The attackers, thinking they had succeeded, began to retreat one by one. "Darius!" Thora called out, but he didn't respond. Panicked, she went straight for the wound, tearing at his clothes to check the injury, only to have a large hand catch hers and stop her. She looked up and met a pair of amused, fox-like eyes. "Thora, it's broad daylight, and there are people everywhere. Can't wait to rip my clothes off? Bit shameless, don't you think?" Thora froze. "You're not hurt?" Darius stood up smoothly, then ripped open his jacket to reveal a bulletproof vest underneath. The round hadn't pierced his body, but it had slammed into him hard enough to leave a shallow gash beneath the armor.Worse, the bullet had been a custom silver round specifically designed to injure werewolves. The wound wasn't healing, and blood kept seeping from it. "Looks like this vest still needs work ... That kind of impact shouldn't have made it through like this," Darius said, inspecting the wound thoughtfully, as if taking notes for a product review. Thora said nothing. Was he seriously evaluating gear performance at a time like this? What was wrong with this man? And what the hell was wrong with her for caring about his injury? For once, the normally stone-faced Thora couldn't help but roll her eyes. Right then, a loud roar of engines filled the air. Dozens of black cars pulled up in perfect formation. Doors opened, and scores of men in black tactical gear stepped out, each holding a submachine gun. They moved quickly, forming a tight perimeter around the area.Each one wore the Nightclaw Pack insignia embroidered on their coat hems. They were Phantom, Darius's elite unit. Their commander stepped forward and bowed his head respectfully. "Apologies, Alpha. We arrived late." Darius gave a small smile. "Since you know you're late, take your punishment when we get back." "Yes, Alpha!" the man responded without a hint of complaint. Thora, meanwhile, glanced toward the direction where the sniper had fired. Her thoughts sharpened. That was some serious stealth. If the bullet hadn't been fired, she never would've noticed someone was even hiding there. ... Later, seated in one of the newly dispatched vehicles, Thora's eyes fell on the blood still seeping steadily from Darius's chest wound. Her brow creased."Who were they?" Darius casually adjusted the bloodstained collar of his shirt, answering with a smug tone, "Thora, you know how it is, when you're exceptional, people get jealous. Between Nightclaw Pack's influence and Skybound Group's global reach, it's no surprise we've made some enemies. Attacks like this? Eh, happens 15 to 20 times a year." He even sounded proud of it, like not getting ambushed would be an insult to his reputation. Thora's frown deepened. "The ones who came after me today were probably hired guns, but—" He paused, and his expression turned serious. "These weren't ordinary mercs. They're from a thieves' syndicate." "A thieves' syndicate?" The name Greywolf flashed through Thora's mind for a split second, but she quickly dismissed it.These guys had a completely different style. Nothing like Greywolf. Darius noticed the flicker of interest in her eyes and didn't drag it out. He explained, voice steady. "This group is one of the most notorious plagues in all of Chaules. They're not like mercenaries, who follow contracts and stick to business. These guys are pure chaos, actual thieves. No code, no structure. They destroy whatever they want, whenever they feel like it. Looting, burning, killing ... for them, it's just another Tuesday." Thora's expression darkened slightly. "I see." "They do occasionally take jobs, but whether or not they finish the job? Totally depends on their mood. If they're in a bad one ... " Darius added, and he gave a dry chuckle. "They might just kill the client who hired them." Then he looked at her, more serious than before. "If you ever cross paths with them, don't hold back. And be careful. Very careful."