The pack enforcers were buzzing around like a chaotic hive, five or six of them pulling all-nighters to patch me up. I could barely focus on the frantic energy in the room as my body lay there on the table, cold and still. The sight of all those severed body parts made my stomach churn.

Victor leaned over, his voice steady as he pointed a gloved finger, “Look, the head’s gone, fingers too, and there’s a chunk missing from the ankle.”

Ryker stood off to the side, his expression unreadable. His eyes narrowed, scanning the scene as if he could piece together the story behind each severed limb. After a tense moment, he finally broke the silence. “So, who’s the unlucky one?”

Victor shook his head, frustration evident. “We gotta wait for the DNA results. As soon as someone files a missing person report, we’ll jump on it and try to ID our mystery guest.”

My husband nodded, but his gaze flickered away from my body, avoiding the gruesome sight. Was he grossed out? I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of anger. After all, this whole mess was thanks to him.

At an emergency meeting with the PEA, Victor leaned forward, his voice steady but charged with urgency. "I've analyzed recent cases, and a pattern emerges. Nightfang Haven's been hit with similar atrocities: gutting, bleeding, and dismembering. Someone's seeking notoriety."

Ryker's eyebrows shot up, disbelief flickering across his face. "Nightfang Haven... You’re suggesting a copycat of the rogue pack's M.O.?"

Victor nodded, his expression serious. "Essentially, yes."

Ryker's jaw clenched, determination radiating from him. "Get the other pack leaders on board. We need their insight." He paused, lowering his voice to a near whisper. "This could be more than a lone wolf; it might be a pack-wide threat."

As the tension in the room mounted, two other members of the team, seated at the back, exchanged glances before one of them spoke up.

"We should also consider the possibility that this could be an inside job," the first one suggested in a low voice. "Someone within our pack may have done this."

The second member leaned forward, nodding in agreement. "I agree. We need to vet everyone closely. Trust is crucial right now, and any hint of betrayal could cost us dearly."

Ryker turned to them, appreciating the insight. "You're both right. We can't overlook the potential for internal threats. Victor, can you start gathering intel on our members? We need to ensure loyalty before we move forward."

Victor nodded, taking note of the suggestion. "I’ll set up a series of interviews. We need to assess who’s been acting suspiciously and ensure our defenses are secure."

The room was buzzing with ideas, and everyone was excited to pitch in for the plan. They all knew that the safety of the entire pack relied on working together to prevent more murders.

As the meeting wrapped up, the atmosphere buzzed with a mix of admiration and tension. Ryker, the alpha of the pack, stood tall at the front, even in the low murmurs of the PEA team. They exchanged hushed praises, their voices barely audible, but Ryker could pick out fragments—words like "brilliant" and "quick thinking" floated through the air. But Ryker just made his way out of the room. From childhood, he had so many admirers that he got sick of hearing that kind of praise a long time ago.

Kaida, however, lingered at the edge of the crowd, simply observing everything. As Ryker left the room, he went after him, saying, "Alpha, I think I might have an idea to aid the investigation."

Ryker turned, his brow slightly raised, but Kaida's gaze was suddenly fixed on something else. It was then that I noticed—a single, curly hair clung stubbornly to the fabric of Ryker's jacket.

"Allow me," Kaida said, reaching out cautiously to pluck the hair. "How’s the Luna by the way?”

Ryker's expression shifted, a flicker of something unreadable passing over his face. "She's fine," he replied curtly, but the tension in his voice suggested otherwise. "What does that have to do with this?"

Kaida hesitated, sensing the change in the alpha's demeanor. "I just haven’t seen her around since I started visiting the pack house.”

"Stay focused on the investigation, Kaida. Personal matters are not your concern," Ryker’s tone was as cold as ice. "And learn to mind your business,” he added before snatching the hair and shoving it in his pocket.

When Kaida said nothing else, Ryker just strode off.

