CHAPTER 349: _ THE CORPSE

As the car drove down along the grassy path, Lucia’s words replayed in my head over and over again. At the end of it all, love would triumph over evil. Was that really true?

I mean, I harbored no doubts about my love for María José, and I was absolutely certain of her feelings for me. However, considering what we were up against was the literal embodiment of evil, would the love of two werewolves really be a trump card?

"Hopefully," I muttered with a deep exhale.

My muttering seemed to catch the attention of my wife, because she placed her hand on my shoulder and squeezed tenderly.

I glanced at her briefly and smiled.

"You know, mi amor, I can’t help but be thankful that it’s you I’m with," I said with a low chuckle.

"How so?" María José asked with that innocent smile of hers. Seeing that smile took me back to the moments when we were still new to this love thing. Back then, I had merely thought of her as a little sister. Someone I had to protect.

Until I realized just how much my heart throbbed for her. Until I snuck into her room that night and was overwhelmed with a strong feeling of longing. A desire unlike anything I had ever felt.

And when I kissed her... even though I didn’t want to admit it, I knew at that moment that I was done for.

I took a deep breath and said, "To be honest, I doubt I’d be able to keep going like this if I were with someone else. Does that sound right? I don’t know... I guess what I’m trying to say is, I’d be lost if it wasn’t you, cariño."

From the corner of my eye, I saw María José’s smile widen. She rubbed her belly and gave a response that melted my soul.

"Why do you think I can appear so strong? It’s because your presence fills me with strength, mi vida."

My hands tightened on the steering wheel, and I could feel a certain wetness around my eyes. I chuckled and muttered, "I guess it’s a good thing we’re together then, huh?"

María José beamed. "No, not good. It’s the best thing, mi amor!"

I laughed and nudged her shoulder gently. She did the same and both of us ended up poking at each other till we arrived at the villa. I parked the car and quickly hopped out so I could help my wife alight.

After taking her hand, I helped her down and called one of the maids over. A young girl with frizzy brown hair hurried in our direction and bowed her head with great vigor.

"¡Señor Axel! ¡Señorita María! Good afternoon!"

I offered the young girl a smile and said, "Please, take my wife to her room, por favor."

The little girl nodded. I turned to look at María José and kissed her forehead. One of the lockets Lucia gave me was already around her neck. Seeing the locket docile comforted me in a way. It meant that those around us currently wished well for us.

"I have to give the other one to Luis, hm? I’ll come back to you as soon as I’m done, okay?"

María José nodded. I smiled and planted a brief kiss on her lips, then watched the young maid help her into the main house. I exhaled then quickly followed afterwards, but took a different direction to where Luis’s room was located.

The locket was bound tightly in my hand as I weaved through the dark corridors of the main house. A few maids passed by me, and they bowed their heads in reverence.

Hugo’s voice came at that point, "Something doesn’t feel right."

I scoffed. "Tell me about it, compa. There’s this uneasiness in my chest— it feels like the end of days is near. Maybe I’m just paranoid."

"We can’t both be paranoid," Hugo muttered, and I fell silent.

Finally, I arrived before Luis’s room. My hand moved as I prepared to knock. But at that moment, in a strange turn of events, the locket in my left hand began to sizzle with heat.

My breath ceased.

"What the hell...?"

Before I could consider the implications of whatever that meant, a piercing scream tore through the entire villa. It was a scream that reeked of terror and panic.

"Hugo!" I growled, and my wolf responded with a surge of power that flowed through my veins.

I abandoned the task of handing the locket to Luis and bolted in the direction of the scream I had just heard. My figure weaved through the various hallways like a blur. As I ran, I could feel it more intensely now.

The terror in the air. The impending disaster.

A dreadful premonition gripped my heart.

"¡Carajo!" I cursed as I slammed against a wall due to inertia. I recoiled and continued my dash, ignoring the pain in my shoulder. And when I finally arrived at the scene, I saw one of the maids’ knees apart on the floor. Her hand was stretched forward, pointing to what stood at the far end of the hallway.

"A corpse... There’s a corpse..." the maid kept repeating, but my brain seemed to have switched off.

I blinked. Once, twice. As if to deny the reality that stared me down. My breath trembled, and I took a staggering step forward.

"No, no..." A lump found its way to my throat. "This can’t be. Dios mío, this can’t be..."

"Axel... wait..." Hugo’s voice came, but I ignored it. I couldn’t listen to anything else right now.

I wobbled forward and stood before the figure of my mother, sitting on a chair like some sort of sinister performance. My hand moved before I could think, and I raised her head.

Horror gripped my heart with its icy claws.

I staggered backwards and fisted my hair.

"No, no... No, por favor! This can’t be... I swear to the Goddess this isn’t real! It’s an illusion—it’s not real!"

Because how could my mother be seated lifeless on that chair? How could she not be breathing? How could her skin be completely pale like it had been drained of blood?

Tell me why my mother is dead?