Chapter 132

Aria

Darren and I rushed straight to the park Bella had mentioned, only to find the entire place swarming like a beehive. Wailing police cars had blocked the entire perimeter of the park, ambulances were rushing in and out, and people were being taken away on stretchers.

We found Bella and Liam near the entrance to the park, looking horrified. They were wearing t-shirts we had printed that had the Lunar Labs logo on the back, and “Staff” on the front.

“Oh, thank god you’re here,” Bella said, rushing over. She looked like she was about to be sick. Liam followed her, his face pale as a sheet.

“What the hell happened?” Darren asked roughly, his eyes scanning the chaos.

Liam’s throat bobbed. “We were just manning the tables for the soup kitchen,” he said. He gestured over to a mess of overturned tables, spilt pots of soup, and other food, clothes, and supplies in disarray. “Then these protesters showed up and everything went to hell.”

I froze, suddenly feeling like I might be sick too. Ever since we had begun the campaign, we had set up weekly Lunar Labs-endorsed soup kitchens at the park to provide warm meals, clean clothes, and toiletries to the homeless and marginalized. It was where most of the funds we’d raised from the first gala had gone.

It was supposed to be a peaceful show of care for our fellow people, human or werewolf. But now it looked like a battle had occurred here.

“It wasn’t too bad at first,” Bella said, wringing her hands nervously. “We were handing out food and supplies, and everyone was getting along. Some humans and werewolves were even making friends! There were a few protesters holding signs, but they were keeping their distance and we didn’t think much of it.”

“How did it end up like this, then?” I pressed.

Bella and Liam looked at each other. Bella looked like she was about to cry. Sighing, Liam wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close, and she wiped her eyes as she leaned against him for support.

“All these people showed up out of nowhere,” he explained. “What was initially a group of maybe ten protesters suddenly became a hundred, maybe even more. They surrounded us, and then…”

Liam stared at his feet. I felt Darren stiffen beside me. “Spit it out,” he growled.

Looking almost sheepish, Liam turned and nodded his chin toward a group of werewolves who were currently being detained by the police. They were kneeling on the sidewalk, their hands cuffed behind their backs and their eyes downcast as the police rounded them all up.

I could tell they were werewolves, and not humans, because of their scents.

“The werewolves started attacking,” Liam said quietly. “There was this… strange smell in the air. It made my wolf angry. I managed to keep it at bay, but some of the werewolves around us rushed the protesters.”

“From there, it turned into a bloodbath,” Bella choked out, clearly suppressing a sob. “Everyone started fighting. I saw one werewolf slash a woman right across the face with his claws. It was like they’d all gone mad…”

I stared, wide-eyed, at Darren. His face was grave, and I knew we were having the same thought. Whatever had caused this wasn’t… natural.

Leaving Liam to comfort the terrified Bella in peace, Darren and I quickly made our way over to the police. After some persuasion, the police allowed us to speak to some of the werewolves in custody.

The werewolves all said the same thing as Liam: that everything was fine, and they were just enjoying free food and pleasant company before that strange scent filled the air. Then, their wolves became agitated, and they started to lash out.

“I swear, I didn’t want to hurt anyone,” one man sobbed, tears streaming freely down his cheeks. “I really didn’t mean to. I just… lost control. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry…”

My stomach twisted painfully. After that, Darren and I made our way over to another group that had been detained—this time a group of humans. The protesters sneered at us as we approached, and each and every one of them stoutly refused to comment.

No matter how much Darren and I tried, the humans refused to answer our questions, even when it came to the matter of the strange smell. They all just looked away, a few muttering some cruel words about us being ‘monsters’—which was nothing new at this point—and wouldn’t say anything else.

By the time we were finished, Darren and I felt even more frustrated than before. We found Bella and Liam again. Bella looked a little less terrified, sipping from a bottle of water as she sat on a park bench.

“That scent,” Darren whispered, grabbing Liam’s arm, “do you think it was intentionally deployed to agitate your wolves? What do you think it was?”

Liam shook his head. “I don’t know what it could have been. All I know is that the timing was too perfect and the effects were too intense to be something… natural.”

Darren and I exchanged wary glances. “If these protesters are willing to do things like bring guns and other weapons to charity galas, then we definitely shouldn’t rule out some kind of biological warfare,” I said softly, my voice trembling ever so slightly.

Darren furrowed his brow, thinking. “Of course. There are a few natural scents that can agitate a wolf, such as animal urine. But this seems like more than that, if it made everyone get this aggressive.” He sniffed the air slightly. “And I don’t smell anything now. Do either of you?”

Liam and I shook our heads. If anything, the air smelled sweet, like the pink spring blossoms that were swaying in the trees up above.

The four of us stood there in silence for a few moments, wracking our brains. Meanwhile, the chaos had ramped up even further. By now, news reporters and passersby had gathered around the park, trying to figure out what had happened—and in the case of the reporters, spin the narrative in one direction or another.

“We should go,” Darren said, glancing at the reporters. “Before they start trying to interview us.”

I agreed. We would likely have to address the matter sooner rather than later, but right now, tensions were too high and any news interview was bound to be twisted against us. We needed to get back to the office and think about our next moves.

The four of us moved toward Darren’s car, but were suddenly cut off by a cop car. There was a man driving it with a silver military-style buzz-cut and angry gray eyes. He climbed out, pointing at us.

“You,” he said, striding around the car. “I need to speak with you.”

Bella cursed, her eyes narrowing. “Bastard…” she whispered. I turned to her in shock, but she suddenly whirled on her heel and stormed off, her hands clenched into fists at her sides. Liam, Darren and I watched her go, confused.

The man strode up to us, flashing a badge that displayed his status. “My name is Major Johnathan Martinez,” he said in a voice that brooked no argument. “I’m the Chief of Police. You’re Aria White and Darren Avarise, correct?”

Darren and I nodded. Darren gripped my hand, and I felt my heart rate quicken.

The chief nodded and removed his hat, tucking it under his arm.

“We need to talk. Privately.”