Chapter 5
I couldn't sleep after my mother's call. The relief of knowing she was safe in Paris was overshadowed by the horror of what I'd seen on Adrianna's livestream. The images of bone fragments—of Daniel's mother's remains—crafted into jewelry haunted me. I paced my apartment, Ty's text about the emergency meeting burning in my mind.
A soft knock at my door startled me from my thoughts.
"Olivia?" Ty's voice was low, urgent. "Can I come in?"
I opened the door to find him pale, his eyes wide with shock. "You need to see this," he said, holding out his phone.
"What is it?" I asked, though part of me already knew.
He pulled up a video and handed me the device. "I was checking social media to see if anyone was talking about last night's recovery when I found this."
The screen showed Adrianna's face, illuminated by candles, her expression eerie in the flickering light. Behind her, black velvet draped dramatically over what appeared to be an altar of some kind.
"Welcome to my special Halloween edition," her voice purred, sending chills down my spine. "Today, I'm debuting my new gothic jewelry line inspired by... death itself."
I watched in growing horror as she displayed piece after piece, each one more grotesque than the last. My stomach lurched when she held up a pendant with a small bone fragment carved into a skull shape.
"These aren't just any bones," she continued, her eyes glittering with malice. "They come from a very special source—a family tragedy that will never be forgotten."
"Turn it off," I whispered, unable to watch anymore.
Ty stopped the video, his expression grim. "There's more. She's been posting for hours. The pack is starting to notice."
I sank onto my couch, my hands trembling. "This isn't just disrespect—this is desecration. She's using the former Luna's remains as props for her sick entertainment."
"And Daniel is supporting her," Ty added quietly. "He's commented on every post, praising her creativity."
The betrayal cut deeper than I'd imagined possible. Not only had Daniel abandoned his duties as Alpha to chase after Adrianna, but he was now complicit in the desecration of his own mother's remains.
"We need to expose them," I said, my voice stronger than I felt. "For the sake of the pack—for the honor of the former Luna."
Ty nodded, determination hardening his features. "Where do we start?"
"With the truth," I said, standing up. "We need to find out exactly what happened to Daniel's mother. The official report said drowning, but there must be more to the story."
---
The local marina was quiet in the early morning light. Ty and I moved carefully between the boats, our footsteps silent on the wooden docks.
"The Luna was last seen here three weeks ago," Ty whispered as we approached the main office. "According to pack records, she came here to swim every Thursday morning."
I nodded, scanning the area. "And that's the last day anyone saw her alive."
The marina office was a small, weathered building with peeling paint and salt-worn windows. A man in his fifties looked up as we entered, his expression wary.
"Can I help you?" he asked, his voice gruff but not unfriendly.
"I'm Olivia Spencer," I said, showing him my identification as a body recovery specialist. "This is my assistant, Ty. We're investigating the drowning that occurred here three weeks ago."
His eyes widened slightly. "You're from the pack?"
"Yes," I confirmed. "We need to understand what happened to the victim."
He introduced himself as Marcus Rivera, the security supervisor for the marina. "I've already spoken to the police about what I saw that day," he said, his expression darkening. "But maybe you should see for yourself."
He led us to a small room filled with monitors displaying various angles of the marina. "We keep footage for thirty days," he explained, pulling up archived video. "This is from the day the Luna disappeared."
The grainy footage showed a figure swimming near the far dock—a woman in a distinctive blue swimsuit with white trimming.
"That's her," I confirmed, my heart aching at the sight of Daniel's mother alive and happy just moments before her death.
Marcus fast-forwarded the tape, his expression grim. "Watch this part."
The footage jumped to show a high-powered jet ski racing across the water, moving far too fast for the crowded marina. The driver was a young woman with long blonde hair—Adrianna.
"She rented that jet ski that morning," Marcus said quietly. "Said she wanted to film some content for her social media."
My blood ran cold as I watched Adrianna accelerate toward the swimming area where Daniel's mother was taking her final laps.
"Did she—" Ty began, his voice barely audible.
Marcus nodded grimly. "I tried to warn her about the no-wake zone, but she took off before I could stop her. By the time I got to my boat..."
He trailed off, but the implication was clear. Adrianna's reckless driving had caused the accident that killed Daniel's mother.
"I have the full footage," Marcus said, ejecting a USB drive from the computer. "Including the... aftermath. It's not pretty."
I took the drive with trembling hands, knowing it contained the evidence we needed to expose Adrianna and Daniel's true nature to the pack.
"Thank you," I said, my voice tight with controlled anger. "This could change everything."
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