CHAPTER 133

CHAPTER 133


Autumn’s POV

I woke up slowly. Sunlight came through my curtains. For a second I forgot where I was. Then I remembered. I slept in the showroom last night. Dante showed me the stars on the ceiling. I smiled a little. I did not have any nightmares. That feels strange and good.

I touch my lips. They still feel like someone kissed them. I thought of Dante. Did he do something else for me? Did he stand guard? Did he carry me back? My chest tightened with a feeling I didn't like. I didn't want to like it, but I cannot stop the small warmth inside me.

I didn't want to be ungrateful. They are trying everything to win me over. I still don't trust them. I wouldn't trust them easily. But I will thank Dante. A small thank you will not hurt. It won't make me weak either. 

I got dressed and walked down the hall. The house is quiet. I passed the study and saw papers on the table. I reached Dante’s door and knocked softly. There was no answer. The door was open a little. I pushed it gently and stepped inside.

My hand touched the handle of the door and then I heard noises. A muffled shout, a thud, and sound like someone falling. My heart jumped into my throat.

I ran into the room and saw movement. A man in a guard uniform stood near the bed. He looked wrong. His eyes were hard and empty. He held a knife. Dante was on the floor, coughing and trying to push the man away.

“Stop!” I shouted without thinking. My legs moved fast. I picked up the heavy lamp on the bedside table and swung it. The lamp hit the attacker from behind. He stumbled and the knife fell from his hand. 

Dante used the chance. He kicked at the man and pinned him down. I knelt beside him, breathing fast. My hands shook.

“Are you okay?” I asked. My voice was loud and small all at once.

He looked at me and his eyes were wild. “I woke up... and he was here. He came through the window like a shadow. He said he was a guard. He tried to kill me.” His voice was rough.

I looked at the man on the floor. His uniform was cheap. The badge was not right. He wasn't a real guard. My skin crawled.

“Who sent him?” I asked again.

Dante pressed his palm to his side where the attacked pushed him. He breathed hard. “I don’t know. He moved too fast. He was good. The bastard threw a hypnotic powder at me which made me weaker a day at him did a moment.” 

He stared at the man as if a memory tried to come. Then his face hardened. “Agatha will pay for this.”

My mouth opened. I felt the anger rise up like a flame. I wanted to say it too. I wanted to run and find Agatha and make her hurt for every bad thing. But I stopped. I thought of the ring and the papers. I thought of dad's box. I didn't want to be involved with Agatha at a critical time like this. 

But I thought of the man in the dark who kept helping Agatha commit her crimes. If I should run now, we would make mistakes. We would give them the chance to cover their tracks. We must be quiet.

“Wait,” I said, and my voice was steadier than I felt. “We cannot rush. If we run at her now, she will hide. We need to trap whoever sent him. We need to be smart.”

Dante’s jaw tightened. He looked like he wanted to stand. His hands shook with anger. “She did this. I will burn her if I can.”

“You cannot burn the pack down on a hunch,” I said. “If we do that, Agatha will vanish. The real person behind this will pull the thread and we will be empty handed. We will lose proof. We will lose the chance to know the truth.” I pressed my palm to his chest lightly. He breathe, meeting my eyes.

I could see that the hypnotic powder was affecting him a lot. If was affecting his mood and making him angry. If he went after Agatha now, the mastermind would gain the upper hand in planning well. 

He stared at me for a long time. The anger fought with the calm in his face. At last he nodded slowly. “What do you want us to do?”

I looked at the fallen man. His uniform smelled like river smoke. The knife was small and sharp. He had a mark on his wrist which was a faded tattoo. I frowned. I have seen that mark before in the servants’ hall. A middle-aged man used to sit by the garage with a scar like that. He was always quiet and the servants called him a helper. The mark could be a link.

“We should keep him alive,” I advised. “We shouldn't shout and we shouldn't call for guards. We should lock the door and take this man somewhere no one can find him. Then, we can ask him questions quietly. We would see who he answers for and we can follow his trail slowly.”

Dante’s shoulders dropped a little. He helped me move the attacker to a chair. He stitched a small cut on his forehead with trembling hands, I guess the powder was still working. His hands were gentle for a moment and I saw why I once trusted him in the past life.

If what I'm thinking is right, then we might be uncovering a very big controversy. What if the man and this imposter are the same kind of people sent to spy on this pack? Could it be that the pack was infiltrated by the enemy in the past and that was the reason why the Alphas died? So... Agatha basically betrayed them but they didn't know that till they died. 

We tied the man’s hands with a strip from a sheet. He didn't cry or beg. He only stared at us with empty eyes. He tried to smile but it was more like a twitch. I could see he was scared but trying to act tough in front of us. I know people like him. They're always using loyalty as a way to die quickly. 

“My leader told me to end you,” he whispered, suddenly. His voice is small. “He told me to make sure he never woke up.”

I knew he was going to cover for her. I expected this anyway. It wouldn't be easy to get evidence on her, she would escape like she has always done. I looked at Dante and gave him a signal. 

“Your boss is Agatha, isn't it?”

He didn't answer us but his eyes twitched and he directly avoided our gaze. This method was good for catching liars like him. You only need to mention a name to see their reaction. Agatha thought killing me wasn't enough and now she's going after her beloved alphas because they turned their backs on her just once? 

“You see?” Dante growled. He reaches for the man and shakes him. “Who is she working with? Who gave you the uniform? Who are you working for?”

The man does not answer. He blinks and then laughs, a soft sound with no humor. “You think stopping me will stop them? They are more than Agatha. You are blind if you think one woman can do all this.” He looked at me with something like pity.

I felt cold. My plan to trap them feels thin. If the man spoke the truth, then pulling on Agatha might only show a bigger beast. I had hoped for a small fight. Now it looked like war. However, I can't hide like I did in my past life. 

Dante’s fingers dug through his throat, ready to rip his head off at any time. “Who are they?” he says. “Tell us now or I'm going to rip your head off.”

“I don't care what you think. I'm not going to—”

I knocked him out because he talked too much while Dante stared at me in confusion. 

“He's noisy. Besides, we have time to question him. Let's not rush things.” I explained and he only nodded. 

I stand up, breathing fast. My mind spun as I thought of what to do. If the attacker is part of a bigger group, then Agatha might only be a tool. She might be helping this person cause her own demise too. I need to know what they are. 

“We need to get him to a safe place,” I say. “And we need to tell Knox and Adonis quietly. Not the whole pack. Only those we trust.”

Dante nodded. He looked at me and for a moment I saw the great uncle I liked in the past he was before the manipulation. “You were right,” he said softly. “We cannot rush. We will do this your way. I'll listen to whatever you say from now on.”

“Don't be cocky and think there's more meaning to this. I just don't want to be ungrateful... I'm here to thank you, I'm not thinking of the position of Luna so don't think much.” I told him. 

He smiled, "You have all the qualities of a good Luna and you even know how to plan properly. Why don't you just accept it?"

“Shut up!”

I felt a small relief. But it was like a small light in a dark tunnel. The sound of steps in the hall made me freeze. Footsteps that were too close. Someone was at the door. We both turned to listen. The handle rattled slowly. 

My heart beat fast. I didn't expect anyone to come at a time like this. Who would be at the door? Could it be that there was more of them waiting outside to room to see if this one succeeded. 

Dante looked at me and whispered, “Stay quiet.”

The door opened just a crack. A thin sliver of light cuts the room.

A voice comes through the crack. “Is anyone there? Dante, are you in there?”  

We looked at each other and heaved a sigh of relief. We really thought someone came to attack us but it was just Adonis.