From their previous conversations with Lupus, Gary and Kai had gained a much deeper understanding of the complex society they were now entangled with. They finally had a clearer picture of how the Vampires operated, and it wasn't as simple as a single hierarchy.
From what they knew, the vampire society was ruled by thirteen distinct families, each with its own history, power, and territory. Sitting above them—or perhaps alongside them, depending on who you asked—was the Vampire King. The King was also a mber of one of these families, yet he was treated as a separate entity entirely, holding a position that demanded reverence.
However, the political dynamics were murky. It was hard to know whether or not all the vampires decided to follow what the King said as absolute law. Did they obey him out of loyalty, fear, or tradition?
It did sowhat seem that way from the brief encounter Gary had with the King previously; there was an undeniable authority there. But what was equally clear was that the leaders of the individual families held incredibly high and important positions. They were kings in their own right within their domains.
That structure was the breeding ground for conflict. With thirteen powerful groups, each led by an ego-driven ancient being, they wouldn't all be able to agree on the sa things together. Infighting was inevitable.
And there was another glaring fact: the leaders or heads of these families were incredibly strong. They were the apex of their race. So, to see not just one, but three of them visiting the Howlers in person, everyone in the room thought there was a good chance that this could be extrely bad news. It felt less like a diplomatic visit and more like an invasion force.
Xin, along with the other core mbers of the Howlers, were already inside the main hall of the manor. The tension in the room was thick enough to cut with a knife.
They were all standing away from the center of the room, their backs pressed near the walls, but they remained close to each other in a defensive formation. Their hands were near their weapons, their eyes darting between the intruders. It was quite clear that the situation had been slightly hostile even before Gary and Kai had entered the room.
Gary stepped forward, trying to diffuse the suffocating atmosphere with his usual casual deanor.
“It’s our pleasure… kinda?” Gary said nervously, scratching the back of his head. He looked at the three imposing figures in black suits. “So, what brings you guys he—”
Before Gary could finish his sentence, the leader in the center, Rowa Cha of the Second Family, lifted a hand abruptly. He didn't point at Gary. His finger was pointed straight at Kai.
The others in the room jolted, their muscles tensing, thinking sothing violent was about to happen imdiately.
“What is the aning of this?” Rowa asked, his voice dropping to a dangerous, low growl. “Why is it that a man stands in front of who has the eyes of an Alpha!”
When Rowa spoke, there was undeniable power in his voice. It wasn’t as if he was asking a simple question; he was demanding to know the answer as if it were his divine right. His eyes bore into Kai, analyzing the energy radiating from the blond-haired teenager.
“Gary from the Howlers and Lupus from Ruin City are the only two Alphas that should be here in this region,” Rowa stated, his tone incredulous. “We have been monitoring the movents. Yet, there is one right in front of , and the two of them stand side by side!”
As Rowa asked the question, an intimidating aura began to pour off him. It wasn't subtle. It was so intense that it was visible to the naked eye—a dense, red mist that lingered in the air, distorting the light around him. The pressure in the room spiked, making it hard for the weaker mbers to breathe.
Kai felt the weight of the aura pressing down on him, but he didn't buckle. Instead, a fire ignited in his own eyes.
“Hey!” Kai snapped back. He stepped forward, looking directly at the vampire leader. He didn't stand down; he stood tall. “What do you think you're doing, trying to intimidate us with all of that power in our own ho?”
Kai’s voice was sharp, cutting through the heavy air.
“And who are you to ask a question in that tone? Right now, you guys are in the Howlers' house. You are in our territory, standing on our floor. So you should put your damned power away and show us so respect!”
Kai already had sowhat of a dislike for the vampires they had co across so far. They were arrogant, dismissive, and cruel. He truly didn’t like how they were acting as if they were gods walking among insects, as if they were naturally above the Howlers.
After climbing this high, after fighting tooth and nail to get the Howlers to the position they were in—ruling Slough and becoming one of the Kings of the Underworld—Kai wasn't about to take this disrespect. He felt like the Howlers had to show that they had strength. If they showed even an inch of weakness now, the vampires would gobble them up without a second thought.
In response to Kai's defiance, however, Rowa started to laugh.
“Hahah, haha!”
The laughter was cold and mocking. Rowa looked at Kai with pure contempt.
“You are fools,” Rowa sneered. “Fools because we have allowed you to go around existing. Do you now think you have a place in this world? Do you think you have a position equal to or above ours just because you conquered a small city? I think it’s ti you learn your place!”
The red aura that was surrounding Rowa started to move. It swirled violently, condensing around his right arm like a coiling snake made of blood-red energy.
Haylock, the leader of the Thirteenth Family, saw this and his eyes widened. He knew Rowa’s temper.
“Don’t!” Haylock shouted, taking a half-step forward.
It was too late.
Rowa had already lifted his hand, and he threw it straight ahead in a punching motion. A blast of concentrated red aura energy shot out from his palm, tearing through the air with a high-pitched screech.
It was heading straight for Kai.
The attack was fast, powerful enough to obliterate a normal human instantly. But before it could reach Kai, a blur of motion intercepted its path.
A fist ca out from the side and slamd directly into the beam of red aura.
BOOM!
The impact shook the room. The fist didn't just block the attack; it shattered it. The force of the punch broke the energy construct into nothing but harmless particles of light, making it disappear entirely into the ether.
The three Vampire Leaders' eyes widened in genuine surprise. They stood frozen, staring at the scene before them.
Standing there, with his fist still extended, was Gary. His hand was completely unhard, not even a scorch mark on his skin. Smoke rose faintly from his knuckles.
Gary slowly lowered his hand and looked Rowa dead in the eye. The playful, nervous deanor from monts ago was completely gone. In its place was the cold, ruthless gaze of a predator protecting his pack.
“Hey, I’m all for being welcoming and having a conversation, but I think I need to make sothing very clear,” Gary said, his voice low and steady.
He moved forward, placing himself physically in front of the others, shielding Kai with his body.
“If you try to harm any mbers of my family, I’ll kill you guys right here on the spot,” Gary said, and the conviction in his voice made the air turn cold. “Even if it starts a f*cking war.”
He took one more step toward the Vampire Leaders.
“So don’t try any of that sh*t again. This is your last and only warning.”
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