Rejected by the Alpha, Claimed by his Brother
Chapter 198: _ Found Them

Chapter 198: _ Found Them

The forest was noisy with whispers and rustling leaves as we pressed deeper into its territory. Sunlight filtered through the dense canopy, illuminating dappled patterns on the forest floor.

Each step we took was accompanied by the crunch of twigs and the distant calls of unseen birds. The air was stale with the earthy scent of moss and wood. It was such a contrast to the growing unease that nibbled at my gut.

Luis Miguel who was usually full of talks was tensely silent as he trudged beside me. His eyes darted around, scanning the underbrush, hope lying in their depths. I could sense the turmoil brewing within him. I could see the storm of fear and desperation he was fighting hard to contain.

I couldn’t blame him. I was not the one whose best friends were missing, yet, I could feel the tension brewing beneath my skin as the fear of the boys’ lives bubbled within me.

I wiped a bead of sweat from my brow, my shirt clinging uncomfortably to my back. "We’ve covered nearly every inch of this area," I muttered, frustration seeping into my voice. "It’s like they’ve vanished into thin air."​

Luis Miguel sighed heavily, running a hand through his disheveled hair. "I just don’t get it, Beta Axel. They wouldn’t just disappear without a word. Something’s not right."​

I halted, placing a firm hand on his shoulder and feeling the tremor in them beneath my grip. "Luis, we’ll find them," I assured, though the melancholy in my tone betrayed my own doubt.

Before he could respond, the sharp trill of my phone shattered the forest’s tranquility. I snatched it from my pocket, noting Teo’s name flashing on the screen. I could feel the knot forming in my stomach as I answered.​

"Teo? What’s the update?" I asked, bracing myself for whatever was to come next.

"Beta Axel," his voice was grave, "we’ve discovered something... unsettling in the eastern woods. You need to see this."

Okay, that didn’t sound good. Not good at all.

A cold dread seeped into my bones. "We’re on our way."

Luis Miguel’s eyes turned to mine, searching for answers I didn’t have. "What is it?" he whispered.

"They’ve found something. Let’s move."​ I announced, returning the phone to my pocket.

We broke into a run, the forest blurring past us as adrenaline surged through my veins. Branches clawed at our clothes, roots threatened to trip our hasty steps, but we pressed on as we were driven by a mounting sense of urgency. The rhythmic pounding of our feet was almost the same as the beats of my heart.

As we neared the location Teo had indicated, the tension then began to seep into my bones with a greater rush that set my nerves on edge. The trees seemed to close in, their shadows deepening, as if they were already mourning the scene we were about to witness.

As we neared the clearing, the scent hit me. It was a sickly sweet odor tinged with the smell of blood that almost made me gag.

My stomach churned, but I forced myself to push forward.​

Teo and his men stood in a somber circle, their faces filled with a mix of horror and sorrow. They parted as we approached, revealing the grim discovery behind them.

In the center of the clearing lay a gruesome tableau: a mound of flesh that was torn and ravaged and swarming with flies. Nearby, a shallow grave had been unearthed, revealing a collection of bones, some still bearing remnants of sinew and muscle.​

What the heck...?

Luis Miguel gagged beside me again, doubling over as he fought to keep his stomach contents where they belonged. I swallowed hard, forcing myself to remain composed because the moon helped me, I might as well throw up right here and then.

"Teo... what the hell happened here?"​ I groaned, squinting at the gore in front of me.

Teo shook his head, head dipped soberly. "We don’t know, Beta. We were conducting the search as you instructed when we stumbled upon this... this atrocity."​

I stepped closer as the stench intensified with each movement. The flesh was unrecognizable. It was a bloody grotesque puzzle missing too many pieces. The bones, however, told a different story.​

Crouching beside the grave, I examined the remains. Among the bones lay tattered remnants of clothing which was a sneaker here, a shredded t-shirt there. My heart sank as recognition dawned on me.

Luis Miguel, having regained some composure, joined me. His eyes widened in horror as he too recognized the items.​

He staggered forward, dropping to his knees with his fingers trembling as they reached out to touch a familiar bracelet among the tattered fabric.

"Ruben’s..." he choked out, voice breaking. "This is Ruben’s."

A rough sob tore from his throat, raw and unrestrained. His shoulders shook violently as the weight of realization slammed down upon him. The forest bore silent witness to his anguish, the very air seeming to hold its breath.

I knelt beside him, placing a hand on his back and feeling the convulsions of his grief. "Luis, I’m so sorry," I murmured, the inadequacy of my words glaring.

He turned to me, eyes red and swollen with tears carving tracks down his dirt-streaked face. "They were my brothers, Axel. Ruben, Pedro, Gonzalo... we’ve been inseparable since we were kids. How could this happen? Why?"

His fists clenched, nails biting into his palms, drawing blood. The pain, perhaps, was a hopeless attempt to anchor himself amidst the storm of emotions.

Who could have been so cruel to do this? It definitely couldn’t be anyone from our pack. It has got to be one of the other supernaturals.

Perhaps, those bloody witches again. I’ve got to fucking find them!

I swallowed hard as my throat continued to tighten. "We’ll find out who’s responsible," I vowed, the promise burning in my chest. "They won’t go unpunished."

This was a vow that I promised to see until the end. I just had this nagging feeling that all of these recent crimes were somehow... connected.