Published at 27th of December 2025 7:33 am

Chapter 1656: Moving To The Next Step

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Lupus continued to follow Jack, even when they entered back into the city, and he had decided to stay by the older Werewolf’s side without questioning it. He figured that Jack would have said something if he didn’t want him there, or if he was meant to leave and give the man space. Jack was not the type to hide his intentions, and Lupus wasn’t the type to ignore unspoken signals, yet none came. So he simply kept walking quietly behind him, matching his pace.

Eventually, after entering through the familiar gates and passing the guards who all gave Jack respectful nods, they had gone back to the main base of operations. They didn’t head back to Jack’s home, nor to the usual resting areas, but instead directly toward his office. It was a place where Jack handled matters of the pack, somewhere private and secure.

“Do you mind waiting outside?” Jack finally asked as he looked back at Lupus. His voice wasn’t harsh, but it carried a firm weight. It was the first time Jack had spoken to Lupus openly since everything that happened in the forest, and Lupus simply nodded, stepping aside without complaint.

Inside the office, Jack wanted to speak to Lilly first, to get an idea of the whole picture. He asked her what had happened, why she had left the city, but he didn’t ask in an angry or accusatory way. Jack had lived with Lilly long enough to know her nature, and the moment he saw her shaken expression he immediately knew Lilly herself wouldn’t willingly do something so reckless. He could tell that she was frightened, confused, and deeply unsure of her own memories.

She explained how the last thing she remembered were red eyes, just those eyes, and after that she found herself standing deep within the forest, staring down at a body on the ground. Then she had gone on to explain all of the details before Lupus and Jack themselves had arrived. She recounted everything she could recall, even the gaps, apologizing repeatedly despite Jack never blaming her.

“I see...” Jack eventually said, letting out a slow breath as he tried to process the information. “For now, stay here and get some rest. Use the spare bedroom behind the library shelf. I’ll have some people on guard making sure no one else comes to visit you tonight."

He paused before adding quietly, “Although I doubt that whoever did this will come back today.”

There was a lot on Jack’s mind. Far too much. He could think of several possibilities. One reason Steve’s pack was after Lilly might have been because they thought she was there to attack them, because she was like the others that Bluebird had dealt with earlier. If they were dealing with the same strange infection or curse, then from their point of view Lilly would have looked like a threat.

Steve and his pack could very well be facing the exact same mess. Steve might have also had a visit from the same mysterious person that Jack had met, and that person could have told him the same thing, that the only way to stop these attacks was for the two Alphas to fight. If that was the case, then this incident might have been Steve’s first move, or at least the result of panic and misunderstanding. Although Jack doubted Steve himself would ever willingly move against Lilly, who knew what Steve’s situation was? Desperation could drive anyone to rash choices.

‘The issue is... my family is truly being affected by all of this, and now it’s spreading, not just to my family but to those outside as well.’ Jack thought, clenching his jaw.

When stepping outside, he looked toward Lupus, who was still standing straight and alert, eyes forward like a silent guard dog.

“I have to thank you, new one,” Jack said. “You haven’t been part of the pack long, but from what Lilly tells me, she said that you protected her. I honestly don’t know what would have happened to her if you weren’t there.”

The issue was Lupus was thinking the same thing, but for very different reasons. Was Lilly meant to die originally? If that was the case, then wouldn’t her death have ignited the fight between the two Alphas? When looking at the system screen, it still stated that part of the quest, to choose a side, was valid. That meant the main event of this timeline hadn’t been triggered yet, which made him hope that he hadn’t completely ruined something by stepping in.

“But I do have to ask you,” Jack continued, “why were you there at that time? Why did you leave the city?”

“Coincidence,” Lupus replied immediately, without hesitation. “I have not met your wife, but I have seen her around. Honestly, there was a certain scent that was bugging me.”

He tapped his nose lightly.

“My sense of smell is more sensitive than others, and that’s when I saw her, almost in a daze, walking, and then she left the city. I thought it was strange, so I followed her, and I waited, and jumped in when I thought I could.”

His answer seemed to satisfy Jack. Or maybe Jack would have asked more questions if he were in the correct state of mind. As it stood, Jack didn’t care much for details. Lupus had protected his wife, so Jack knew instantly that Lupus wasn’t someone he needed to worry about, not right now.

“You can go rest up,” Jack said. “And tell your friends to rest up as well. There is something that I have to do.”

Lupus wasn’t sure what Jack meant by that, but it appeared the Alpha had made a decision, a heavy one, weighing heavily on his heart.

‘I don’t know if this is the right decision... I wish you were here to guide me, boss. You would have told me what to do. Or maybe you wouldn’t have thought about it at all and just done it...’ Jack thought, feeling the ache of uncertainty.

A few hours later, Bluebird had finally returned with the other knights, as well as the two captives, both of them restrained, both of them bearing the same ominous red glowing eyes.

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