Left behind, Kaida awkwardly rubbed his nose, wondering what he had said wrong. I wished I could give him a pat on the back, but my hand just passed through him.

I wanted to tell him, if he found my head, he'd see I had short, straight hair. That one on Ryker’s shoulder belonged to Elara. That night I got murdered, she was snuggled up to my husband, leaving behind that little souvenir.

It’s been three long days since I’ve been home, and my mate, Ryker, hadn't even tried to find me. Last time we had a spat over Elara, I crashed at my best friend's place for a few days. He probably assumed I was mad again and didn’t want to deal with it.

Then Elara called him, her voice shaking. "Ryker, there's supposed to be a thunderstorm tonight, and I'm so scared. Can you come stay with me?"

I watched as Ryker's grip on his phone tightened and loosened. He said, "I'm mated, Elara. It's not really convenient for me to come to your hotel." Just when I thought he might be showing some common sense, he added, "But you can come to my pack house. She's not home."

Even Elara was surprised. "Are you sure? What if she suddenly comes back? We wouldn't be able to explain ourselves."

I snorted. She knew exactly what she was doing, and here she was, playing the innocent.

Ryker asked, "What do we need to explain to her? This is my pack, and you're not just a packmate, but also a friend. Don’t worry about what she thinks."

He sounded so confident. "Besides, she's not coming back."

Elara went quiet for a moment, then asked, "How do you know?" Realizing her tone might've been off, she quickly added, "I mean, did your mate get mad at you again?"

Ryker nodded. "Yeah, on the anniversary of our bonding, I told her I was going to see you. It's so frustrating. She’s always suspicious about everything! I’m mated to her, but that's never enough for her! Unlike you, Elara. You've put up with so much over the years and never complained. I should be apologizing to you."

I almost laughed when I heard him. No sane person celebrated their bonding anniversary with their ex-lover after committing to their mate. And the day they celebrated was the day I died. Ryker, are you planning to celebrate your anniversary next year or mark my death?

***

Elara rushed over to the packhouse—my home—and as soon as she saw Ryker, she practically leaped into his arms. "Ryker, it's so dark and creepy outside, I'm freaking out!"

I couldn't help but roll my eyes as I watched her. It's dark every night, and I had never seen her this scared before.

Ryker gave her a reassuring hug, patting her back gently. "Don't worry, I've got you." He showed her the candles he bought, a bunch of emergency ones, clearly meant to calm her down. "With these, even if the power goes out during a storm, we'll still have light," he explained.

Elara sighed, leaning against his shoulder. "Ryker, you're my hero."

As I stood there, watching them, a sharp pang of jealousy pierced through me. Ryker’s warmth enveloped her, and I could almost feel the intimacy of that moment—the way he held her… It was as if my heart was being squeezed by an unseen hand, twisting and turning with each reassuring word he spoke to her.

Watching them now, I suddenly wished I could claw my way back to him. But instead, I was left as a mere observer, trapped in a world where I could no longer reach him.

It was getting late, and Elara needed to freshen up and hit the bed. She headed into my bathroom, shutting the door behind her and started raiding my skincare stash without a second thought. After she was done, she left everything in a mess, not bothering to put the caps back on properly.

She chuckled to herself. "Shirley won't mind, she's not coming back anyway."

In the mirror, I watched Elara silently, being all transparent. Outside, thunder rumbled, and when lightning struck, a figure materialized on the floor. Elara screamed and called out for Ryker. He burst through the door, shielding her in his arms.

She trembled against him, muttering, "Isn't this kinda risky? What if your mate shows up..."

Ryker shrugged. "I don't know." He glanced up, the lightning casting a cold glare on his face. "Even if she did, she's got no right to say anything. If it weren't for her, you wouldn't have left, and we wouldn't have missed out on all these years together." I could hear the resentment in his voice. "You don’t need to stress about her. If she bites the dust out there, it doesn’t bother me one bit."

I felt a chill run down my spine at those words . Fine, mate! Your wish is my command. I hope you're truly as indifferent as you claim to be.

