New face, interrogation

That day, what Sora wished for did not come because an urgent matter is currently happening in Akari's house. She could not go out as she usually did because Akio forbids her.

"Why??!" She yells at his face, frustrated because she cannot hang out with Sora as she usually does.

"It's not safe outside and that is why!" Akio shouts back.

"Didn't you catch the culprit? Then, why? It should be safe now!" She still not giving up.

"About that..." Akio starts.

-----

A few hours earlier...

"Go right." Akio gives a command.

The man is walking in front of Akio and follows his direction to go to the right. He glances back at Akio and walks slower.

"Where is your friend?" He asks, looking around everywhere.

Kenji is long gone but the man didn't even realize it because he has been focusing only on his life. Whether he will stay alive or not because he doesn't know them. Kenji on the other hand runs ahead to Akio's father to report everything and assemble everyone to gather in the family house.

"Don't ask. Keep moving."

"Not even where we are going?" The man asks again.

"No. Shut up." He growls.

A few minutes later, they reach the front gate. Akio pushes the intercom asking them to open the gate, still keeping an eye on the man to not let him escape. The gate slowly opens large enough for Akio and the man. Akio then pushes the man to enter since he is standing still. Once they are both inside, the gate closes.

*SLAM*

The man flinches and at the same time, a group of men starts surrounding him. They all have a built body and one of them cracks their knuckle while staring at him intensely. He shudders at the thought of getting hit on the face and how long will it take for him to heal himself. Just getting hit is painful. He surely does not want that to happen.

"Is it him?"

The men surrounding him start lining up to make a way for a man in his thirties with black hair and a pair of red eyes. From the look of it, he can guess the man in front of him is Alpha just like the young man who drags him here. Their features are similar too. They both have black hair.

"Yes. We found him by the lake." Akio nods.

"Take him inside." The older man gestures at his men.

They grab the man's arms on both sides and pull him along. He tries resisting but he couldn't budge at all. Not even an inch.

The older Alpha continues, "You two go back to school. We will handle it from here."

"No."

Akio looks at the man in front of him with piercing eyes. He knows if he is backing down now, he will never get the chance to prove himself. This time, he will do it.

Akio continues, "We found him so we will handle it."

His eyes are full of determination when he said that. The older man sighs with closed eyes and turns around. He knows whatever he told him, he will not listen to him. He is the one raising Akio as the person he is.

"Very well. Do as you like," He tells Akio without looking back.

Akio smiles. His father finally let him take charge in a matter related to werewolves and families. He prepares himself with some questions he wanted to ask the man he just found.

They bring the man to the basement and push him inside a small room made of iron. Akio and Kenji enter the room and close the heavy door behind them. There are CCTVs in each corner of the room. A desk and a chair are at the center of the room.

"Sit," Akio commands him.

The man slowly pulls the chair and sits on it, awkwardly. Beads of sweat start to form on his forehead. He wipes it. His hand is a little shaking from the fear he felt in the whole room. None of them spoke for 10 minutes. The room feels chilly all of a sudden. He braves himself and starts a conversation.

"I'm Kota. What's your name?" He looks at Akio who is leaning against the hard wall with crossed arms.

Akio looks at him, "Akio. He is Kenji. Where were you yesterday?"

"Yesterday? I... I was by the lake where you guys found me. Why?" He stammers.

"How about somewhere with open space? Surely you have been there recently." Akio keeps pestering him, watching how his eyes move.

"No... I never go anywhere besides the lake. Look, if you think I steal something from anyone here, you are dead wrong. I bought my own food, okay? That food was the last money I have." He explains himself.

"Deer."

"Excuse me?" Kota thinks he misheard what Akio just says.

"You stole the deer and hurt one of us." The man pales after Akio said that.

"No! I didn't! I never hurt anybody! Okay, okay! I stole the food but I never hurt anyone! I swear!" Kota raises his palm.

"Akio. Can we have a minute?" Kenji starts talking.

They walk outside and lock the door. After a minute or two, they come back. Kota shivers seeing all the tools they brought inside. There are knife, hammer, axe, saws, and nail puller. Are they going to use those on him? Just the thought of it make him faint.

"Huh? He fainted." Kenji grabs his hair to check.

"So weak. Let's ask him again after he woke up." Akio sighs.

2 hours passed...

Kota wakes up and tries to sit straight but his arms are tied behind the chair. He notices someone is sitting on the table with their legs swinging back and forth. He finally remembers where he is and what is happening to him. He looks up, scared to meet eye to eye with the person in front of him, and gasps.

"Chill. I will not hurt you if you promise to tell me the truth. My friend will come inside with those frightening tools if he detects you were lying to me. Understand?"

Kota nods quickly.

"Now, tell me everything."

-----

Flashback ends...

"Not him?" Akari asks Akio not believing what she just heard.

"Yeah. I don't smell lies from him. Plus, he isn't capable to hurt anybody with that weak body. He is mentally weak too. Double weak." Akio scoffs.

"That means... The culprit is still out there." Akari pales.

"That's why I'm not letting you out. Who knows where he will attack again. You might be in danger. You like spending your time in the forest right? That place has almost no one going there. It's quiet. No one can save you if anything happens." Akio explains.

Akari doesn't have a choice. She wants to tell Akio to accompany her but at the same time, she doesn't want Akio to know where she has been all this time. If he knew, he probably will never let her see Sora again. That is why she keeps quiet and follows what he says.