Published at 18th of February 2026 6:47 am

Chapter 1736 Back In Slough (Part 2)

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Crawley went on to explain everything that had happened the moment the three of them vanished, and there was a lot to explain considering just how long they had been away. Two entire months had passed, and in that time, the world hadn’t stopped moving. Decisions had been made, alliances forced, and lines redrawn without them even being there to influence it.

The first thing Crawley explained was that the fighting had practically stopped not long after they disappeared. Lupus’ Pack had known they had lost the war. Too many of their key members were gone, and unlike the situation with Gary missing, the Howlers still had the will and structure to keep fighting. They had leadership, coordination, and unity, while Lupus’ side had been fractured beyond repair.

However, even with the enemy giving up, the real problem hadn’t been solved. What were they supposed to do with them now?

Especially when all of the Alphas had seemingly disappeared.

That uncertainty had created tension across the city, and it was only made worse when Galdark stepped in. He explained several things that shifted everyone’s understanding of what had really happened and how Lupus might not have been the one pulling the strings behind everything. He made it clear that there were forces at work far beyond simple pack politics.

Regardless of that explanation, trust didn’t come easily.

How were they supposed to trust an enemy they had just fought a war against?

That was when a solution had been proposed. It wasn’t perfect, but it was the only option that prevented things from spiraling into endless bloodshed. All of Lupus’ remaining Pack members would be turned over to Xin’s side and absorbed into the Howlers. They wouldn’t be prisoners, but they wouldn’t be independent either.

With no real choice left, they had accepted.

“So my entire pack… all of them are gone?” Lupus asked quietly. He let out a long breath, the weight of it settling in. “Well, we’re all one big family now, right? What’s yours is mine. It’ll just take some getting used to.”

Neither Kai nor Gary could imagine how Lupus truly felt in that moment. They had learned, through fighting and conflict, that Lupus genuinely cared for his Pack and for Werewolves as a whole. Losing them like this, even if they were still alive, was still a loss.

“It took some time for the pack to get used to things here,” Crawley continued. “And we needed to keep a close eye on them, just to make sure nothing strange was going on. A suggestion was made to make it clear that the Howlers had won the war, and had done so easily.”

It wasn’t about pride.

It was about deterrence.

“As a way to discourage other attackers,” Crawley said. “And if they didn’t believe it, they’d have to face the combined might of the Packs working together.”

“By others, I’m guessing you mean Unzoku,” Gary said.

“Or the vampires,” Lupus added.

Crawley nodded. “Right. We continued searching the city for any sign of what happened to the three of you while we waited. Weeks passed, and we weren’t getting closer to finding you. That’s when we decided to start making small moves instead of staying idle.”

Galdark, along with some of the Lupus group, had returned to Ruin City to make sure things there were stable. Even though Lupus’ Pack no longer existed as it once had, Ruin City still mattered. It was still a place filled with Werewolves who needed leadership and stability.

“Galdark comes back to Slough pretty often,” Crawley explained. “Mostly to give updates and pass on information. He doesn’t like using electronic devices much.”

That didn’t surprise anyone.

“On top of that, quite a few of Lupus’ pack decided to stay in Slough,” Crawley continued. “So that was another reason for him to return regularly.”

As time went on, Xin had made another decision. Even with everything that had happened, the Howlers still needed to act like the Howlers. They couldn’t freeze up or abandon their responsibilities just because their leaders were missing.

“There were commitments we had to keep,” Crawley said. “The strike force of Werewolves, along with Midwak, were sent to Centrefield. Their job was to make sure no trouble started there and to officially claim it as Howlers territory.”

It had worked.

“It calmed the area down a lot,” Crawley added. “That was about a month ago.”

For a while after that, things stayed quiet. Too quiet. There were no major incidents, no large movements, no signs of Unzoku or vampire interference. But at the same time, they still weren’t any closer to finding Gary, Kai, or Lupus.

And then, just a few days ago, everything changed.

“That’s when Marcus showed up,” Crawley said.

Lupus’ posture shifted immediately. His body language alone showed how much that name mattered. He stood straighter, his attention locked in as Crawley continued.

The story that followed was devastating.

They heard about the Dark Guild. About how it had been completely eliminated by the vampires. About the lone Werewolf Marcus had discovered. Crawley didn’t leave anything out. He explained everything carefully, knowing how important it was.

Xin had split their forces after that. One group went with Marcus to search the Dark Guild bases, hoping to uncover answers. The other group went out looking for this new type of Werewolf, something that didn’t fit into any existing category.

“That’s a lot to take in,” Kai said finally. “I thought what was happening to us was insane, but this…”

“It feels like we’re being attacked from both sides,” Gary added. “Unzoku and the vampires.”

Lupus clenched his hand so tightly his fingers shook.

“They’re trying to dull our swords,” Lupus said. “So they can eliminate us when we’re weak. I always knew this would happen.”

He turned toward Gary.

“I know you have some kind of deal with them,” Lupus said. “And I know you don’t hate them the way I do. But if you trust them completely, things will go wrong.”

There was no anger in his voice.

Just certainty.

“I don’t want to be the one saying ‘I told you so,’” Lupus continued. “So I’ll say this instead. If there is ever a time you need my help, I’ll be there. That’s a guarantee.”

He placed a hand over his chest.

“Werewolf to Werewolf. Blood to blood. Dem to Dem.”

A war with the vampires while Unzoku was still out there was the worst possible outcome. Gary knew that better than anyone. If there was any way to avoid it, he would.

***

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