Second Victim
Adeline
“Dad,” I said as he approached me. I looked at him and acted calmly while he looked at me as if something were off. “Is there anything wrong, Dad?” I asked.
“Adeline,” he said, his voice low, and I detected hesitation. Why is that? It’s the first time that he approached me like this, so I don’t know what to do. He was always dominant and powerful, and he approached everyone with authority. Although he’s at ease and relaxed when he’s around his beta and gamma, I can still detect superiority.
“Dad, is there something wrong? Is there something you wish to tell me?”
“I want to ask you if there was a time that something unusual happened to you.” Why is he asking me that? Did my brother tell him about Kaiser?
“No. Nothing, why?” I answered after I gathered all my courage to lie to him. I had to keep myself calm since he is good at detecting someone’s uneasiness. He said before that he has the ability to hear heartbeats, so he knew whether someone was lying to him or not.
The werewolf has enhanced senses, so I believe him. It happens to me as well from time to time, especially when I am fighting with someone. “Nothing. I just want to make sure that you’re not doing anything stupid. I know how reckless and hardheaded you are, so I was always worried whenever I didn’t see you.”
“Dad, I am grown up now. I can handle myself, so you don’t need to worry about me or Daniel. I am your daughter, an alpha’s daughter. I even train regularly, so I won’t become your and Daniel’s weaknesses.”
“You’re saying as if we are thinking that you are a burden to us,” he replied.
“You know that’s not what I mean. I love you and my brother. I just didn’t want you to overthink about me. What do you think is the reason that I tried everything I could and stayed focused on my goal? I want the pack to be as strong as it already is.”
“Dear,” he said in a low voice. He sounded like a father to me now, not my alpha. He looked distraught, and my heart sank seeing him like that. “I know I have been very vocal about you and humans. But believe me, everything I am telling you is always for your own good. There’s nothing I would want you to have more than the happiness you deserve.”
“Dad, about Mike,” I said, trying to make him understand.
“Dear, I am not angry at you. I respect your decisions and your feelings for that human. But I have to warn you that the mate bond is not something you can control. I am not that worried about you; I am more worried about that man. Can you imagine the suffering and pain he will have to face when you leave him after you find your mate?”
I had my head down because I knew deep down that he was right. I’ve seen many mated couples in the pack, and not all of them were each other’s first love. There were few who had fallen in love with a human before they found their mates and left their pitiful first love for the mate that the moon goddess had paired them with. It was the reason why I hated the mate bond. I don’t believe that it was real. “Don’t hurt yourself, especially Mike. He doesn’t deserve the pain that he will have to go through when you leave him. He is kind and a very good man. We have our culture, and you have to practice it, not for yourself alone but for the very existence of our kind.”
He stopped and maybe waited for me to say something. But I am speechless. His point was taken, and somehow, I also agree with him. “I leave you to whatever you are doing. I hope in this conversation you were able to discern what I wanted you to understand. A mate is a mate. He is going to become your stronghold, and so did he in facing anything that comes your way,” he said before he turned around and left. I sat back on a chair and started thinking. About me, Mike, and Kaiser.
Upon remembering that alpha, my eyes flew to the shelf where I found the diary. I got up from my chair and went back to get it. I think I would want to find out what had happened to the woman and to the man she married, so I bring it to my room and make sure to read it whenever I have time.
Dad has been acting weird after our conversation. He would always ask me about how I was or if something had happened to me. All the time, I would reply, “Nothing.” Because there was really nothing. For two days, I stayed in the pack’s territory. I didn’t even go to see Mike because I’m still searching for some answers to my questions, which I don’t think I will be able to find on my own. The diary that caught my attention stays in the drawer on my bedside table. I had been busy and couldn’t find the time to continue reading it.
I sighed heavily after that realization. No matter how much I thought about it, I came to the conclusion that I needed to find someone who knew about the phenomenon I was experiencing. But I am afraid to tell Dad about it. “Adeline, we’re going to human territory,” Daniel said. I was about to go to my room after my morning jog. I had to take a bath before I joined everyone for breakfast. Dad is very strict about it.
“What for?” As much as possible, I didn’t want to leave the pack. I want to find someone who will be able to explain to me what is going on with me. I can’t ask him any further either, out of worry that he might tell Dad about it.
“A human has been killed near our border.” He replied. So that’s why.
“Don’t tell me it’s a young girl,” I replied, and he nodded. I sighed, feeling sorry for the girl and her family. Now that the incident has repeated itself, it is clear that this is a crime that cannot be ignored.
“What do you think?” He asked.
“I don’t know; I haven’t seen the body of the human victim,” I replied. I am used to them asking for my opinion about any information we acquire. They respected my thoughts and even asked for any suggestions that might help solve any problems.
“Then get your a*s ready and come with me.” He replied and left. He is serious, and I am too. I ran to my bedroom and took a bath. Breakfast will have to be done on our way to human territory, I guess.
There were police around the scene, and they prohibited everyone who would try to come near them, especially the girl’s dead body. “Daniel,” one of the policemen, greeted my brother and nodded when he saw me.
“Did you get anything?” Daniel asked.
“Nothing. No fingerprints or whatever.” The police replied as we walked our way to the victim. My heart sank when I saw the girl’s dead body. No parent would want to see their child dried dead.
“What do you think, Adelle?” Daniel asked. I looked at him and shook my head. “I don’t really know, and I have no idea. It was the first time that I’d seen something like this. Apart from the alpha’s daughter, who was clearly killed by a rogue, in my opinion, this one is something else.”
“Have you checked her body?” Daniel asked the police.
“Yes, and we didn’t find anything. If she was dried dead by a vampire, she should have some bite marks, but there’s none.” Daniel and I looked at each other.
“This is the first time that something like this has happened, right? I mean, there’s no other case like this, right?”
“I’m sorry to disappoint you,” the police replied. “About a month ago, we found a child’s body in the same situation.”
“What?” Both Daniel and I asked, shocked.
“Why didn’t we hear about it? Why aren’t we informed?” My brother asked continuously. I was wondering too, so I waited for the police’s reply.
“Because it’s not under our jurisdiction. It happened in another city, and we found out about it because they were looking for a similar case as well. If not, they will consider it an isolated case.”
“When did it happen?” I asked,
“About a month ago.”
“And you didn’t receive any news about the same case in another city anymore?” I asked,
“Yes,”
“Which means this girl is the second victim. I don’t know if you agree with me, but I think this might be a serial killing.” Daniel said, and I agree with him, and I think the police do too because he nodded.Text © owned by NôvelDrama.Org.
We waited for the police to finish securing the area after taking the girl’s body. She’s a human, so she will be taken care of by her parents in human territory. She will be brought to the morgue in the hospital, and that’s where her parents will see her.
We make our way back to the pack house as Daniel asks one of our warriors to assist the police in solving the case. If this is not some human crime, they will need our help just in case they face someone from any of the supernatural beings. The warrior will also report back to us, so we will be able to discern what really happened to the girl.
How can things be so tough? There are things that I want to find out, and I don’t know anyone other than my father who can help me, but I didn’t want to tell him that it bothers me either. Then there’s the case of the alpha’s daughter’s death; we haven’t figured out what happened to her, and now this. Another girl who is a human. When will I be able to read that book again?