You know the length of a story is getting out of hand when you need to create another file just in order to keep track of all the characters, locations, places, relations, etc.  (Mostly when that separate file already has over 1000 words :D And you try to use only keywords………)

I literally have a two pages long list with names, packs, sub genders, hair colour, eye colour, wolf form descriptions and it is only getting longer ;d

Also I can’t believe that I almost have 300 subscribers! Thank you so much <3 Thank you to all the sweet people that take their time to read and comment on my story. It really means a lot whenever I see that notification coming up!  

OMG it became 300 subscribers by the time I finished this chapter. Sorrryyyyyy XD

Chapter twenty-four: The crazy one

Jihoon had made it back to the Exodus camp just before sunrise. The darkness of the night slowly made way for day and with day came the news of multiple unconscious scouts. None of them was waking up but they were still alive, fast asleep but alive, except for one man that had been attacked by a wild animal in the darkness.

How did Jihoon know that you wonder? Well after it became known in camp that he knew his way around herbs and medicine he had been invited to treat the wounds of soldiers countless times. It hadn’t been different this time around and the sight of freshly torn flesh was still haunting him. The poor man had seen one of the worst endings one could imagine. He had died soon after Jihoon was called for and it didn’t come as a surprise to him when he laid eyes on the lifeless form. It took a lot of effort to supress his guilty conscience but he couldn’t let his heart rule his decisions now. This was the first but certainly not the last victim of the Exodus army.

The man had been buried without much ceremonial display. The order for silence about last night’s events came quickly after wards. Fear would spread if the common folks heard about it and that was the last thing Baekhyun could afford to happen. Baekhyun did order the scouts to travel in pairs instead of going off on their own as only the lone scouts had been attacked last night. If you could really call it an attack. The men had slowly awoken after several hours and their stories were almost identical. No one knew what had happened but they had suddenly passed out in the forest. They hadn’t seen or heard anyone. Except for one scout. One scout could clearly recall ice blue eyes staring at him from the dark and the clear scent of an omega that had come out of nowhere.

Baekhyun didn’t believe them and thought maybe they drank too much last night. He ordered all alcoholic beverages to be taken away. Jihoon had silently watched from the shadows as Baekhyun scolded the scouts for neglecting their responsibilities to the Exodus pack. Before he could listen to the various threats that Baekhyun would usher Jihoon stalked off. He didn’t want to cause his conscience even more misery by knowing the fate of those poor scouts. But he wouldn’t back down. It was either them or his own people. Jihoon knew very clearly who he would choose to protect. And although he didn’t like to admit it, he also wanted to protect Seungcheol, Hansol and the others that lived in Strenyard. He hadn’t lied when he told Soonyoung that Grenhil was his first priority but he hadn’t clarified how important he though Strenyard was. Through years of traveling to the town he had come to care for it’s inhabitants. He would try his hardest to protect them and if all would fail he would offer them the protection of Grenhil itself. His face hardened… There as no way that he would fail. He couldn’t.

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Despite Baekhyuns effort the next evening brought another wave of unconscious Exodus men. Their huge caravan had only managed to travel a few miles before the incoming darkness forced them to stop. The guard had been doubled, the scouts had been denied their favourite drinks and their morale was low. Yet they did what Baekhyun wanted and stayed in pairs when they scouted the nearby areas. It didn’t help. When the guard for the morning shift searched for their companions they were nowhere to be found…

Demanding more information about the disappearances Baekhyun ordered a full stop of the army and so the men set up camp. The soldiers started to notice the discomfort of the scouts and slowly the news of the vanished scouts spilled through the ranks of men. Whispers of the Cursed Forest were brought to life. Little did these men know that their predicament was only just starting.

Slowly reports started making their way into the camp, encircling the tents with whispers and rumours. Only two weeks prior men had laughed at Jihoon for telling his ghost stories but now many feared it wasn’t a story but truth. More attacks and ambushes occurred during the nights. Scaring the people of the dark moonlit nights. The attackers themselves seemed to vanish into nothing, leaving no scents or trails behind. Baekhyun was becoming increasingly nervous about his mission. Stomping his way through the crowds that had gathered at yet another nightly victim. Jihoon was leaning over the poor beta, feeling his wrist for a pulse, checking his breathing. Something was wrong with this person. He was sweating a lot, but he felt cold as ice when Jihoon touched him. Never before had he seen this reaction to the narcotics that he himself fabricated. He checked the man for other wounds that might cause his cold fever but found none. Only one little red spot on the back of his neck, which didn’t attract the attention of others but Jihoon had instantly noticed it. The dart itself was gone and the spot where the narcotic had penetrated the skin was smaller than a tiny needle. Nothing out of the ordinary… Still the man was shaking.

“It’s already the third time this has happened to him. He is lucky that no animal has found him yet.”

Jihoon turned around to face the soldier. “What do you mean?” He asked the bulky looking man.

“It’s exactly as I told you. He has been out three times already.” The man shrugged, “Maybe he lacks sleep. He should’ve listened to me and stayed in bed for at least a day, but he insisted to go out again.”

Three times. In three days. That could explain the result that Jihoon was seeing. The drug had been overdosed. Even so… It normally took a lot more than just three doses of the drug to cause an effect like this. Jihoon was debating about preparing an antidote for the man. Hopefully stopping the effects of the narcotic but he hadn’t done so before and it might be suspicious if he did so now. Why wouldn’t he have made the antidote earlier was what people would wonder.

He was shaken out of his thoughts by a loud explosion outside startling everyone that was gathered in the tent.

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“Is Seokmin still in Grenhil?” Jihoon curiously asked Mingyu.

“No, Jeonghan wanted him to travel towards Vesthil.” The handsome alpha answered, “Why do you ask? Are you suddenly missing your family.” He cooed, gaining himself a quick jab in his ribs.

“Thank you.” Jihoon said, “I need him and one of his crazy inventions.”

Mingyus eyes got exponentially wider. “Oh no! Please don’t encourage him Jihoon!” His arms flew through the air, “His last invention almost blew up Grenhil!”