The Luna's Goodbye

At the Moonshadow Pack’s headquarters, the investigation team was still grinding away on the case of the slaughtered wolves. The air was thick with exhaustion, the kind that came from tracking a predator they couldn’t quite catch. Elias had just finished giving orders when Cyrus, called for a break. Everyone scattered, and Elias headed to the pack kitchen to grab some food.

One of the younger warriors teased him as he passed, "Hey, Elias, how’s a mated guy like you, with all those she-wolves drooling after you, ending up in the kitchen at midnight? What about your mate? Didn't she come to bring you a late-night snack?"

Elias's face darkened, and the sandwich he had just grabbed hit the table with a soft thud. "Why mention her? It leaves a bad taste in my mouth."

Cyrus, always attuned to tension, glanced over. "Yeah, come to think of it, it's been a while since anyone saw kyra around. She used to drop by whenever you pulled these long shifts, remember? Bringing food for everyone.”

Elias shot him a sharp look. "Those snacks ended up in your gut more than mine, didn't they? Still hungry?"

But Cyrus wasn’t joking anymore. His eyes narrowed, a serious tone creeping into his voice. "For real, though, everything alright with her? She’s been quiet. Is she… missing?"

Elias let out a low, humorless laugh, leaning back in his chair. "Missing? If she had any fight left in her, I'd actually respect her. But she’s like a shadow, always lingering where she's not wanted. It's been peaceful without her around. Can we drop it?"

Standing on the sidelines, I couldn’t help but smirk. Oh, Elias. You’ll never have to deal with me "lingering" again. Must be such a relief for you.

“Cyrus, we've identified the body!" One of the enforcers barged into the room, his eyes wide, clutching the DNA results in his hand like it was burning him. His face was pale, torn between duty and dread.

Cyrus reached for the results, but the enforcer hesitated, his gaze darting to Elias. "I think… Elias should see this first."

Elias frowned, puzzled. "Why me? I'm not leading this investigation. Why should I be the first to see it?"

Cyrus’s face was grim as he finally took the paper. His eyes scanned the results before he looked up, something dark and heavy in his expression. "Your mate... when was the last time you spoke with kyra?"

Elias stiffened. "What does kyra have to do with this? I got a message from her a few nights ago."

Cyrus pressed. "A few nights? Has it been more than three days?"

Realization crashed over Elias like a tidal wave. He shot up from his seat, his heart pounding in his chest, his wolf howling in the back of his mind. "What are you trying to say?"

The silence that followed was deafening. Every instinct in him screamed that something was horribly wrong. Cyrus’s eyes locked with his, and in that moment, Elias knew. Knew before the words even left his alpha’s mouth.

"Your mate," Cyrus said quietly, "is the victim we've been hunting for."