Skybound Group Tower. Darius looked down at the papers in his hands and let out a cold smile. "With this move, the Hawthornes are probably being pushed into a corner." If the strongest business power in eastern Chaules was the Blackwoods' Skybound Group under the Astralis Empire, then the west was ruled by the Hawthorne Group, controlled by the Hawthornes of the Cloudveil Empire. The werewolf economy had long been open and tightly connected, and the two families had been competing behind the scenes for years. Now that Skybound Group was expanding into the western market, it was a direct hit to the Hawthornes' core interests. "Mr. Blackwood, I'm concerned that with Elliott's personality, he might come after you," Carl said carefully, then added, "I've heard the Hawthornes have already sent people."Elliott Hawthorne, the new Alpha of the Whirlwind Pack in the Cloudveil Empire, was also the current head of the Hawthornes. Ruthless and merciless toward his enemies, he was already listed as one of the most dangerous people to offend in Chaules. Darius signed the document, tossed it onto the desk without care, and said coolly, "If he wants to target me, that depends on whether he's capable." Seeing that his Alpha wasn't worried at all, Carl stopped pushing the issue. Darius wasn't wrong. The list of people who wanted him dead could probably stretch from Skybound Tower to the Astralis border. If Elliott was someone most people didn't want to provoke, then the Blackwoods were people no one dared provoke. Anger the former, and you might still get your body back. Anger the latter, and you probably wouldn't even leave bones behind.... Over the last two days, besides her usual training, Thora had made time to review Wolffang's overall status. She also went to the army to report to Hugo. The entrance exam for Blue Star Military Academy was set for the 16th, while her squad would depart on the 14th. The academy only allowed on-site registration. Once registered, check-in and assessments would start right away. Everyone had to show up in person, and the registration window was strict. If they missed it, they'd have to wait another year. When Thora first heard this rule, she found it odd. With so many people registering, wasn't it a hassle? But thinking it over, it was likely part of the test. "What if you don't pass?" Hugo asked. "I've made arrangements," Thora answered calmly. Seeing she already had a plan, he didn't ask more.For him, even getting one out of seven into the academy would be a huge win. Failure was more likely. What he really cared about was where the ones who failed would end up. But he swallowed the question before saying it out loud. He never interfered with Wolffang's affairs, and Thora hated being interfered with. As if she'd read his mind, Thora gave a reminder. "Did you forget about Ashwolf?" Hugo's eyes lit up. Of course he hadn't. Ashwolf was Wolffang's outward alias. When they weren't taking missions for the empire, they operated across Chaules under that name. That solved the problem of the failed candidates. There was nothing left to worry about. Thora changed the subject. "About your application to screen recruits for Wolffang. If you plan to set up another team under Wolffang, their direct superior will still be me." Forming a second team under Wolffang was something she had brought up before. Hugo had only moved the plan forward sooner, so she had no reason to object. He nodded. "In theory, yes." "Then make it clear to them. When I get back, if they don't meet my standards, I'll kick them out," Thora said firmly. Hugo went quiet. Did she really doubt his judgment? Still, he answered, "No problem." After that, Thora left the army. By the time she returned to the villa, it was already late at night. Just as expected, Darius was there again. For the past few days, he had shown up daily and even stayed overnight. Thora ignored it and went straight to her room to pack. Darius followed silently, watching as she worked. Her luggage was simple—a single backpack. Other than two sets of clothes, it was filled with military gear. He recognized every item. He had supplied them himself. With a soft zip, Thora pulled the backpack closed, set it aside, and went straight to bed. As she reached for the light, she suddenly frowned and looked at Darius standing by the wall. "Why are you still here?" She hadn't even noticed he hadn't left. Was it because she'd grown used to him being around? Or had his presence made her lower her guard? "Of course I—"