CHAPTER 286: LEARNING THE TRUTH (PART 1)

Wolf didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, he turned his head away from Max, his gaze falling to the side. It wasn’t the type of reaction Max had expected. Still, it wasn’t exactly telling either. If anything, it made Max think that maybe Wolf was just embarrassed, ashamed, even, about the condition he was in.

After all, a person like Wolf, the leader of the Pit, a man who had built his name and reputation through blood and fists, ending up in such a beaten and bruised state... it had to mean he’d run into someone seriously strong. Someone who could even push him to his limit.

"You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to," Max said, his voice calm as he leaned back and settled deeper into his hospital bed. "But you did a lot to help me out, and you took on more damage than you ever should have. If it was because of me... then I owe you. I should compensate you fairly."

"It’s not that..." Wolf replied quietly, his voice tense as he clenched his hand into a fist.

Then, slowly, his eyes rose, not toward Max, but toward Aron. Something about the look he gave him felt loaded. Max noticed it too. The way Wolf hesitated, the way he seemed uncertain, it wasn’t like him at all. Max had known Wolf long enough to understand that this wasn’t just physical pain talking.

No. This was something else.

And in that moment, it all clicked for Max. Based on the way Wolf was acting, and more importantly, the way he kept avoiding the truth... it was obvious now. Aron hadn’t told him. Not everything. Even after everything Max had been through, Aron had chosen to keep something hidden.

And that’s when he saw it. Aron gave Wolf a slight nod. It was small, but clear, a silent signal. Permission.

Wolf took a breath and finally turned back toward Max.

"Max..." Wolf started, his voice rough around the edges. "There’s something I wanted to tell you. I’ve been holding it in, but it needs to come from me. I needed to say it face to face."

Max narrowed his eyes, listening intently as the tension in the room seemed to wrap around them like a tightening rope.

"It’s about these wounds," Wolf continued. "How I got them. I really tried, Max. I gave it everything I had. I fought like hell."

There was a tremble in his voice now, not from fear, but from frustration. Regret. His teeth were clenched so tight that the muscle along his jawline was bulging. The pain in his eyes ran deeper than just a physical injury. Something about him looked broken.

"The Rejected Corps," he finally blurted out, spitting the name like it left a bitter taste in his mouth.

Max’s thoughts raced.

I should’ve figured.

The Rejected Corps... they’d been a thorn in his side for a long time. Ever since everything had started falling apart. With Dud still alive and out there, it made sense that they’d be active again. But to think they had actually gone after Wolf?

It had to be Na, Max thought. He’s the only one who could’ve done something like this to him. But the fact that Wolf is still here, still breathing, means something. It means he survived him.

"They kept reaching out," Wolf explained, his voice low but steady. "The Rejected Corps. They couldn’t get in touch with you, so they kept trying to contact me instead. Said they needed to talk to you. It felt like déjà vu, the same thing as last time, like history repeating itself."

Max remained quiet, letting him speak.

"They said they wanted to resolve things with the Chalkline boys," Wolf continued, his words coming out a little faster now. "They wanted to make sure you were involved, to ensure you were part of it. And more importantly... that this time, you would actually pick up when they called."

Max felt the pressure behind his eyes building. This wasn’t just about some old score. This was a message.

"But you were in the hospital," Wolf said. "That’s why they contacted me. I was planning to ignore them... like I did every other time. But..."

Wolf’s voice dropped to a whisper.

"There was just one issue."

Before Wolf could get another word out, it was Aron who stepped forward.

Without hesitation, he lowered his head in a deep bow, ninety degrees, right beside Max’s bed. His shoulders were stiff, his eyes hidden by the fringe of his hair, but there was no mistaking the shame in his voice.

"I’m sorry, Max," Aron said, his voice trembling. "Everything that happened... it was my misstep. All of it. It’s my fault."

Max’s eyes narrowed, and his body instinctively tensed. There was something about the way Aron said those words, like he was trying to prepare him for something worse. Much worse.

"Alright," Max said slowly. "Can you guys just... say what happened? You’re starting to seriously worry me here."

Aron exhaled, the weight of what he was about to say dragging each word out of him.

"It’s to do with Abby."

At that name, Max’s entire world seemed to pause. His breath caught in his throat.

"The guards stationed outside her house... they were attacked," Aron said, not shying away anymore. "Overpowered."

Max sat up straighter, his pulse racing. But Aron kept going.

"We quickly figured out who was behind it. The call Wolf received, it wasn’t just a message. It was a threat. They told him they had Abby. They planned to use her to lure you out."

Aron clenched his fists. "Because I knew they were targeting you... and maybe even the Black Hounds... I didn’t want to leave your side. I couldn’t risk it."

"So I sent in Wolf."

"I accepted the job," Wolf said without hesitation. "I thought I could handle it. I was going to assess the situation, keep an eye on things, and hopefully calm Chrono down before anything escalated."

He paused, his voice growing colder.

"But when I got there... the situation was already out of control. The entire Rejected Corps was there, and there was this... wild energy surrounding them. Like they’d completely lost it. They weren’t just angry, they were furious. Unhinged."

Max’s fists clenched so tightly that his nails bit into his palms. His heart was thundering, pounding so loudly that it drowned out every other sound in the room.

This isn’t right. This can’t be happening.

How did they even get to Abby?

Why would the Rejected Corps target her of all people?

Chad knew about the old Max’s weakness, Abby, but how had the rest of them found out?

His mind was spiraling, too many questions and not enough answers. He had taken precautions. He thought the guards would be enough. He thought by pushing her away, he was protecting her.

So how? Where had he slipped up?

And now, looking at Wolf, his bruised face, his bandaged body, the weight in his voice, Max knew the cost had been heavy.

"You got hurt because of all of this," Max said, his voice quieter now, weighed down with guilt. "This is more than you signed up for, Wolf. I never meant for any of this. I’m sorry."

"No, Max... don’t," Wolf said firmly.

But Max was already moving. He shoved off the hospital bedsheet in one fluid motion and began searching for his shoes. The sharp scratch of the metal bed frame echoed across the room as he practically jumped out of it.

"What are you doing?" Aron asked, startled.

"What do you think I’m doing?" Max snapped. "If they still have Abby, then we’re not sitting here wasting time."

His voice was rising, his urgency unmistakable.

"I can see it in your faces, you haven’t gotten her back yet. That means she’s still with them. Which means we still have a chance to fix this. I don’t care what Chrono wants. I’ll talk to him if I have to. And if talking doesn’t work, we’ll pay him off. Use money, threats, whatever it takes."

"She’s just a student!" Max continued, grabbing his coat. "She shouldn’t be in this mess. Not because of me. I can’t let her get hurt, "

"Max!" Aron’s voice rang out, cutting through the chaos like a gunshot.

It wasn’t just a call. It was a yell. One full of pain.

Max froze.

And then Aron said the words Max had been dreading more than anything in the world.

"We can’t do any of that... because Abby is dead."