Rejected by the Alpha, Claimed by his Brother
Chapter 80: _ A Witch in the Pack

Chapter 80: _ A Witch in the Pack

I pushed myself up, but as I turned to leave, my gaze drifted back to María José.

Her face was bland and peaceful. Her fingers curled around the sheets, clutching the fabric as though she was holding onto something in a dream.

I felt that pull again. That insatiable pull.

I wanted to stay.

I wanted to crawl into bed beside her, to bury my face in her hair, to feel her warmth against me again.

Hugo growled inside me, drunk on her scent, howling for more. I shoved him back, but my hands still trembled. I wanted. Needed. And fuck, I wasn’t supposed to

Stop it, cabrón.

I shook my head violently, forcing myself to move. I had already fucked up enough for one night.

She needed rest. I needed to never speak of this again.

Sneaking out was easy enough. I had done it plenty of times in my reckless youth—though never from a woman’s bed after nearly draining her.

I slid the window open and hoisted myself over the ledge. My boots hit the soft grass below, and I crouched low, scanning the darkened villa grounds.

I could still smell her on my skin.

Still taste her on my tongue.

Please, Moon Goddess, I begged silently. Let her wake up tomorrow with no memory of this. Let her think it was a dream. Or better yet, let her remember nothing at all.

I made my way toward the estate gates, stepping lightly over the ground. My mind spun through the worst-case scenarios.

What if she woke up and remembered everything?

What if she told someone?

What if she confronted me?

The thought made my stomach churn.

But there was also one single erring thought as well.

What if she wanted to do it again?

I nearly tripped over my own feet.

"Mierda!" I hissed, shaking my head to clear it.

Focus. I needed to get out of here. Back to the packhouse. Back to normalcy—if that even existed anymore.

But then, I heard a sound.

A low, shuffling noise.

I stilled instantly, ears sharpening and muscles tensing. The sound was coming from the direction of the stables.

I frowned.

At this hour?

Curiosity got the better of me. Or maybe it was just the fact that I needed a distraction from the absolute disaster I’d left behind.

Either way, I found myself moving toward the voices, keeping to the shadows.

The closer I got, the more I could make out.

"...Are you sure?" a low voice asked.

"Yes." The second voice was smoother. "It’s definitely magic."

I crept closer, careful to stay hidden behind the wooden beams of the stable. I peered through the gaps and froze when I saw who was standing in front of the pigsty.

Don Diego.

And one of the pack’s spiritual elders.

The fuck were they doing out here so late at night?

I kept still, my back pressed against the rough wooden beams of the stable, ears straining to catch their conversation.

I wasn’t the type to eavesdrop on people’s conversations, but after my confrontation with Don Diego, my dislike for the man grew bigger.

I just needed to get in his business.

My blood was still humming with María José’s taste, but I forced myself to focus. Whatever Don Diego and the elder were whispering about this late at night by the pigsty, it wasn’t normal.

At first, I thought I’d misheard them when the words flew to my ears.

"...Whoever killed the pigs was a witch."

My brows knitted. A witch? In the pack?!

I shifted slightly, angling myself to get a better view through the cracks in the stable wall. The moonlight wasn’t much, but I could make out the hulking figure of Don Diego standing beside an older man wrapped in a cloak.

His face was mostly hidden, but the rasp in his voice and the way Don Diego actually listened told me he was important.

The elder let out a low grunt, scuffing his boot against the dirt. "You were smart to see that what happened wasn’t ordinary."

Don Diego exhaled, crossing his arms. "Of course, it wasn’t ordinary. The pigs were gutted, but there was barely any blood. They weren’t eaten. They weren’t torn apart like a normal attack. It was too clean. The moment I saw it, I knew that thiswas more than meets the eye."

The elder hummed. "And so you pinned it on your daughter."

I stilled.

The air stopped moving in my lungs.

Don Diego didn’t even jolt at the accusation. Didn’t protest. Didn’t even try to act like it was a hard decision.

He just let out a tired sigh and muttered, "Of course."

And that was it. Just like that.

Like throwing María José under the fucking carriage was the obvious choice.

I wasn’t even aware that such had happened in their estate. She didn’t say a word. Perhaps, that was the reason behind her being grounded?

The elder nodded approvingly. "Good. That was the smart move."

Smart. Smart.

A growl stuck in my throat, but I swallowed it down. These men were strong wolves. I was lucky they were too invested in their discussion to notice my scent.

However, if I made the slightest sound, they’d pick it up with ease and catch me sneaking.

"I had to," Don Diego continued. "People were already uneasy. If they started thinking this was... something unnatural, they’d panic. I needed an explanation that made sense. Something simple." He let out a humorless chuckle. "And who’s easier to blame than the weakest link?"

Weakest link.

The elder chuckled, like it was a joke. "It’s the Omega, right?"

Don Diego grunted. "Yes."

The elder waved a dismissive hand in the air. "Then you did the right thing. Omegas are there to take the fall for things like this."

Anger grew like a tumor inside of me.

My fingers dug into the wood beneath me, splinters biting into my palms. Did I hear that right?!