And then there were Malo and Faye sitting in front of a deputy’s table in the Gamma Police Force station...
They had been arrested after what happened at the fuel station.
They demanded that they call their guardian to come bail them out and sign their release. The officer at the desk tapped his pen impatiently, his posture rigid while Faye took a long, sharp exhale through her nose to stop her temper from boiling over right in the lobby.
Faye didn’t want to call her brother to come to her rescue because he wouldn’t stop talking.
Saying it hadn’t been a year since she moved out and she already had a criminal record. She could already picture his dramatic, wide-eyed look, her lungs heaving with a deep, frustrated huff as she imagined him shaking his head and hand in total disappointment.
And he would say a lot of things. His endless lectures would go on for hours, her ears burning while her breath caught tight in her throat, cutting off every single excuse she tried to make before she could even open her mouth.
So she called Eriko, the chill guy.
Eriko arrived 10 minutes later, acting as the two teenagers’ guardian.
They were fined along with community service for the rest of the year.
Now they were outside the station.
"I cannot believe you two drenched yourselves in gasoline. What are you, five years old playing water tag? Even a five-year-old wouldn’t stoop so low. What if you both had blown to bits?" Eriko nagged them.
"We are sorry. We did not mean to do that..." Faye said. She kept her head down, her eyes staring at her shoes while her lungs pulled in a short, quiet breath, her pulse skipping a fast, guilty beat against her ribs.
This was what she was avoiding, but Eriko was better than her brother. His scolding was loud and direct, but at least he wasn’t going to bring up her entire childhood history while doing it.
"This is not entirely our fault. Bambi Butcher started the whole thing, and she left. They should check the CCTV footage. She should join us for the community service," Malo said. He stepped forward with a fast, indignant huff, his hands gesturing wildly through the air as his chest heaved with a passionate, self-righteous breath.
"Doesn’t matter who started it. I paid 50k for both of you. You will find one way or another to pay me my money, because.." Eriko said to the teenagers.
"You can send us your account details. I will send 25k, and Malo will send 25k," Faye said. She spoke casually, her posture remaining perfectly still while her breathing coming out in a smooth, effortless wave as if 50 thousand dollars were just pocket change.
Eriko’s mouth opened midway, and he closed it, swallowing invisible saliva. His throat worked hard, his eyes widening in pure shock while his heart skipped a sudden, confused beat against his chest.
Did they just act like 50k wasn’t a big deal, or what did he just hear? He stared at them in total disbelief, his breath locking straight up in his throat while his mind struggled to process how two teenagers could react so carelessly to such a massive sum.
"You guys have that amount in your account?" Eriko asked, trying to confirm. He tilted his head, his voice dropping an octave as his chest rose in a slow, hesitant wave.
"No, we don’t. We are going to work for it. That is what she meant," Malo said, trying to cover up. His heart rate gave a violent, panicked jump, his breath hitching sharp in his chest while his fingers twitched nervously at his side.
They were currently right in front of a station and didn’t want to have another reason for interrogation. "Right, Faye?"
"Yes, we will spend our lives working for the money to pay you back. We really appreciate your generosity," Faye said. She caught Malo’s desperate look, her jaw setting firm while her lungs pulled in a long, carefully controlled breath to smooth over her slip-up.
"There’s no need to thank me... Because Princess said she would pay me anyway." Eriko stated casually, while his posture relaxed back into its normal, easy stance.
"Huh?" Faye said. Her eyes snapped open wide, her pulse spiking into a fast, frantic rhythm as her breath caught straight in her throat.
"I told your Alpha, and I’m sure she is on her way right now." Eriko explained smoothly, letting out a quiet, amused exhale through his nose.
"I did not you because of that. If I wanted to call Princess, I wouldn’t have called you in the first place. I thought you were the chill guy," Faye said. She stomping against the pavement, her chest heaving with a sharp, agitated gasp while her forehead creased in deep annoyance.
"I’m not the chill guy. I’m a responsible father who sees wrong and does good. And a grown man capable of... doing the right responsible thing..." Eriko declared proudly, throwing his shoulders back while his lungs filled with a massive, dignified breath.
"Well, Uncle PP is now my chill guy. I will never call you again." Faye barked back flatly, her arms crossing tight over her chest as her pulse boiled with frustration.
"You should be lucky I did not inform your brother. He would have let you spend at least two days before getting you out," Eriko said. He pointed a stern finger at her, his eyes twinkling with quiet amusement while his chest rose in a calm, steady rhythm.
"Where is he going to find the money anyway? He’s the broke guy in your group. Not just two days, but we would have been sentenced for life," Malo said. He let out a short, breathless chuckle, his shoulders relaxing as his breathing turned light and teasing.
"Hey, don’t call my brother broke in my presence." Faye slapped Malo on the head.
"You used to call him the broke brother..." Malo whined, rubbing his sore head with a pout, his breath escaping in a small, pathetic huff.
Just when they were talking, a Porsche drove in and parked...
It wasn’t Princess’s car, but it was Beam. The driver’s door swung open fast, Beam’s sharp wolf haircut framing her face as she stepped out, her lungs pulling in a heavy, dramatic breath while her posture exuded pure, annoyed authority.
"Hey, baaabby." Faye’s expression changed upon seeing her girlfriend approaching. Her eyes softened instantly, her voice dropping into a sweet, pleading frequency while her chest swelled with a warm, desperate draft of air, taking a fast step forward.
"Don’t baby me. What are you doing here?... And you reek of gasoline." Princess said. She held her ground, her eyes flashing with sharp, unyielding dominance while her chest heaved with an angry, disgusted breath. She used one of her fingers to stop Faye from hugging her, pointing at her head to stop her from coming closer.
"Just so you know, this was all Bambi Butcher’s fault. She started it all," Malo said. He threw his hands up defensively, his voice rising in a fast, panicked pitch while his heart rate hammered against his ribs.
He wanted to defend his best friend, trying to avoid any fight between the couple so he wouldn’t be blamed for it.
Princess turned to Eriko and thanked him and promised to send him his money.
Then she faced her girlfriend, trying to act dominant.
"And you, girl. When we get home, you are in so much trouble. Come on, let’s go pick our pups and head home." Princess dragged Faye’s hood. Her fingers clamped tight around the soft fabric behind Faye’s neck, pulling her along with a firm, relentless yank that forced Faye to stumble forward, Faye’s breath bursting from her lips in a short, surprised gasp.
Before they could leave the station, a deputy called them back in...