Chapter 67 The gardener.

Chapter 67: Chapter 67 The gardener.

They all looked at Killian as though he had just uttered the craziest thing they had ever heard. Where he had seen something like that, they had no idea, and how he had gotten such information was something they were about to find out.

"That dark, intense energy... I can feel it surrounding the entire school. And just now I saw an image of four gates opening around the campus."

He paused, falling silent.

Noah studied him carefully, hoping with every fiber of his being that Killian was joking. He really hoped he was.

Unfortunately, the stiff expression on Killian’s face told him otherwise.

"There is no way you saw that. What are you, some kind of prophetess?" Marcus laughed loudly at his own joke.

No one joined him.

"That isn’t funny, Marcus. I wasn’t joking."

Marcus scoffed.

"What happened to your sense of humor? Ashton, please give us back the Killian we know."

Noah rolled his eyes.

It seemed Marcus was desperately trying to lighten the mood before the atmosphere became unbearably gloomy. It was honestly kind of cute of him, but after hearing what Killian had just said, Noah didn’t think even Marcus’ dry jokes could fix the tension hanging over the room.

On any other day they probably would have forced out a laugh just so Marcus wouldn’t feel bad.

But honestly...

His jokes were somehow even drier than a bald man’s hair.

"Maybe it’s just some kind of mystical interference. The school hasn’t reported any gates opening, so just calm down."

Noah reached up and slowly massaged Killian’s tense shoulders. Unfortunately, the man was ridiculously tall, making it almost impossible to reach properly.

He ended up hopping every few seconds like a determined frog just to massage him.

"Gate or no gate... the psycho is still gardening."

Eugene broke the silence.

Everyone instinctively turned toward the clinic window where the lonely silhouette continued moving among the graves.

Noah honestly didn’t know why the sight disturbed him this much.

His instincts kept screaming that whoever was gardening out there might not even be alive.

Because seriously...

Who in their right mind gardened inside a cemetery in the middle of the night?

It was unsettling.

Creepy.

And somehow strangely mesmerizing all at once.

"Let’s go say hi!"

Damian spoke the moment Eugene finished.

Everyone immediately turned to stare at him as if checking whether a screw had come loose inside his head.

Noah even glanced at the floor for dramatic effect.

Maybe whatever common sense Damian possessed had actually fallen out.

"If he’s a monster pretending to be human, then what? What happens when we’re all currently powerless? Well... all except... Literally all of us are. So what exactly is your brilliant plan, Damian?"

Damian blinked in confusion.

He honestly thought they had already discussed this.

Weren’t they all supposed to investigate the cemetery together?

"I’m bored in here, guys. Harold locking us inside isn’t fair, and I can’t even leave. Seriously... screw this."

He folded his arms, pouting dramatically.

Killian grimaced.

"Did you just try to act cute? Please... don’t ever do that again. I swear I almost pulled a muscle in my eyes."

Damian’s face immediately crumpled into a deep frown.

"Ashton, did you hear what Killian just said? He actually said I’m not cute."

Oh dear.

Not again.

Although Noah kept facing the window, he could clearly see everything happening behind him through the reflection in the glass.

He honestly didn’t have the strength to separate two grown men.

His thoughts were still trapped on what had happened the previous night.

That frozen memory continued to haunt him.

Even worse...

Lysander knew about it.

That alone proved the missing memory probably contained answers to countless mysteries surrounding Ashton.

Surprises just kept coming one after another.

He remembered how he had once cursed this body for being boring.

Plain.

Ordinary.

Nothing special.

Looking back...

He couldn’t have been more wrong.

Ashton Lane was surrounded by enough mysteries to last an entire lifetime, yet somehow every answer only created even more questions.

Even the school itself was one giant mystery.

Pairing it together with Ashton certainly wasn’t doing Noah’s mental health any favors.

"It would’ve been much easier if you were really as boring as I thought."

Noah muttered under his breath, half asleep, completely exhausted, and desperately craving sleep.

"Ashton, you’re not saying anything. That’s not fair. If it were Killian, you’d be pampering him already, but me? Nothing."

Noah felt dangerously close to screaming at Damian to leave him alone.

Then he suddenly remembered what the voice and Harold told him.

His mates and bonding partners.

Were the four Alphas.

He immediately facepalmed.

Well...

Trouble was officially his permanent roommate.

"Oh my gosh, guys... I think the gardener stopped moving."

Eugene’s strange fascination with the mysterious figure was honestly becoming disturbing.

Noah couldn’t understand why Eugene was so obsessed.

Then again...

He wasn’t exactly innocent either.

A part of him wanted to know who the stranger was.

Another part wanted to stay as far away from that cemetery as humanly possible.

"Let’s just go. What’s the worst that could happen?"

Damian insisted.

Noah stared at him.

Was Damian naturally optimistic...

Or simply incapable of recognizing danger?

"Well... I could make an entire list."

Noah counted on his fingers.

"We could get beheaded."

"Disappear without leaving a trace."

"Get murdered."

"Burned alive."

"If that thing breathes fire."

"Or maybe it skins people alive."

He shrugged.

"I’m sure there are plenty more possibilities."

Silence.

The atmosphere became so heavy it almost resembled the cemetery itself.

Every single male slowly turned to stare at Noah.

He groaned.

Great.

Now he sounded like the pessimistic one.

"Hello, boys."

Harold’s voice suddenly echoed from behind them.

"I heard some people wanted to visit the cemetery. Why don’t we all go together?"

Noah nearly jumped out of his own skin.

His heart slammed violently against his ribs.

He spun around.

"Maybe the Alphas learned sneaking around from you because what the actual hell was that?"

Harold only winked.

"Come on. Let’s find out who the mysterious gardener really is. I’m bringing a protection spell with me, so nothing will happen as long as you stay close."

The four Alphas instantly brightened.

Some of them even clapped excitedly.

Noah sighed.

"All this excitement is going to disappear the second we find out it’s some horrifying abomination digging graves."

Harold merely smiled while watching them bicker.

Almost unconsciously, the four young men gathered around Noah, subtly placing themselves between him and every possible danger.

One stood beside him.

Another slightly behind.

The remaining two instinctively covered his blind spots.

No one mentioned it.

Yet everyone did it naturally.

Strangely...

Noah didn’t even seem overwhelmed anymore.

Harold quietly watched the scene.

Worry crept into his eyes.

Soon...

The Emperor would arrive.

The Dean had already informed every member of staff.

Once he came, the official mating ceremony involving Sylvia and the four Alphas would finally begin.

And if that happened...

What exactly would become of Noah?

The thought lingered heavily inside Harold’s chest.

Eventually they reached the back of the clinic.

Killian’s lodge stood silently nearby while the cemetery stretched endlessly ahead beneath the pale moonlight.

The countless gravestones looked almost ghostly beneath the silver glow.

The silhouette...

Was still there.

"Now..."

Harold stepped forward first.

"Let’s find out what the hell is going on over there."

Noah instinctively moved to follow.

Before his foot could even touch the ground—

Strong arms suddenly wrapped around him.

In one smooth motion Killian lifted him effortlessly into his embrace.

"We’re not letting you walk in first."

Killian adjusted Noah more comfortably against him.

"You could get hurt."

His voice softened.

"And someone as beautiful as you shouldn’t have even a single scratch on their body."

Noah landed securely against Killian’s chest before the taller man calmly continued walking toward the cemetery.

None of the others complained.

If anything...

They looked oddly pleased.

Carrying Noah simply made protecting him much easier.