The water pressed against me like a vise as I continued my search, Adrianna's taunts echoing in my mind. My underwater light cut through the murk, illuminating small pockets of the seabed. Still no sign of the locket.

"Find it yet?" Adrianna's voice crackled through my comms, dripping with impatience.

"Not yet," I replied, trying to keep my breathing steady. The cold was seeping through my dry suit, numbing my fingertips despite the thermal layers.

I moved deeper, my fins stirring up clouds of silt that further reduced visibility. The third buoy should be nearby. I swept my light across the bottom, when suddenly my right fin caught on something.

"Damn," I muttered, trying to pull free.

The movement only made it worse. Whatever had snagged me was pulling tighter. I reached back with my hand, feeling along my equipment. My primary regulator line had wrapped around a jagged piece of metal debris—probably from an old boat wreck.

"Olivia?" Ty's voice came through the comms. "Everything okay?"

"Fine," I lied, not wanting to distract him or give Adrianna satisfaction. "Just checking something."

I tugged harder, but the line had become tangled in a mess of fishing net and rusted metal. My heart rate spiked as I realized I was trapped. The oxygen gauge on my wrist showed I had less than fifteen minutes remaining.

"Olivia?" This time it was Daniel's voice, cold and demanding. "What's taking so long?"

"I'm working on it," I replied, struggling to keep my voice calm as I worked at the tangle.

The regulator line was now wrapped around my backup oxygen tank as well. Panic fluttered in my chest as I realized how serious this had become. I was running out of time.

"Is it someone's mother out there, I wonder?" Adrianna's voice slithered through my comms again. "How terrible that would be."

My hands trembled as I fought with the debris. The darkness seemed to press closer, and my oxygen levels were dropping faster than I'd anticipated.

"Olivia!" Ty's voice cut through my panic. "I'm coming in."

"No!" I gasped. "Stay there. That's an order."

But even as I spoke, I heard the splash above me. Ty had disobeyed a direct order from Daniel to dive in after me.

"Your oxygen levels are dropping," he said when he reached me, his voice steady despite the danger. "We need to move fast."

He assessed the situation with a quick glance, then pulled a diving knife from his belt. With practiced precision, he began cutting through the tangled lines.

"Hold still," he instructed, his voice calm but focused. "I don't want to cut your equipment."

I watched as he worked, admiration mixing with fear. Ty had been training with me for less than a year, but his instincts were impeccable. Daniel would be furious that he'd defied orders, but right now, I didn't care.

"There," Ty said after what felt like an eternity. "You're free."

He grabbed my arm, and we ascended quickly toward the surface. When we broke through, I gulped in the cold night air, my lungs burning.

"What the hell are you doing?" Daniel's voice boomed from the dock. "Get back down there and find that locket!"

"Not until we check the drowning coordinates," I said, my voice stronger than I expected. "Someone could be dying out there."

"You're defying an Alpha command," Daniel snarled, his eyes flashing in the darkness.

"I'm doing my job," I replied, meeting his gaze steadily. "And so is Ty."

Without waiting for permission, I pulled out my GPS and punched in the original coordinates. "Let's go," I told Ty.

We swam to the location, the water feeling slightly warmer after our ascent. This time, we descended together, our lights cutting twin paths through the darkness.

"Search pattern delta," I instructed Ty. "We'll work outward from the center point."

The bottom here was different—rockier, with more marine life clinging to the surfaces. We moved methodically, our lights sweeping across the seabed.

"There," Ty pointed suddenly.

I followed his gesture and saw it—a dark shape partially buried in the sediment. We approached carefully, and I felt a chill that had nothing to do with the water temperature.

It was a body. Or what remained of one.

"Female," I said quietly as we examined the skeletal remains. "Been down here for at least a week."

The bones were scattered, partially covered in barnacles and sea grass. Fish had been feeding on the soft tissue, leaving behind only the hardest parts.

"We need to recover everything we can," I said, my professional training taking over despite the grimness of the task.

As we carefully collected the remains, placing them in our recovery bags, I couldn't shake the feeling that something about this discovery would change everything.

"Olivia," Ty said suddenly, his voice tight. "Look at this."

He held up what appeared to be a piece of fabric, partially decomposed but still recognizable as part of a dress.

"It's custom-made," he said quietly. "Look at the stitching pattern."

