Rise of the Rejected Luna - Chapter 57

Chapter 57: _A Warning
My heart palpitated heavily against my ribcage due to the adrenaline rush as I sat up on the grass, staring at the gory scene before us.

On the bench where Phoebe and I had been sitting lay the dead body of a young lady.

And it wasn’t just any ‘young lady’ too.

“Ahhhh!” Phoebe suddenly let out a shrill scream, her hands flying to her mouth as she tried to control herself.

Her eyes flashed with terror when she got a clearer view of the girl on the bench.

Miranda… Her maid.

“Sir!” Just then, Lyra rushed toward us with some guards in black suits.

They surrounded the premises, helping me and Phoebe up while searching around to see if the culprit was still lurking around.

However, after the guards had helped me up, I brushed their hands aside, walking to the dead body with a frown on my face.

Now that I was close to the body, I had a better view of it and could make a clearer picture in my head of what happened.

There was a fist-sized hole in the girl’s chest, where her heart was supposed to be. And sure enough, when I squatted to look into the hole in her chest, I didn’t see her heart.

A cold shiver ran down my spine as my gaze trailed up to the tree she’d fallen off.

The contrast between the colorful fairy lights that decorated the tree and the fresh crimson-red blood that trickled down it was unnerving.

“Who did this?” My thoughts were interrupted when I heard Phoebe lamenting behind me.

I swerved my head around only to see the defeated look in her eyes as she was supported by Lyra and a guard.

She was shaken, her gaze on the ground as she tried everything in her power to avoid looking at the gory scene again.

She needed to go.

“Lyra, get her out of here.” I snapped my fingers, not wanting to be bothered as my mind went full gear thinking of how to handle the situation.

Phoebe raised her head just then, hesitation lingering in her eyes. “I– I want to help out. Whatever you’re doing to fish out this culprit, I want to be a part of it, Kaene.”

Once again, I couldn’t help but admire her bravery.

But unfortunately, in her current state, she’d be nothing but a distraction.

“I’m afraid that wouldn’t be possible, Phoebe.” I shook my head, my tone leaving no room for rebuttal. “Just go back to the suite and get some rest. My Council and I will handle this.”

She still looked hesitant but eventually moved when Lyra gave her a reassuring tap on the back.

They walked out of the garden, leaving me alone with the other guards who lingered, trying to secure the crime scene.

Anyway, I drew out my phone, dialing Negan’s number.

After a few rings, he picked up, his voice sounding a little groggy from the other end. “Alpha, good evening. How may I help you? Did your little date with the Luna go as p–”

“Everything went to shit real quick, Negan,” I grumbled, rubbing my forehead with frustration in my voice. “I mean, it was going smoothly at first even though Phoebe said some annoying things… But we have a problem now.”

There was a long pause at the other end, making me glance at my phone to see if Negan had hung up.

Luckily, he responded with a wary tone. “What happened?”

Sighing, I turned my gaze to Miranda’s dead body, taking one final look at her bloodshot eyes which were still wide open.

She looked like the last things she’d experienced before her death were surprise, confusion… And fear.

“Someone was killed,” I stated solemnly into the phone.

.

.

It didn’t take long for all the members of my Alpha Council to arrive.

Not all of them resided in the estate like Negan, so I showed my gratitude to them for showing up on such short notice before beginning.

“Gamma Thane, do you think this was done by another werewolf?” I asked, my arms folded in front of my chest.

The Gamma, who wore a grey long coat and had an exhausted expression on his face, stepped forward, squatting to examine the corpse like I’d done several minutes ago.

But after a while, he stood upright, seeming uncertain. “The hole size does suggest that the murderer has human-sized fists. So it’s likely she was killed by a werewolf.”

“Not just any werewolf.” Beta Negan muttered, his face looking grim. “Whoever did this was someone this girl probably trusted enough to let her guard down. She doesn’t look like she put up any struggle at all. And the surprise in her eyes tells me she wasn’t expecting this before her death.”

Who would expect to have such a gruesome death befall them in the first place?

I rubbed my chin, thinking hard as I scrutinized Miranda’s body.

However, Delta Asher spoke up just then with an agitated tone. “The real question here should be what exactly was the maid of the Luna doing outside at such an hour?”

Everyone became silent, seemingly contemplating the question.

I mean… Miranda had told Phoebe she wanted to ‘take some air’ before she left.

She looked like something had been bothering her before that but I didn’t bother asking her what… Because she was a maid.

Could her death be related to whatever had been troubling her?

Suddenly, Lycan Davos, one of the strongest werewolves in the pack, stepped forward. “I think we’ll have to call in Elder Gita for this. Whoever this killer is, they’re probably trying to send us a message. A warning.”

A solemn atmosphere descended the garden as everyone turned their gaze to Miranda’s dead body.

The Lycan had a point.

It didn’t make sense for the killer, whoever they were, to kill a mere maid except they were trying to send a message.

And seeing as they killed the Luna’s personal maid, I couldn’t help but wonder if this threat was directed at Phoebe.

Was her life in danger?