Chapter 175 Aftermath

Max's POV I strolled towards Craig's body, my paws crunching on fallen leaves, the sound unnaturally loud in the sudden, eerie quiet. Leo stood over him, breathing heavily, a trickle of blood drying on his chin. He met my gaze, a silent acknowledgement of a job well done. I nudged Craig's lifeless form with my snout. His fur was matted with blood, his eyes staring blankly at the moon, unseeing. A brave wolf, wasted on a lost cause. Kieran should have known better than to leave his pack so exposed. Had he been a stronger Alpha, perhaps Craig would still be breathing. But Kieran was weak, a sentimentality that had always disgusted me, and now, his pack paid the price for it. "Cease," I commanded, my voice cold and hard, cutting through the remaining skirmishes like a sharpened blade. The Sterling wolves, still vibrating with adrenaline, instantly obeyed, though their eyes still gleamed with hunger, their muscles twitching with unspent energy. They pulled back, leaving a dozen whimpering,