The commander's eyes flickered with urgency as he turned sharply towards his men.
"TAKE THE KI—"
Before he could finish, a sickening sound cut through the air.
Two knights, who had been guarding the cage, stood frozen in place.
Then, as if their bodies had just realized what had happened, their heads slowly slid off their shoulders.
Blood sprayed into the air as their lifeless corpses collapsed onto the ground.
The commander's breath hitched.
His gaze snapped toward the cage—
Two wolf clan members stood there, their claws dripping with fresh blood, their piercing eyes locked onto him.
Between them, the younger wolf child was now free, his wide eyes reflecting the moonlight as he trembled in their grasp.
The commander clenched his jaw, his fingers twitching over his sword hilt.
His mind raced.
"Damn it… How did they move so fast?"
A cold shiver crawled up his spine.
For the first time that night, he felt it—
A sinking, gnawing feeling deep in his gut.
They were not prey.
He was.
The commander stared down at his severed hand in disbelief, his breath ragged.
"Why…?" he growled through clenched teeth.
Leo's eyes glinted with amusement.
"Nothing personal, Goldy… just picking the winning side."
The commander's face twisted in rage.
"DAMN YOU, TRAIDOR!"
With a roar, he swung his blade, crackling with magic.
Leo didn't flinch. He knew it wouldn't reach him.
Just as the blade closed in, a blur of motion shot across the field.
A female figure with long gray hair and sharp brown eyes—matching the leader's—slid in from the side.
Before the commander could react, her claws flashed through the air.
A sickening sound followed.
The commander's other hand flew through the air, his blade stabbing into the ground as he collapsed to his knees, gasping in pain.
The other knights panicked and scattered, but none managed to escape. The wolves were swift, cutting them down one by one—except for one.
Adrian.
A few minutes later, two wolves dragged Adrian toward Leo, his hands bound tightly behind his back. Blood dripped from his temple as he stumbled to his knees.
Adrian's eyes burned with rage as he glared at Leo.
"You damn traitor!" he spat.
Leo's expression remained calm.
"No…" Leo crouched down, his face just inches from Adrian's. "I'm a survivor."
Adrian's eyes narrowed. "Is that why you sided with our enemies?"
Leo's gaze sharpened.
"Our enemies?" He leaned in closer. "They were never mine."
"You—!"
Before Adrian could finish, the female wolf stepped forward and struck him hard on the back of the head. Adrian's eyes rolled back as he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
Leo slowly looked up at her, their eyes locking in an intense glare.
"Don't act like a saint," she said coldly.
Leo raised a brow. "What do you mean?"
She scoffed, her voice laced with anger. "Do you think we don't know? You forced this man—" she pointed at the commander's broken body, "—into hurting our kids."
Leo held her gaze for a few seconds before sighing. Then, with a shrug, he stood up.
"Since you weren't making a move… I did."
Her fury flared, and without hesitation, she stormed toward him.
"You bastard!"
Leo barely moved as she closed the distance between them, her claws twitching at her sides.
But before she could get any closer, a small figure stepped between them.
It was the younger wolf, Alya.
The female wolf stopped in her tracks.
"Alya, move," she said firmly.
Alya didn't say anything. She just shook her head.
"Alya," the female wolf growled. "He's not the man you think he is."
But Alya didn't budge.
Leo, watching the exchange, let out a small sigh before gently patting Alya's head. Then, he looked at the female wolf with a smirk.
"Come on," he said. "You're not going to hurt the man who saved them, right?"
Her eyes burned with fury.
"Saved them?" she scoffed. "Don't make me laugh. You forced that bastard to attack them. Don't you dare pretend you were going to save them."
She bared her fangs, her claws twitching with anger.
A deep, rough voice cut through the tension.
"Sasha, that's enough."
Sasha turned sharply, her eyes burning with frustration.
"But, Brother! He almost got our kin killed!" she snapped.
The wolf leader remained calm, his piercing gaze locked onto Leo.
"He did it to lure us out," he stated. Then, his eyes narrowed. "And I assume you have a damn good reason for that?"
Leo smirked, tilting his head.
"Ahh… A sharp one, huh? I like that."
His smirk widened as he casually stretched his arms.
"I did it to speed up the process."
Sasha growled, stepping forward.
