Chapter 141: The Howl From The Past

Cyrus felt Kane’s weight settle more heavily against him, the fox spirit’s breathing deepening as exhaustion finally claimed him.

The empty teacup slipped from Kane’s relaxed fingers, and Cyrus caught it before it could shatter against the balcony floor.

"Kane," he murmured, but received only a soft sigh in response.

Carefully, Cyrus shifted his grip, sliding one arm beneath Kane’s knees while supporting his back with the other.

Kane’s head rested against Cyrus’s shoulder, silver hair still damp from the shower catching the early morning light.

The walk to the bedroom felt longer than usual, each step measured to avoid jarring Kane awake.

Cyrus pulled back the covers with one hand, settling Kane onto the mattress. Kane mumbled something unintelligible, fox ears twitching briefly before he curled onto his side.

Cyrus drew the comforter up to Kane’s chin, his fingers lingering at the edge of the fabric. Dark circles shadowed Kane’s eyes, evidence of their sleepless night and the toll of battle.

He should rest too. His dragon metabolism had accelerated healing, but exhaustion still weighed heavy in his bones.

Instead, Cyrus remained standing beside the bed, watching the steady rise and fall of Kane’s chest.

Dawn light filtered through the curtains, painting everything in muted gold, but dread coiled in his stomach.

Someone had sent that artificial dragon specifically to provoke him. To test his abilities. To send a message.

And Kane had been right there in the crossfire.

Cyrus’s mind raced through the evening’s events, connections forming like constellations in his thoughts.

Bob’s convenient arrival in Feilun. The water dragon’s artificial construction. The thorned sigil Takeo had shown them was Elias’s faction marker.

His jaw tightened as the pieces clicked into place.

Elias had orchestrated everything.

The young Holloway was no innocent heir caught between family loyalty and conscience—he was a carefully placed pawn, feeding them information designed to lead them exactly where Elias wanted.

The fake dragon incident was not an act of random violence. It was a demonstration, a test of Cyrus’s capabilities for whoever was pulling the strings.

And Kane had been bait.

Cyrus’s hands clenched at his sides, crimson energy flickering beneath his skin.

The wolf spirit had always been cunning, but this level of manipulation went beyond their previous conflicts.

Cyrus’s memory pulled him back to that final confrontation in his office years ago.

Elias had stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows, silhouetted against the city skyline, his resignation letter crisp on Cyrus’s desk.

"You really thought I stayed here out of loyalty?" Elias had turned, amber eyes gleaming with predatory satisfaction.

"Every connection you made, every deal you struck—I was there, learning your methods, mapping your networks."

Cyrus had remained seated, fingers steepled, but his aura had begun to darken the room.

"You used me."

"I used Veyr Corp as my education." Elias’s smile had been razor-sharp.

"And what an education it was. You taught me how the supernatural world really operates, Cyrus. The old ways are dying; spirits need leadership that isn’t afraid to evolve."

"And you believe you’re that leader?"

"I know I am." Elias had straightened his cufflinks. "Thank you for the foundation. Now I’ll build something better on top of it."

The memory dissolved as Kane shifted in his sleep, bringing Cyrus back to the present.

Cyrus’s fingers found Kane’s fox ears, stroking the soft silver fur gently.

Kane’s breathing remained steady, deep in exhausted sleep, but his ears twitched slightly at the familiar touch.

The tender gesture pulled Cyrus deeper into memory, past the recent revelations about their ancient bond, to a different time entirely.

Elias hadn’t always been the calculating wolf who’d orchestrated last night’s attack.

Cyrus remembered the first time they’d met—a scrawny wolf pup standing in the rain outside Veyr Corp’s headquarters, soaked to the bone and trembling with more than cold.

The boy looked barely sixteen, amber eyes blazing with fury and grief in a face too young to carry such weight.

Rogue spirits seeking territory had slaughtered his clan, leaving him the sole survivor of a proud bloodline.

"I need work," the pup had demanded, chin raised despite the water dripping from his dark hair.

"I’ll do anything. Clean floors, file papers, whatever you need."

Cyrus had recognized the hunger for vengeance beneath the desperate words—the same consuming need that had once driven him to seal his own power and disappear into human society.

But more than that, something about the young wolf’s stubborn defiance had stirred an unexpected protectiveness in him.

The way Elias had stood there, small and fierce and utterly alone, reminded Cyrus of another silver-furred creature he’d once found bleeding in a forest centuries ago.

Kane shifted in his sleep, a soft sound escaping his lips, and Cyrus’s stroking paused.

The parallels between past and present sent a chill through him.

He’d taken Elias in out of pity, given him purpose and training, watched him grow from a broken pup into a formidable predator.

And Elias had repaid that kindness by learning every weakness, every secret, and every pressure point that could be exploited.

Elias had become something far more dangerous than Cyrus ever imagined.

It was time to end this.

Cyrus leaned down, pressing a gentle kiss to Kane’s forehead. The fox spirit’s breathing remained deep and even, exhaustion keeping him safely unconscious.

"I’ll get the Mercy Fragment for Rina," he whispered against Kane’s temple. "And I’ll put a stop to Elias’s operations. I promise."

Kane’s fox ears twitched at the sound of his voice, but he didn’t wake.

Cyrus straightened, pulling the comforter higher around Kane’s shoulders before turning toward the bedroom door.

His footsteps were silent on the polished hardwood as he made his way to the penthouse entrance. His hand paused on the door handle as a thought struck him.

Last night’s attack proved Elias knew exactly where to find them.

If the wolf was bold enough to send artificial dragons, he wouldn’t hesitate to strike directly at the penthouse while Cyrus was gone.

Crimson energy flowed from Cyrus’s fingertips, spreading along the walls like veins of liquid fire.

The ward settled into the building’s bones, a barrier that would keep Kane safely inside while preventing any unwanted visitors from entering.

Not just containment this time, but protection.

Cyrus stepped into the hallway, the penthouse sealing behind him with a soft hum of magic.

The hunt was about to begin.