Free Web NovelChapter 76: Chapter 76
While most campsites spent the night telling stories around the campfire, Cecil’s group scattered to their various tents after dinner, the campfire left to slowly die outside the closed tents.
It was still too early to sleep so most of them just laid around listlessly in their tents, nothing to do.
When the campsite got quieter, a few already hitting the sack, Hunt quietly snuck out and lightly tapped on Terrell’s tent.
Terrell unzipped his tent and made space for Hunt to come in. "What’s the matter?" freewebnøvel.coɱ
"What do you say we play a little prank?" He whispered deviously.
Terrell was skeptical. "What prank?"
"Hear me out first, the campfire is still burning, how about we place a little bit of tinder by the cocky bastard’s tent? It’s a little windy, who’s to say the flint wasn’t blown to his tent by the wind?" He explained hurriedly, dark eyes gleaming even in the dim light of the tent.
Terrell immediately jumped on board. "I doubt he’s asleep but even if he is, someone else will notice the fire if it gets big enough. It’ll be even better if it’s either of us who raises the alarm."
Hunt grinned. "I’ll do it!" He decided, already heading for the exit.
"Don’t make the flint too big now." Terrell cautioned, keeping an eye on him from the safety of his tent.
Hunt skillfully did the deed, making sure to put it right at the foot of the tent so it’ll catch right away. He hurried back to his tent immediately after it was done, zipping his tent as he waited impatiently for the pandemonium that was sure to follow in a few moments.
Terrell also sat hunched in front of his zipped tent, holding his breath as the smell of smoke wafted his way.
The wind had worked quicker than was expected, the unmistakably sound of burning starting up, still there was no sound of an alarm being raised.
Sweat dripped down the side of Terrell’s face, had the Alpha actually been asleep? They had just wanted to pull a prank on him, burning him alive in his tent had never been part of the plan.
Inside his own tent, Hunt was in an even worse state, he knelt at the mouth of his tent, so tense that he forgot to blink.
Meanwhile, in the tent next to Alois’ slowly burning tent, Cecil wrinkled his nose, pushing his annoying roommate as far away as the limited space would let him.
"Do you smell that?" He frowned, fighting to stop Alois from cuddling him because he knew well what would happen if he did.
More kiss bruises, which ultimately meant more awkward conversations with Perry.
Alois hummed, half asleep. "Smell what?" He asked, holding apart Cecil’s hands to stop him from pushing him away.
Cecil got ticked off, "If you’d stop trying to shove your face in my neck for a second, you probably would." He complained, helpless to stop Alois from getting what he wanted.
Alois paused an inch away from Cecil’s neck, "Is it morning already? Why is it getting brighter?"
"Fire!" Chaotic yells from the others made them spring apart.
Cecil shoved his head out of his tent first, the growing fire illuminating his horrified expression.
Alois’ tent was literally burning down to the ground!
"What’s going o...?" Alois started to ask nonchalantly, trying to poke his head out, only to get shoved back in by Cecil.
Meanwhile, outside, the rest of the group members were trying to put out the fire, Perry worriedly calling out for Alois.
"I hear my name..." Alois tried again, only to get pushed back by Cecil who was at a loss for what to do.
Should he come out with the truth that Alois had been in his tent? That would only worsen his current standing with Alois in front of the rest, we’ll except Perry, everything went right over his head.
They quickly put out the fire and Cecil expelled his breath, coming out and letting Alois do the same.
"He’s not in the tent." He announced dryly, halting Perry who had been busy searching the charred sleeping bag like he truly believed that Alois had been burnt with it.
Alois’ eyes cleared at this sight, the smell of smoke filling the campsite. "My tent was on fire?"
"Oh, Alois! You’re alright!" Perry straightened up, a look of relief on his soot-covered face.
"We were only able to save your backpack," Leeson muttered, walking over to hand it to him.
"What caused the fire?" Cecil cleared his throat to ask, stepping forward to get a proper look at the damage.
Leeson kept a straight face. "No idea, although it’s rather surprising that you didn’t notice a tent burning down right next to yours..."
Cecil shot him a dark look. "What was that?"
"Nothing, nothing." He quickly backtracked, calling for Perry. "Perry! Let’s go wash the soot off!"
Alois stepped forward as well, an impenetrable mask on as he did a thorough search of the burnt-down tent.
"Could it have been a spark from the fire?" One of the trio of Alphas spoke up, looking skeptically at the dying campfire.
"Only a little spark couldn’t have possibly burnt down the whole tent." One of Seton’s followers said.
Hunt and Terrell had helped put out the fire, dread trickling down their throats as they also believed that Alois had been inside his tent. They both watched Alois with wary eyes, wondering how he would take this.
The prank had been a total fail, they hadn’t expected the Alpha to not be in his tent.
Alois closed his fingers around a piece of burnt wood, the charcoal staining his palms. "Garvin is right, it must have been a spark from the campfire, we should put it out just to be safe." He said, getting to his feet. freeweɓnovel.cѳm
"What’s going to happen now?" Cecil crossed his arms.
Alois grinned. "You’re the captain, it is only fair that you let me crash with you."
The rest of the group members seemed satisfied with the outcome, as long as the campfire was put out before they retired for the night, there wouldn’t be a repeat of the incident.
Hunt and Terrell quietly went back to their tents as well, trying not to draw attention to themselves.
Outside, right beside the charred remains of the tent stood a shocked Cecil, standing in the wake of his group members returning to their various tents.
