When the rogue's claws plunged into my flesh, I could feel every ounce of agony, but what hurt more was the cold indifference of my mate, the Alpha. It was the tenth anniversary of his first meeting with his first love, and he was celebrating, oblivious to my plight. Without a wolf spirit to defend myself, I was helpless.

As the rogue tore into me, I managed to send a desperate mindlink to him, but his response was as cutting as the rogue’s attack. "Don't think this will catch my attention. You're nothing but a pathetic clown!"

Oddly, a part of me felt relief. At least he wouldn’t come and get hurt. Right.

Three days later, our pack was thrown into chaos. The body of a brutally murdered woman was discovered, stirring fear and alarm among everyone. As the Alpha, he took it upon himself to find the killer, dissecting every detail of her torment with cold precision. "She fought 'til the very end," he marveled at her fierce will to survive, piecing together each moment of her suffering with a detached intellect.

However, he failed to realize that the murdered woman was his most hated mate—me, his Luna.

***

My body was found in a garbage dump.

Early one morning, an omega maid, going about her routine, lugged heavy trash out to the dump.

Suddenly, she was tripped by a black bag on the ground and the bag burst open, its contents spilling across the ground. Her heart stopped when she saw what had tumbled out—a human leg bone.

“Oh my Goodness! What…” She screamed, her cry echoing through the quiet air, drawing a crowd. Fear and curiosity mingled as wolves gathered around, staring in horror at the bloody flesh.

As they searched the dump, more horrors emerged. Other bags were torn open, revealing dismembered body parts hidden among the garbage. The realization that someone had been brutally killed and discarded like trash sent a wave of terror through the pack. Whispers of panic spread quickly. Who could do such a thing? And who would be next?

To calm his terrified pack, my husband, Alpha Chris Camelon, stepped forward. As the alpha of Blue Moon Pack, he had seen many killings before—traitors, enemies, even members of rival packs. He was no stranger to violence and bloodshed. But this was different. This was beyond anything he had encountered.

Determined to find answers, Chris led his pack members through the night, tirelessly searching for the place where the crime had happened. The scene they found was like a nightmare. Blood stained the ground in ominous patterns, some splattered in wide arcs, others pooling in dark, sticky patches.

"This is too cruel," Chris murmured, his voice filled with a mix of anger and disbelief. "It looks like several people tortured one person to death."

Robert, his Beta and closest friend, looked puzzled. "Why do you think that, Alpha?" He asked, trying to understand.

Chris pointed to the evidence around them. "Look at these circular bloodstains. They’re up to a meter wide, which means something was cut out from the victim’s body here. And see these handprints on the walls? Some are deep, as if the person was struggling. The victim was conscious while being tortured."

Upon hearing that, Robert shook his head, the horror of it all sinking in. "The pack healer said the victim was a young woman under thirty. What kind of hatred could drive someone to do this?"

Chris’s face darkened with suspicion. "This isn’t a simple accident. There’s something bigger going on. This kind of torture suggests a deeper conspiracy."

As he spoke, I watched from the sides, a silent observer in a spirit form. My heart ached while looking at them. Even in the face of such horror, my mate was sharp and determined. He was already putting together the pieces of the puzzle. Now, I wondered how long it would take him to discover the truth?

Amidst the grim scene, someone found a ring. It was covered in blood, its once-shiny surface dulled by the grime. Chris picked it up, his brow furrowing as he examined it.

"Alpha, this ring looks a lot like your mateship ceremony ring," Robert said quietly, his voice tinged with uncertainty.

Chris paused, turning the ring over in his hand. The inside was smooth, with no inscriptions or markings. "It might just be a similar design," he replied, though his tone was hesitant, as if he was trying to convince himself.

He stood there for a long time, staring at the ring. Finally, he tried to reach me through our mindlink, a bond that allowed us to communicate telepathically. When I didn’t respond, anger creased his features. He cut off the connection abruptly. "Always with the silent treatment," he muttered. "Don’t respond then! It can’t be her anyway."

He was confident because our wedding rings had our initials engraved on them.

But, my dear Alpha, there was something you didn’t realize. Engravings on metal are easily worn away.

It only took me three months to wear down the initials of our names.

The pack healer painstakingly worked for nearly two full days, aided by five or six others, to meticulously piece my torn body back together. It was a harrowing sight, even for me, to see my lifeless form on the cold dissection table.

Beta Robert grimly pointed out the obvious. "Her head is missing, and there's a chunk of her ankle gone too."

Chris remained silent; his expression thoughtful as he pondered the implications of these missing body parts.

Finally, he spoke with a heavy tone. "Do we have any idea who she might be?"

To his dismay, Robert shook his head solemnly. "Not yet. They removed her scent glands, making it impossible to identify if she belonged to our pack. We're counting on the witch's return; her blood holds the key to unlocking time magic. Don’t worry, she's expected to arrive in three days."

My mate nodded silently, his gaze distant and troubled. Does he find me hard to look at too? But all of this is because of him.

Back at our home, he avoided seeing me—the woman he never truly loved, bound to him only by a reluctant pact. And even to my death, he refused to see me. No, he didn’t even recognize me.

When I looked at him again, I noticed that he seemed unusually restless. The next thing I knew, he was already shedding his human form to become Jasper, his majestic silver-gray wolf with eyes that mirrored his conflicted soul.

Jasper let out a long, relieved howl. "Finally, a chance to roam freely! It's been far too long."

Chris sighed deeply. "I've been consumed by that gruesome case. Until now, no leads yet."

