Captured By The Cold Detective (BL)-Chapter 482: Not On Purpose
"AAHH—!"
"Someone... someone died!!"
"Call 120!!"
"Help... help me! It hurts!"
Amidst the turmoil of frantic screams and anguished cries that echoed through the streets, He Juan remained rooted in place. He felt as if a frigid chill had seeped into his veins and frozen his bloodstreams, making him feel cold all over. The onslaught of pheromones assault had descended like a tornado – chaotic, destructive and lethal – striking down every person in its path without discrimination.
He Juan’s vision was dominated by red.
Red of crimson blaze of the setting sun that painted the sky, red of the scarlet leaves from the maple trees along the roadside, and also red... from the spilled blood that marred the pavement where the contorted bodies lay. His breaths came in ragged gasps, and he could no longer tell if the metallic tang that clung to the back of his throat was the stench of his own blood or that of the fallen.
He only snapped back to his senses when Ye Qiu staggered ahead and took the trembling Ye Hu into her arms, her bloodshot eyes pleading at him. "XIU, please... please help him! I beg you!!"
He Juan gritted his teeth and fought against the dizziness that threatened to overwhelm him. The pheromones held little effect on him as a superior Alpha, but he could tell that a thorough examination would reveal a mild concussion at the very least. If even he was struggling with such discomfort, what about the others? What about the Betas and Omegas around?
Biting down on his inner cheek, He Juan rushed forward, swiftly removed his jacket and draped it over Ye Hu’s head.
His hand clamped down around the back of Ye Hu’s neck, forcing the boy to submit. He hissed in a low voice, "You’re going to control your pheromones, Ye Hu. You’re going to do it, no matter what!" His voice was laced with an Alpha’s authoritative command as a wave of oppressive pheromones rolled out of his body, attempting to battle for dominance against the chaotic emissions in the air.
Ye Hu choked on his tears and trembled even more, gasping. "I–I’m trying..."
Beads of cold sweat rolled down He Juan’s skin as he tugged Ye Hu up by the arm. He hollered at the ashen-faced Ye Qiu, "You take care of the others. I’m taking him out of here!"
With that, he half-dragged and half-carried Ye Hu back to the car. Along the way, his peripheral vision caught sight of a few camera phone flashlights directed at them. He couldn’t help but curse under his breath and secured the jacket tighter around Ye Hu to shield him from prying eyes.
Upon reaching the car, he tossed the boy to the rear seat and slid into the driver’s position, starting the engine and driving away from the pandemonium.
His hands shook uncontrollably as he dialed a number. The pungent tang of Alpha pheromones blended with the audible sobs and muffled cries from behind. With the addition of the cacophony of piercing horns and sharp screech of tires around, it was as if a stake had been driven into his skull, causing his head to throb in pain.
As soon as the call connected, he immediately issued a series of commands, "An accident has occurred on Wunan Road, estimated number of casualties is more than five. Manage the scene and seize control of the surveillance feeds. Dispatch paramedics and ensure that the injured are taken to the top hospital available. A few people have recorded videos with their phones, keep an eye on them." Upon hearing the confirmation from the other side, he hung up and tossed the phone to the seat beside him, his jaws taut with tension.
A fiery storm seemed to be brewing inside his chest, swelling larger and larger like a balloon, pressing against his ribcage so hard that he couldn’t breathe. Without a warning, he slammed his fist against the steering wheel, the resulting thud resonating in the confined space. "Fuck!"
Ye Hu flinched at the abrupt outburst, and he instinctively bit down on his bottom lip to muffle the cries, unaware that the confined space only accentuated his labored breathing, heightening his sense of desolation. "W–What should I do? I killed... I killed a lot of people..." he began to rumble, his expression utterly lost. "I didn’t do it on purpose, I swear. I–I didn’t know..."
"I’m sorry... I’m sorry!" he burst out into tears, unending streams of apology flowing out of his lips in between the sobs. The pheromones that poured out of him turned sour and acrid. "I didn’t do it on purpose... I really didn’t...!!"
He Juan tightened his grip around the wheel, his jaws rigidly clenched. He offered no response, nor did he utter any word of reassurance.
Flooring the accelerator, He Juan drove to the house where he usually spent his rut. By then, twenty minutes had passed and Ye Hu’s manifestation period had fully settled in. His entire person was muddled, his eyes clouded in a haze and his pheromones spiraled further into chaos.
To He Juan, it felt like a strenuous weight was pressing against the back of his eyes, threatening to crush his skull into smithereens. His gland was most likely inflamed and the attempt to suppress his Alpha from going berserk left him in a tense and volatile state. It was truly a wonder how he could drive without causing a chain accident.
Carrying Ye Hu in his arms, He Juan bore with the discomfort and unlocked the rolling door to reveal the steel door beneath. He kicked it open, walked in and tossed Ye Hu on the bed. After that, he quickly made his way out and locked the door behind him.
The room was already filled with supplies, so he was not afraid that Ye Hu would starve or dehydrate himself to death. Alphas’ manifestation period was inherently different from Omegas who would turn weak, vulnerable and unable to take care of themselves. While it felt like a severe cold, Ye Hu should still be capable of tending to his basic needs. In addition, the room was fortified with sturdy locks and airtight windows to contain any potential pheromones leakage. It was originally designed to accommodate He Juan’s rut which was intense more often than not, but who could have guessed that it would come handy at a time like this?
"Oh God..." He Juan leaned against the door, buried his face into his hands and released a heavy sigh. Why couldn’t he catch a break? Exhaustion weighed down on him, and the notion of laying down on the ground for a little nap sounded extremely tempting right now.
Now free from the tumultuous pheromones, He Juan began to feel throbbing soreness in various parts of his body, especially his head. Heading to the bathroom, he splashed his face with cold water and rinsed the blood from his mouth with a gurgle. Only then did he manage to gather enough composure to inform Ye Qiu – who was surely anxious to death – about his current whereabouts.
Just in time, a call came in from his man, his tone somber. "Boss, we have a problem."
As soon as He Juan listened to the news from the other side, his expression abruptly sank.
In this era of advanced technology, erasing digital traces had become more and more challenging. Even if one eliminated the original source, numerous people had witnessed, recorded and shared the content. And they were akin to a virus that invaded the cyber world, fierce and impossible to get rid of. The footage of the accident, initially captured by fewer than five smartphones, had swiftly spread on the internet like an unstoppable wildfire.
Soon, the entire country would come to know about the existence of the mutated Alphas.
