Rejected by the Alpha, Claimed by his Brother
Chapter 132: _ What is Love?

Chapter 132: _ What is Love?

My mother’s nonsensical statement nearly choked me.

"No," I argued.

"Yes."

"Nope."

"Sí, mi amor."

I scowled, crossing my arms. "I hate that you’re saying this with so much confidence. I hate that you think you know something I don’t."

She beamed. "Then tell me, Axel, if you don’t want Rosa... who would you rather settle down with?"

Who would I rather be with? I hadn’t given that much thought since I wanted no woman in my life, but now that Mother had asked...

Regardless, that should have been an easy question. It should have been an easy question.

Except...

My brain short-circuited. Like a broken machine, it lagged—flat-out refused to process the data. My mouth opened, but the words didn’t come.

Come on, think! Just say ’no one.’ Say it!

But then, like a traitor, my lips moved on their own. My soul left my body. I floated above the disaster scene, watching in horror as my earthly form made the biggest mistake of my life.

"...María José." I blurted out.

The second the words were out, I wanted to shove them back in. I wanted to rewind time, grab myself by the collar, and shake myself violently.

But it was too late.

My mother’s eyes lit up.

And then—Dios mío—she squealed.

"Mi hijo," she whispered, grabbing my hands like they were sacred relics. Her voice was gentle, filled with sentimentality. "My son has found love."

What?!

I was seconds away from dying right there in that room. Maybe if I keeled overdramatically, she’d be too distracted to continue this nightmare.

I groaned. "Mamá, please, for the love of everything holy, do not say it like that."

She ignored me, holding my hands delicately like I was a bride on my wedding day. "Can’t you see it?" she breathed, genuine joy spilling from her like a broken dam. "It all makes sense now. Everything."

My face was burning. I was seconds from breaking something.

"It was the day," she continued, "when the great, prideful Axel—the Axel who never bows to anyone, who would rather break than bend—"bowed" to Don Diego that I had begun to suspect."

I stiffened. What was she on about now?

She smiled warmly. "And why?" she asked softly. "Why did you do it?"

I clenched my jaw, wondering if that was rhetorical or if I was supposed to answer.

"Because you wanted to protect María José."

I hated how much I wanted to deny it. I hated how much I couldn’t.

She let out a soft laugh, like everything was falling into place. "Oh, Axel," she said, shaking her head. "You love her."

I nearly died. Love who?!

"I do not," I snapped. "She’s just—she’s just..."

"Just?"

I clenched my fists.

I couldn’t say it. I wouldn’t.

Because if I said it, it would make it real.

And if it was real, I was completely and utterly screwed.

"Mamá, stop it!" I shouted, pointing an accusatory finger at her like she had just committed a crime. "Stop making speculations! Stop jumping to conclusions! Stop—just stop!"

But my mother? She just stood there, smiling like she had uncovered the secret to the universe.

"Mi amor," she cooed, "there is no speculation. There is only truth."

I gagged. "Dios mío, do you hear yourself? You sound like a prophet! What’s next? Are you going to write a holy book about me and María José?"

She sighed dramatically, tilting her head. "I don’t need to. The story is already being written in your heart."

"UGH!" I threw my hands up and walked out on her. "I’m done! I’m leaving! Good luck surviving in delulu land without me!"

And with that, I stormed out of the room.

I heard her giggling behind me, like she had already won. I would have slammed the door, but knowing her, she’d just smile and say; Ah, there he goes, full of passion. Just like a man in love.

So instead, I stomped up the stairs like a five-year-old throwing a tantrum.

When I reached my room, I shoved the door open and stepped inside—only to be greeted by an unwelcome sound in my head.

Laughter.

Loud, rumbling, shameless laughter.

"Oh, go to hell, Hugo," I snapped, rubbing my temples. "This is not the time."

But Hugo, my traitorous wolf—was wheezing like this was the funniest thing he’d ever witnessed.

"Oh, but it is the time!" he howled between laughs. "By the Moon, Axel, you should have seen yourself! No, Mamá! No! It’s not true!" He mimicked me in a high-pitched, panicked voice. "I swear, if you had pearls, you would have clutched them!"

I growled, throwing myself onto my bed. "You’re laughing at my misery."

"Of course, I am! This is hilarious! You are the last person I expected to be so deep in denial. Everyone knows what’s happening except for you."

I squeezed my eyes shut. "Nothing is happening. There is nothing to know. I don’t..."

"Oh, don’t even start that again," Hugo scoffed. "We both know that’s a lie."

I gritted my teeth. "I hate you."

"No, you don’t," he said smugly. "But you do hate the fact that I can feel everything you feel."

I froze.

Hugo sighed and got serious. "Axel," he murmured. "You know you can’t fool me, right? I know what’s in your heart, even if you don’t."

I swallowed. "And what exactly is in my heart, oh wise one?"

He huffed. "María José."

My heart skipped a beat. Why? What was it about her name that unnerved me?

I shot up, my hands gripping the sheets. "Shut up."

"Make me," Hugo challenged. "Because you know I’m right. What’s going on between you and María José is complicated... but also not complicated."

"That makes zero sense."

"It makes perfect sense."

I rubbed a hand down my face. "You’re unbearable."

"And you’re in love."

My soul nearly left my body again. "I AM NOT!"

Hugo sighed like he was dealing with a difficult child. "Axel. Think. Really think. Why do you care so much? Why did you bow to Don Diego? Why did you let that girl live rent-free in your head?"

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t.

Because I didn’t have an answer.

Or maybe... I did—I just didn’t want to face it.

Hugo took my silence as confirmation. "You feel something for her," he said simply. "And before you start shouting again, I’m not asking you to put a name to it. Not yet."

Love... what the hell are you? María José, what the hell are you? What in the world have you done to me?

I exhaled shakily. "I don’t know what love is, Hugo."

There. I said it.

For the first time in my life, I admitted something raw—something that made my chest ache.

Hugo was quiet for a long moment. Then, gently, he said: "That’s okay."

I frowned. "It is?"

"Yeah. Because just like everything else, you’ll figure it out. And when you do, I’ll be here to say: ’I told you so.’"

{A/N}

Hi friends!

Thanks for your patience and understanding as I was unable to meet up with the targeted time frame. However, 20/20 extra Chapters have been updated as promised as a result of meeting up with one of our February goals of achieving 100 GTs in a month.

Now, to make up for the extra days I used in updating them, I will update 3 instead of my usual 2 Chapters for the next two days. Happy reading and I hope you enjoy what I have cooked. Hehehe. ;)

Now, let’s set some March goals;

~150 GTs (in a month), and 300 power stones (weekly) = Mass release of 20 Chapters in the first three days of April. :)

~ If you get me to 1,000 privilege unlocks, I will mass-release 5 Chapters daily instead of 2 for an entire week (this can be done if we achieve the privilege unlock target before the end of the month even) <3

Thank you so much for your support so far. We can do this! Enjoy the story!