At the late-night Pack Enforcers Agency (PEA), the task force was still hard at work on my case. I watched from the shadows, hovering near the flickering overhead lights, feeling a mix of frustration and longing. They were so close, yet so far from the truth. I wished the gruesome details of my murder had left a mark not just on my body, but on the hearts of those I once loved. But unfortunately, the only man I loved; my husband and alpha, hadn’t realized that I was gone.

The agents sifted through photographs that captured the horror of my final moments—pieces of me scattered, a puzzle they were desperate to solve. My life had always been miserable, but now, I was now reduced to just a chilling topic that even the public didn’t know about.

As they debated theories and reviewed evidence, I felt an overwhelming urge to guide them, to lead them toward the answers that eluded them. I could sense the darkness that surrounded my death, a malevolence that still lingered. I watched as one of the agents picked up the ring I was wearing when the murder happened. I really wished they would identify me already, because I couldn’t wait to see the look on my husband’s face.

Victor suddenly suggested a break, glancing at Ryker, who was sitting off to the side to approve it. When the alpha nodded, everyone immediately dropped what they were doing. Some got up to stretch, but my husband headed straight for a sandwich. Kaida and Victor followed closely behind him, exchanging curious glances.

Victor, his beta, joked, “Why not go home instead of lining up here for a sandwich like you don’t have a mate?”

Ryker just ignored him but Victor only continued, “The Luna is at home, right? It’s surprising she hasn’t sent someone to deliver your midnight snack tonight.”

The lights in the PEA’s break room shone softly on Ryker’s face, showing his darkened expression, and his sandwich slammed onto the table.

Victor’s brows knitted together at the sudden shift in mood, but by then, the alpha was glaring at him. “Why does everyone keep bringing her up?” he growled, shooting a glare in Kaida’s direction as well. “Huh?”

Sensing the rising tension, Victor chose his words carefully. “It’s… it’s just been a while since we’ve seen her around. I mean, she used to show up with snacks whenever you had to pull an all-nighter,” he stuttered.

Ryker shot him a pointed look. “And all those snacks ended up in your belly, didn’t they? Still hungry?”

Victor wasn’t just Ryker’s Beta; he was his friend too. When he saw how worked up Ryker was, he politely asked Kaida to excuse them. When it was just the two of them, Victor’s expression turned serious as he faced Ryker.

“Seriously, what’s the matter? Is your mate okay?”

“It’s gross enough that you keep bringing her up, considering I haven’t seen her recently,” Ryker murmured under his breath as he helped himself to another sandwich.

“Why? Is she missing?” Victor blurted out, his concern obvious.

Ryker snorted and then scoffed. “Missing? If she had any backbone, I’d respect her. She’s like a pesky little dog, always underfoot. It’s been quiet for two days now without her. So can we stop talking about her?”

Standing on the sidelines and watching them, I smirked. Husband, you wouldn’t have to put up with me nagging you anymore, I thought. Must be a relief.

“Alpha, we’ve ID’d the body!” A PEA officer barged in, his voice trembling as he waved the DNA results, and his face was twisted in an ugly mix of emotions. Kaida was back now, and so were the others as they waited to hear the news.

Victor reached for the results, but the officer hesitated. “I think Alpha Ryker should take a look first…”

Ryker looked up, puzzled. "Why do I have to look at it first? Victor’s in charge of this case. Why show it to me?"

Victor collected the results and glanced at it, his expression turning serious. "Your mate... Alpha, have you been in touch with her lately?"

Ryker looked like he had to think about it before he answered. “Yeah, she even sent me a voice message a few days back."

"A few days? Has it been more than three days?"

Ryker's eyes widened as the realization hit him. He shot up from his seat and looked from Victor to the officer that brought the results. “What are you saying?"

The officer's expression turned grave, and he took a deep breath before speaking. “We believe the body matches the DNA of your mate, Alpha. We need to prepare you for the possibility that she may be… gone.”