop sending your people around asking about the settlent. Are you trying to stir up more rumors?”
There hadn’t been much contact with the vampires lately, and Kai had been hoping to change that, especially before the full moon arrived. Since Edvard’s return, they’d had no real insight into the vampires’ current stance. Had their failed attack made them retreat? Or were they simply regrouping for another strike?
Kai doubted he’d get the full truth, but he had always been good at reading between the lines. That’s why he asked.
“It worked, didn’t it?” Kai said. “That’s why you’re here. And if you really want to know why I wanted to talk, it’s this: What are the settlent’s plans?”
He leaned forward slightly.
“I see it’s you here this ti, not your king like before.”
“You’re as sharp as ever,” Blackjack replied, smirking. “But let clarify sothing first.”
His expression grew serious.
“I owe Gary a lot. Without him, there’s a good chance I’d still be locked in that prison… or worse, dead. And if Edvard had fallen? That would’ve been a disaster for our family.”
“When he returned, he did everything in his power to paint Gary in a positive light. He fought to make the settlent understand that the Howlers weren’t our enemies.”
Blackjack’s eyes flickered with emotion.
“My loyalty is to my family first. The settlent second.”
Hearing those words, Kai’s frustration softened. He felt a twinge of guilt for the harsh way he’d started the conversation. The vampire hierarchy was different from the werewolf world. Unlike the unified structure of a pack, the vampire settlent was a tangled web of families, opinions, and old grudges.
“Thanks for telling that,” Kai said. “Gary’s ntioned he saw Edvard in a good light. Sa goes for Innu. The way I see it, we’ve fought side by side. I’d rather avoid another confrontation.”
Blackjack gave a nod in agreent, and for a mont, there was a rare silence, tense, but respectful.
Then Blackjack continued.
“With all that said… the settlent has asked to deliver a ssage. Going forward, all communication will go through , as Edvard intended.”
Kai leaned back, listening closely.
“As of now, the settlent has no plans to pursue Lupus or his group. Worldwide, the Altered Hunters are being disbanded from the inside. The settlent’s focus is on the Altered situation.”
Kai raised an eyebrow. That was vague, on purpose, most likely. Was the settlent trying to dissolve the Altered organizations like NIRV from the shadows? Or were they secretly orchestrating the chaos behind it all to gain favor or power?
“We acknowledge what you’ve done for us,” Blackjack continued. “Which is why the king wanted to deliver this offer personally: If the Howlers ever find themselves in a serious battle… we’ll make sure your backs are covered. So don’t worry.”
Kai couldn’t help but chuckle.
“I see… You’re saying, ‘we’re not getting involved’, but at the sa ti, ‘don’t be afraid to take down Lupus yourself.’ And the part about our backs being covered? That has to be a subtle nod to the Dark Guild.”
He sighed and leaned forward on the desk.
“Alright. Let ask you sothing, your opinion, not the settlent’s. If we were to defeat Lupus and his group, what would the settlent do then?”
Blackjack didn’t hesitate.
“I think there’s a fifty-fifty chance they’ll leave you alone,” he said. “The king seems to like Gary, at least, a little. But the existence of a powerful werewolf pack will always be a concern. If you succeed where they failed… you beco the next threat.”
Kai nodded slowly, impressed.
“That’s… a pretty honest answer. More than I expected.”
“And now,” Kai said, narrowing his eyes, “what if we didn’t fight Lupus? What if we made an alliance instead?”
Blackjack actually laughed at that.
“That would never happen. Has never happened. Your hypothetical makes no sense.”
Kai smirked and tapped his desk. “Just humor . Give an answer.”
Blackjack straightened, his smile fading. His tone was cold.
“If that happened… it would be a full-out war between vampires and werewolves.”
***
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