CHAPTER 38: CHAPTER 38 FRAME

Victoria

The afternoon dragged on like a slowly tightening noose around my neck. The air was thick with tension, everyone speaking in hushed, urgent tones as Tiny delivered his full report on Enzo’s disappearance.

"The blood spatter indicates the initial attack happened while he was in bed," Tiny explained, his massive frame seeming to fill half the room as he gestured to crime scene photos spread before us. "Defensive wounds on the headboard, sheets soaked through on the left side. Based on the pattern, someone caught him by surprise, but he fought back."

I hugged myself tightly, feeling unexpectedly cold despite the warmth of the room. The images of Enzo’s bedroom—a place I’d avoided at all costs during my years in that house—now transformed into a violent crime scene made my stomach turn.

"What about the message?" Leo asked, his voice steady but with an undercurrent of danger that made everyone in the room stand a little straighter.

Tiny slid another photograph across the desk. The bathroom mirror, splashed with crimson lettering that dripped down the glass: *THE DEBT IS PAID IN BLOOD*.

"Preliminary testing confirms it’s Enzo’s blood," Tiny added grimly. "And there’s something else." He hesitated, his eyes flicking toward me before continuing. "We found traces of a tranquilizer typically used to subdue werewolves—strong enough to knock out an Alpha."

Leo’s nostrils flared slightly. "Someone knew exactly what they were doing. This wasn’t random."

I stared at the gruesome photographs, my emotions a twisted knot of contradiction. Enzo had been cruel to me, had treated me as property, had sold me to pay his debts. By all logic, I should feel nothing but satisfaction at his suffering. Yet somewhere beneath the hurt and anger, a small voice whispered that he was still the boy who had once shown me kindness, before Aurora poisoned him against me.

"Victoria?" Leo’s voice pulled me from my thoughts. His hand found mine under the table, warm and steadying. "You’re pale. Do you need a minute?"

"I’m fine," I managed, straightening my shoulders. "I just... it’s complicated. I hate him for what he did to me, but—"

"But he’s still your brother," Leo finished for me, his expression softening slightly.

Gamma Carson cleared his throat. "If I may, Alpha. The timing of this incident is suspicious, coming immediately after Luna Victoria accessed her inheritance and legal rights to the Howlthorne Pack leadership."

"You think someone is trying to eliminate both heirs?" Leo asked sharply.

"Or setting up a power vacuum they can exploit," Carson replied. His cool blue eyes assessed me with a calculation that still made me uncomfortable, despite his growing acceptance of me as Luna. "Either way, I recommend we move quickly. The longer Alpha Enzo remains missing, the more unstable the Howlthorne territory becomes."

Leo nodded decisively. "Assemble a team. We leave for the Howlthorne pack in thirty minutes." He turned to me, his expression brooking no argument. "You’ll stay here with a security detail."

I straightened in my chair, feeling a surge of something primal and defiant rise within me. "No, I won’t."

The room went deadly silent. Leo’s eyebrows rose slightly, amber bleeding into his hazel eyes.

"Victoria," he said, voice dangerously soft, "this isn’t a negotiation."

"You’re right, it’s not," I replied, meeting his gaze steadily. "That’s my pack, Leo. My father’s legacy. My birthright. If someone is targeting Howlthorne blood, then I need to be there."

"Your safety—"

"Is important, yes. But so is my authority." I leaned forward, lowering my voice so only he could hear. "If I hide now, what message does that send to the Howlthorne Pack? That their potential new Luna is too weak or frightened to face danger? That I’ll let you make all my decisions?" I placed my hand on his arm. "You promised we were partners, Leo. Partners don’t leave each other behind when things get dangerous."

A muscle worked in his jaw as he considered my words, his wolf clearly battling with his rational mind. Finally, he exhaled sharply.

"You’ll have a security detail at all times. You stay within arm’s reach of me or Tiny. At the first sign of trouble, you follow orders without question." His voice dropped to a growl that sent shivers down my spine. "And understand this,if you put yourself in unnecessary danger, I will personally carry you back here and lock you in our bedroom until this is resolved."

I nodded, accepting his terms even as I felt a small thrill at having stood my ground. "Understood."

An hour later, a convoy of black SUVs rolled through the gates of my childhood prison. The Howlthorne mansion looked the same as always—imposing. Now, yellow crime scene tape marked it as something else entirely.

Leo kept his hand at the small of my back as we approached, a protective gesture that broadcast his claim on me to every wolf in the vicinity. The Howlthorne security staff parted before us, their eyes widening in recognition—and fear—as they caught Alpha’s scent.

Jackson, my father’s loyal Beta who had been relegated to a lesser position after Enzo took control, hurried down the front steps to meet us. His weathered face showed signs of extreme stress, dark circles beneath his eyes and new lines etched around his mouth.

"Luna Victoria," he said, bowing his head respectfully before acknowledging Leo. "Alpha Moretti. Thank you for coming so quickly."

"Jackson," I greeted him warmly, genuinely pleased to see the one person who had shown me kindness after my father’s death. "What’s happening here? Have you found any trace of Enzo?"

Jackson’s eyes darted nervously between us. "Perhaps we should speak inside. The situation has... developed."

Leo’s hand tightened slightly at my back as we followed Jackson through the grand entrance hall. The scent hit me immediately—blood, fear, and something else—a familiar perfume that triggered unpleasant memories.

"We’ve secured the crime scene in Alpha Enzo’s bedroom," Jackson explained, leading us up the sweeping staircase. "But our team discovered additional evidence about an hour ago that complicates matters."

The master suite—once my father’s, now Enzo’s—had been transformed into something from a nightmare. Blood splattered the expensive silk sheets, the headboard splintered where claws had dug into the wood. A lamp lay shattered on the floor, books scattered as though someone had been thrown against the bookcase.

"Here’s what we found," Jackson said grimly, leading us to a sealed evidence bag on a side table. Inside was a torn, bloodied dress shirt I recognized as one of Enzo’s favorites. Beside it lay another bag containing a delicate gold necklace with a crescent moon pendant.

My breath caught in my throat. "That’s Aurora’s. She never took it off—said it was a gift from her true mate before..." I trailed off, confused. "But Aurora died years ago. In the car accident with my father."

Leo lifted the evidence bag, examining the necklace with narrowed eyes. "Was her body ever recovered?"

"No," Jackson admitted, looking uncomfortable. "The car went over a cliff into the river. Alpha Dominic’s body was found downstream, but Luna Aurora was presumed drowned. The current was too strong..."

"Presumed," Leo repeated flatly. "Not confirmed."

"There’s more," Jackson said, producing another evidence bag. Inside was a folded piece of paper, the edges stained with blood. "This was found clutched in Alpha Enzo’s bedsheets, as if he grabbed it during the struggle."

Leo carefully opened the bag and extracted the note with gloved hands. His expression darkened as he read the words, then passed it to me.

*The price of betrayal is blood. Shadow Pack will answer for their sins.*

My heart dropped into my stomach. "Someone’s trying to frame you," I whispered, looking up at Leo. "They want the Howlthorne Pack to think you took Enzo."