I took it from him, my heart sinking as I recognized the distinctive embroidery along the edge—the same pattern my mother had described when she'd told me about the dress she'd gifted to Daniel's mother.

The body bag felt heavier than it should have as Ty and I lifted it onto the dock. Water dripped from our gear, forming puddles on the wooden planks as we secured the remains. My hands trembled slightly as I unzipped the bag, the fabric clinging to my gloves.

"Let's document everything before we move the remains," I said, my voice steadier than I felt.

Ty nodded, his expression grim as he pulled out his camera. "I'll start with the external examination."

I gently brushed away debris from what remained of the victim's clothing. The fabric was partially decomposed, but certain features stood out clearly—the distinctive embroidery along the collar, the unique stitching pattern I'd seen countless times before.

"No," I whispered, my breath catching in my throat. "It can't be."

Ty looked up from his camera. "What's wrong?"

I traced the embroidery with my fingertip, the pattern so familiar it made my stomach twist. "This dress... my mother showed me the design when she visited last month. She'd made it as a gift."

"For who?" Ty asked, though I could see in his eyes he already suspected the answer.

"For Daniel's mother," I said, my voice barely audible over the gentle lapping of waves against the dock. "She said it was a special design—one of a kind."

The implications hit me like a physical blow. The victim wasn't just anyone—it was the former Luna of our pack, Daniel's own mother.

"Oh god," I murmured, gathering the fabric carefully. "We need to notify Daniel immediately."

As if summoned by my words, headlights swept across the parking lot above the dock. Daniel's SUV screeched to a halt, and he stormed down the ramp, Adrianna trailing behind him.

"What the hell is going on?" he demanded, his Alpha tone making the air vibrate. "You were supposed to find Adrianna's locket, not waste time with some anonymous corpse!"

I stood slowly, clutching the fabric sample in my hand. "Daniel, I think you need to see this."

"Not until you explain why you defied my direct order!" His eyes flashed dangerously in the darkness.

"Daniel," I said again, my voice softer but firm. "I believe we've found your mother."

The words hung in the air between us. For a moment, everything went still—even the waves seemed to stop their gentle rhythm against the dock.

"That's impossible," he said finally, his voice hollow. "My mother is visiting her sister in Vancouver."

I held out the fabric sample. "This is the dress my mother designed for her. The one she was wearing when she left three weeks ago."

Daniel stared at the fabric, his face draining of color. "No," he whispered. "No, it can't be."

Adrianna stepped forward, her eyes wide with mock sympathy. "Oh my god, Daniel. How terrible!"

But I caught the flicker of something else in her expression—calculation, not compassion.

Daniel's denial lasted only moments before reality seemed to crash down on him. His knees buckled slightly, and he gripped the railing for support.

"This is your fault," he hissed suddenly, his head snapping up to glare at me. "If you had listened to me—if you had found Adrianna's locket first like I ordered—we might have reached her in time!"

The accusation hit me like a physical blow. "Daniel, we were delayed by almost an hour searching for the locket. By the time we reached the coordinates—"

"Excuses!" he roared, his Alpha voice making several pack members who had gathered at the scene flinch. "You're the professional diver, the Beta! You should have found a way!"

I stood my ground, even as his words cut deep. "The water conditions were treacherous. We did everything we could once we reached the coordinates."

"Liar!" Daniel's face contorted with rage and something else—fear. "If you had been competent, my mother would still be alive!"

The pack members exchanged glances, some looking uncertain, others openly suspicious. I could see the seeds of doubt taking root in their expressions.

"Daniel," I said quietly, "we need to focus on recovering all the remains and notifying the authorities."

"No," he snarled, pointing at me with a trembling finger. "You need to admit your failure. Your incompetence cost my mother her life!"

Adrianna stepped closer to Daniel, her hand sliding possessively around his arm. "Maybe if Olivia had been more efficient," she suggested softly, "this tragedy could have been avoided."

I watched as the pack's eyes turned toward me, some filled with questions, others with outright accusation. The weight of their collective judgment pressed down on me like a physical force.

"Daniel," Ty spoke up, his young voice steady despite the tension. "Beta Olivia did everything by the book. The delay wasn't her fault."

"Be quiet!" Daniel snapped. "You're just her apprentice. You don't know anything!"

The whispers began then—low murmurs that rippled through the gathered pack members. I stood straight-backed and proud, but inside, something cold and heavy settled in my chest.

The discord had begun.

