Chapter 184 Erased Memories

Chapter 184 Erased Memories
I stormed out of the house feeling like an entire storm was brewing inside me. And even then, all the rage could not hold a candle to the disgust I was feeling. That woman was the most shameless person I had ever met in my life. And that was a very high bar, considering the amount of lunatics I have crossed paths with. 

Most of all, I was pissed that she had blinded herself to the fact that she was being used by that sinister man. Did she really think someone like him was capable of love? 

The man wasn't even present when his daughters were being born! 

I was still a child then, but I could never forget that day. He had left the pack on another one of his conquests, preferring to conquer the next group of unsuspecting victims. He was awfully cold towards everyone, and I found it sad. 

To me, he seemed like this utter emptiness that could not even muster a smile when his three-year-old daughter showed him a crude drawing of the family. I swore to myself that I would never be like him.

That would've happened… but I was fortunate enough to have encountered Rose. Without her, I probably would've sank even further into the abyss, slowly becoming the man I despised greatly.

“Dammit. They just messed up my thoughts.” I clicked my tongue, realizing that I had forgotten the actual reason for meeting up with my father. 

I absolutely did not want to look at that woman ever again, so going back was not an option. Steadying my hands on the steering, I drove along the road that snaked through the buildings, my eyes watching the folks outside.

Some were busy walking their pets, others were walking in groups as they laughed and cheered. I saw children walking home from school, saw adults heading to their loved ones after a hectic day at work. 

This was what I needed to protect at all costs. The peace of the community. 

I forced myself to focus. Instead of returning to the manor, I instead turned a corner and drove all the way to the building we used for our interrogations. It sat not too far from the packhouse, and it was strictly monitored. Those without enough authorization couldn't even come close.

After pulling to stop, I stepped out of the car and locked the door. Harold walked up to me first, his expression betraying fatigue. The poor lads. They deserved a vacation after all this was over. But till then, we could only work our asses off trying to hold the pack together.

“What's the status?” I asked immediately.

We walked into the building and he gave me a prepared response, “We've questioned every guard as you requested.”

“And? Did you find anyone suspicious?” I pressed.

Harold nodded. “There was one guard who claimed to not remember anything.”

My brows furrowed instantly. “What?” I looked at Harold. “What the hell do you mean by that?”

“I was confused at first too, sir. But that's what he keeps saying. That the last thing he remembers is clocking in for duty that morning. Everything that happened from then till when the body was discovered was mysteriously wiped clean from his head.”

How convenient. I scoffed and asked, “Where is he now?”

“In the Red Room, Alpha. Commander Cassian is questioning him as we speak.”

I gave a faint nod and familiarly walked along the dimly lit corridor. We stopped in front of an iron door with a medium-sized panel attached to the wall. After placing my palm on it, the glowing red hue changed to green, and the door slid open with a hiss.

The room beyond had only one source of lighting— a very bright overhead light that shone on a single spot. A figure was seated under the spotlight. Well, more like tightly secured to the iron chair there. He was a relatively young man, and I recognized him to be one of the guards who patrolled the eastern wing of the manor. He seemed terribly exhausted, but relatively unscathed. 

I arrived next to Cassian, who lurked within the shadows with a frown pressed on his face.

“Doesn't seem like he's lying…” Cassian muttered with a tired sigh. “He's one of the kinder guards too. The others attested to it. Damn it, I really don't know what's going on anymore.” He half-turned to look at me. “I mean, memory wiping? Even that is very advanced magic for witches. Would Zara even be able to pull it off? You know, all this is starting to border on extremely vile magic. Something you'd see in the hands of demons. This is unknown territory, Caligo.”

“Hm,” I hummed softly. Then, I grabbed a chair and casually walked over to where the light touched. It was awfully bright, so I only sat on the border. 

“Alpha, is that you?” His lips trembled as he spoke, keeping his eyes shut. “I swear, I know nothing about the murder. I swear on my mother's life. I would never do anything against the pack’s benefit, not to speak of taking an innocent person's life—”

“It's okay.” I stopped him. “I believe you. But even though I do, the facts point to you having something to do with that maid’s death, whether consciously or unconsciously. So you cannot fault us for trying to get to the bottom of it.”

“Y-yes! I understand, Alpha.”

“Good.” I adjusted my posture and folded my arms over my chest. “So what you will do now is narrate everything that you did, as well as what happened to you in the past week, without leaving out even the tiniest detail. Do you understand what I'm asking of you? Can you do that for me?”

“Yes, Alpha. Anything to clear my name.” The young man nodded his head, his body trembling slightly. 

“Alright, begin.”

And so I sat there, listening to an account of the young guard’s day to day life.

And as he spoke, I slowly began to realize something. Something that I had been overlooking for the longest time now. Almost as though my mind had been ignoring what was right in front of me.