Mating the Female Alpha
Chapter 52 – Breaking it to Tina’s family.

Landry's

POV

"Why would someone do this to your cousin?" His beta asked; they stood, unmoving, over Tina's mangled body.

It was a shame that Tina had to meet a fatal ending such as this. Landry might have not liked her, but he never wanted this for her. Telling from the fresh scent of the blood that covered her, the attack happened recently. Not long ago, she was standing in his palace, telling him she deserved to be the luna queen over Bernice.

He would have to break the news to her family.

...

Bernice's POV

I couldn't sleep.

I couldn't shake this nasty feeling in the bit of my stomach.

Something was wrong.

I sat up in bed and peered out the window; it was still daylight. I wondered if Landry was still in his study. I wasn't sure why I wanted to see him suddenly. I held onto my stomach, feeling a little uneasy at the thought of him. "It's because you like him," the annoying sound of my wolf purred in my ear.

I rolled my eyes, ignoring her, as I slid out of bed.

When I left my room, I was surprised to see Landry walking up the steps. He looked more exhausted than I felt. I could tell right away, from the look on his face, that something was seriously wrong.

I narrowed my eyes at him and closed the door behind me as I stood in the halls, watching him approach.

He brushed his fingers through his hair and sighed; his shoulders slumped slightly.

"What's going on?" I asked; he paused and looked at me. "What happened?" I asked again before he even had the chance to speak.

"Another body was found," he answered right away.

My heart was heavy in my chest at his words; the vampire attacks were getting out of hand. If it was me, they wanted, then they can just take me. I couldn't let another person die. I'm sure the other strong warriors would agree. The look on my face must have spoken volumes because Landry's gaze darkened as he stepped closer to me.

"It wasn't a vampire attack," he said, answering my unspoken question. "It was a rogue attack."

That wave of nausea returned to me, and I had to swallow it down before it resurfaced all over the floor.

"Who was it this time?" I asked, afraid to know the answer.

He was quiet for a moment, and I knew it was going to be bad.

"Landry?" I asked with a little more force in my voice than I meant to. "Who was it?"

"Tina."

I gasped and stumbled away from him. I had to hold onto the door for leverage or else I would have fallen over completely. The room was spinning and I thought for a moment that I was going to pass out. Tina was dead?

I couldn't even ask for clarity out loud; the words seemed foreign on my lips. I've only met Tina a couple of times and from those times, I knew she didn't like me. She made it clear that she wanted to be the luna queen and that I had no place being here. But I never wished death upon her.

She was part of Landry and Jessie's family regardless of if I liked her or not.

"I was about to go down to the morgue. I need to contact her family and have them meet me there," he says, sounding defeated.

Her own family didn't even know.

"I'll come with you."

He looked at me surprised for a moment, before shaking his head.

"It's better if you stayed here," he tried to protest, but I rose my hand to stop him.

He looked surprised again; I imagined not many rose their hands to silence the Alpha King.

"You can't keep protecting me forever," I tell him, keeping my eyes locked on his. "I'm not taking no for an answer. I need to see her."

He processed what I had said for a moment before nodding.

"All right," he says in return. "Let me give her family a call first. The car is waiting downstairs."

I nod to him and wait for him to resurface from his study.

Then, we went together to the morgue.

Tina's father and mother were waiting outside the morgue doors for Landry's arrival. Neither of them looked concerned to be there, which surprised me.

I followed Landry to greet them, and they both bowed at his presence.

"Alpha King," Tina's father greeted. "What a strange place for us to meet."

They weren't even suspecting that something could be wrong.

"Why did you want to meet here?" Her mother asked, peering up at Landry with large eyes.

"I'm afraid there has been an accident," Landry begins to say. They both listen with great intent. "It's regarding your daughter, Tina."

Her father groaned as if he was annoyed by the sound of Tina's name.

"What has our daughter done this time?" He asked, shaking his head with dismay written all over his face.

Landry narrowed his eyes at her father, straightening his stance. I could tell he was bothered by their reaction as well. Obviously, it wasn't good considering they were in a morgue. "Tina is dead."

Her father and mother fell silent as they stared around Landry's serious face. I was expecting at least her mother to burst into tears. But she didn't. She stared back at Landry with an expression I couldn't read. It was almost emotionless. I wondered, for a moment, if they had heard him.

"Where is she?" Her father finally asked, his tone hardened.

"In the morgue," Landry says, motioning for them to follow.

They hesitated for a moment and her mother met my gaze. I got an icy feeling from her stares, and it sent a chill down my spine. I had to bite my lip to keep myself from saying something I was going to regret. "This way," Landry urges them both.

They follow, reluctantly, behind him and I follow behind all of them. We walk toward the back of the morgue where the mortician was examining Tina's mutilated body. I nearly gagged at the smell when we entered the room. It smelled of rancid flesh and I saw why right away.

Her entire body had been torn apart. She had clumps of hair missing as well; Tina loved her hair. I could tell from the way it was done perfectly every time I saw her.

She was hardly recognizable; I was surprised Landry was able to identify her at all.

Tina's parents stared at her body for a long while; neither of them saying anything. I understand that people grieve in their own ways, but neither of them looked remotely remorseful. It was like they were staring at a stranger. Landry realized this as well and cleared his throat loudly, bringing their attention to him.

"I understand that this is shocking," Landry says, looking between the two of them. "I promise though, I'm going to find who did this. I won't rest until her death has been avenged."

I felt a wave of fury going through me as I stared at Tina's body.

Who could do such a thing to her? And why?

I clenched my fists, getting even angrier because of the lack of caring from her parents.

Her own family.

"I see," her father said. "I'm afraid we can't stay. We are very busy. If that'll be all, we'll be on our way now."

Landry rose his brows but said nothing.

"Thank you, my dear, for showing us this," her mother says before turning away to follow her husband out of the morgue.

I stared at Landry in disbelief.