DMYC Chapter 15

“Hmm… Wilkins! Wilkins! Yes, you. Come over here.”

The chief, tilting his head in thought, soon called out to one of the men drinking among the crowd and gestured for him to come closer. Wilkins, who was drinking with his colleagues, approached them with a reluctant expression, beer in hand.

“Yes, Chief. What is it?”

He cast a glance at Grayson, his gaze filled with disapproval. The chief then spoke,

“Miller is looking for someone. You were the one who led the team into the mansion back then, right?”

The chief introduced Wilkins to Grayson.

“This is Darius Wilkins. Wilkins, this is Grayson Miller, as you already know. He’ll be working on your team from now on. Grayson, this is the team leader of the team you’ll be joining.”

Wilkins’ face immediately darkened. He looked at the chief, arms spread wide, as if shouting, “What are you talking about?!” Despite his blatant rejection, Grayson casually grabbed Wilkins’ hand and shook it without hesitation.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I look forward to working with you.”

Wilkins, dumbfounded, pointedly gestured at Grayson with his free hand and shrugged at the chief. The chief deliberately ignored Wilkins’ accusing glare and patted both of their arms.

“I hope you two get along well. Wilkins is a good team leader, so follow his instructions, alright, Miller?”

“Of course, Chief. I certainly will.”

Grayson replied readily, but Wilkins clearly looked unconvinced. He roughly pulled his hand away, as if he had touched something dirty, glared at Grayson, and said to the chief,

“So, are we done here? I’m going back to my team.”

“Wait a minute.”

The chief called out to Wilkins, who was about to turn around and leave. Wilkins reluctantly turned back, and the chief, pointing at Grayson, said,

“Take your team member with you.”

Wilkins’ jaw dropped, and he mouthed, “What?!” He spread his arms wide again and let them fall, and the chief admonished him sternly,

“Isn’t this a good opportunity? Let him meet and get to know the team. That’s what this is for.”

He wasn’t wrong. Wilkins sighed dramatically and turned away. The chief nudged Grayson and said,

“Follow him. They’re your future colleagues, so say hello…”

“So that team was the one that went into the mansion that time?”

Grayson interrupted the chief again. His attention seemed to be completely elsewhere, and the chief, seemingly resigned to his behavior, nodded with a weary expression.

“Yes, you’ll find out who it was if you ask…”

By the time he finished saying “ask,” Grayson was already gone. The fire chief, left alone, finished his sentence weakly and sighed.

* * *

The team leader had been definitely alone when he was summoned by the chief, but he wasn’t alone when he returned. The team members, who were waiting at a round standing table, drinking and chatting, looked at him in surprise as he returned with the unwelcome addition.

Wilkins mouthed, “I know,” but there was nothing he could do. The team members watched Grayson with hostile gazes as he naturally approached their table and took a spot.

“Hi, hello, hey there.”

Grayson greeted each of them with a nod and a bright smile, but no one smiled back. In this situation, most people would feel intimidated by the awkward atmosphere, but unfortunately, their target was Grayson Miller. 

Just how thick-skinned could one person be? This shameless man showed not even the slightest hint of embarrassment. Rather, the team members were so taken aback by his cheerful demeanor and outstretched hand for a handshake that they soon lost all their fighting spirit. As the team members silently drank their beer with disheartened expressions, Grayson started the conversation.

“This team was the one that went inside Mendez’s mansion to rescue people when the fire broke out, right?”

“Mendez?”

“You know, that pheromone party.”

One team member asked without thinking, and another nudged him with their elbow and said,

“The one where Extreme Alphas gather together to have a fucking orgy, claiming it’s to release their pheromones. Like, ‘I’m cumming! Brrrrrr. Uggghhh! Pheromones, my pheromones are being released! My brain is being released too!’”

He exaggeratedly thrust his hips back and forth, imitating the moans of an Alpha, and the team members who were gathered around burst out laughing. Naturally, it was even more amusing because it was a mockery directed at Grayson. They threw their heads back and laughed heartily, but they abruptly stopped when they saw Grayson laughing along with them.

What the hell? Is he crazy?

A similar thought crossed their minds. Their smiles gradually faded, and they stared at him with bewildered expressions. As they fell silent, Grayson, who had been laughing hysterically on his own, also came to a stop. When his face suddenly went blank, like a mask snapping into place, the others felt something beyond mere discomfort—an eerie chill ran down their spines.

What the hell is wrong with this bastard?

“Why? Go on. It was funny.”

“…”

“Is that it? Well, whatever.”

Grayson shrugged his shoulders as if to make a point.

“Anyway, it just so happens that I was in that mansion at the time. I’m an Extreme Alpha, you see, and I thought I’d release some pheromones. But thanks to the fire, I never got the chance. Luckily, my brain’s still intact.”

As Grayson continued, the faces of the men at the table darkened by the second. They realized that he wasn’t someone they could easily deal with. If he was just an asshole with a bad temper or a trashy personality, they could settle things with a fistfight, but it was never a good idea to mess with a crazy person.

“Uh, well, I… I have something to do.”

The man who had mocked Grayson earlier tried to discreetly leave, and others quickly followed suit. But before they could even take a step, Grayson stopped them.

“Stop.”

At the chilling command, those who were trying to run away froze in their tracks. They reluctantly turned around to see Grayson, his face still expressionless, ordering them,

“I have some questions, so gather around. Now.”

“…”

“Come here, right now.”

With a deliberate motion, he tapped his middle finger on the table, and they hesitantly returned. They exchanged uneasy glances in the awkward silence, and Grayson, after looking at each of them, spoke,

“Is this everyone who went into the mansion that day?”

His tone, colder than before, puzzled the team members and they could only blink. For some reason, the atmosphere suddenly felt like an interrogation, and they hesitated to speak. Wilkins was the first to ask,

“Why are you asking all of a sudden? Why do you want to know?”

Grayson smiled at the blunt question. The team members felt a strange sense of unease again. Was this really the time to be smiling? Smiling to appease someone’s hostility was a common social tactic everyone did on a daily basis. However, there was something unsettling about this man’s smile. 

What was it?

Before they could find an answer, Grayson opened his mouth,

“I want to find the person who saved me that day. I don’t know how I lost consciousness, but when I woke up, I was in a hospital bed. If that person hadn’t saved me, I would probably be dead.”

He put one hand on his chest with a deeply moved expression and sighed deeply.

“Thanks to them, I’m still alive. I want to repay the favor, or at the very least, express my gratitude but I don’t know who it was.”

At his words, Wilkins looked at the rest of the team. As if asking, “Does anyone know?” Ezra, quick-witted as always, immediately stepped forward and asked loudly,

“Well, it was so chaotic back then, I don’t really remember. Does anyone remember?”

The other team members all shook their heads, repeating that they didn’t know. Grayson narrowed his eyes and furrowed his brows, but their responses didn’t change. He slowly ran a hand through his hair and muttered as if to himself, but loud enough for everyone to hear,

“Everyone says they don’t know, even though I want to repay them…”

Then he smiled sweetly and said,

“I guess I’ll have no choice but to find them myself, then.”