Alpha's Tears after My Death

My Alpha was in another location, enjoying a meal with the she-wolf he truly desired, while they were chewing on my insides and severing parts of my body, laughing at how Moon Howlers' Luna's blood was flowing like a river. As I drew near death from the agonizing sound of my wolf's howl, he was commemorating the tenth anniversary of their initial encounter.

Survival was my goal. Until I could hardly keep my head above water. "Excuse me, my Alpha..." I beg you, rescue me.

Unfortunately, my pleading was ignored. Our mindlink served no purpose if he was uninterested in responding to my cries.

"Please, Aurelia, stop manipulating me in this way. Tonight, I will not be returning home."

Got it. This useless partner would be unconcerned if I were to die in front of him. It could have been better in the end... Maybe I should have just died instead of relying on this ineffectual Alpha to rescue me from this tiny hellhole.

Suddenly, after three lunar cycles, the Alpha and the entire Consul of the Moon Howlers Pack were looking into a string of killings in and around Winter Town, the pack's home. All the wolves were talking about the horrific killings.

At the heart of the pack's gathering place stood Alpha Reymond, flanked by the elders, his Beta, and the healers. Until her very last breath, the victim fought for survival. Once we've solved this case, we can send her soul to the Moon Goddess with peace of mind.

He was analyzing the circumstances surrounding the death of his own mate, whom he despised and never loved, yours truly, without realizing it.

--- Who would have guessed that a piece of me was among the debris tossed onto the piled-up rubbish? Impressive, wasn't I?

There was an unsettling stillness in the town as the night fell. Things had always happened to Winter that made headlines, but that particular night was far scarier than any of the others. As he paced the deserted roadside, an old man who had transformed into a wolf was startled. He could not stand the smell, which was like a dead rat decaying in the air, and it got worse as he got closer.

A piece of myself was discovered at that very moment. A human leg bone was found in the black bag amidst the piled trash.

As soon as word got to the pack's consul, I found myself supervising everyone's efforts to unearth additional cadavers around town.

It was like something out of a nightmare at that moment. The Moon Howlers Consul was overly preoccupied with identifying the killer they had found.

Can we see the beginnings of pack wars here? "So far, I haven't noticed any suspicious activity from the nearby packs," one of the wise men said.

Who am I kidding?

In the same moonlight, I could make out no one in a mirror. No, I wasn't present. There was no reflection of me.

Have I truly transformed into a Lunar Wraith? An enraged ghost too wounded to venture beyond the river valley in search of a new existence. I was a Lunar Wraith, and I longed for peace and justice more than anything.

Just as one of the pack members had announced, "The Alpha is here," my mate, Alpha Reymond Thunderheart, was sitting there.

The spot where they discovered a fragment of me was on the side of the road. They examine the blood splatters and the black bag containing a piece of my flesh. My heart was literally pounding because of how utterly screwed up it was.

The horror show that was unfolding before my friend was shocking even to him. "This is absolutely shocking," he whispered, his face turning pale.

At the same time, Harry Sage, the pack's Beta, was personally checking everything.

"Alright, let's dissect it all. Nothing can be left behind.

Like the astute wolf that he was, Reymond then meticulously detailed everything. "Look at these spills? The victim appears to have been killed by claws. Are those scribbles on the wall? At all times, she must have been wide awake.

As far as the pack's healer is concerned, our victim is a young woman under the age of thirty, the Beta said while ruffling his hair. Who did she mess with to get herself into this jam?

At that very second, the hard-thinking Reymond had a suspicion. "This isn't just some savage killing. Someone is really resentful and they're only going to get worse. We will not tolerate the involvement of any pack in this. A price would be paid for their transgressions.

You won't believe what happened next. In this, he was correct. I could see that Reymond's instincts were more acute than his claws when he transformed into his wolf form, despite the abundance of criticism directed towards him.

When he finally understood everything, I would give anything to see his expression. In retrospect, maybe being a Lunar Wraith wasn't so terrible. Did the Moon Goddess send the sliver of my spirit here to see my partner's pain?

A ring was discovered at the crime scene shortly thereafter by the Consul.

We put a seal on the discovered ring. The evidence is crucial," remarked one of the pack Consul members.

Without showing any emotion, Reymond took up the sealed ring upon hearing that. Harry, who was standing right next to the Alpha, froze as he stared at the bloodstained ring.

"Alpha, do you recognize this ring?" he whispered when his curiosity got the best of him. You remember the Luna mateship ring, right?

But as he examined the item, Reymond showed no signs of caring. He took a quick look at its features and took note of every detail, even the part on the inside that wasn't engraved.

I'd say it's essentially the same style. Do you remember how common these rings were in that era?" Over his shoulder, he shrugged.

Left alone after the Consul had left, Reymond lingered at the scene, deep in contemplation. He looked down after some thought, and I could tell he was attempting to communicate with me through our mindlink because of the changes in his eye color.

Since I was already here—a solitary Lunar Wraith—who would respond to him?

Standing there, his eyes glowing as he tried to channel the power bestowed upon him, he failed time and time again.

"Oh no. Did I just say that she isn't listening to me? She just has tantrums all the time!

The mateship rings we possessed, according to Reymond's certainty, bore inscriptions within.

But seriously, my Alpha, his acute intuition and Alpha brain were useless since he had no idea that metal engravings could be easily removed. I removed our initials in just six months!