Chapter 137: Where Did Dave Go?!

"I’m sending her to the dungeon," Bryce murmured to Vincent.

"Why are you telling me what you’ve decided to do with her? You haven’t informed me about anyone else before passing judgment. Just because it’s Leah, you don’t think I’ll disagree with your decision, do you?"

Vincent asked, looking disappointed that Bryce seemed to think Leah was somehow different from everyone else- to Vincent, as though Vincent might consider her an exception.

"I don’t know everything she’s done beyond the few things I’m aware of, but I’m certain there’s more, and whatever it is, it must be serious enough to warrant your decision."

"She killed her true mate," Bryce interrupted before Vincent could finish.

"What?" Vincent stared at him in disbelief. "I’ve been wondering all this time why she never mentioned him and why I never saw him."

"And she’s still planning to kill more people," Bryce added.

"Okay. We’re wasting time on the wrong person. Send her to the dungeon already."

Vincent had barely finished speaking when Bryce exerted his power over Leah. She turned at once and began walking toward the dungeons, compelled to obey.

Bryce dreaded the thought of who might appear next. Only one person remained in the family, and she was the very person he least wanted to face.

When Lizabeth finally entered the room, Bryce could barely hold himself together. All he could see was himself as a newborn, not even a day old, abandoned in the woods among wild animals because his own mother had deemed him worthless.

He forced himself to approach her judgment without letting his personal feelings dictate the outcome. However, the more he saw of her actions, the more horrified he became.

Lizabeth was among the worst criminals he had encountered.

"You’ve misunderstood everything if you think I abandoned you," she began, but Bryce cut her off immediately.

"We’re not here for a family meeting. Stay quiet and wait for your judgment."

"My baby..."

That was the last thing Bryce could tolerate hearing from her. Without giving her another chance to speak, he sent her straight to the dungeon.

She had no right to call him that. She had not even given him a name before throwing him away to fend for himself among wild animals. Now, after everything she had done, she wanted to address him with an affection she had never shown him when he needed it most.

There were far worse things in her past that Bryce had no desire to examine further, and she showed no remorse for any of them.

In truth, she regretted abandoning him, but only because he had grown into someone powerful within their society. Everything else she said was an act.

_

By the time the judgment concluded, morning had arrived. Most of the Alphas had been sent to the dungeons, while those who remained gathered inside the spiral and sat in rows.

Vincent joined them, leaving Bryce seated alone at the front. Everyone who had not been sent to the dungeons remained in the palace.

With several packs left without Alphas, Bryce selected suitable replacements for those who had been removed.

Some packs received younger men as their new leaders, but Bryce could see that they were reliable. Two packs even ended up with female Alphas.

His powers allowed him to see beyond their outward appearances and recognize those whose intentions were genuine.

Unless they strayed from their responsibilities and began abusing their authority, he had reason to trust them. For now, they were suitable leaders for their respective packs.

He addressed the gathered Alphas, ensuring they understood the new rules and the responsibility of communicating them to their people. He made his expectations clear, along with the consequences they would face if they failed to uphold them.

Once the meeting with the Alphas concluded, he addressed everyone else, explaining what they needed to know before allowing them to return to their respective packs and endure the remaining days of suffering assigned to them before they could receive relief from the goddess’s wrath.

Eventually, the palace emptied, but Bryce’s work was far from over.

Exhaustion weighed on him, but he still needed to confirm that everyone he had sent to the dungeons was where they belonged. Only after verifying that could he seal the dungeons permanently.

Vincent insisted on accompanying him, but Bryce refused. Vincent needed to return to his own pack, restore order, appoint his own officials and elders, and put everything in place so that the pack could function properly even if they were both away for a couple of days.

They needed to return to the human world, as they had promised Dave they would be back that day.

Neither of them said it aloud, but both were eager to leave for a while. They needed time away from everything that had happened, especially Bryce, who had spent the entire night confronting the worst parts of their society and making decisions that would shape its future.

They went their separate ways to complete their remaining duties.

By the time Bryce finished sealing the dungeons in the other packs and finally reached Vincent’s pack, it was already afternoon.

Vincent had finished putting everything in order, having made the necessary arrangements to ensure his pack would remain stable in his absence.

The Wolf World felt unnaturally quiet according to Vincent. It was not an unpleasant silence, however. For once, the realm seemed to possess a sense of peace he had never experienced there before.

_

The two of them returned to the palace and informed Agatha that they intended to visit the human world briefly but would return.

Agatha suggested that they bring Dave with them, provided he was willing to come, so that the three of them could make the Wolf World their permanent home. After all, they now had considerable responsibilities there.

Neither Bryce nor Vincent made any promises, but they gave her suggestion some thought.

"Is the old man leaving alone now?" Bryce asked, referring to his father. The man was not particularly old, being almost the same age as Agatha, but Bryce spoke of him with the indifference of someone who felt little attachment to him.

"I believe so," Agatha replied.

"If he’s willing, you can let him stay here," Bryce said.

"As you wish."

With that settled, Bryce and Vincent clasped hands, and Bryce teleported them back to the same spot in Vincent’s house where they had departed two days earlier.

It was already dark in the human world when Bryce and Vincent arrived at the house. The place was unusually quiet, and not a trace of Dave’s scent could be found anywhere.

His phone lay on the table, but he was nowhere to be seen. Where could he have gone at this hour? More importantly, he knew Bryce and Vincent were returning that very day, so why had he left the house?

They waited for a while, assuming Dave might have gone out to get food or attend to something else and would return shortly. However, as the hours stretched on without any sign of him, their unease gradually grew into genuine anxiety.

Vincent eventually called the company to ask whether Dave was there, only to learn that he had left early that morning in a hurry.

"Stay and get some rest. I’ll try to find him," Vincent said, rising from the couch.

Before leaving, he leaned down to press a brief kiss to Bryce’s lips. His hand rested gently over the small bump on Bryce’s stomach for a moment before he straightened.

"Why should I stay?" Bryce immediately objected.

"You’re exhausted. Come on, stay here. I’ll be back in a few minutes," Vincent urged him.

Bryce did not argue further. He let Vincent leave alone.