Stella stood at the edge of the massacre site, her senses on high alert. The scene in front of her was gruesome—werewolves, some still in partial transformation, lay dead across the clearing, their bodies riddled with wounds. The scent of death, blood, and wolfsbane filled the air, and beneath it all, something else, something off. It was a smell she couldn't quite place, but it gnawed at the back of her mind. Something here wasn't right.
Josh stood a few feet behind her, observing quietly as Stella surveyed the scene. He had stayed true to his word—she was temporarily free to help with the investigation, but the conditions were clear. Solve the case, no contact with William, and her daughter and Bryan would be released. The weight of those conditions pressed on her, but she pushed it aside for now. This was bigger than her personal stakes. Whoever had done this had a plan, and she needed to uncover it.
