Chapter 44: Chapter 44

LUCIUS.

I left angrily because my only suspect kept getting me confused.

I saw Dusk and Athena waiting patiently.

"He's not alone. They're two." I said, and Dusk repeated it.

"Two?"

"Lucius! Wait. You need to calm down." Ethan said, he was trying to stop me.

I turned to look at him.

"You told me I needed to rest, and I did. What more do you want? He deserves to be executed." I said in anger, and he held my arm gently.

"You need to be patient. Let me question him again. You need to give him a chance to answer, not attack him with endless accusations." He said and gave my arm a little tug. I was still mad, but I followed anyway, and this time, Dusk and Athena followed us.

I sat across from Gareth once more as tears spilled out of his eyes shamelessly.

"Gareth, where were you when the first man was killed?" Ethan asked calmly.

"I was in bed. I went to bed quite early because I finished my shift earlier and was so tired." He said, and Ethan nodded and pulled out another chair and sat next to me.

"What happened after that?" He asked, and Gareth bit his lips.

"I woke up in the morning feeling tired, and I scratched my cheek only to feel it sticky. I looked at my hands and discovered they were bloody. I was in a state of panic because I couldn't understand it." He said and sniffed.

"Go on," Ethan said, and he looked at his hands.

"I got scared when I heard the first screams and wiped off my hands, but not all the blood was coming off, so I washed it in the sink. Till now, I have no idea how the blood got to my hands." He pleaded with tears in his eyes.

"You know what? I still can't believe your cooked-up story." I said, and a gentle hand landed softly on my shoulder.

"Let me question him. Just give me a minute." Athena said, and Ethan gave her his chair. She put her hand on his and looked at him.

"Look at me." She said, and he looked up at her with fear in his eyes.

"You're going to be safe. Did you kill that man?" She asked gently, and he shook his head.

"I did not." He said, and Athena looked at me.

"He's terrified, but all I smell is fear, not guilt." She said, and we stared at each other.

"You should trust me, Alpha. I've spent a long time on the road and alone, trying to fend for myself. I know the difference between these little things." She said, but I was still reluctant to accept it.

"So what are you trying to say?" I asked her.

"Free him. The killer is someone else." She said, and for the first time, I thought of it in another direction.

"Then how do you explain the blood?" I asked.

"The killer could have chosen him so he'd be framed instead. He could have rubbed his hands with blood." She said, and it made a lot of sense.

I gave a heavy sigh.

"Release him, but he's to stay in his room till this case dies down." I said, and Gareth began to thank me profusely.

When we left the dungeon, I went to get my bow and arrows, preparing to go to the forest, and Athena offered to follow me.

We went into the forest and chased a deer that probed too stubbornly, dodging my arrows. I guessed it was only lucky because I wasn't in the right state of mind.

At last, I caught it with two arrows to its belly. I and Athena went to it, and as I sat in front of it, it struck me that I was a lot like the deer.

"It turns out I'm a lot like this deer." I said, and Athena looked at me.

"Why?" She asked, and I looked at the blood pouring out of its belly.

"It's injured badly, and so am I. I'm injured, but it's all on the inside. Right now, the deer is stuck and doesn't know what to do, and it's the same for me. I feel like I'm stuck, and right now, I don't know what to do." I was still staring at the deer and was a little taken aback when Athena hugged me.

"Soon, it'll all be better." She patted me like I was a child.

~

DUSK.

When it was noon, I decided I needed to let out some steam, so I went to my favourite spot in the garden and started to draw like I always did, and this time, I drew something really beautiful with a deep meaning.

"Hey Dusk, come." Seline said, and I looked at her. I stood up and went to her.

"Is anything wrong?" I asked her, and she took my hand.

"I heard about what happened earlier this morning. You must have been so terrified, but here's what I found out." She said and led me to the physicians quarters, where the bodies had been kept.

"What did you find out?" I asked, and she pointed to the men.

"Look at the expressions on their faces. Tell me what you see." She said, and I looked at them.

"They're terrified." I said, and Seline looked at me.

"Are they really terrified?" She asked, and I looked at them once more. And I saw them in a new light.

"They look shocked. Shocked and surprised." I said, and she nodded.

"It means it's someone we know well. Someone we least expect to do this.” She said, and it truly matched the expressions on their faces.

~

Later in the night, I kept thinking about Seline's words. Who could it be?

It was then that I remembered my painting in the garden.

I immediately wore my slippers because I couldn't risk any damage to that painting. It was something different from the paintings I used to paint, so it was special.

I went to the garden quickly and picked up the painting, but I stopped because I heard something.

I heard careful footsteps from behind, and they seemed to be approaching me.