Beta Ethan was stunned for a moment, then let out a chuckle. “We’ve all been there. Any misunderstanding can be cleared up if you talk to her. You should do that, you’ll see it’ll help.”
“There’s no misunderstanding, Ethan,” Ryland snapped. “Elara has always been manipulative and scheming. Always making herself the victim. She fooled everyone, but not me. Now, I can see her for what she is.”
His words cut through me like the cold wind, leaving a hollow in my chest. Even after death, I couldn’t escape being bad-mouthed by him or escape the pain he caused me.
I had once dreamed of a future where Ryland and I would rule the Crescent Moon Pack together, side by side, as Alpha and Luna, but now, that dream was buried—along with the pieces of my body that had been strewn across the pack territory.
To Ryland, I was nothing but a forgotten memory from his past that he wished to erase from his life. And yet, as I watched him, I couldn’t help but wonder if there was still a part of him that would mourn me—if he knew the truth.
Elara POV
When Ryland mentioned me, the anger and disgust in his eyes were unmistakable. Before Beta Ethan could say anything else, Ryland had already turned on his heel and started towards the pack hospital.
Seventy-two hours might not seem like a challenge for Ryland, given his reputation as an Intelligent Alpha with enhanced senses and skills but as Ryland pieced together the clue, his frown deepened.
Both canine teeth were missing from the victim's mouth, and the remaining teeth had been filed down, making dental identification impossible. Ryland sighed deeply at the corpse.
“The victim was a she-wolf, probably between twenty-three and twenty-eight years old,” Ryland said, his voice filled with exhaustion. “There are multiple claw marks throughout the body, about one hundred and eight minor wounds. But what killed her were two severe blows directly to the heart.”
He paused…
Ryland's eyes flickered all over my body as he continued, "Of all the body parts collected, two canine teeth are missing. The remaining teeth have residual traces of wolfsbane, making identification difficult."
Beta Ethan frowned as the gravity of the situation dawned on him. “This is unbelievable, Ryland. How can anyone in the pack – anyone with our blood – be capable of such cruelty? I swear by the moon, I’ll hunt them down and bring them to justice myself.”