Rejected by the Alpha, Claimed by his Brother
Chapter 202: _ Gone

Chapter 202: _ Gone

Chapter 202

I pulled the cap’s brim lower over my face, ensuring the shadow concealed the jagged scar Rosa had gifted me. The evening air was filled with the scent of impending rain as dampness clung to my skin and made my clothes feel heavier than they were.

I briskly walked while feeling the turmoil inside me growing the more I proceeded.

As I meandered through the narrow alleys and bustling streets of our pack’s territory, snippets of silent conversations reached my ears.

Groups of pack members huddled together, curiosity evident on their faces.

"Did you hear about the murders?" a woman whispered in a shaky gossipy tone.

"Yes," her companion replied, eyes darting around nervously. "They say the bodies were... brutally decapitated."

A shiver ran down my spine. Murders were rare within our pack, and such brutality was unheard of. My mind immediately flashed back to the recent killing that had everyone on edge.

It must be the same murder case, I thought.

But as I listened further, it became clear this was something different.

"Two young boys," an older man muttered, shaking his head. "Found them last night. Heads gone, flesh carved out of their bones. Who could do such a thing?"

I felt my stomach churn. The vivid imagery painted by their words made me nauseous. It seemed this was the time for bad things in this pack.

I came out to have a breather. However, it seemed there was nothing like that where this pack was concerned.

I quickened my pace, hoping to escape the gruesome tales that seemed to be on everyone’s lips.

"They were mischievous," someone else chimed in. "Always causing trouble in the market. Maybe they angered the wrong person."

"But Luis Miguel didn’t die," another voice added, causing me to halt in my tracks.

Luis Miguel? My heart raced as I turned toward the group, ensuring my face remained hidden beneath the cap’s shadow.

What the hell did they mean by ’Luis Miguel didn’t die’?

Was I hearing wrongly? Was this incident connected to him?

"Excuse me. What happened to Luis Miguel?" I turned to the nearest person to me and interjected.

The group turned to look at me with suspicion flashing in their eyes. I couldn’t blame them. I probably looked like some cheap undercover spy with the scar I was trying so hard to hide under the cap.

One of the women squinted, trying to get a better look at my face. I adjusted the cap subtly, ensuring my scar remained concealed.

"Who are you?" she asked, her tone filled with caution.

"Just... someone concerned," I replied evasively. "Please, tell me. What happened?"

After a moment’s hesitation, an older man spoke up. "Luis Miguel’s friends went missing two days ago. They were found last night, murdered, and... decapitated."

The words hit me so hard, it felt like I had been punched. I staggered back, suddenly finding it impossible to breathe.

Those boys... they were more than just acquaintances. They were my friends. They had made me smile when I had forgotten how. They were there for me when no one else did.

Memories flooded my mind about how they would sing silly songs to make me laugh, how they stood by me when others turned away, how they helped me with the chore Rosa had maliciously assigned to humiliate me the other day.

"No," I whispered, shaking my head as if I wanted to throw the words out of it.

My knees wobbled, and I collapsed onto the cold and hard ground.

Gonzalo, Rubén, and Pedro.

No. No. No.

They were gone... just like that.

Tears streamed down my face, blurring my vision as sobs wracked my body.

The world around me faded as grief consumed me. The bustling streets, the murmured conversations, and the curious glances all became distant echoes. All I could see were their smiling faces that were now lost forever.

I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder, grounding me momentarily. "Señorita, are you okay?" a voice asked softly.

I couldn’t muster a response. The pain was too raw and too overwhelming. I hugged myself, rocking slightly as I drowned in sorrow right there on the ground.

Who could have done such a thing? The boys were mischievous little fools, yeah, but they didn’t deserve such an ugly death.

Oh, Luis Miguel... how would he fare now? How would he handle this heartbreak? As for me, my heart felt like it had been secretly slashed into many pieces and was only just falling apart.

My sorrows, as it seemed, would know no end.

Thunderclap echoed and the rain began to fall. People scrambled away, fending for sheds, but I remained where I was. Right there, on the ground, rocking and wailing for my lost friends.

We didn’t even get a chance to begin the wonderful friendship before it ended.

The rain mixed with my tears, washing away the facade of control I’d tried so hard to maintain.

Hell, nah... María José, you weren’t in no fucking control.

However, you don’t need control to ensure your enemies do not kill you in the same way your friends were brutally murdered.

I owed it to myself to be strong.

The rain was brutal, leaving me with questions as to whether it could be compared to the brutality the late boys had suffered. Or if it was just the tip of an iceberg where that was concerned.

If anything, the rain turned vicious like the sky had finally had enough and wanted to cry with me. Cold, needle-sharp droplets stabbed at my back, soaking through my clothes and plastering my hair to my face.

But I didn’t move. Couldn’t. I just sat there on the wet pavement, hugging myself as tightly as my shivering limbs allowed, as if I could somehow hold myself together through sheer force of will.

Everything was ruined. I tried to stand, but failed, and just sat there again with my fists clenched against my thighs.

"Señorita, please. You’ll catch your death in this cold." A voice almost inaudible against the rain suddenly croaked from beside me.

Too late, I thought bitterly. I already caught something far worse.

"I’m fine," I sniffed, but my voice didn’t sound fine. It sounded like a ghost speaking through wet gravel.

He offered me a hand, which I ignored, and lifted my head to catch a glimpse of him. However, my jaw dropped when I caught the sight of who it was...

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.