The pack's whispers followed me as I walked away from the dock, their accusations and doubts clinging to me like a second skin. I'd barely made it back to the recovery station when I noticed something was wrong.

"Ty," I called, my voice low and urgent. "Did you secure the remains?"

He nodded, confusion crossing his features. "Of course. I locked them in the preservation unit myself."

I moved quickly to the storage area, my instincts screaming that something wasn't right. The lock on the preservation unit was intact, but when I opened it, my blood ran cold.

"Ty," I whispered, "count the fragments."

He stepped forward, his face paling as he examined the contents. "Three... four... no, this isn't right. There should be at least twelve pieces."

I reached in with gloved hands, carefully examining what remained. "Someone took the larger fragments—the ones with the most distinctive markings."

"Who would do this?" Ty's voice cracked with outrage. "These remains deserve respect."

I didn't answer, already knowing exactly who was responsible. I'd seen the calculating look in Adrianna's eyes at the dock, the way she'd hovered near our equipment while Daniel was distracted.

"Check the security footage," I said, my voice tight with controlled anger.

---

Two hours later, I sat in front of my computer, watching Adrianna's livestream with growing horror. She'd set up an elaborate display—black velvet draped behind her, candles casting eerie shadows across her face.

"Welcome to my special Halloween edition," she announced to her thousands of followers, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "Today, I'm debuting my new gothic jewelry line inspired by... death itself."

She reached off-camera and returned with something clutched in her hand. When she opened her fingers, I felt sick.

"These beautiful pendants are crafted from authentic bone fragments," she said, holding up what could only be described as a necklace with a small, polished section of human bone. "Each one is unique—just like you."

The camera zoomed in as she displayed more pieces, each one more grotesque than the last. Some were carved into skull shapes, others polished to a gleaming shine.

"These aren't just any bones," she continued, her eyes glittering with malice. "They come from a very special source—a family tragedy that will never be forgotten."

My hands trembled as I reached for my phone. This was beyond disrespect—this was desecration.

"Look at this one," Adrianna said, lifting a pendant that made my heart stop. It was a small section of what looked like a finger bone, carved with the same distinctive pattern I'd seen on Daniel's mother's dress.

"This particular piece has an amazing story behind it," she said, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Some say it belonged to someone who drowned... someone whose son couldn't save her because he was too busy with other things."

The comments section exploded with excitement. Adrianna's followers ate it up, begging for prices and ordering information.

"Each piece is one-of-a-kind and priced accordingly," she said. "But for my special fans, I'm offering a limited-time discount."

I scrolled through the comments, my nausea building as I saw Daniel's name appear.

"Amazing work, babe!" he'd commented, his profile picture showing his Alpha status prominently displayed. "So proud of your creativity and success!"

He'd followed it with several heart emojis and a comment: "Can't wait to see the whole collection in person tonight!"

The pack's honor for the dead was sacred—a cornerstone of our beliefs. Yet here was our Alpha, publicly praising the desecration of his own mother's remains.

My phone rang, startling me from my horrified trance. Unknown number.

"Hello?" I answered cautiously.

"Olivia?" My mother's voice came through clearly, her French accent unmistakable. "I've been trying to reach you for hours!"

"Mom?" Relief flooded through me so intensely my knees nearly buckled. "Are you okay?"

"Of course I'm okay," she said, confusion evident in her tone. "I'm in Paris, at the café by Notre Dame like I told you I would be. Why wouldn't I be okay?"

I sank into a chair, my entire body shaking with emotion. "Someone suggested... I thought maybe..."

"Oh, Olivia," her voice softened with understanding. "What's happening there? Are you safe?"

I closed my eyes, the image of Adrianna's grotesque display still burned into my retinas. "No, Mom. I'm not safe. But knowing you're okay... that helps."

We talked for nearly an hour, her voice a lifeline in the chaos that had become my life. When we finally hung up, I sat motionless, staring at the wall.

The call had confirmed what I'd suspected but dreaded—the remains we'd recovered were definitely Daniel's mother. And somewhere in the pack, Adrianna still had the stolen fragments, likely planning more horrific displays.

My phone buzzed with a text from Ty: "Emergency meeting called by Daniel. All pack members required to attend. Now."

I stood slowly, a cold resolve settling over me like armor. Whatever Adrianna and Daniel had planned next, I would face it head-on. For the sake of the dead—and the living.