They Look So Pretty When They Bleed

MASSIVE TW: death, gore, murder

All it takes is one word to change up an entire story. For Wolf Slayer, his story changed the second Rider McClain was found skinned alive in his wolf form in the Winter Plains. This was nothing like what Wolf Slayer had accomplished. In the eyes of the Moonlight Expanse, Wolf Slayer had just committed an assassination that would further push the Expanse into taking down the Itude Empire, and the empire merely retaliated in return.
From the markings on Rider's muscles, he was lacerated with silver whips, and deep tears at his wrists further indicated that he was chained to something, perhaps with silver cuffs. Whatever other torture Rider went through, it is unknown. However, the Winter Moon Pack refuses to speculate on what happened, to keep from reopening old wounds.

Wolf Slayer: "Don't they look so pretty when they bleed?"

While torturing Rider with silver weapons, it is suggested that Wolf Slayer managed to get information out of the Rider. One such suggestion hints that Wolf Slayer probably kidnapped werewolf children and tortured them in front of Rider to get him to spill the pack's secrets. Once Wolf Slayer got enough information, he forced Rider to shift into his golden wolf form and skinned him alive before dropping him off in the Howling Woods for a young Jack McClain to find a few hours later.

Basis

After Rider disappeared from the pack in 2008 EoL, pack members could only speculate on what happened. They trusted in him and waited for his return, which would happen two weeks after his disappearance. After these two weeks, Rider's body was discovered by his biological grandson, Alpha Heir Jack, in the late afternoon, with the sun beating down on them.

Jack McClain: "I found Pop-pops dead. He was just lying there. I can still remember the stench..."

Variations

While only one accurate version of the story remains, the places that have heard of it have their own telling. First, a note was left behind instead of Wolf Slayer's initials carved into Rider's muscles. This note is said to have teased the Winter Moon Pack, pushing Alpha Lucian McClain into the act of revenge.
A second telling is that Jack, in his wolf form, happened upon the body by discovering a trail of blood and followed it as any curious pup would. The story continues with a graphic detailing of Jack stumbling through a bush and falling down a small hill into a pile of slimy entrails and blood. When Jack could get up and crawl out of the muck to spot Rider strung up and gutted, letting his entrails fall to the ground and spell out "WS" as the message to indicate that Wolf Slayer made the killing.

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Table of Contents

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by Amelia Nite

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Quick Facts

Related People:

Bryant McClain
Destan McClain
Jack McClain
Lucian McClain
Rider McClain
Seán McClain
Trevin McClain
Wolf Slayer

Related Organizations:

Cult of Wolf Slayer
The Winter Plains Region

Related Locations:

Howling Woods

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The tale first started in the Winter Moon and then spread throughout the Winter Plains until the other regions within the Moonlight Expanse. The spread began slow, with other regions learning that Rider had died, but not how. It only started spreading like wildfire when Jack's parents made him go into therapy for the night terrors every night he went to bed. It also didn't help that he was wetting himself out of fear. This caused a stir among the other Alphas, seeing Jack being in therapy as a weakness instead of Jack brushing off his trauma or, at least, hiding it.

The Truth

The Truth

Wolf Slayer did not slay Rider. Instead, he made a deal with Rider to get information on the other pack in exchange for the Itude Empire to pull out of the Winter Plains. Rider would return to his pack unharmed. Wolf Slayer kept his word and released Rider in the Winter Plains. It wasn't until a few days later that Crown Prince Kěith Cheonsa had a golden wolf pelt in his collection, supposedly given to him by Duchess Ài-lì Xiěyè.