Greybridge was restless.
The patrol groups had returned hours ago, bringing in their share of small threats — scavengers, lost wanderers, a few wild creatures mutated by the marsh fog. But Ethan felt it even before their return.
A presence.
A pressure.
A watching gaze that didn't belong to a human.
His wolf-senses — sharpened after taming twelve men and promoting two Betas — quivered like a pulled string.
"Something's in the southern ridge," Ethan said quietly.
Aoi looked up from her medical notes. "A beast?"
"No," he answered. "A wolf. But… different."
Reyes, who had been resting nearby, stiffened. "Hostile pack?"
"Not a normal one," Ethan said. "Black-Eyes."
Silence.
Even among the refugees, the name carried weight.
A Black-Eye Wolf wasn't an animal — it was a supernatural breed. Taller. Faster. Eyes like ink-wells that swallowed light. No visible whites. No emotion. Only hunger and dominance.
And each pack had a Commander, a creature capable of taming lesser beasts into obedience through sheer aura.
But a Commander entering human territory?
That was new.
---
The Hunt Begins
Ethan gathered Harlan, Reyes, Aoi, and one more tamed man from the twelve — Jiro, the quiet one with assassin-like instincts.
They moved through the thinning forest, stepping where the leaves didn't crunch, avoiding snapping twigs. The air was cold, unnaturally so.
Aoi whispered, "Temperature dropped again…"
Ethan didn't answer.
Because he saw it.
Black fur.
Claw marks as long as his hand.
A trail of thickened prints, deeper than normal wolves.
Then—
A low growl rolled through the darkness. Not loud. Not aggressive.
A warning.
"Spread out," Ethan ordered quietly.
The others did.
Then the creature stepped out.
---
The Black-Eye Pack Commander
It was enormous — easily 7 feet tall at the shoulder if it stood fully upright. It walked on all fours, but its presence felt intelligent, almost… human-like. Its coat shimmered like obsidian dust. Bones seemed to shift beneath its skin as if it were built to adapt mid-combat.
And its eyes…
Black, pure black. No iris. No pupil. Like a void staring back.
Aoi swallowed. "This is… far above Beta threat level."
"Alpha-class," Jiro murmured.
Harlan gripped his weapon tighter. "Kid, how do we fight that?"
Ethan raised a hand.
"Wait."
Because the wolf wasn't attacking.
It was examining him.
The Commander sniffed the air, then let out a soft, rumbling huff.
Its aura pressed outward, predatory and cold.
Ethan felt his own wolf-instinct stir.
Not fear — but recognition.
This creature was testing him.
Claiming territory.
Probing dominance.
---
The System Reacts
The fused Panel flickered inside Ethan's mind:
NEW ENTITY SCANNED
Species: Supernatural Hybrid-Lycan (Black-Eye Commander)
Rank: A
Threat Level: Extremely High
Behavior: Territorial — Intelligence Level comparable to human baseline
Notable Ability: Forced Subjugation Howl
Then—
SPECIAL ALERT:
This creature is attempting an instinctual dominance rapport with you.
Ethan inhaled sharply.
It wasn't attacking because it sensed something in him — the Alpha resonance born from taming multiple men, forming a proto-pack, and undergoing Beta ritual enhancement.
The Commander understood what he was.
Another Alpha.
A rival.
Or… possibly… a future superior.
The wolf took a step closer.
Ethan met its gaze and refused to look away.
His instincts rose like a tide behind his ribs. His breath deepened. His aura thickened into something heavy and primal.
The Commander lowered its head.
Not fully — just slightly.
A half-bow.
A sign of acknowledgment.
Reyes whispered, stunned, "Boss… did you just dominate a Commander by instinct alone?"
"Not dominated," Ethan said quietly. "It accepted a temporary truce."
He turned back to the beast.
"What do you want?"
The wolf answered.
Not in words — but in a chilling, resonant growl that carried meaning.
Danger. Bigger. Coming.
Not pack. Not beast. Not human.
Run. Or become prey.
Ethan froze.
The Commander stepped back, hackles lifting as if warning of an unseen threat approaching from deeper in the forest.
Then, with a burst of speed that snapped branches, it vanished into the night.
---
A Deadly Message
Aoi approached Ethan carefully.
"Ethan… Black-Eye Commanders don't warn humans. That's never happened."
"I know."
"Which means whatever scared it—"
"—is worse than a Commander," Ethan finished.
Jiro kneeled, examining the ground. "It wasn't fleeing from us. Something else spooked it. Something fresh."
Ethan didn't need the Panel to confirm it.
But it did anyway:
BACKGROUND THREAT DETECTED:
Unknown Faction Signature
Classification: Unknown
Disturbance Level: Increasing fast
A new enemy.
A new faction.
One capable of scaring a creature that even Alphas avoided.
Ethan clenched his fists.
Greybridge wasn't ready.
But he would make it ready.