The clinic room was awash with the muted scent of disinfectant and the soft rustle of movement as the pack members shifted in their beds. Pale afternoon light streamed in from a single high window, casting long, quiet shadows over the white sheets and bandaged bodies. James stood at the foot of his bed, arms folded, while Jasper lingered close to Bella, who sat upright but still looked pale. Sophia perched near Tyler, her gaze fixed on his flushed face. Henry lay reclined, his eyes tired but alert.
Sophia's voice broke the quiet, warm but heavy with relief. "I'm glad everyone is fine. I was so worried." Bella nodded in agreement. "I am too."
Henry's tone was more somber. "The vampire was something else so strong that we couldn't defeat it even together."
Sophia sighed. "I've never come across such a dangerous vampire since I joined Connor's pack."
Henry's eyes narrowed slightly. "Maybe it was one of those vampires that killed Connor and Alex."
Silence filled the space like a slow, heavy fog.
"It belonged to the Twelve Vampire Chiefs' council under Susun," Tyler said at last.
Henry frowned. "How do you know?"
"He said it himself," Tyler replied, "and Mr. Jack confirmed it for me."
Sophia's voice was low, almost reverent. "His powers were gruesome."
Henry leaned forward slightly. "So you defeated him with… this thing that came over you?"
Tyler nodded. "I don't know what it is, but it came the moment I saw Bella in pain. My strength, my speed, my stamina… even my durability it all increased."
Bella's soft voice drew their attention. "There was something else." All eyes turned to her. "When he was attacking me, I caught a glimpse of his mind. He was in pain emotional pain. I think he remembered something about himself… maybe when he was human."
James' brow furrowed. "Still doesn't change the fact that he's a vampire."
Bella gave a small nod. "It doesn't. But for a vampire, his emotions were… strong."
"Vampires were once humans," Tyler said quietly. "But most of them became something else thousands or at least hundreds of years ago. It'd be a miracle if they remembered who they are."
"I guess he carried them for years," Sophia murmured.
"They must have been powerful memories," Jasper added.
The door creaked open, cutting the conversation short. A man dressed in crisp black and white stepped inside, his presence cold and deliberate. His voice was calm, almost detached. "The council would love to see you all not urgently, but in the night."
Without waiting for an answer, he turned and left, the door closing behind him with a dull click.
The air in the room thickened instantly, each member feeling the weight of the summons pressing down on their chests.
The council chamber felt vast and heavy, its tall stone walls lined with old banners that whispered faintly in the draft. The air carried a weight of formality, as though every breath had to be measured. The lighting was dim except for the golden glow spilling from a few high , their flames swaying gently, casting shifting shadows across the polished wooden table where Mr. Jack stood.
The pack stood before him in a loose line, each member carrying the marks of the recent battle. Henry's right arm rested in its bandage, stiff against his side. Tyler's forehead bore a clean white wrap, a faint shadow of fatigue in his eyes. Sophia's bandaged chin contrasted with her otherwise composed stance. Jasper balanced his weight carefully on his uninjured leg, the other still bound in layers of cloth. James and Bella stood untouched, though the tension in their posture revealed they carried wounds of a different kind.
Despite their injuries, all looked alert though a faint ache lingered in the way they shifted their weight or held their limbs.
Mr. Jack's smile cut through the stillness, warm but commanding. "I am very pleased to see you all here, whole and hearty." His voice carried the easy confidence of a leader accustomed to difficult truths.
"Good to see you, sir," James replied, his tone respectful.
"I'm glad you're fine," Sophia added, her voice calm but edged with genuine relief. The others nodded quietly.
Mr. Jack's expression shifted, more serious now. "I'm sure you are wondering why I called you here. Don't worry you're not going on any mission for now." The pack let out a small ripple of laughter, the sound echoing briefly in the large room before fading into the stone.
His next words drew the air tight again. "I am very sure you had a tough time handling the vampire at Lake Black Sea. You were wounded and outmatched. It felt like you were all going to lose." His gaze sharpened. "The vampire you encountered was a member of the Twelve Vampire Chiefs according to what Tyler told me the lowest of the chiefs in Susun council."
The sound of restrained breaths filled the space. Bella frowned slightly. "Lowest? He was so powerful. Shouldn't he be top three or five?"
Mr. Jack chuckled lightly, though his eyes stayed grave. "The danger in vampire territory is far greater than you think. When a wolf meets a high council chief, there are only two options fight or die. There is no going back. And if the wolf is alone, or not strong enough, death is certain."
He let the weight of that sink in. "The Alpha brothers died fighting a top council member of Susun. Hudson only survived because his wife intervened and because sunlight was fast approaching."
His gaze landed on Tyler. "The skill that let you kill the vampire is called the One Mind Wolf a rare and powerful occurrence that happens when a wolf is emotionally triggered at a certain point. In that state, the human and wolf forms merge into one, creating an immense surge of strength. It cannot be easily harnessed. But you, Tyler, entered it. Which means your pack has earned the right to unlock it as well if you trigger your emotions in the right way."
Shock rippled across their faces. Jasper murmured under his breath, "The One Mind Wolf…"
The first wolf to ever enter the one mind wolf was Constantine, he paused looking at their faces. Constantine used it to pin Susun to the ground and almost had him, but he managed to escape, no other wolf has ever been recorded to possess it except Tyler until now.
Mr. Jack's smile returned, slower this time. "I see greatness in this pack. If you all can unlock the One Mind Wolf, I believe defeating Susun becomes even more possible."