Chapter 19: Chapter 19: How did you know a vampire did this?
Riley cleared his throat, commanding the attention of the pack. "We have a mission," he said, his voice ringing through the clearing.
"A rival pack has been spotted near our territory. We need to patrol the borders and make sure they don't encroach on our land."
The pack murmured in agreement, and Luna watched as the Blood Moon pack prepared to move out that morning. But as they started to leave, she stepped forward.
"Can I help?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Riley turned to her, surprise etched on his face. "Luna, you're helping. By staying behind."
"No, Riley. This is not me helping," Luna replied, her eyes shining with determination. "I might not be a part of you guys but you guys took me in. And I want to help, not become a liability."
The pack exchanged wary glances, but Riley nodded, seemingly deep in thought. "Alright," he said finally. "But you need to stay close to us, and you need to follow our lead."
Luna felt a wave of gratitude wash over her. She had been waiting for this opportunity, and now it was finally here. She nodded, her heart pounding with excitement and nerves.
As they walked through the dense forest, Luna could feel her heart pounding in her chest. The sound of her boots crunching on twigs and leaves echoed through the trees, making her feel conspicuous and exposed.
But she kept her head up, her eyes scanning the underbrush for any signs of danger.
The pack moved with an easy confidence, their muscles rippling beneath their taut skin. Luna watched as they weaved in and out of the trees, their senses honed to a razor's edge.
She could smell the musky scent of their sweat, mixed with the earthy aroma of the forest.
After patrolling for what felt like hours, Riley called for a break. They stopped at a small clearing, the dappled sunlight filtering through the leaves overhead.
Luna watched as they pulled out their water bottles, taking deep swigs and wiping their foreheads with the backs of their hands.
Feeling a sudden urge, Luna announced that she needed to relieve herself. She made her way deeper into the woods, finding a small spot that was shielded from view.
As Luna relieved herself, her nose picked up a strange scent carried on the breeze. It smelled like dried blood, and it was coming from a distance.
Curiosity getting the best of her, she decided to investigate. She made her way through the thick brush, her heart pounding in her chest.
The scent grew stronger with each step, until she could see a small clearing up ahead.
Luna emerged into the open space, and what she saw made her stomach turn. Just few feet from her, her eyes fell upon a gruesome sight.
Laying on the ground was a dead werewolf, his chest cavity ripped open and his heart lying not too far from from him.
Blood and other bodily fluids covered the ground, staining the earth red. Luna recoiled at the sight and the stench of death that hung in the air.
She knew that whoever or whatever had done this was not to be trifled with. The Blood Moon pack would need to be on high alert, and she made a mental note to report the discovery to Riley as soon as possible.
But for now, Luna needed to get out of there. She turned to leave the clearing, her heart racing with fear and disgust.
As Luna prepared to leave the clearing, she paused, her senses suddenly alert. She picked up a scent, faint but familiar, that made her heart race. It was a mix of musk and leather, a scent she would know anywhere.
Her mind raced with questions. 'Could it be possible that Damian, the notorious vampire - who is also her mate, was responsible for the grisly scene in front of her? The thought was chilling.
Luna couldn't help but wonder what kind of man would rip the heart out of a werewolf with such ease.
But as much as the thought frightened her, she couldn't deny the thrill of excitement that ran through her.
She found herself asking out loud, "Damian did this?" The idea of being in close proximity to the infamous vampire was both terrifying and exhilarating.
With a shudder, Luna pushed the thought from her mind and focused on the task at hand. She needed to get back to the Blood Moon pack and report her findings to Riley.
'But what if he finds out about Damian's involvement?' She thought for a while.
'Well, she had told him she was bonded to a vampire but didn't mention who he was. Plus I can just ignore that little bit of information and tell him I just saw the dead werewolf.' she concluded, making her way back to where the Blood Moon pack were.
With a sense of unease, Luna quickly made her way back to the clearing to report her findings to Riley.
The wolves were lying down, relaxing and enjoying the cool breeze that blew through the trees.
Riley, the Alpha of the pack, was sitting on a large rock, surveying his pack with a proud look on his face.
As Luna approached Riley, she announced, "I have news," causing several other wolves to sit up, curious about what she had to say.
"What is it?" Riley inquired, rising from his perch on a rock.
However, Luna hesitated and scanned the watchful eyes of the other werewolves. "Can we talk somewhere more private?" she requested.
Acknowledging her need for discretion, Riley nodded and beckoned his assistant, Shane, to accompany them as they departed from the clearing and moved out of earshot.
Once they were alone, Riley turned to Luna and asked, "What did you discover?"
"I found the body of a werewolf just west of the clearing. It looks like he was attacked by a vampire," Luna reported, leaving out the part about Damian's involvement.
Riley nodded, looking grim. "We've been hearing rumors of a vampire clan moving into the area. It looks like they're starting to make their presence known."
"But what if it wasn't the vamps? What if it's the rival pack?" Shane asked.
Luna shifted her weight from one foot to the other, considering Shane's suggestion. "It's possible," she conceded, hoping they will concentrate more on the rival wolf pack.
Riley nodded in agreement. "We can't rule out either possibility. We need to investigate both leads thoroughly."
Shane furrowed his brow. "What should we do in the meantime? The pack is going to want answers."
Riley rubbed his chin in thought. "We need to inform the pack of the new development. We should also try to identify the dead werewolf and give him a proper burial."
Shane nodded in agreement. "I can try to track down any information on the werewolf's identity. It might lead us to the culprit."
"Good idea," Riley said, turning to Shane. "Can you gather some of the pack members to help with the burial?"
Shane nodded and headed off to round up some volunteers, while Riley asked Luna to stay behind.
Luna, curious yet slightly suspicious as to why Riley asked her to wait behind, watched as Shane disappeared into the trees.
"Is everything okay?" she asked, turning to Riley.
Riley hesitated before answering. "I need to ask you to do something, Luna and I'd love your honesty."
Luna raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"
Riley took a deep breath before continuing, "How did you know a vampire did this?"
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