Chapter 1562: A Choice Between Packs

The forest felt endless as Steve walked through it, his thoughts spinning faster than his feet could carry him. Every few steps, he looked over his shoulder, half expecting Rogan’s men to come crashing through the trees.

He couldn’t stop thinking about the wolves who had freed him, the guard who had risked his life, and the young werewolves who had slipped into the prison to break his chains. They were brave, foolish maybe, but brave.

And now, because of him, they were in danger.

He imagined Rogan’s reaction when he discovered the empty cell, the broken stone bars, the shattered chains. There would be rage, no doubt. But more than that, there would be punishment. Rogan would look for someone to blame, and when he couldn’t find Steve, he’d turn on the next best thing.

The thought twisted in Steve’s stomach like a knife.

Maybe I could go back, he thought desperately. Explain it somehow... tell him the others were tricked, that they were only following my orders. But he knew the truth. Rogan wasn’t the kind of leader who listened anymore. Once he decided someone had betrayed him, there was no going back.

There was only blood.

That was why, even though his heart ached to protect them, Steve knew the only way to keep those wolves alive was to disappear. If Rogan thought he’d escaped on his own, then the blame would stay with him, and maybe, just maybe, the others would be spared.

Still, a dark thought lingered. But for how long?

With a man like Rogan in power, peace was always temporary. Eventually, someone else would speak up. Someone else would die.

The forest opened up to a clearing, and Steve froze as he lifted his gaze.

Before him stood the towering walls of a familiar kingdom, the same stone fortifications he’d seen not long ago, carved into his memory by firelight and moonshine.

The Redwing Kingdom, he realized. His heart sank. I can’t believe it... After everything, I still ended up here.

It wasn’t intentional, at least, that’s what he told himself. His mind had wandered as his feet carried him, and somehow he had walked straight to the one place he’d sworn to stay away from.

But how could he go inside after everything he’d said before? He had promised to handle things himself, to fix Rogan’s mistakes without dragging Jack and his pack into it.

Now here he was, standing like a fool at the edge of the forest, staring at the gates.

He was still trying to think of a reason to turn back when a voice called out behind him.

“Hey, what are you doing here?”

Steve spun around, muscles tensed. A young man in yellow armor dropped down from the trees, landing lightly on his feet. From the scent alone, Steve could tell what he was, a werewolf, one of Jack’s men.

Recognition flickered in the young man’s eyes. “Wait... you’re from the other pack, right? The guys inside have been waiting for you! What are you doing just standing out here?”

Steve blinked in surprise. “Waiting for me?”

“Yeah,” the young guard said with a grin. “They said you’d probably show up again. Guess they were right.”

He didn’t wait for a reply, just motioned for Steve to follow as he started back toward the walls.

Steve sighed, running a hand through his hair. He didn’t have the strength to argue. Maybe it was fate, maybe just bad luck, but one way or another, he couldn’t avoid this meeting forever. He needed to tell Jack the truth, about Rogan, about the killings, about everything.

The guards at the gate recognized him immediately and let him through without question. As Steve walked through the familiar streets of the Redwing Kingdom, the tension in his chest began to ease, though only slightly.

He didn’t waste time. Heading straight for Jack’s office, he pushed the door open and entered.

Jack looked up from his desk, the familiar glint of curiosity in his eyes. Steve could see several other werewolves gathered nearby, those who had fought beside him before.

“Steve?” Jack said, rising to his feet. “What happened?”

Rather than explain twice, Steve asked Jack to summon everyone who had been part of the rescue teams. When they gathered, he told them everything.

He didn’t soften a single word.

He explained how Rogan had been secretly killing any werewolf who wished to leave, how Steve had confronted him and been imprisoned for defying him, and how he had only escaped because of those who had risked their lives to help him.

When he finished, the room was silent.

Then came the voices.

“No...” one of the younger wolves said, shaking his head. “No, that can’t be true. Rogan wouldn’t, he couldn’t.”

Another stepped forward, his expression grim. “But it makes sense. Not a single wolf that left his camp ever made it here. Not one.”

“And now that Steve’s gone,” someone else added, “there’s no one left to stop him. He’ll keep doing it. He’ll kill anyone who tries to leave.”

“And what about the wolves who stayed behind?” another asked. “When they find out what happened, Rogan won’t spare them either.”

The panic began to ripple through the room, voices rising and overlapping.

“If he starts killing again, it won’t stop.”

“And if anyone tries to run to us, ”

“They’ll die before they get here.”

“Then we have to do something!”

“Do something?” one of the older wolves snapped. “Against Rogan? We’re not even part of his pack! We can’t interfere. We can’t fight him directly, if we tried, we’d all be slaughtered.”

Silence fell again. The truth was painful. No one dared to say what they were all thinking: that the only way to stop Rogan might be to go to war with him.

But none of them wanted to say it aloud.

Jack, however, was studying them all quietly. Finally, he folded his arms. “I know what’s going through your minds,” he said. “And you’re right. As things stand, this isn’t our fight. Rogan’s pack is separate from ours.”

He paused, his eyes narrowing slightly. “But... that can change.”

The room stirred.

Jack turned his gaze to Steve. “You’ve done a lot for both sides, Steve. You’ve risked everything to protect werewolves, even those who didn’t belong to you. And if you want my help now... then I’ll give it.”

Steve frowned. “How?”

“By making this our fight,” Jack said simply. “If you join my pack, then your problem becomes my problem. And when my pack is threatened, ” he smiled faintly “, we deal with it together.”

Steve stared at him, taken aback. “Join you?”

Jack nodded. “It’s the simplest way. Once you’re part of us, Rogan’s crimes against your people become our concern.”

“But... how would that even work?” Steve asked quietly. “How can I join your pack when I already belong to one?”

Jack leaned back slightly, his tone calm but resolute. “Oh, that’s easy,” he said. “We have a Luna with us.”

****

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