Episode 61.

Ryan shook his head, took a deep breath, and placed his hand behind his back. "We found her lifeless," he announced, leaving Dean staring at him with a surprised expression.

Elena, equally astonished by Minerva's condition, was taken aback by the sight. It was the most shocking event of her life. She immediately reached out to Minerva's lifeless body on the ground, grasping her hand before letting it drop.

As Minerva's hand fell limply to the ground, indicating her lifelessness, Elena turned to Dean with a look of deep concern on her face.

"What happened to her? What happened to my sister?!" she asked, her voice trembling, while Dean remained silent, his gaze fixed on the deceased body, appearing visibly shaken.

Elena then shifted her attention back to Ryan and Jared. "You found her dead? Where? What happened to her?!" she inquired, breathing heavily, her eyes brimming with tears as she looked once more at the body before her.

Although their relationship had its ups and downs, Minerva was still her sister and didn't deserve to meet such a fate.

Upon hearing Elena's questions and sensing her curiosity, Jared stepped forward and turned Minerva's body to reveal her back.

"What... is this...?" Elena gasped in disbelief, unable to trust her own eyes.

Minerva's back bore several deep claw marks, clearly inflicted by some kind of beast, and they could all see the bite marks on her neck.

"What is the meaning of this? Who could have done such a thing?" Elena inquired, while Dean remained silently observant, taking in their conversation.

His heart was already broken. She was the one he had planned to use to please the moon goddess for the sake of his deceased father as the tenth full moon approached.

But now she was gone. His current dilemma was figuring out who he could use to replace her. His concern was not her death, as he intended to use her as a sacrifice.

"We found her like this in the neighboring pack, in the woods of Alpha Mark Pack's Territory," Jared revealed, causing Elena to look at Dean, who was staring back at her.

Dean appeared visibly upset, relishing the chaos as the neighboring pack had incited a potential war. The idea of war excited him, presenting an opportunity to recruit new omegas into his pack by targeting Mark's Pack.

"So they killed one of my subjects?!" Dean bellowed, his voice deep, prompting Ryan to intervene by shaking his head.

"No, they didn't," Ryan clarified, causing Elena to shoot him an annoyed look.

"What do you mean? You said you found her in their territory!" Elena's voice rose with frustration as tears welled up in her eyes.

"Yes, I did, but I never said they were the ones who killed her," Ryan explained, meeting her gaze as tears streamed down her face.

Elena shook her head sadly. "Then who else could it have been if not someone from their pack? They took my sister's life, and she deserves justice," she cried, tears brimming in her eyes.

Each day seemed to bring more sorrow than the last for her. No good news reached her anymore, and the weight of sadness grew heavier with each passing day.

"They didn't kill her!" Ryan asserted firmly, looking up at Dean with confidence. Jared, standing silently behind, deferred to Ryan, the scout king, as the one authorized to speak.

"My Alpha, last night in the forest we found her, heavily wounded and clearly deceased. Despite this, we brought her to Alpha Mark's Pack seeking aid, but regrettably, we were unable to save her," Ryan explained, swallowing hard and stealing a glance at the lifeless body.

Breaking eye contact and shifting his gaze to the ground and then back to Dean, Ryan anticipated a question that never came. Proceeding with his account, he continued, "It was during this time that we discovered a malevolent force preying on werewolves, a lethal creature that Alpha Mark confirmed had claimed numerous lives within his pack."

"Examine these marks on her body closely; they are not ordinary. I suspect they may be tainted with Wolfsbane given their darkness," Ryan pointed out, as Dean responded with a derisive smile and a dismissive shake of his head.

"Do you truly expect me to believe their story? They likely killed her and concocted this tale to mask their actions. How could you be so easily deceived?" Dean challenged, prompting a serious expression from Ryan as he rose to his full height, while Elena and Jared observed quietly.

"Forgive me, Alpha, but I do not believe they deceived me. Why would they harm one of your kind? They harbor no ill will towards you and are known for their peaceful ways, welcoming any wolf into their fold. This likely led Minerva to seek them out," Ryan explained earnestly, his voice tinged with conviction.

Elena and Dean exchanged glances, signaling their growing understanding of Ryan's words. They began to see the truth in what he was trying to convey.

"However, while Jared and I were in that forest, we sensed a presence that we couldn't quite identify. We could feel it in the air, a scent of danger looming around us. Alpha Mark's Pack is already gripped by fear," Ryan explained, pausing to take a deep breath as he gestured with his hands.

"I believe whatever this entity is, it's targeting Mark's Pack specifically because he seems unaware of the other packs around. It's only a matter of time before this threat extends to every pack. Whether you believe it or not, there's a looming danger out there, a menace heading towards the werewolf world," Ryan concluded, pointing out the imminent threat they were bound to face.

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Adam Kindle's Home.

6:00pm.

Gwen sat outside, watching the road, awaiting Olivia's return, a routine they had. It was already 6 pm, an hour later than Olivia's usual arrival time, causing Gwen to grow anxious.

Glancing at her wristwatch repeatedly, the ticking of time heightened Gwen's unease. Restlessness overtook her, prompting her to abandon the bench and pace back and forth until weariness set in. Just as she contemplated heading back indoors, Olivia's car finally pulled up, relieving Gwen's tension.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Gwen approached Olivia with a warm welcome, greeting her with a kiss and offering to carry her bag. Olivia wasn't alone; she had brought a man, introduced as her manager, along with her.

After welcoming them inside, Gwen couldn't shake off her curiosity about why Olivia had brought her manager home so late. Would he be staying overnight? Pushing aside these thoughts, Gwen led them in and made them comfortable.

While Gwen prepared a meal and a drink for the visitor, Olivia excused herself to the bathroom for a quick shower. As the man, Raymond, expressed his gratitude for the hospitality, Gwen smiled and inquired, "I'm Gwen, what's your name?" She patiently waited for his response as he savored the food she had prepared.

"I'm Raymond. You must be such an amazing cook," he said to her, and she smiled.

"Thanks for the compliment. How was work today?" she asked. He smiled, taking a deep breath and shaking his head.

"Dealing with court cases is always tough, especially when we're losing. But we have to hold on to hope in God," he stated, leaving Gwen staring at him in shock, she just realized that despite her repeated pleas to let go of the court case, Oliver still went ahead with it, and now she's already losing.

As Raymond continued eating, he noticed Gwen wasn't looking well, so he paused. "Are you okay?" he asked, concerned. She forced a small smile, trying to appear fine.

"Yeah, but if I heard you correctly, you mentioned the court case," she said, making sure she heard him right.

"Yes, it was about the technology company. Today was just the beginning, and we can't lose hope," he reassured her, though Gwen's heart felt heavy, as if she could cry.

She felt like a jinx to those close to her, losing yet another dear friend.

"Are you okay?" he asked, sensing her distress. She feigned a smile. "Of course, I'm fine."