Chapter 71
The group of rogues ran for their lives, including the Scar. One of them still tried to take Janet with them but he got shouted at by another:
“What the f*ck are you doing! Just f**king leave her-”
He didn’t get to finish. The next second a giant black wolf leaped out from the darkness and bit down on the rogue’s neck! Its sharp fangs pierced deep into the rogue’s flesh, ending his life before he could even make a sound.
The other rogue screamed at the top of his lungs. He was so scared that he couldn’t even move an inch. The giant wolf turned swiftly, charged forward, and crashed with the rogue, sending the rogue flying backward like a kite. His body hit against a tree and dropped dead.
The giant wolf bellowed deeply and shifted back to human. He rushed by Janet’s side and held her wounded leg, “Christ…You are hurt!”
“Forget about me!” Janet grabbed his hand and said urgently, “You have to go after them! The Scar and the others
“Maxie is on it. Don’t worry,” Daran pulled off his shirt and used it as a bandage to wrap up Janet’s bleeding leg. “The others can’t get away…But I am not so sure about Sterning.”
“Sterning? Is that the one with the scar?”
“Yeah. He is the Rogue King’s most trusted man.”
Daran spooned Janet off the ground and started to head back to Fox Town, “We crossed paths a few times before. He is slippery like a snake.”
Janet buried her face to Daran’s neck. She could smell his enticing scent, which was now mixed with a rusty smell of blood.
“…Sorry,” she said with a muffled voice after a long while.
“Don’t apologize,” Daran said.
“You don’t even know what I am apologizing for yet.”
“Whatever it is. I don’t need you to apologize for anything,” Daran said deeply. “You have done a brilliant job already. And you don’t need to be so strong and perfect at everything all the time. I am here to help you.”
Janet’s heart swelled.
Only Daran could give her a sense of security like no one else could.
“You could shift and carry me on your back,” Janet suggested. “It’s easier and faster that way.”
“No. I don’t want you to bump around on my back as I run. Now is fine.”
Daran insisted on walking and carrying Janet in his steady arms all the way back to the Fox Town.
When they got there, a couple of people ran out from the village towards them. At the front were Kass and Balvina.
“Janet!” Balvina cried anxiously, “Where have been looking for you like crazy! Thank god you are safe!
She wanted to take Janét from Daran’s arms. But Daran tilted his body and avoided her.
“Who went into the woods with Janet?” Daran stared at the two of them, his eyes cold.
Kass bit down his lips. There was a self–reproachful look on his face.
“…I did,” he answered with a low voice.
“Then why didn’t you stay close to your Gamma, keeping her safe?” Daran demanded sternly, “Should I remind you that this is your most important job?” Kass held his head down low, his body shaking slightly. Janet could tell that he blamed himself deeply.
“That’s enough,” Janet sighed. “Kass didn’t mean it either. Stop giving him a hard time.”
Daran let out a snort and walked past Balvina and Kass.
The fire had already been put down. Soldiers were busy rescuing people and treating their wounds. Steven and Jeff had arrived as well. They stood outside of the only intact house in this village, talking to Maxie and Glen anxiously.
Jeff cried out first when he saw Daran and Janet, “They are back! Alpha Daran, what the hell is going on here? I heard that the rogues attacked?!”
Daran nodded, “Yes. Let’s move inside. We need to talk.”
The 6 of them stepped into the house and closed the door.
Janet spoke up first. And she cut right into the chase:
“There is a mole among us.”
Steven’s mouth dropped open. He looked panic–stricken, “What the f**k are you talking about?”
“The timing is suspicious. They attacked us first right before we sent out our advance force. And they chose the perfect target, Fox Town, which is geologically easy for them to attack and retreat, and it doesn’t have many armed soldiers. They can’t have this much information without somebody on the inside.”
“Even so, you still can’t jump to the conclusion that we have a mole,” Jeff frowned. “Those are my conjectures,” Janet said. “But the rogues also confirmed my theory.” “They what?!”
“I encountered a rogue’s leader. His name is Sterning I think. He said and I quote, ‘People may appear to be loyal to you on the outside, but on the inside, they belong to us.‘“‘
The room lapsed into a ringing silence. There was a mixed look of doubt and fear on everyone’s face.
After a long pause, Steven looked around the room and said, “So this is what we do now? Pointing fingers at each other? We should be discussing our next move! Instead of wasting our time on somebody’s conspiracy theory!”
Janet’s face turned dark, “You are saying that I made it up?”
“Well, no one saw you talking to the rogue, didn’t it!” Steven countered fiercely, “And your conjectures sound groundless as well! I don’t want to doubt my alliance before the war even started!”
“We won’t be able to move forward if we don’t dig out this mole first!” Janet snapped, “Every plan we make, every step we take… The rogues will know it. And
they will act before we do. It is stupid to fight a war that is destined to lose at the very beginning!”
Glen scratched his head and sighed, “Gamma Janet has a point…Calm down, Steven Let’s hear her out.”
But Steven still looked furious. He jumped out his fist and snapped, “Hear her out? Do you get what she is saying right Glen? She is trying to say that the mole is among the 6 of us…Right here in this room!”
Glen widened his eyes. Jeff moved uneasily in his seat. And the furrow between Maxie’s brows grew deeper.
“Among the 6 of us?” Maxie murmured in disbelief.
“You heard Gamma Janet. She said that the rogues knew about the advance force.” Steven sneered, “We hadn’t announced it to the soldiers yet. Only the 6 of us know about the plan. So if somebody leaked it, it has got to be us.
Janet said nothing. Her face was deadpan and serious.
But her silence confirmed Steven’s words.
Jeff looked around the room blankly. He was clearly struggling internally.
“B–But…who could it be?” he stammered, “Every one of us has been in this alliance since the very beginning. I—It is striking to think any of us might….No. Can’t. I can’t go down that path!”
To think that their enemy had been hiding among them all along, training with them, dining with them, going to every meeting with them…
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