Chapter 301: Dug Her Grave IV
All eyes turned in sync to look at the newcomer. The crowd parted like the Red Sea, allowing the man to pass through with no resistance.
Dahlia’s face practically resembled a lump of coal, while Gertrude looked as though she was ready to collapse at any given moment. Even I was a little surprised, my eyes wide, Kyle mirroring my expression.
I leaned into Kyle, whispering, "Why is he here?"
Kyle merely shrugged in reply.
"Yet another outsider trying to point fingers and bend the truth," Dahlia sneered. "Will wonders never cease?"
"And yet, you’ve proven yourself so incompetent that even an outsider can be selected for the role as the pack’s temporary beta, while you’re reduced to nothing but a waste of space living under her brother’s roof, offering no benefit at all to the pack’s development, yet plenty for its downfall," Milo returned, his voice oddly calm as he folded his arms across his chest.
"Beta Milo," Gertrude suddenly said. She dropped to her knees, heavily collapsing against the ground as she crawled over, pulling at the hem of Milo’s pants. "That is untrue, Beta! I am not a spy for another pack, especially not Fangborne. I just―"
"Shut it," Dahlia snapped. She reached down and yanked hard at Gertrude’s collar, easily hoisting her to her feet before tossing her back. "What are you doing begging for his mercy? Who is he to even offer you that?"
"The pack’s beta?" I said pointedly. "Dahlia, don’t forget your place. You’re no longer the daughter of the alpha, and barely even considered Alpha Darach’s sister right now rather than ex-tormentor."
"More like current tormentor," Kyle muttered his breath, something that could easily be heard by the crowd, with their enhanced hearing.
"Don’t worry, Gertrude," Milo said with a snort. "You will find your journey out of Thunderstrike perfectly comfortable with a companion with you."
Without another word said, he tossed a stack of papers into the air, allowing them to dramatically fall to the ground with the wind. Those closer to the center of the hubbub easily caught them from midair, their eyes eagerly pouring over the pages, widening with surprise.
"Here," Milo said, handing me a few of the papers without me having to catch it. "Perhaps you might find this an amusing source of entertainment."
Kyle and I both shared one stack, and we quickly turned our attention to the images printed on the white sheets. Some of the images were in black and white, others were in color, but either way, the entire pile showcased Dahlia creeping along what seemed like the sewers underground.
There was a mysterious figure she met with, and while the images weren’t able to clearly capture who that man was, it was more than obvious that the woman portrayed was none other than Dahlia herself.
"Who is that man?" I asked Milo, frowning. He looked oddly familiar, but the image was much too grainy to tell. Furthermore, the pictures captured in the sewers were in black and white― it was nearly impossible to make out the features without at least having someone in mind.
"We’re still investigating," Milo said. "Perhaps the reason why Dahlia Elrod was able to so efficiently point out the use of scent blockers is because of this."
From his pockets, Milo pulled out a small bottle. It was clear and there were no labels on it, but the moment Milo pried open the lid and the smell wafted out, everyone winced at the piercing scent of peppermint. It was overwhelmingly strong, and it smelled just a tad bit different from the natural scent of the plant.
"Scent blockers," the woman from before said, sneering. "Of fucking course."
"It was found in the sewers," Milo said. "But Dahlia Elrod’s scent lingered quite heavily, despite the putrid odor of the wastewater. Thus, this must be something the person she was meeting with was using."
"Who was she meeting that they would need a scent blocker for?" I asked out loud, genuinely confused. I hadn’t thought this would happen, and that I just needed to rile Dahlia up. Who would’ve thought that she actually dug her own grave?
"Someone who has a recognizable smell, needless to say," Kyle said with a snort. "Perhaps an old enemy of Thunderstrike that everyone is familiar with. Or―"
Kyle suddenly stopped short, his eyes widening as his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down. His face paled dramatically, turning as white as a sheet of paper. Even his fingers, which were holding the images, were trembling. So much force was exerted that the pieces of paper crumpled in his grip.
I looked worriedly at him, frowning. "Kyle?"
"What if it’s not someone―" Kyle said, his voice hoarse, "―but something? What if the scent blocker isn’t to mask the scent of a werewolf, but a different species?"
Instantly, the crowd fell silent. The man in the picture was clearly humanoid. There could only be two possibilities― a human or a vampire. Ordinary humans would never dare to set foot so close to the woods where monsters of their fairytales roamed. The only ones who dared were hunters.
Even Milo hadn’t thought of such a possibility, and it was telling, given how quickly his expression morphed from surprise to grim wariness. He shot a glare at Dahlia, his lips curdling into a sneer.
"Dahlia Elrod," he said, his voice clearly resonating through the practice space we were in. "You are hereby under arrest and investigation for suspected treason."
"Under arrest?!" Dahlia echoed, screeching.
Everything had happened so quickly that she hadn’t even defended herself even once, most likely steeping in surprise that she had been caught despite the safety precautions.
"For treason?! On what grounds?" a supporter of Dahlia’s screamed from somewhere in the crowd.
"You’re ridiculous! That could’ve been a secret lover if anything!"
"If it were a lover, there wouldn’t be a need to meet in such a shady location," Milo replied without even turning back to look at the speakers. "If Dahlia Elrod is found to have been colluding with a hunter — or worse, a vampire — she will be executed immediately. Until then, no one is allowed access to the dungeons."
Milo sharply turned, his gaze landing on Gertrude. Her knees were wobbling so harshly that when Milo landed the final blow of his speech, she collapsed onto the floor immediately.
"As her accomplice, Gertrude will also be detained. Investigations will begin immediately."