"Speed up what, exactly!?"
Her claws twitched, ready to strike, but Leo simply lifted his hands in mock surrender.
"Whoa, whoa! Chill out, will ya? At least let me finish."
Sasha stopped, though her glare remained.
Leo's voice dropped to a more serious tone.
"Listen, if you don't already know, these guys—" he gestured lazily toward the fallen knights, "—aren't just some random mercenaries. They're Royal Knights of the Empire."
His smirk returned as he leaned slightly forward.
"And let me ask you something—do you really think the Empire will just sit back and twiddle their thumbs when their knights don't come home?"
The wolf leader's eyes darkened, sensing where this was going.
Leo chuckled.
"No. Of course not. The moment they realize their men are missing, they'll send reinforcements."
He took a step closer, his smirk turning into something more sinister.
"And trust me… those guys will be way stronger than these clowns."
The leader narrows his eyes, studying Leo carefully.
"What is it that you truly want?"
Leo stretches, letting out a lazy sigh.
"Honestly? Just a safe trip home. Nothing more, nothing less."
Sasha growls, stepping forward.
"Then why turn on them? They would've taken you back just fine!"
Leo chuckles, shaking his head.
"You really think so? Let's just say... someone out there has my name on their kill list."
His eyes scan the battlefield, watching the lifeless knights.
"And these guys? They were dead weight. Weak, slow, predictable. Sticking with them was a one-way ticket to an early grave."
Then, he glances at the leader, smirking.
"The one hunting me… might just be stronger than all of you."
The leader's expression darkens, his eyes cold and calculating.
"That only gives us more reason to stay out of your mess. And besides…" He crosses his arms. "You turned on your own kind without hesitation. Why should I believe you won't do the same to us?"
Leo lets out a small chuckle, shaking his head.
"Trust? Oh no, I'm not asking for something so fragile." His smirk deepens. "I'm offering a deal."
The leader's eyes narrow.
"A deal?"
Leo nods.
"Yeah. You help me get back home, and in return, I'll help you with whatever you guys are trying to find—"
Before he can finish, the air shifts.
In a blink, sharp claws press against his throat, the wolves moving so fast they barely make a sound. Their growls rumble low, warning him that one wrong move could be his last.
The leader steps forward, his voice dropping to a quiet, menacing tone.
"How…?" He tilts his head slightly. "How do you know we're searching for something?"
Leo keeps his hands up in surrender, but his grin remains, eyes locked onto the leader's.
"Come on now, Alpha." His voice is smooth, confident. "It wasn't that hard to figure out."
Leo smirks. "I had a feeling that might be the case."
Sasha scoffs, crossing her arms. "A feeling?!" Her sharp claws glint under the moonlight. "Brother, this is a waste of time. Just let me carve a few answers out of him."
Leo's gaze slowly shifts toward her, his smirk fading into a look of pure boredom. "Gods, you just don't shut up, do you? Seriously, you're starting to get on my nerves."
Sasha's eye twitches. "Tch! Then how about I rip that smug look off your face?!" She lunges, claws ready to tear into him—
"ENOUGH, SASHA!"
The leader's voice booms, cutting through the tension like a blade.
Sasha grits her teeth, halting just before her claws reach Leo's throat. "Brother, you can't be serious! This bastard—"
"I said step back." His tone is cold, final.
Sasha's ears lower slightly, her tail flicking in irritation. She clenches her fists but takes a grudging step back. The other wolves exchange looks before following suit, though their eyes remain locked on Leo with suspicion.
Leo lets out a dramatic sigh. "Whew, close one. Thought I was about to lose my pretty face for a second." He glances at Sasha, smirking. "You got some real anger issues, sweetheart. Ever considered therapy?"
Sasha growls, but the leader ignores the exchange, his sharp gaze never leaving Leo. "Enough games. Speak. Now."
Leo opens his mouth. "So—"
But before he could finish, the leader's voice slices through the air like a blade.
"Think carefully before you speak." His eyes bore into Leo, sharp and calculating. "Because your next words might be your last."
A heavy silence settles over them. The wolves around them tense, ready to strike at a moment's notice.
Leo, unfazed, meets the leader's gaze with a smirk. "Oh? Now that's a hell of a way to start a conversation." He tilts his head slightly. "I like it."