Mia sat back down, awaiting the presence of the other elders.
Minutes later, they were all seated, and Alex stood up to address them.
"Good day, elders. I believe we all know the reason why we're here at this moment," Alex said, addressing the elders.
"We're here to find resolutions to the deaths of those wolves and a way to prevent another tragedy on the next red moon," he explained.
The elders nodded in unison to his words.
"As the pack alpha, responsible for the safety of the wolves, we must question why these deaths happened under your watch," an elder spoke out.
"I assure you that substantial steps have been taken to stop the killings, but it's proven more challenging than anticipated," Alex responded.
"Are you suggesting, my Lord, that this murderer is outsmarting you?" a white-haired elder questioned.
"Let's be clear; these killings didn't start in my pack, and they didn't happen here first. You might as well accuse alphas in other packs where the deaths occurred of incompetence," Alex replied, his words realizing their rudeness.
A hushed silence followed before Elder Jacob spoke.
"I believe the wolves were killed by someone within the pack, not an outsider. There were no signs of force on their bodies, and they couldn't have walked themselves to the platform to be killed," Elder Jacob suggested.
"That makes sense," one of the elders agreed.
"If that's the case, the wolves are still at greater risk of danger," Mia added, supporting Elder Jacob's insight.
"But for what reasons would a pack member kill their mates on a red moon night?" another elder questioned.
"Reasons are not our concern now. Our priority is to find the killer, and once apprehended, we can seek reasons afterward," Elder Jacob emphasized.
"If the murderer is a pack member, I promise you we'll catch them before the next red moon," Mia asserted.
The elders looked at Mia in surprise.
"I'm certain that if the murderer is from this pack, we'll discover their identity before the next red moon," Alex affirmed, backing Mia's words.
"How do you plan to do that?" a small-figured elder asked.
"I'm sorry, but my plan cannot be made public. As Elder Jacob said, the culprit could be anyone, even among us. I will only share my plans with my husband," Mia explained to the elders.
Suspicion filled the room as they looked at each other, briefly disrupting the meeting.
"Now is not the time to suspect each other. I used that as an example," Alex reassured the elders. "I've decided to send a group of soldiers into the woods to eliminate all possible threats there."
"But if the culprit is from the pack, is it necessary to send soldiers to the woods?" Elder Jacob questioned.
"We aren't sure if the killer is from the pack or not. We can only do our best to ensure their safety," Mia added.
"It's better to secure both the woods and the pack," Alex concluded.
"The list of soldiers will be brought forward, and we'll deliberate on whom to choose for the mission," Alex said, motioning for a guard to bring the list.
After a lengthy discussion, they agreed on twenty soldiers, including Alex's father, for the mission into the woods.
"The soldiers will ensure both the woods and the pack are safe," Alex stated.
The meeting ended, and the elders dispersed. Mia stood up, walking into the bedroom to sleep.
Next day
Alex and Mia continued searching for potions that might have been used to weaken the wolves, but their efforts proved futile.
Days after the soldiers were sent into the woods, and with the red moon drawing near, there was still no information from them.
Alex stood impatiently in the large sitting room, waiting for news.
"Good day, my lord," the messenger greeted, bowing his head.
"Where's the information?" Alex asked impatiently.
"We couldn't find any information about the woods. There was nothing, no signs of threats. However, we did uncover details about what caused the weakening of the wolves," the messenger reported quickly.
Alex's rising anger subsided, and he instructed, "Let me see."
A small white envelope was handed to Alex, and as he opened it, speckles of ash fell.
"What is this?" he asked.
The messenger replied, "It's the residue we found."
Alex opened it and speckles of ash fell from it.
As Alex inspected the ash, a sudden wave of dizziness overcame him.