Chapter 53: Return to the Den

After the brutal display in the hall, Mea had been escorted, limping, bruised, and humiliated, down to the cold, stone prison cells buried deep beneath the White Wolf Mansion. Her spirit was shattered.

She offered no resistance. Her pride had taken a blow worse than any spell or sword could deliver.

Gray, however, had no time to dwell on her misery. He stood at the top of the marble staircase, his arms folded, golden-red eyes gleaming with focus. He looked to the two towering figures who had arrived moments after the chaos.

The floor was still splattered with blood. The pristine white marble walls bore red stains from the earlier impact, where Mea had been embedded like a broken painting.

"Fil. Nil," Gray commanded, his voice firm, echoing through the grand hall.

The twin Beta commanders stepped forward, their glowing blue eyes alert and unwavering.

"You're going to Lenver City. Your mission: capture it from the shadows. Same strategy as before, but this time, I won't be handling it personally. You will."

They bowed slightly, awaiting further instruction.

"I want the slums," he said. "Turn the poor into werewolves, quietly. No howling in the streets. No accidents. They will be our eyes, ears, and claws."

Then, Gray pulled out a small triangular device from his robe, sleek, faintly glowing with runic marks, and handed it to them.

"If anything goes wrong, use this to contact me directly."

He continued, cold and calculated, "Don't waste much time with beggars, but find the greedy nobles. The power-hungry ones. The corrupt. The ones desperate enough to do anything for strength. Offer them transformation. Make them Beta wolves. Bind them to us. Once they get a taste of this power, they'll never want to leave our side. Lenver City will fall without a war. No sword, no blood, just fear and submission."

Fil and Nil nodded once. They understood. They had seen Greenwold city bend before Gray's will. Now, they would do the same to Lenver.

Without another word, they vanished , their cloaks trailing behind like shadows.

Gray watched them leave, his mind already several steps ahead. He knew the moment he'd taken down a kingdom's noble city, the crown wouldn't remain idle. They would strike back, perhaps not with armies, but with politics, blockades, trade sanctions… or something worse.

And if trade stopped, food and supplies would run dry. That wasn't necessarily a problem, after all, hungry werewolf will be more angry. And angry werewolf will be more strong than normal . 

Still, he needed to prepare.

Just as he turned toward the stairs, a new notification chimed in his system inbox. The source?

The Wolf God.

The message was simple.

"Hello, fellaaaa

Return t o the temple where your Trial was once held.

Once you come, you will understand everything."

And this was it just a short message. 

Gray exhaled sharply through his nose. The gods loved their riddles. But he had no choice. He had to go.

But first, one last stop.

Bella was still asleep, her bare skin glowing in the dim golden light of the afternoon sun, her body curled beneath the white sheets like a delicate flame resting after a storm. Their passionate encounter earlier had left her fully drained.

Gray climbed onto the bed beside her and gently wrapped an arm around her wrist, the other hand slipping down to grip her soft curves.

"Mmm… stop it…" she murmured, half-asleep, her hips twitching under his playful grasp.

He leaned in, kissed her neck, and whispered, "I have to go somewhere important. I'll explain later."

He kissed her forehead, brushing back a strand of silver hair.

"You're in charge while I'm gone. The city. The mansion. Everything. If something unexpected happens… handle it. or just contact me i will come running"

She gave a sleepy, satisfied hum, smiling in her sleep.

And with that, Gray stood… and left the room..

He left White Wolf City like a silver streak, blurring across the land faster than any beast or machine. 100 kilometers vanished in mere seconds beneath his feet.

But the journey was still long.

As he sped toward the north, the landscape gradually transformed. Lush green faded into icy white. Thick forests gave way to jagged cliffs and barren frost-covered plains. The air grew colder. The animals disappeared. The world became quiet, eerily quiet.

Eventually, he reached a familiar clearing.

He stopped. Breathed deeply.

This was the old northern route, closest from his position. He'd never used it before, but he recognized it from the Greenwood family archives.

A week passed in that frozen land. Time stretched endlessly beneath blizzards and icy winds.

Snow now covered everything, dunes of white swallowing stone, trees, and trails. But amidst it all, one thing pulled at his senses.

The scent.

That primal, musky scent.

Not just snow or frost… but wolf.

His wolves.

He crouched, inhaled deeply again. There it was, traces of wolf urine, used to mark territory. Old, but still potent. The pack had expanded, this territory was larger now. Stronger. They had grown.

This was the same land he had once found for them. But now, their mark stretched farther.

He thought of them.

Not just as wolves.

But his blood pack.

His brothers. His sisters.

His alpha father, whose howl once shook the mountains.

His mother, gentle yet fierce, the heart of their frozen den.

They were here. He could feel it in his bones.

He moved forward, following the scent trail like a compass. The cold cut into his clothes, but he barely felt it. His eyes locked onto a dark cave mouth just beyond a frozen stream, about a hundred meters ahead.

He approached slowly.

And then....

A ripple of red light burst from the cave mouth.

Low, guttural growls rose from within like thunder.

Seven massive wolves lunged out, encircling him instantly. Their teeth bared. Their bodies tensed. Their glowing eyes burning like rubies in the snow.

"Whoa, whoa! Easy there!" Gray said, lifting both hands in peace.

But then he caught the scent again.

The center wolf, the largest, his body radiating crimson energy, nstepped forward. That scent…

It was his father. He could never forget it.

Gray's eyes softened. "Dad… it's me," he said. "Your son."

The wolves didn't speak. But they stilled. As if… they understood.

Not the words. But the meaning.

His voice reached into their instincts, their hearts. The Alpha paused, ears twitching.

And then… Gray transformed.

A wave of divine white fur surged across his body. He grew massive. Towering and Radiant. His form became that of a celestial wolf, pure white with golden line in hi fur, eyes burning with red-gold light, claws crackling with untamed mana.

The snow exploded outward in a ring of wind and aura.

The wolves stepped back, not out of fear… but respect.

Even the alpha, the proud father, lowered his head ever so slightly.

Gray released the pressure for few seconds. The air settled.

He padded forward in wolf form and spoke—not in human tongue, but in growls, grunts, and instinctive pulses.

"I can understand your howls now," he said. "Let's talk."

The tension melted.

And just like that, the pack welcomed him home.

His father turned and led the way inside. The den was carved into the heart of the stone mountain, warmed only by packed grass and shared breath. No luxury. Just simple survival kit for wolfs.

Gray winced.

"Damn… this place is hell. Not even a dog would live like this," he muttered, glancing at the cold rock floor. "But you guys… you're wolves. You're built different."

His mother was there too, older now, but her presence was calming, her eyes wise and knowing. She nuzzled him softly, and he felt something stir in his chest. A warmth he hadn't felt in years.

The rest of his siblings weren't around—they'd gone out hunting with other pack members. So, Gray lay down and played with the younger wolves in the meantime. Wrestling gently, licking fur, sharing warmth.

This… this was peace.

He wasn't a ruler here.

Not a king. Not a monster.

Just a wolf. One of them.

And for a while… that was enough.

Hours passed. Then the hunters returned.

His wolf siblings, older now, stronger, entered the den. They didn't speak, not with words. Just growls, tail wags, nips, and affectionate licking of fur. That was all the reunion they needed.

Gray stepped back from the warmth of the cave and looked at them one last time.

"Okay, guys," he said. "I've got to go. There's something I need to do. But I'll be back soon."

With a nod to his father and a soft nuzzle to his mother, Gray turned toward the darkened snow path again.

The Temple of the Wolf God awaited him.