The car came to a stop in front of the people who were curiously looking around, and the door opened. The first to get out was Wilkins. Seeing the people standing there, looking confused, he gave a hesitant smile and started speaking.
"Ah, sorry about this. We’ve returned today for something important. We have a question for you all. I’m wondering if any of you saw one of our team members yesterday..."
While Wilkins continued talking, the team members got out of the car one by one, scattering around to survey the area. As soon as Dane appeared, a mixture of gasps and screams filled the air.
“Ahh! He’s here!”
“Dane, Dane Striker!”
“Look here! It’s Dane, it’s Dane!”
“Please, everyone, calm down...”
“Oh my, he’s even more handsome than in the pictures!”
“Arsonist, he’s the arsonist!”
“Please, calm down, everyone. We’ll have a photo session later, so for now, let me finish talking...”
“He set fire to my heart! Someone put it out!”
“Dane Striker! Aaaah!”
“Please, I’m on duty. Not now, everyone, quiet down, please...”
Wilkins raised both arms in an attempt to calm the crowd, but the noise didn’t die down. People scrambled to take pictures or record videos, and the sound of camera shutters kept ringing nonstop. In the middle of it all, cheers continued, making it nearly impossible for him to speak properly. Eventually, Wilkins dropped his arms, his expression bleak, and the remaining members scattered in different directions to begin their inquiries.
“Oh, he’s coming this way.”
Seeing Dane heading towards them, a mother and daughter quickly blushed and tightly gripped each other’s hands. At a short distance from them, Dane lightly greeted them and spoke.
“I’m Dane Striker. We’re looking for someone...”
“Yes, yes, what is it? Go ahead and speak!”
Before long, even neighbors from the next house came running and eagerly looked up at him. To Dane’s dismay, people could be seen running toward him from afar. He grimaced. He had already done enough service yesterday. He had no intention of sacrificing himself any further. He immediately called out to Ezra.
“Hey, Ezra! These people want to speak with you!”
“Uh? Uh, uh.”
Ezra, looking confused, rushed over and stood in front of them. A sigh full of longing and regret poured from the crowd.
“Where are you going? We’re here!”
“Wait, we’re telling you, Dane!”
“Dane, look over here! Dane!”
Dane walked away, ignoring the women shouting after him, and Ezra, drenched in cold sweat, began explaining.
“Like I said earlier, we’re looking for someone. They were with us here yesterday, taller than Dane, and... yes, bigger built. A man with blonde hair and purple eyes. Did anyone see him? He should have been noticeable.”
“Hmm?”
Until then, they had been so focused on Dane that it seemed they hadn’t been listening to Ezra, but fortunately, they shifted their attention. Of course, not because they were interested in Ezra.
“Blonde hair and purple eyes?”
“Ah, I saw him. You saw him too, right?”
“Ah, yeah. You couldn’t miss him. He was the first one you’d notice.”
Up until this point, things were going well. Just ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) as Ezra was starting to feel hopeful, another question came rushing in.
“Is that man an extreme alpha? If he has purple eyes, that’s the case, right?”
“Oh my, so that smell... was pheromone? I heard that extreme alphas always release pheromones like that. So it doesn’t build up on their bodies.”
If you are reading this translation anywhere other than Novelight.net or SilkRoadTL, it has been stolen.
“That’s why he looks so flashy. This fire station is full of handsome, I mean, delicious guys.”
“I didn’t see him, but did anyone take a picture?”
“Here, here.”
“Of course, I took one. Look at this.”
“Oh my, this is so much fun. Honestly, this is the happiest moment of the day. Thank you!”
“This fire station is full of arsonists!”
“Yeah, right. I wish someone would put out my fire.”
“Whew, it’s so hot.”
The laughter that poured out made Ezra feel like he was losing his mind.
After finally escaping the noisy crowd, Dane let out a tired sigh and looked around. It was a quiet village, with no real distinguishing features. It was so peaceful here that it was hard to imagine a kidnapping could take place. He confirmed again how calm and ordinary this place was and scratched the back of his head in irritation. Where the hell did that nuisance disappear to?
“Damn, what a piece of garbage.”
Just as he cursed again, he suddenly felt eyes on him. Instinctively, he turned his head and locked eyes with a little kid. Dane furrowed his brows and stared at the child. Most people would have fled in terror, but for some reason, the child stood there, fists clenched, not moving.
What’s that?
Dane scowled and turned away. He didn’t have time to deal with some annoying kid. His only thought was to end this irritating situation and go home. He walked quickly, but suddenly he heard footsteps behind him.
“Sir, sir! Wait, sir! I have something to report! Sir!”
Dane let out a short sigh and looked up at the sky. The kid was calling out to him so loudly that his voice could almost tear his throat. Reluctantly, he turned around and strode toward the child. In just a few steps, the child had startled and stretched their neck to look up at him. Dane deliberately lowered his gaze and looked down at the child as he spoke.
“So, what’s the matter?”
His tone clearly conveyed annoyance. It was obvious that he wasn’t paying attention, assuming the kid was going to say something meaningless. Adding to that, the imposing pressure of his tall stature clearly intimidated the child, but to his credit, the kid didn’t run off crying. There were some tears in the corners of his eyes, though.
“Ah, sir, you’re a... firefighter, right?”
The child asked timidly, trembling in fear. Dane looked down at him with a cynical expression and replied.
“If the words you read are correct, then yes.”
Dane gestured behind him with his thumb, pointing to the large "Fire Department" letters on his shirt. The child turned around to confirm, and when he saw it, he looked back up at Dane.
“Can you... find my friend?”
“Friend?”
The question was just as meaningless as he’d expected, and Dane furrowed his brows, looking down at the child again.
“Is your friend also an extreme alpha?”
“Huh? What’s that?”
The child, looking confused, widened their eyes in surprise when Dane questioned him. It seemed that the child had no idea. Dane waved his hand dismissively.
“No, never mind. So, what do you want me to do?”
“My friend. Please find my friend.”
At this point, the child could have backed down, but instead, he stood firm and continued with his "report."
“My friend has been missing for a few days. They didn’t come to school. Their mom and dad are divorced. They live with their dad, and when I went to visit, they said he couldn’t come out because he had the measles. But that’s a lie. My friend got vaccinated. Their mom said so, that we both went to the hospital to get the shots when their mom was still around.”
Dane said nothing and just stared at the child’s face. It didn’t seem like the kid was lying. As he silently listened, the child gained some courage and continued speaking quickly.
“Sometimes, their dad hits them. He said it was because they didn’t listen, but my friend is really nice. It’s weird that he hits them. My dad has never hit me. When my dad comes home in the evening, I run to him and kiss him, and he says he loves it. But I’m about to turn 10, you know? When I turn 10, I’ll be an adult, right? So maybe I shouldn’t do that anymore? Maybe I shouldn’t eat the cookies my mom bakes too? The dog cookies are really good, though. Do you like dogs or cats, sir? My friend has a hamster...”
“Wait, wait, stop.”