"Secure the bodies," my voice was quiet. "Death benefits at maximum rate."
"Yes."
"And the enemy?"
"Three killed, three critically wounded," Marcus said. "But those three wounded... they all committed suicide."
Suicide again. Just like every time before.
"Alpha, one more thing." Marcus's voice dropped lower, carrying uncertainty. "When I checked the bodies, I caught a very strange scent."
My heart skipped a beat.
"What scent?"
"Like... vampire."
Vampire.
Werewolves and vampires hadn't had direct conflict in nearly a century. Each occupied separate territories, maintaining a fragile peace.
Why...
"You're sure?"
"Not entirely," Marcus hesitated. "But the scent really resembled it. And those enemies' physical capabilities... speed, strength, wound healing rate... didn't seem like pure werewolves."
I closed my eyes, forcing my brain to function.
Analyze. Deduce. Find clues.
This was what I should do as Alpha. This was my duty.
Fourteen attacks.
From small-scale probing to this major assault, from ordinary rogue wolves to suspected vampire hybrids...
They were escalating step by step.
Waiting for something? Or rather... preparing for something?
"Preserve the bodies," I ordered. "I want the most detailed autopsy reports—blood, DNA... everything. Verify if they carry vampire genes."
If vampires were truly involved, this wasn't a simple border conflict.
This was war.
"Understood."
"Reinforce defenses at Outposts Nine and Eleven," I continued. "But don't pull troops from other positions. This could be a diversion."
"Yes."
"The wounded?"
"Sent to the medical center, pack physicians are doing everything they can."
"Good." I took a deep breath. "I'll get back as soon as possible."
