Episode 45.

Suddenly, Damian fell silent, the surroundings growing eerily quiet as the mysterious figure vanished. Their cries alerted the others, who rushed in with their torches, illuminating the gruesome sight of Damian lying lifeless on the ground.

"Holy shit!" Carlos gasped, fear spreading among them, realizing the danger that now surrounded them.

Everyone grew fearful, frantically shining their torches around, dreading the return of the beast.

"What creature could have caused this?" one of the men inquired, cautiously approaching Damian, who lay motionless on the ground. They prodded him gently to check for signs of life.

However, there was no response after several nudges, indicating that he was already deceased. Carlos knelt down, observing the wound on Damian's neck, which was bleeding profusely.

"Hmm, looks like it drained his blood," Carlos mumbled, while Adam, watching in astonishment, widened his eyes.

"I never thought it could be a regular creature, but this... I've never encountered a werewolf that moves with such speed and has that kind of appearance," Carlos remarked, rising to his feet.

The others continued scanning their surroundings with their torches, ensuring the creature was not approaching.

"We should leave now, we can't stay here any longer," Carlos suggested, preparing to depart, but Adam hesitated.

"No! We can't just abandon him! He's one of us, our friend. We can't leave him behind like this, let's bury him," Adam insisted. Carlos and the rest of the group agreed. Leaving their friend behind and walking away would not be a wise decision.

Adam then took hold of Damian's body, intending to transport him to their camp where they could find something to use to dig a grave.

As they walked, their torches suddenly flickered out once more, revealing the gleaming moonlit eyes watching them from a short distance away.

"There it is!" exclaimed one of them, prompting a barrage of gunfire that reverberated through the forest.

Despite the creature's astonishing speed, they couldn't be certain if any of their shots had hit it. Nevertheless, they continued firing even after the beast had vanished from sight, their bullets seemingly chasing after an elusive shadow.

When the shooting ceased, a heavy silence enveloped the group, each of them straining to catch any sign of movement.

A sudden cry pierced the stillness, not from the creature, but from one of their own, eyes wide with terror as the beast materialized among them.

"Run!" Carlos bellowed, setting off a frenzied retreat as they fired wildly at the approaching creature.

Screams and grunts filled the air as some of them found themselves within reach of the beast, forcing the rest to flee back towards their boat, their only hope of escape.

Realizing they were outmatched, they knew their only option was to retreat home, unable to venture further into the forest.

As everyone hurried towards the boat, Carlos was the first to reach it. He climbed aboard and helped the others get inside. When the last person arrived, he assisted them onto the boat. They immediately started the boat, ready to drive off, but Carlos noticed that Adam was missing.

"Where is Adam? Adam!" Carlos shouted, receiving no response, indicating that Adam was not on the boat.

"Let's go, let's go!" One of the men urged the driver to start the boat.

"No, wait! Adam is not here, we have to wait for him," Carlos insisted, everyone scanning the forest for any sign of Adam, but to no avail.

"Adam, come on!" Carlos called out, even though he couldn't see him or any sign of him.

"Come on, let's go, we've lost him," the driver urged, preparing to move the boat.

"Don't say that! Do not move this boat! I will go look for him!" Carlos declared, attempting to jump off the boat, only to be stopped by one of his men as the beast with the moon eyes stepped out of the forest gazing at them.

"Don't be foolish! He might already be in danger. If you go, you'll risk your life too. It's best to go home now; this plan was doomed from the start!" the man shouted, and they started the boat and drove away.

"No, no! We can't leave him behind!" Carlos screamed in anguish, but the men held him back until they were in the middle of the river. Carlos slumped down in the boat, visibly frustrated, tears streaming down his face.

One of the men sat beside him on the bench, swallowing nervously as he gazed at Carlos.

"I'm sorry about your friend, man. We had no choice. He was a good man. We won't find another like him," he said to Carlos, who remained silent, staring at him.

Carlos was overwhelmed, his eyes fixed on the ground, tears streaming down his face. He was unsure how to face Olivia and explain that Adam was no longer with them. How could he tell his wife that his friend was lost? How could he possibly do it? Should he just forget about Adam and return to their small farm after the loss of a life?

His mind was filled with sorrow as he wiped away his tears. "I blame myself. I should have stopped him from going, instead of joining him. Now he's gone. It could have been me," Carlos said sadly, his heart heavy, while his friend shook his head.

"Even if it were you, it wouldn't change anything. You have someone there who needs you, unlike him. There was nothing you could have done to prevent it," his friend advised, looking at Carlos.

"If I had told him not to go, he might have listened to me, but..." Carlos began, only to be cut off.

"We both know that's not true. We all saw how eager he was. He would have gone even if none of us had joined him. He wanted to prove his bravery," the man said, and Carlos nodded in agreement.

"And he did prove it. He was the bravest person I've ever known," Carlos whispered softly, and the other man nodded in understanding.

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Alpha Dean's pack.

•New Day•

It was a new day, and the time for breakfast had already begun. Dean and Elena sat at the dining table, joined by Max and Athena. Elisa stood by Elena's side, watching them.

"The baby must be hungry now, he needs to be fed!," Elena said, glancing at Dean who held the baby in his arms.

Dean looked at Elena, then at the baby. "I can't wait for him to start eating solid foods so I can feed him myself," he murmured, showing no intention of giving the baby back to Elena just yet.

"He's only three days old; talking about solid food already? The baby should be with his mother more often, not in your arms. It's making him uncomfortable," Athena interjected. Dean shot her a look that clearly indicated she should mind her own business. Elena was grateful for the support.

"My Alpha, Athena is right. The baby needs to be fed," Max chimed in. Dean nodded in agreement and passed the baby back to Elena, who began breastfeeding him.

"Elena, your return is cause for celebration a million times over. While you were with Mula, I hope he didn't try anything inappropriate. Did he ever try to touch you or lure you into his bed?" Dean inquired. Elena shook her head.

"No, he was very kind," she replied. Dean's eyes widened slightly, and he nodded in approval.

"Good," he said, taking a sip of water before turning to Max.

"After dinner, you and Athena will visit the new company to check on how things are going there, then report back to me at home," Dean requested. Max nodded in agreement.

"Okay, Alpha, but aren't you coming with us? I thought we were supposed to go together," Max said, taking a bite of his food.

"Well, originally we were, but not anymore. As you can see, I need to spend more time at home with my child," Dean replied. Max nodded understandingly.