After the man left, the study door creaked open again. A woman stepped inside, her silk nightwear clinging to her frame as she moved with slow, deliberate grace. Her eyes lingered on the man in the chair before she crossed the room and slid easily onto his lap.
"How are the plans going?" she asked softly, her lips curving into a teasing smile as she traced a finger along his jaw.
The man — Ajamu — smiled back, his gaze hungry yet calculating. "Great, my dear. In truth… I've already won. And he doesn't even know it."
The woman tilted her head, her voice dropping into a whisper. "Ajamu, don't forget our deal. When this is done—"
"How could I forget?" Ajamu cut in smoothly, his hand tightening around her waist. "When this is done, it will all be yours."
Their lips met in a slow, deliberate kiss, and the rest of the room fell into shadows as their whispers and laughter faded into something more private.
---
Tolu rode home on his bicycle, the cool evening air brushing against his face. He couldn't help but grin, replaying the match in his mind. A draw isn't bad… if we push harder, we might actually win next time.
He slowed, then stopped pedaling. Something was off. The air carried a sharp, metallic scent that made his nose twitch. Instinctively, he turned his head.
There — standing in the middle of the empty road — was the forward from Melody Heights. His eyes glowed the same eerie blue Tolu had seen on the pitch.
Tolu's chest tightened. He glanced around quickly. No houses. No cars. No sound except the whisper of the wind and the silent stretch of forest pressing in on both sides. A trap.
He swung off his bike, letting it fall carelessly to the ground. His body tensed, his senses sharp. The boy said nothing — only smiled, closing the distance step by deliberate step.
The silence between them was deafening, charged with an energy that promised only one thing: a confrontation neither of them could avoid.
The cracking of bones echoed through the still air as the boy's body twisted and stretched. Fur sprouted across his skin, claws extending like daggers, jaws elongating with rows of razor teeth. In moments he stood nearly twice his normal size, a hulking hybrid, glowing eyes locked on Tolu.
"Let's play," he growled, before vanishing in a blur.
Tolu barely registered the movement before claws tore across his face, hot blood stinging his eyes. He stumbled back, gasping, but the wounds sealed almost as quickly as they came, his vision sharpening with a predator's glow.
The forward's grin widened. So, it's true. He's one of us.
Tolu's breath came heavy. He knew he couldn't hold ground in that form. His hybrid control was nonexistent, and standing here meant certain death. He pulled his shirt off, yanked free his belt, and let his jeans fall to the wet earth. His body convulsed violently, bones snapping, fur sprouting as his form shrank and reshaped. Within seconds, a massive wolf stood where the boy had been.
His growl rumbled like thunder.
The hybrid chuckled, circling. "You're big… for a newborn." He bared his jagged teeth in a smile that wasn't friendly at all. "But you know what they say… the bigger they are—" He flexed his claws, eyes flashing brighter. "—the harder they fall."
Then, with a roar, he lunged again.
The hybrid slashed again, claws ripping through bark as Tolu dodged left. The wolf snarled, snapping his jaws at the air. His muscles strained as he lunged back, but the hybrid swatted him aside like a ragdoll. Tolu tumbled into the dirt, the impact shaking the ground beneath him.
"Pathetic," the forward sneered, circling slowly. "Is this what they're calling newborns these days? All bark, no bite." He feinted forward, then stepped back, grinning at how Tolu flinched.
Tolu growled low in his throat, shaking the dirt from his fur. His golden eyes burned brighter, his breathing sharp and ragged. He charged again, but the hybrid sidestepped easily, raking his claws along Tolu's side. Blood sprayed across the leaves.
"Come on," the forward taunted. "Fight me. Or are you just a scared pup?"
But then… something shifted.
Tolu stopped hesitating. His growls deepened into guttural snarls. His movements, though unrefined, grew sharper, wilder, unpredictable. He wasn't fighting with fear anymore—he was fighting with instinct.
The hybrid lunged with claws raised, but Tolu twisted at the last second, snapping at his opponent's leg. His teeth scraped fur and drew blood. The forward hissed, stumbling back.
For the first time, his smirk faltered.
Tolu didn't give him space. He leapt again, feral and untamed, his massive frame barreling into the hybrid's chest. They crashed into a tree, splinters flying. Tolu clawed wildly, snapping his jaws with reckless abandon, forcing the older wolf to actually defend himself.
The hybrid's laughter had stopped. His glowing eyes narrowed as he shoved Tolu off, his claws dripping blood.
"You're not supposed to move like that…" he muttered, his tone less mocking now, more calculating.
Tolu's chest heaved as he crouched low, saliva dripping from his fangs. His golden eyes glared up at the hybrid, wild, unbroken.
The forward licked his bleeding arm and growled. "Looks like playtime's over."
He rushed again, this time serious.
The forward snarled, sick of holding back. His body convulsed, bones shifting violently, and in seconds his frame collapsed into the beast. A wolf — bigger than Tolu by at least half a head, muscles rippling under dark fur, glowing blue eyes burning with hunger.
He wasted no time. The larger wolf lunged, teeth sinking into Tolu's shoulder before he could react. Tolu yelped, twisting and slamming his body against the ground to break free, fur bristling as he snapped back with a vicious bite at the forward's hind leg.
The forest filled with the sounds of claws raking flesh, growls echoing like thunder, the smell of blood heavy in the air.
But size was beginning to tell. Every time Tolu tried to use speed and feral unpredictability, the forward's weight crashed him down. He was getting shoved back, pinned harder each exchange, until he found himself slammed against a tree, bark breaking under the impact.
The forward's massive paw pressed against his chest, claws digging into flesh as his jaws snapped inches from Tolu's neck. Saliva dripped hot across his fur.
Tolu thrashed, but the bigger wolf only pressed harder. His indigo eyes burned with fury and desperation — but it wasn't enough.
The forward growled, low and final.
He opened wide, ready to end it.
Tolu below the boy only saw white light.