Victoria's pov
Three weeks went by in a flash, and things only got more interesting by the day.
Caleb was finally able to sense Ashley's scent change, and whenever he's not working, he'd have his nose lodged into her neck.
I was quite happy for them. They seemed so content.
Emma seemed to come to terms with the fact that Ty was gone, though they practically talked every night. It was good to see her accepting the change since she was so sensitive about it.
Luka and I enrolled Zoey in a class for her age, where she'll learn basic knowledge for her age group while getting enough time to practice her art.
I've come to learn that they only start learning about werewolf theories and shifting when they are ten. But for now, they'll keep things simple.
Luka has become so busy with his pack work, and I'd help him sometimes. I actually got to see what everyone meant when they said he was a great Alpha; it was like he was programmed for it.
I, on the other hand, have finally settled in at the pack hospital. The nurses and doctor were very welcoming. I found it weird that such a big pack only had one doctor, but being there a couple days made me see why. Wolves don't get sick like humans do. So, you'll only see patients there with physical injuries, or women coming in to have their babies.
Some kids might come down with a few viruses and such, but it wasn't much. The few days I went in for work are always so exhilarating.
At first I was nervous, since I was only trained to be a nurse and here I was taking the role of a doctor. But after a day or two, I realized I've never felt so comfortable at my previous job.
"Have a good evening Doctor Deslandes"
I smiled warmly at Tasha, a nurse who's been much help to me since I started here.
"You too Tasha. Say hi to your mate for me"
She smiled sweetly and waved as I opened my umbrella to set out in the pouring rain. I cursed lowly at the weather since it was bright and sunny this morning when I left home, so I didn't bother to drive.
The mud splashed on my white scrubs as I walked by the side of the hospital towards the woods, deciding to take the shortcut home.
I thought about calling Luka, Caleb or Lincoln, but they were always so busy nowadays. I could handle a little mud.
"Luna! Luna! " A small voice called out.
I whipped my head towards the sound of the voice that called me. She sounded like a little girl and she sounded very scared. I spotted her clinging against a tree and I quickly made my way towards her.
"No don't come any closer" She rushed out. I stopped dead in my tracks and watched her in confusion. "It's quicksand, you'll get stuck if you come closer" She added, giving me clarity.
A frown took over my lips as I watched the mud in front of me as if it just committed a crime. My eyes then darted to the girl that clung to the free with fear in her eyes.
I frantically looked around for something that could help her, umbrella long forgotten as it floated away in the light wind.
I sighed in relief when I spotted a log.
"I'm gonna throw this half-way in the puddle, and the minute it lands you're gonna hop on it with one foot and jump to me okay? I'll catch you! " I shouted over the splashing of the rain.
"What if I fall?"
"You won't fall. I promise that I'll catch you okay? You gotta be brave and trust me" I urged with carefulness and confidence in my voice. The last thing I needed was for her to panic.
I offered her a reassuring smile while she nodded with a determined look on her face. She wasn't that far away, probably about two meters.
I used all the strength I had and threw the heavy log as close to her as possible. She didn't hesitate to leave the tree, and I braced myself for impact.
She leaped in my arms with full force, making me land flat on my back. But that didn't matter to me because she was safe.
She clung to me for dear life, trembling as I walked towards the pack house. In the middle of my journey, I saw a young man about my age running towards us with a worried look on his face.
"God, Emily I've been looking everywhere for you" He said as he rested his hands on his knees while he caught his breath. He too was soaked, so it was obvious he had been outside a while.
"I'm sorry Jordan. I ran away when you didn't give me the muffin and I got stuck" Little Emily mumbled in my shirt, still clinging to me.
I gently placed her in his hands once he caught his breath. He didn't look the least angry, just happy he found her.
"Thank you so much Luna. I'm sorry for all the trouble."
"That's okay Jordan, I'm happy to help. Just get this little one a muffin and we'll call it even" I smiled as I ruffled her hair.
He smiled brightly at me and thanked me again before heading to the pack house.
The rain was starting to ease up while I headed back to the area I found Emily. I gathered a few logs and boarded the area so that no one gets stuck again.
Feeling satisfied, I got ready to finally head home when something unusual caught my eye. ’That doesn't look like it belongs to the woods,’ I thought as I slowly walked over to it.
I stopped suddenly when I realized what it was.
A body.
It looked like it had been buried in a grave too shallow, and the heavy rain washed away most of the dirt. Whoever it is was wrapped in white sheets that were now stained with mud.
