Chapter 1379: A Decision Made

The group felt like they were right back at square one, the very place where this entire mess had begun. Despite all the conversations and plans, they’d circled back to uncertainty. And from talking with Kai, his feelings couldn’t have been clearer.

He wasn’t going to contact Unzoku. Not about the full moon. Not about anything.

Because the last thing he wanted was to give that manipulative being exactly what he desired.

Maybe, just maybe, it was the rituals from the past, those ancient practices of the old werewolf families, that had set all of this in motion. That thought alone was enough to convince the others. On that point, at least, they stood firmly behind Kai.

“What I’m thinking is,” Marie began, breaking the silence, “there has to be a way around all this. Like, you know… a loophole.” Her voice was filled with hope, even if it felt fragile. “Gary managed to stop himself from transforming on the full moon, didn’t he? That’s kind of a loophole already, right?”

“Then think about this,” she added quickly. “If Gary just refuses to fight anyone, that’s another loophole. He’s figuring this out, step by step.”

Gary hadn’t said anything yet, not to the others at least. But deep down, he was sure that part of his resistance to Unzoku’s control, his ability to act freely, came from the Dragon Altered energy coursing through his veins. It was the one thing he had that Unzoku hadn’t accounted for.

“What about changing the Alpha?” Kai suddenly spoke up, his voice tense. “If I were to turn someone, anyone, even a random person or an enemy off the street, they’d become a Beta Wolf, right?”

Everyone looked at him, unsure where he was going with this.

“Then couldn’t I just have them challenge me for the position, lose on purpose, and step down as Alpha? Wouldn’t that solve everything?”

The room went quiet as the others mulled it over. It wasn’t the worst idea. In fact, it felt like Kai was on the right track, thinking outside the box, looking for an exit.

“There’s a few problems with that,” Midwak interjected, arms crossed. “First off, if you just make someone else the Alpha, you’d still be part of their pack. Sure, you could fight them, take the loss, and maybe even get kicked out or declared an Omega.”

“Then you’d be free, right? You could rejoin the Howlers, and things would go back to normal.”

He paused.

“But what about them? The new Alpha would be a complete unknown, someone who might not be able to resist the urges. Someone who could be even more dangerous. If Unzoku gets to him…”

Midwak shook his head.

“And say that Alpha dies. In cases where that’s happened before, the Alpha status returns to the original holder, even if they’ve joined another pack. You have to understand, Alpha power doesn’t always follow logic. Sometimes it follows instinct, fate, or whatever curse Unzoku set in place.”

His eyes narrowed.

“And now that we have three Alphas, who knows if that’s a permanent change? Maybe it is. Maybe there has to be three Alphas at all times now. Do you really think Unzoku did this without making sure it would cause maximum chaos?”

“There has to be something!” Kai shouted, chest heaving. “What if I lose to the Alpha, get kicked out, and go back to the Howlers? Then we lock the new Alpha up, trap him somewhere safe. A cell, a prison. Keep him alive until he dies naturally. At that point, we’ll all be old!”

Everyone paused. For a moment, they imagined it.

And even though the “new Alpha” was hypothetical, there was a heaviness in the room, a quiet sorrow for this imaginary person. Enemy or not, locking someone away for a lifetime wasn’t easy to accept.

“There’s still a problem,” Gary said calmly. “Unzoku will get to him. If he’s desperate and angry, if he feels wronged, that hate will fester, and Unzoku will feed on it. Reach him. Twist him.”

Gary’s voice was steady but filled with concern.

“The third Alpha has become another weapon. A tool for Unzoku to pit us all against each other.”

He looked at Kai again.

“You have to admit… if there have to be three Alphas, then the best-case scenario isn’t that it’s three strangers. It’s us. Three people who know each other. Trust each other. As long as we’re strong enough, we can fight against it. Together.”

Kai didn’t answer. He just walked back to his chair and sat down heavily, burying his head in his hands. His fingers dug into his scalp as he gently rocked back and forth, a storm raging inside him.

“I know you keep saying that’s the solution, Gary. I know you mean well!” Kai shouted suddenly, looking up. “But there’s a reason I keep suggesting alternatives, why I’m looking for a way out.”

His eyes flared red, bright and intense.

“Maybe you can control yourself. Maybe you have the willpower to fight that beast inside. But me?” He paused, voice shaking. “I’m scared, Gary. I’m scared I won’t be able to stop myself.”

Those words hit Gary harder than he expected.

He had been so focused on the logic, on what made sense for the group, that he’d forgotten, they weren’t going through the same thing. Not emotionally. Not physically. Not spiritually.

Still, Gary believed in the path they had to walk.

Kai stood from his seat, his posture firm and composed despite the tears forming in his eyes.

“I know what I have to do now,” he said. “Given the situation… the best thing for me to do, is to leave the Howlers.”

The room erupted in protest, but Kai raised a single hand, stopping them before any words could escape.

“I’ve thought this through,” he said. “This isn’t just me being emotional. It’s not some impulsive decision. Right now, more than anything, what we need… is time.”

He turned to Gary.

“You’re right. The situation I’m in now, being an Alpha, the best thing is for me to stay one. I have no intention of becoming your enemy, Gary.”

His voice softened.

“Your father managed to work things out. You and Lupus are trying to do the same. So I should too.”

He took a deep breath.

“But the timing is what’s wrong. I can’t be here for the full moon. I won’t risk it. But I promise, once I’ve figured this out, once I have control, I’ll be back.”

He stepped forward, placing a hand on Gary’s shoulder, his head twitched slightly.

“I promise, Gary. I’ll stand by your side again. I won’t let this curse turn me against you. I just need to figure it out… before it’s too late.”

****

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