At that point, Jasper suddenly halted; his demeanor serious. "You know, some of my wolf acquaintances mentioned a rogue mercenary group causing chaos these days. They're ruthless—extracting organs, draining blood, and dismembering bodies. They'll commit any atrocity for the right price."

The moment Chris heard that, his brow furrowed with concern. "Do you think this case is related to them?"

Jasper nodded solemnly. "It's eerily similar."

That was when the Alpha's jaw tightened. "I'm sorry, buddy. Today's run has to be cut short. We need to head back."

The moment his wolf heard that, Jasper grumbled discontentedly but shifted back to human form.

Later, at the pack gathering, Chris addressed everyone with urgency. "We must investigate every lead in the group of rogues. If it turns out one of our own was targeted and killed by them, we'll exact swift justice. They won't escape punishment."

I was always there, listening and observing them. I wondered how he would react when confronted with reality? Will he shed a tear, or will he turn his back like he always does?

As the meeting concluded and Chris prepared to leave, his beta called out to him.

"Alpha, wait!" Beta Robert plucked a long, curly strand of hair from the Alpha's shoulder, unmistakably a woman's.

With a hint of mischief, Robert teased, “This looks like Luna's hair, doesn’t it?”

“None of your concern.” Chris swiftly snatched the hair and tucked it away, striding off without another word.

The poor beta scratched his head awkwardly, watching Chris depart with a mixture of curiosity.

If I were honest, I just wanted to remind them that if they found my missing head, they'd find out and remember that my hair was short and straight.

The hair clinging to Chris's shoulder belonged to his first love, Amber. On the fateful night of my brutal murder, Amber had leaned on my mate's shoulder, leaving behind that damning lock of hair.

I had been away from the pack house for three days now, yet my mate hadn't bothered to search for me. It was not the first time I went to my best friend's during our heated arguments about Amber. But this time, he was convinced it was just another one of my dramatic episodes. He didn't feel the need to pacify me, so he didn’t even bother to look.

At that moment, through a mindlink, Amber's voice trembled, "Alpha, there's a blizzard tonight. I'm really scared. Can you come and stay with me?"

I observed Chris's hand tighten momentarily before he replied, "I'm mated. It wouldn't be appropriate for me to come over." It was shocking to get that answer from him knowing he could not bear resisting his first love.

Just when I thought he was being reasonable, he continued, "Why don't you come to my place instead? She's not home."

Even Amber seemed surprised. "Chris, that's not right. What if she suddenly returns? We won't be able to explain."

I couldn't help but scoff inwardly. She knew exactly what she was doing. Here she was, feigning innocence.

However, Chris insisted, "What do we have to explain to her? This is my home, my pack at that, and you're my friend. I don't care what she thinks!" He paused, "So don’t worry, okay?”

“Fine. Besides, Hillary won't come back,” she confidently said out of nowhere.

Upon hearing her say those words, Chris suddenly fell silent, then after a few seconds, he cautiously asked, "How can you be so sure?"

As if realizing what she had just said, her tone had shifted, she added quickly, "I mean, did Hillary have another argument with you?"

Chris grunted, "On our ten-year anniversary, I told Hillary I was going to see you." He stopped talking through the mindlink, but it seemed like he could no longer contain his emotions. "Damn it, we're innocent, but she always doubts so much! Why did the Moon Goddess pair me with such a spineless wolf? Why couldn't my fated mate be you?"

"Amber, I'm sorry. I didn't reject her immediately at that time because she's the daughter of another pack's Alpha; rejecting her could lead to war between the packs. But now I've made up my mind. I don't care about wars and bloodshed anymore; you are what matters. When she returns, I'll reject her outright. Whether or not you're my mate, I want you to be my true Luna. She doesn't deserve to be my Luna!"

Hearing him say this, a bitter laugh almost escaped me.

The funny thing is, he would never get the chance to reject me in person because I was already gone. Too bad, huh? Perhaps death was better than being disrespected as his mate my whole life.

They claimed innocence, but no sane person would celebrate a ten-year anniversary with an ex-lover after having a mateship ceremony. And it happened to be my death anniversary.

Chris, next year on this day, will you celebrate your anniversary with your first love, or mourn my death?

Meanwhile, the same night, Amber rushed to the pack house. As soon as they met, she eagerly threw herself into my mate’s arms. Pain ran across my being as I witnessed their affection.

"Chris, it's so dark outside. I'm scared," she murmured.

I rolled my eyes silently, masking all the emotions I was feeling deep inside.

Chris held her close, reassuringly patting her back. "Don't be afraid. I'm here, okay?"

Amber leaned against his shoulder. "Chris, you're my light."

As the night grew deeper, Amber prepared for bed. She entered my bathroom, closed the door, and used my bathroom necessities, leaving them scattered with lids open. She was thick-faced enough to touch another person’s belongings.

She sneered, "Hillary, since you're not coming back anyway, I'm sure you won't mind."

In the mirror, I watched silently. My anger was already consuming me, and if only I could grab and pull her hair, I would.

Suddenly, the thunder rumbled, and in a flash of lightning, it seemed there was an extra figure on the mirror, making Amber scream her lungs out, calling Chris.

Out of concern, Chris rushed in like a knight, protecting Amber in his arms.

Trembling, she asked, "Is this okay? What if your mate suddenly comes back?"

"She won't," he replied firmly, still coaxing her.

After a moment's pause, he added with a determined look on his face, "Even if she sees us, she has no right to say anything. If not for her, you wouldn't have had to leave back then, and we wouldn't have spent all these years apart." He, then, kissed her forehead and proceeded, "You don't need to care about her at all. Even if she dies outside, it means nothing to me."

Well, my Alpha, your wish has come true. I hope my death truly means nothing to you.