Malcolm coughed violently.
Blood spilled from his mouth as his massive wolf body slowly lost strength. The courtyard around him blurred — burning, broken, cold. And standing over him was Luke, covered in blood, breathing heavily, those glowing icy-blue eyes staring down without a trace of emotion.
Malcolm tried to move. His body refused.
His vision darkened at the edges.
And then his mind drifted backward…
Thirty-Four Years Ago — Oldenberg Estate
Rain poured heavily over the Oldenberg Estate.
Thunder rolled across the mountains like the growl of an angry god. A young Malcolm Oldenberg strode through the grand halls, irritation etched into his sharp features.
The guards stationed outside Tristan's private chamber bowed immediately.
"Lord Malcolm."
Malcolm frowned. "Why did Tristan suddenly call me here at this hour?"
Neither guard answered.
That irritated him even more.
Malcolm pushed the heavy doors open and froze.
Tristan sat near the fireplace, holding something wrapped in black cloth. His expression was one of pure disgust — annoyed, almost angry.
Malcolm approached slowly. "What happened?"
Tristan clicked his tongue and pulled the cloth aside just enough to reveal the infant sleeping quietly within.
Malcolm blinked, confused. "…Whose child is this?"
Tristan looked away, irritated. "Mine."
Silence.
Malcolm stared at him in disbelief. "You're joking."
"Do I look like I'm joking?"
Malcolm stepped closer. Then he caught the child's scent. His eyes widened slightly.
"…Human?"
Tristan's expression darkened. "Don't say it out loud."
Malcolm looked between his brother and the baby. "You had a child with a human?"
Tristan stood up furiously. "It was a mistake." The baby stirred slightly at the raised voice, tiny fingers twitching beneath the cloth. Tristan looked at the infant with complete revulsion. "I was drunk."
He walked toward the fireplace. "I should've killed it immediately."
Malcolm's eyes narrowed. "You didn't?"
Tristan's irritation grew. "The woman ran. I found her after the birth." He paused. "There are no witnesses."
The rain outside grew louder, hammering against the windows like accusations.
Malcolm studied the sleeping infant for a long moment, then spoke coldly. "And what if he awakens? A wolf awakening in some human orphanage?" His voice dropped. "Do you understand what kind of disaster that would create?"
Tristan remained silent.
Malcolm crossed his arms, thinking. Finally, he made his decision.
"Take him into the grooming division. Raise him among the soldier pups." He looked at the child. "If he survives, he becomes useful. If he dies…" His voice stayed calm. "…then the problem solves itself."
The room fell quiet once more.
Tristan stared at the infant for a long moment, then scoffed. "Fine."
He tossed the baby carelessly toward Malcolm.
Malcolm caught the child instantly, cradling him with surprising care. For the first time, the infant slowly opened his eyes.
Cold. Silver-blue.
Malcolm frowned. There was something strange about those eyes — something that felt… off.
The baby reached out weakly and grabbed Malcolm's finger.
And despite himself, Malcolm laughed quietly.
"You troublesome little bastard…"
Outside, the storm raged on.
Present Day — Hale Estate Grounds
Malcolm's vision returned to the present for one final moment.
He looked up at the towering silver-white figure standing over him — the monster he had helped create all those years ago.
A weak, bitter smile touched his bloodied lip.
His eyes slowly closed.
Malcolm Oldenberg exhaled one last time.
And died.
Luke stood motionless above the corpse, icy-blue eyes glowing faintly in the moonlight. Blood dripped from his claws onto the ruined marble.
The surviving Oldenberg wolves took another collective step backward, terror etched into their monstrous faces.
The monster they had come to kill had just reminded them why he had survived this long.
And somewhere behind the broken marble wall, Iris watched everything with wide, horrified eyes — realizing for the first time just how dangerous the man her father had trusted truly was.
The battlefield had fallen into an eerie stillness.
All the transformed Oldenberg wolves had reverted to their human forms, unconscious or barely conscious among the ruins of the Hale Estate grounds. Broken marble, shattered pillars, and blood stained everything in sight. The once-beautiful garden now looked like a war zone.
Luke walked toward one of the unconscious soldiers lying near the shattered courtyard. Without a word, he stripped a pair of black combat pants from the man and slipped them on casually. His upper body remained completely bare, exposing the brutal aftermath of the fight — silver burns still smoking faintly, deep claw marks, and cuts running across his chest and shoulders. His body looked like it had been dragged through hell.
Jonathan Lannister stood a short distance away, silently observing the carnage. He glanced at Luke one final time, his expression unreadable, then turned and walked away from the Hale Estate without saying a single word.
Luke finally approached Iris.
She was still standing behind the broken marble wall, eyes wide, breathing shallow.
"I'm sorry, Miss Iris," Luke said, his voice calm despite the blood still running down his torso. "Something suddenly came up."
He glanced toward the staircase leading back into the mansion. "You should head back to your room. You need rest."
Iris stared at him in disbelief. "I need rest?" She pointed directly at his body. "Can you even see yourself right now? You're really injured!"
Luke looked down at himself for a moment. The silver burns across his skin were still smoking slightly. Several deep gashes covered his chest and arms. Then he shrugged casually.
"Oh, Miss Iris, please don't worry." A faint grin appeared on his face. "It'll heal in no time."
His expression shifted slightly, becoming more serious.
"You should get some sleep though."
A pause.
"Because you're gonna need it."
Iris frowned. "What? What do you mean by that?"
Luke looked up toward the night sky. The moon above was slowly becoming fuller with each passing night, its silver light growing heavier.
"Don't you know?" His glowing eyes returned to her. "The full moon is coming near."
A small pause.
"It's gonna be your first real transformation under the moon."
Silence.
Iris completely froze.
Luke watched her quietly for a moment, then spoke once more, softer this time.
"Please get some rest."
With that, he turned around and walked out through the front gates of the Hale Estate, his bare back covered in blood and claw marks, disappearing into the darkness like a predator returning to the wild.
Iris remained standing among the ruins, heart pounding, staring at the space where he had been.
The weight of his words settled over her like a coming storm.
Her first real transformation under the full moon was approaching.
And after what she had just witnessed tonight, she wasn't sure she was ready for what her wolf truly was.