"This marks the end of whatever era these guys had," Ethan said, looking down at Viktor and Marcus.
Lucian stood still for a moment, staring at Viktor's corpse. The fire that had driven him for centuries had finally found its target.
Revenge had been the only thing holding him together. Now that it was done, something else had to take its place.
"Then I will go," Lucian said quietly.
He had what he came for. But beyond this chamber, reality waited. Dozens—hundreds—of Lycans who had been raised on hatred, who had buried brothers and mates in this endless war. They would not accept peace simply because he declared it.
"Bye bye. I expect a good answer," Ethan said with a faint smile, hands in his coat pockets. "But if they choose to continue this little war, you should know something—I'll be standing on the vampire side."
There was no threat in his tone, just simple fact.
Lucian held his gaze for a moment, then gave a single nod. He understood exactly what that meant. If the Lycans refused peace, they wouldn't just be facing the Coven anymore. They would be facing Ethan.
"I'll handle my pack," Lucian said. He turned and walked away without another word. Revenge had been his fire for centuries. Now he had to build something without it.
Silence settled after he left.
Ethan glanced at Selene. "So. What will you do now?"
Selene didn't answer immediately. Her eyes lingered on Viktor's remains, then shifted away. For centuries she had lived with a purpose—hunt Lycans, serve the Coven, avenge her family. That purpose had shaped everything.
"What else?" she said at last, voice steady but quieter than usual. "Live."
There was no triumph in it.
"At least before," she continued, "there was a goal. Revenge. Now… there's nothing."
Ethan studied her for a second, the usual teasing edge in his expression softening just slightly.
"Then come with me," he said simply.
Selene looked at him fully this time.
His intentions weren't subtle. They were practically written across his face. He was curious about her. Interested. Probably more than that.
She should have refused on principle alone.
But he had told her the truth when no one else would. He had saved her life.
She exhaled slowly.
"I can already tell you're trouble," she said, a faint edge returning to her tone.
Ethan's smile widened just a little.
Selene shook her head once, as if resigning herself to something inevitable.
"Fine," she said. "Okay."
***
The aftermath wasn't clean.
When the peace discussion began, it quickly turned into shouting. Vampires and Lycans stood on opposite sides of the hall, trading insults without restraint.
Old grudges resurfaced instantly—centuries of bloodshed reduced to sneers and open contempt. Neither side trusted the other, and neither was willing to pretend.
Ethan watched it all with a flat expression.
For a brief second, he actually questioned whether he had done the right thing. Maybe extinction would have been simpler.
Maybe two races that clung this tightly to pride and hatred deserved whatever future was coming for them. While they argued about ancient wounds, humans were advancing—faster weapons, better surveillance, stronger technology.
And when that day came, neither fangs nor claws would matter much.
"Silence."
Ethan's voice wasn't loud, but it carried.
Every mouth shut instantly. Not out of respect—out of instinct.
He let his gaze sweep across both sides before speaking again.
"I have one question," he said calmly. "How many of you enjoy the idea of being strapped to a metal table while humans cut you open, trying to figure out what makes you tick?"
No one answered.
"Because that's where this ends if you keep acting like this," he continued, his voice steady but firm. "You think you're apex predators. To humans, you're biological anomalies waiting to be studied."
He turned toward the Lycans first.
"You're vulnerable to silver. What happens the day they weaponize it properly? Not bullets—gas. Aerosolized silver particles released into enclosed areas. One deployment and entire packs drop before they even understand what's happening."
His gaze shifted to the vampires.
"And you. You survive centuries, hiding in stone walls and underground chambers. One daylight missile strike once your coven's location is exposed, and you burn before you can even reach the exits."
He let the silence stretch.
"Humans are the majority on this planet. Billions. They build satellites. Drones. Surveillance systems. Weapons that strike from miles away without warning. You number in the thousands."
His eyes moved between both sides.
"So ask yourselves what happens when that day comes—when all of humanity stands on one side, and you stand on the other."
He didn't raise his voice.
"The outcome isn't complicated."
His expression didn't change.
"You won't die gloriously in battle. You'll end up restrained in facilities, dissected, studied, replicated. Reduced to research."
He stepped back slightly.
"If you truly want war, then at least have the courage to declare yourselves publicly and get it over with. Save humanity the trouble of discovering you on their own."
The room remained silent.
This time, no one argued.
"You're all acting like children fighting over the same broken toy," Ethan said, looking from one side to the other without favor.
"Except children can at least be distracted with candy and forget why they were angry in the first place."
*****
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