[4] Arson!

Spotting the figure in the familiar outfit, Lolita gave an ear-piercing scream, filled with nothing but pain and regret. "Aaaahhhhhhhhh!"

Onlookers couldn't help feeling sorry for Lolita.

Since little Lolly was born, it has been her grandmother from day one. Her mother, Monica Clint, disappeared from the hospital on the day she gave birth to Lolita.

She was named Lolita because it has always been the name that Monica longed to give her daughter if she ever had one.

Before her reappearance in the town of Smallville, Monica Clint, a celebrated archaeologist in the whole of Green Crest, left on another one of her expeditions.

She later returned, heavily pregnant, after a year.

The town folks had never seen a father figure in the life of Lolita Clint, for the past sixteen years.

Even her mother was never found again after she delivered her.

The police closed her case after seven years of searching, as it had crossed the threshold for the case of a living person. Monica Clint was then pronounced dead, by the police, even though there was no dead body to ascertain such claims.

So tonight, in that fire, Lolita Clint lost her mother, her father, and her siblings. She virtually lost the only person she could ever call, family.

Everyone present could relate to how she felt. They all thought they understood her pain at the moment, but they were all so wrong.

Lolita is mourning for her grandmother, yes! However, her pain stems from the fact that she killed her grandmother with her own two hands.

She saved Gavin from the clutches of death, but what did he do? He sent his subordinates to silence her grandmother and herself.

Lolita couldn't understand! Is it so bad to save someone? Is it so hard for someone

to show gratitude? Why would he offer her death, in exchange for the life she gave him?

Thinking that she had killed her grandmother because she shouldn't have invited trouble into her house, she was devastated and broken beyond description.

Maybe her grandmother could have been with her at the moment.

"I'm sorry grandma!... It's all...my fault! grandma...I'm really! really! sorry!"

[ Sobs! ] [Sobs! ] [Sobs! ]

Lolita kept mumbling what no one could hear, nor could they understand, even if they heard her.

When the fire truck finally arrived, Lolita looked on absentmindedly as they tried their best to douse the flames.

The cause of the fire would later be announced as arson, just as Lolita already knows.

Unknown to her, there was indeed arson, but the person she is currently pointing fingers at is also facing his own problems at the moment, and actually has no time to even think of hurting his benefactor.

When personnel of the fire department attempted to question the disoriented Lolita, she stared at the person for a long while before blurting out, "arson"

When she trailed her sight again, Lolita wasn't able to spot the shadow behind the tree anymore.

She smiled in self-deprecation and said under her breath "Oh! Gavin! Just pray our paths never cross again...else...I'll personally kill you myself."

As the firefighters continued their work, more and more neighbors got attracted by the noise and came around to check out the situation. At this moment, no one even considered the bear attack anymore. All they could think about was what might have caused the fire that engulfed the Clint residence.

Where is grandma? Where is Lolita?

Those two questions were on the tongues of everyone who came around the scene.

Lolita was finally released by Xavier when she finally stopped struggling, and Xavier was sure she wouldn't attempt rushing into the burning house anymore.

There were no words to describe the mood at the moment, as everyone was shocked and speechless at the sight before them.

Granny Clint informed all those who were close to her about her travel plans to Greenville the following day. It is officially a few hours to the departure of the grandmother and granddaughter, but the situation has changed for the worse, as Granny Clint is nowhere to be seen at the moment.

Perhaps, it is more convenient to say that, she has kicked the bucket through the worst possible means.

Xavier kept answering questions on behalf of Lolita, who remained silent all along. No one was allowed to get close to Lolita, as she was definitely not in the right frame of mind.

Police officers at the scene could only question the neighbors in an attempt to get a possible lead at the scene.

What the onlookers do not know is that the perpetrators are not ones they could spot, even if they were around them. They are very elusive creatures who are seen if they allow and are also not seen if they do not wish to.

As evidenced by the fire before them, the perpetrators came in, bathed the whole room in chemicals only known to them, set the place on fire, and left, without as much as a single soul spotting them.

If Alpha Gavin or even Alpha Orsin had spotted any o the arsonists, they would have been able to recognize them as members of a rogue wolf Pack that the Dark-Dawn and Blue Fiend Packs had destroyed and annexed, many years ago.

This could also explain how come Gavin got tricked into Smallville and subsequently, the Hardwood forest.

The Alphas, Gavin, and Orsin were key players when their fathers launched the crusade against the rogues. The two packs did their best to end the activities of the rogue packs by absorbing them into their packs, but wouldn't be so deceitful to themselves by thinking they captured every single rogue there was.

Alpha Gavin would never believe what happened could be plotted by the rogues, neither would he have imagined what was about to happen, not even in his wildest dreams.

The firefighters clearly did their part and Lolita, as well as all others present, were witnesses to the fact that everything from the Clint household had been burnt to ashes.

There was not even a body to bury, even though Grandma Clint was undoubtedly indoors when the fire engulfed the building.