I trembled as I took slow steady steps towards it. Is he a wolf? I doubt it. Luka hadn't gotten any missing wolf report.
The first thing I noticed when I opened the sheets was that he was wearing a red uniform. He looked like a kid, about 16 years old.
And that's when I remembered.
*Flashback*
"Hey Kera what's this? "
I gazed at the flyer of the missing boy who I've surely never seen before.
"Sad story actually. He went missing like a month ago or more, but his foster parents just thought he ran away again. When they noticed he didn't come home like usual, they finally called the police"
That's awful actually. Even if he had a history of running away, they should've contacted the police immediately.
"He was last seen leaving Bennie's Restaurant, he worked there part time" She added.
"What's his name? "
"Leon"
*End of flashback*
Leon.
The name tag read Leon.
Without taking my eyes off him, I quickly dialed Luka's number.
"Victoria? Where are you? I was so worried, you were to get back an hour ago"
I ignored his worried rambling and got to the point.
"Get your ass down here. We've got a problem"
***
"Now, I'm only gonna ask one last time. Who killed that boy?! "
Luka was furious when I filled him in about Leon. He called a pack meeting immediately to find the culprit.
It was definitely a wolf attack. The bite was evident in his neck when they cleaned him off.
Apparently, whoever did this was in serious trouble, since killing a human without cause or informing the Alpha was a serious crime here. It only puts them in danger of being found by the humans.
Whoever killed Leon, for whatever reason, should've come to the authorities so it could be dealt with. Maybe then they would've gotten a slap on the wrist. But now, I don't even think I can save them from Luka's wrath.
"So no one in Brightwater Pack killed him then?" He asked firmly. Still no answer. Everyone just looked around at each other.
"Good." Luka said much calmer. "But if I find out that any one of you were responsible for this, just call it strike three. You are dismissed"
Without a second thought, they all scurried away and I didn't blame them.
It was just Lincoln, Caleb and Luka's parents left on the stage, and I couldn't help but notice how anxious Mama bear seemed.
"So what now?" I asked him in frustration. He ran his hand over his face and sighed.
"For now, we'll find a good spot in the pack cemetery to bury Leon. Finding who killed him is gonna be harder than I thought"
"Wait, what do you mean by burying him? You do know that people are looking for him right?"
"Victoria it doesn't work that way. We can't return him without drawing suspicion to ourselves. Because one, the bite mark is in his neck. And two, no one in town knows our faces. So if we return him, they will think our guys did it." He explained, but I wasn't having it.
"But he's just a kid Luka. He has friends and family in town who would like to see him off properly. It's not fair for you to cover up your people's dirty work while people like me are out there worrying"
This seemed to push him even more to the edge as he gripped my shoulder and pointed to my neck.
"The minute you took on this mark, my people also became your people. As the Luna your first instinct is to protect your people" He almost growled.
"We can still protect them," I snapped. I too was getting irritated. He was only thinking about the pack, he didn't care for Leon.
"Let me bring Leon in. I have a few friends at the station, I doubt they'll suspect me. Have one of your trackers hunt down a mountain lion or something that can bite like that. Spear it, and I'll show that as evidence." I suggested, trying to find a believable alternative.
"And what happens when they realize he's been dead for weeks?"
"I'll tell them the truth." I simply shrugged.
"Are you crazy!"
I rolled my eyes at his impatience and held my hand up, telling him to wait.
"There's a spot up in the hills that aunt Sophie used to take me as a kid. It's a perfect getaway for someone who wants to be alone, and it's miles away from the pack. I'll tell them that I was going there to clear my head and saw him. The wolves already cleaned him off, so it's perfect. You can even lodge the body there and I send in a report. Just please let him have a normal teen-age funeral. His friends will decorate his locker and his Foster family will feel at ease. You owe him that much."
In any other case, my plan will seem faulty. But maybe, just maybe, they wouldn't push the investigation too much. I doubt they will, but keeping him here will never give anyone peace of mind.
It wouldn't even give me peace of mind.
"Okay" He breathed out, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Okay. I'll have my men place his body there and you can give the police the location. I'll have them pitch an old tent there too to make it seem more believable"
I smiled brightly and lunged at him. It may seem small for him, but I'm still human. I'm still a small town girl who values her people. Wolves or not.
"I have a headache. I think I'll take the rest of the day off" He muttered in my neck as he held me close. I snuggled deeper into him as he carried me home.
Agreed.