Goodbye, Mate

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.