Chapter Thirty-Three

"We found it just after the rain stopped yesterday."

Eli moved aside a stray branch as he trudged through the muck and weeds toward the woods' edge. Eli released the branch, and it snapped back into place, whipping against Atlas' waist with a thwack. Atlas glared but followed Eli without mentioning the incident.

"At first, the scout thought it was just another piece of wood sticking from the mud, but as he got closer, the smell of rot made him nauseous. He didn't get much closer until after bringing someone over to investigate. The two dug up the hand, shoulder, and head before reporting their finding to me. I came to find you just after."

Eli led the way through the woods and onto the riverbank. The water level was high and gushing with white foam. The rock peaks from earlier in the summer were completely submerged. The only indication of their existence was the small V of rippling water. Eli pointed a finger down the riverbank. A thin, bend rod was sticking out of the black mud a few yards downstream.

"Serena's father is there. No one has disinterred. We wanted to ensure you were aware of the body before we brought it to Serena. As well as we wanted to make sure it was her father. You, and maybe a few other wolves in the pack, have seen what he looks like."

Atlas nodded and moved down the bank toward the indicated spot. With each step, a horrendous odor drifted in. Eli held a hand over his nose and squeezed his eyes shut. Atlas clenched his jaw tight but firmly placed a foot in front of the other until they were next to the body.

"Tell me what you know." Atlas commended as he crouched to get a better look at the arm and skull protruding from the moist earth.

"Well," Eli gulped as he neared the body. "Not much. It's only been here for a few months, that much we know from Serena. It isn't that far along in the decomposition process as the water isn't very acidic. It's safe to drink, actually. Well, not that you would drink any of it now. Now that there is a dead body-"

"Eli." Atlas glared across the bloating corpse at Eli. Eli dipped his head.

"Sorry. It's mainly bloated from water saturation." He grabbed a stick and pointed the tip at the neck. "You can see here some lacerations and scrapes from a sharp object. They aren't small enough to be an animal bite or gnaw. And they're too rough to be a knife wound. The only thing I can think of would be another werewolf or a serrated knife. But even then, they are a stretch."

Atlas swallowed and nodded toward the arm.

"Tell me about the arm and shoulder." Atlas pointed at the body's protruding shoulder.

"Well, as you can see the tissue is in pretty bad shape. There is very little of it left on the forearm as that was the part sticking out of the ground. The animals and bugs must have gotten to it before we found it. The shoulder has more tissue as well as the neck and head. You can see here that there are a few lacerations. But, as my father would call them, puncture wounds as they were made by a sharp object. It looks like teeth marks or claw marks or both. The neck has biting marks." Eli traced a circle around a halo of puncture wounds around the jugular veins. "It looks like the man bled out from there, but was beaten by some sort of spiked object around the shoulders as he was bleeding out."

Eli looked up, eyes cold and worried. He opened his mouth but snapped it back closed and turned back to the body.

"What?" Atlas questioned, stopping Eli from his autopsy.

"Nothing. Let's continue." Eli shifted and continued to examine the body. "Actually, it looks like a wolf did this. I haven't seen many as the rogue population around our pack is nonexistent, but maybe one came across Serena as you said. You did say there was a wolf hovering over her body. Maybe he came for both of them and you got to Serena before he could finish the job."

Atlas ran a hand through his hair and stroked the side of his face, staring intensely at the body.

"Eli, in your professional opinion, what did this?"

Eli let out an exacerbated sigh and stroked his chin for a moment.

"I think a wolf did this. The broken shoulder bones or dislocated, I can't tell right now from the position of the body are clear that something with immense force pushed on Serena's father's body while attacking his neck. It just is a matter of who did this."

"Okay." Atlas pinched the bridge of his nose tight, his fingertips turned white at the pressure. "Do you think you or Venus can tell if it is a wolf from our pack by the smell?"

Eli leaned down, eyes closed tight, and inhaled. He jerked his head back, coughing and spitting.

"I think I got a bug in my nose." He coughed and sputtered for a few moments before clearing his throat. "I believe it was from our pack. There is a faint scent, but I can't put my finger on it. The water and dirt are covering the scent." Eli pushed off the ground and dusted the mud from his knees. "Why don't we head back and tell Serena we found her dad."

Atlas nodded and trudged back to the dark woods.

The sky began to darken and the wind picked up. The branches swayed and waved wildly. The leaves shook and fell to the force of the wind. Eli froze behind Atlas and stared wide-eyed at the Alpha before him.

the crunching of leaves continued as Atlas continued his walk through the woods until the wood around him was silent, save for his own movements. He turned around to find Eli, yards behind him, stuck to the earth as though he were trapped in cement.

"What are you doing?" Atlas yelled at his frozen Delta.

Eli made no move or sound.

Atlas released a sigh and trudged back to Eli. As he approached Eli, he noticed how white Eli had gotten since they left the body. Eli's tan skin was as pale as snow. His eyes were trained on Atlas, and wide with shock.

"Don't tell me you're going to vomit." Atlas rolled his eyes as he slapped Eli's shoulder. "Come on. Venus and Serena will get worried if we stay any longer." Atlas pulled on Eli, but to no avail.

"Don't touch me." Eli's face was grim as he glared at Atlas. Eli's fists were clenched so tight the blood was completely gone from his hands.

"Woah. What's happened to you?" Atlas held his hands up and backed away from Eli a few paces.

"It was you."

"What?" Atlas chuckled under his breath. He pressed his hands against his hips and turned his head away from Eli.

"You killed Serena's father. That's who I smelled on the body. It was you."