A COURT OF SHIFTERS AND SECRETS

T H I R T Y - N I N E

PHOENIX 

"What the hell is this?" I gaped down at the naked, dead body laying underneath the tarp "What the fuck?" 

"There was another attack while you were away" Rune said softly, which had my head snapping towards him. 

"What?!" I growled "Why wasn't I notified? Why wasn't any Heir or Penta member notified?" 

"Because unlike the last creature, the new one dropped dead the moment it crossed the Wards." 

"Well where's the creature then?" I asked

"You're looking at him." Téo said 

"What?" looked back at the body, my mouth agape "That's not possible." 

"Apparently it is Alpha," Rune said "The twins were patrolling the eastern border when he stumbled in, dropping dead at their feet mere moments later." 

"He's a shifter" I tilted my nose up in the air, getting hints of death mingled with the undeniable scent of a shifter "A shifter is not capable of becoming that...thing. Whatever it was." 

"He didn't exactly look like that creature that hurt Alpha Lobo" Níco said as he crossed his arms, his assessing gaze sweeping over the young shifter from head to toe "He looked more like a wolf this time except for the intestines protruding from his abdomen." 

"He also looked like..." Téo hesitated, looking at his brother. 

My eyebrow rose "Like what?" 

"Like he wanted to die" Níco frowned, an unknown emotion entering his eyes "Like there was nothing left to live for and all he wanted was to finally be put out of his misery." 

"And you didn't kill him?" I asked for confirmation "You weren't inclined to put him out of said misery?" 

"We didn't have too" Téo said "Like your Beta said, before we could even take a step in his direction, he dropped dead." 

"That's not the only thing Alpha" Rune winced at my exasperated sigh. 

"Fuck, what else could possibly go wrong?" 

"I wouldn't say that if I were you" Níco murmured, making his brother elbow his ribs "What? You know that whenever someone says that, things get exponentially worse." 

Rune pointed at the body "According to my research, this kid went missing about five months ago." 

My heart panged at the confirmation of his age "Who was he?"

"Jakob Edwards, the nineteen year old eldest son of Wilhelmina and Grisha Edwards. His mom died when his youngest sister was two and it's only been him, his father, and his sisters since then" Rune's voice dropped to a whisper "His plans were to attend Med School the moment he graduated from the Academy."