Chapter 201 Traces in the Forest


    Aubrey’s POV


    At ten o’clock the next morning, we set out right on schedule with Brook. But despite following his lead through the forest for hours, we still found nothing.


    +8 Pearls


    To avoid poisonous insects and pollen, all of us were wrapped up tightly. After eight hours of hiking, we were soaked in sweat–everyone except me. I’d only broken a light sweat. While we rested and ate, I stared at the thick mountain forest ahead, lost in thought.


    “Should we keep going?” Perry handed me a bottle of water as he asked.


    I nced at Brook, who looked exhausted and disheartened, then shook my head.


    “Based on what they said, that man left around noon and came back by noon the next day. Factoring in how far he could travel and how fast he could move, this area is probably the farthest he could’ve reached. And he came back with a high fever from the virus, so there’s no way he moved quickly. If he came this way, he definitely wouldn’t have gone any farther. We must’ve passed it already.”


    <i>The </i>forest here was so dense that it wasn’t surprising we’d missed something. Perry nodded. “You’re right. After lunch, we can search one more hour ahead. If we don’t find anything, we double back and sweep the area we already passed. Sound good?”


    “Yeah.” I nodded and sat down to eat.


    Just then, something rustled in the bushes. One of the guards spotted it and called out with excitement, “A deer!”


    We’d seen animals on the way, but they’d all been too small. A spotted deer like this? That was something worth getting excited over–fresh meat for dinner.


    As soon as I heard themotion, I looked faster than anyone else. Thanks to E’s presence, my eyesight was better. I caught sight of the deer–and noticed faint traces of blood on its coat. My pupils narrowed instantly.


    “Catch it! Don’t touch the blood!” I barked.


    “Yes, ma’am!”


    Perry quickly dispatched two warriors. A momentter, they returned with the deer slung between them, its neck cleanly snapped.


    I frowned. “You didn’t touch the blood, right?”


    They shook their heads. “No.”


    Only then did I pull on my gloves and examine the body. The blood could mean one of two


    10:09


    Wed, 3


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    Chapter 201 Traces in the Forest


    +8 Pearls


    things—either the deer was wounded, or it had brushed up against something–or someone- already injured.


    If it had someone else’s blood on it, that could be dangerous. Brook’s father hade out here and never returned. If he’d died of the Lupine virus, and the deer hade into contact with his blood, anyone who touched it could be at risk. But luckily, the virus was so aggressive that animals typically died immediately upon infection. So the chances were low–but I wasn’t taking any risks.


    I rolled the deer onto its side and peeled back the fur on its belly. That’s when I found the source of the blood. The wound wasn’t deep–just a bolt wound from a crossbow.


    Many omegas used homemade crossbows for hunting. The damage was decent, and the materials were easy to find–plenty effective for small game.


    “Brook.” I turned to the boy with a smile. “What kind of hunting tools do people use around here?”


    He answered quickly. “Most omegas use crossbows they make themselves. Some use traps too. But my dad said he didn’t want any mix–ups with other hunters, so he made his arrowheads in a cross shape instead of triangles.”


    On the way here, Brook had mentioned his dad went hunting three days ago and never came back. He’d joined us hoping to find him and bring him home.


    “Good boy,” I praised him with a smile, then lowered my gaze to the cross–shaped wound on the deer’s body. At the very least, this proved his father had been here.


    “And how good of a hunter is your dad? As an omega, I mean.” I looked back up at him and asked.


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