Chapter 60 The First Body
[Nyx]
But Marcus was right. No body heat. Whoever was down here had likely been dead for some time.
My breathing grew increasingly ragged. My whole body shook.
Suddenly—
A hand emerged from the snow. Pale. Bloodless. Completely rigid. No warmth whatsoever.
My breath stopped. That hand...
"No..."
Lysander's wolf immediately blocked my view. Using his massive body to support me.
Nyx, stay calm! We don't know who it is yet!
But I was already shaking. "Keep digging!" My voice cracked. "I need to see his face!"
The wolves continued. Soon, the entire body was exposed.
A young man. Maybe twenty-two years old. Lying on his side, body completely stiff. Face purple-blue, lips black. Eyes half-open, pupils dilated. No breath. No heartbeat.
He was dead.
But—
Not Lilith.
I forced myself forward, though my legs trembled. I had to confirm. Kneeling beside the corpse, I checked his clothing. The distinctive pack scent—not Moonblade, not Shadowcrest.
I found a small badge under his coat. Silverpine Pack insignia.
Dark brown hair. Not Lilith's pale gold. Different facial structure.
Not Lilith.
"Not Lilith," I said immediately into the radio, relief flooding my voice despite its tremor. "Silverpine Pack member. Male, approximately twenty-two years old."
My hand rested on the corpse's ice-cold neck. "No pulse. Body temperature below freezing. Pupils dilated."
"Death confirmed."
After speaking, I covered my face with my hands, shoulders shaking violently. The terror of that single moment—thinking it might be Lilith—had been overwhelming. The relief when it wasn't felt almost dizzying.
She still has a chance... she's still somewhere... not her... not yet...
Lysander's brown wolf stepped close, pressing his enormous head against my back. Silent support and comfort.
She's alive. We'll find her, he assured me through the link.
I took several deep breaths, trying to calm my racing heart. But tears still fell despite my efforts.
In the distance, Selene heard my words through the radio. "Not Lilith..."
She nearly collapsed with relief, slumping against the snow. "Not him..." she whispered. "Not yet..."
Tears still flowed. But this time, they were tears of reprieve.
The Omega beside her steadied her. "Selene, it's okay..."
Selene nodded, but her hands still shook. Lilith is alive... must still be alive...
But relief lasted only seconds. I looked down at the corpse—a life ended. A young wolf who probably had parents waiting for him to come home. Friends. Maybe a lover. People who cared.
He'd never return. The avalanche had stolen his life. And he'd died in pain and terror. Buried under thick snow, unable to breathe. Dying in darkness and suffocation.
His hand was still raised upward—a final, desperate attempt to dig through the snow. To reach air. But he'd failed.
Another life lost... The thought echoed hollowly. We were still too late...
If we'd arrived sooner...
If the avalanche had come later...
He could have lived...
I bent down, gently closing his half-open eyes. Then made the prayer gesture over his body—respect for the dead.
"May the Moon Goddess guide your soul," I said quietly, voice thick with emotion. "May you find peace in the lunar realm."
"I'm sorry... we came too late..."
The other wolves gathered around the body. A moment of silence. Respect for the fallen, even though he wasn't Moonblade or Shadowcrest. He was wolf-kind. One of us.
Damon's deep gray wolf lowered his head in tribute. Lysander, Symone, Seth, Marcus, Owen—all bowed their heads. This was pack tradition. Final respect for a fallen comrade.
The support personnel, though stationed farther back, maintained silence. Giving the dead his due honor.
In the distance, Selene's relief transformed rapidly into deeper guilt. "This person... also because of me..." she whispered, voice barely audible. "If I hadn't suggested skiing..."
"If I hadn't said that area was safe..."
"He wouldn't have died..."
"It's all my fault..."
Her voice grew smaller and smaller. Tears continued falling.
The Omega beside her tried to comfort her: "Selene, this isn't your fault..."
"No!" Selene's volume suddenly spiked. "It is! It's all my fault! All of it!"
Her voice dissolved into sobs. She covered her face with both hands, shoulders shaking violently.
"Support team," I said into the radio. "Need two Omegas over here."
"Transport the body to medical station."
Two Omegas approached immediately, producing a folding stretcher and quickly assembling it. They moved the corpse onto it with gentle, respectful movements, covering him with a thermal blanket—though it no longer served any purpose, it was proper respect for the dead.
I stood, looking at them. "Notify Silverpine Pack," I said, voice heavy. "Tell them... we found their member."
"His family has a right to know."
The Omega nodded. "We will."
I took a deep breath. Wiped away the tears. Forced myself back to control.
"There's one more person," I said, voice clear and strong despite still trembling. "Lilith is still somewhere here."
"We continue searching."
"We can't let more families suffer the loss of loved ones."
"We must find her—find her alive."
I looked around at all the wolves. "Expand search radius! Boulder as center, thirty-meter perimeter!"
"Mara said Lilith was buried near this boulder!"
"She must be in this area!"
"Everyone—continue the search!"
Two Omegas carried the body toward medical station. All other wolves immediately re-dispersed, expanding the search zone.
Lysander's brown wolf returned to my side.
Are you all right? he asked with concern through the link.
I'm fine, I replied, though my voice still shook. We have to find her, Lysander.
We will, Lysander said with absolute certainty.
Then he rejoined the search.
Damon's deep gray wolf worked another section with equal intensity. Other wolves spread across different positions.
The atmosphere grew heavier. The first discovery had been a corpse. Time was running out. Survival chances were dropping.
But no one gave up.
Selene sat in the snow, watching the wolves resume searching. Her knee still throbbed. But compared to the pain in her heart, physical agony meant nothing.
If Lilith is also dead... She prayed silently. I'll never forgive myself...
Please... Moon Goddess...
Let her be alive...
Let me still have a chance to apologize to her...
Her tears dried in the wind. But more kept coming. She could only sit there, powerless, watching. Praying for a miracle.
I stood by the boulder, watching the wolves search. Radio clutched so tight my knuckles went white.
Lilith, you can't die. I won't allow it. We've only just started reconciling. You still owe me years of sisterhood. So you must be alive. You must.
I looked up at the sky. Snow still falling. Wind still howling. Time slipping away, second by second.
Please... give me more time... let me find her...