Chapter 24

-I'll be right back - I said to Aldahir leaving him on the bed

I could have swear I saw someone walking by infront of our apartment so I went to check it out, I walked outside and saw around, I caught a weird smell but I didn't think much of it knowing I had just been covered in blood and helped Aldahir wash off, I didn't see anything weird around so I just went back inside and made sure to lock the door, just in case.

-What happened? - Asked Aldahir when

-Nothing, I just thought I saw someone but I'm sure it's just paranoia... Do you want to sleep for a while? - I asked sitting next to him

-Don't we have to go to work? - He asked confused

-I will go and say you've got the flu or something, you have to rest Aldahir - I said brushing his hair with my fingers

-Are you sure that's okay? I don't want you to be by yourself

-I'll be fine, we had an eventful night which ended with a body in the forest, I'm sure the hunters will show up to the station to report it and I would like to take control of the situation - I explained

-Okay, but you've got to be careful - said Aldahir concerned, which confused me

-I'm completely capable of handling it, we've been trained for it

-I know, but it still makes me nervous, those hunters were a little too crazy Dhalia - he said grabbing my hand

I smiled at him and kissed his forehead, then I put him to bed and covered him with our blanket, I tried to leave but he grabbed my hand and, just like a child, begged me to stay, I smiled at him and sat next to him rubbing his back while he fell asleep.

Once he was asleep I got dressed, had breakfast, grabbed my things and went to the police station. Just as I thought three of the hunters were standing outside of be police station, as if they were waiting for someone, it made me nervous to see them because I knew they would recognize and it would be weird the fact that I had just gotten attack
by a wolf and was showing up for work.

I decided to push those nerves to the back of my mind and walk into the station, where I was immediately followed by the three of them wondering out loud if I was the girl they found yesterday, all that caught the attention of other police officers and they came to me wondering what was going on.
I explained the whole situation making sure to say Aldahir and I were camping during our night off, I included the extra detail of "Aldahir got sick because of what we ate" and when the hunters started saying that I had been attacked by a wolf I froze in my place not knowing how to react or what to say.

-I was attack yes, but it wasn't as bad as they're saying, it was dark and we were all pretty scared, all they did at the hospital was to stich me up and they sent me home - I explained to everyone there getting more nervous by the second

The other police officers looked at me and simply said they believed me, I obviously had a record of not being as injured as I should have been by most things at training, the hunters seemed confused, nearly nervous or maybe even, suspicious? But I was sure I was imagining the later one.

-I want to see the stitches - said one of the female hunters, the one with dark red hair

-They cover them you genius - said office Reyes leaning over the main desk - so they don't get infected

-Then let us see the bandages - said one of the male hunters, the one with dark skin and really tall

After he talked he approached me and in a matter of seconds officer Reyes was in front of the hunter, protecting me with his hand around his gun, ready to pull it out if necessary.

-You are entitled to be confused over this situation, but you are not touching an officer - said officer Reyes to the hunter

-Calm down man, don't make it worst for us - said the other male hunter, the one with olive skin and dark eyes

The other hunter stepped back and officer Reyes did the same.

-Why are you all here to begin with? - Asked officer Reyes

-We... Our friend was attacked last night - said the officer with dark skin

-Is she missing? Or was she attack by an animal? Because we can help with the first one, for the later you should head to animal control first, they like to gather information and then call us to handle the body - said officer Reyes

-She was attacked, I stumbled upon her body at the forest - I said

-Okay, thank you so let's go to animal control and report this the right way - said the female hunter

-Not so quickly - I stopped her - you were all out there hunting, in a no hunting area because of the wolf population, animals that are protected by law, which you were actively hunting, am I right? - I asked her

She looked at me with fury in her eyes, reaction that seemed to caught the attention of officer Reyes because he came back around and locked the main door, making sure they couldn't get away, he then asked for their names, they reluctantly answer and their extensive criminal report showed up immediately.

They all had multiple charges related to hunting, in multiple provinces, which turned out to be enough to get them arrested, even though we technically didn't have any solid evidence related to what had happened the night before.

Once they had been arrested, and knowing we would fin the body of the other female hunter in the forest, which would be the final piece of evidence for the case, officer Reyes and I headed to the forest to locate the body.

Since I had already been there - but actually using my sense of smell - I simply guided officer Reyes towards the body.

I knew Aldahir had mauled her pretty badly, I heard and saw everything happening but I was falling short of how bad it actually was. The woman was simply thorned apart, one of her hands had been ripped from her arm, her hair was no longer attached to her scalp, her clothes had been completely shredded, along with the skin underneath and her eyes were... Actually nowhere to be found.

Officer Reyes looked at me turning impossibly pale, to the point where I thought we would pass out, but he managed to hold himself together long enough to walk away and call animal control so the could come collect their data. The whole thing about them having to come first was a lie, he only said it to be able to read their reaction.

-Stay here and cordon the area - he instructed me once he got off the phone - if you don't feel like throwing up, I will be right back, I need some air

-Maybe you can come back in about five minutes? That way I can go and take some air too

-Got it, see you in five

Immediately after he walked away, trying not to throw up, once I knew he wasn't coming back I walked behind a tree and threw up. Right there and then I decided not to say a word about it to Aldahir, which made me nervous because I knew he would ask as soon as I got back home, which meant I would have to lie to him, something I hated but was willing to do in order to stop him from hurting even more.

I quickly cordoned up the area with that yellow "police do not cross" tape and waited around for officer Reyes to return, who took far more than five minutes to return, when he returned he apologized for taking longer, which I just brushed off and suggested him not to go behind that one tree, he chuckled a little and padded me on the back saying we had to fill the report to officially make the hunter's dead an animal attack, we did it and we stayed around while the people from animal control did their thing and then
we saw the body being taken.

Officer Reyes allowed me to head home for the day, which I thanked him for profusely and rushed back deciding to stop by an get some hamburger and fries for Aldahir and I.