Rejected by the Alpha, Claimed by his Brother
Chapter 136: _ I Have The People

Chapter 136: _ I Have The People

Silence filled the air as my father inclined forward, his fingers steepled under his chin. He was waiting—waiting for one of us to make a move, to say something insightful, something ruthless.

The Delta stood nearby, arms crossed, but he wore such an unreadable expression that made guessing what was going on in his mind hard.

Álvaro, of course, sat as if he owned the entire room, shoulders squared, and eyes glistening with the newfound opportunity.

To say the man in question was to become his Father-in-law in twenty-five days and he was here, busy plotting against him like he was a sworn enemy or something.

I despised Don Diego, but I wouldn’t stand for the traitorous intent behind this meeting. Hell, I thought Don Diego and my father were friends.

Apparently, they were friends on the surface, but rivals deep within them. Each jealous of what the other has and secretly seeks the downfall of the other.

I let Father and his accomplices scheme. I let them whisper their plans with their low voices whispering through the room like the hiss of vipers in the dark.

"Don Diego needs to be humbled," my father continued. "This... unfortunate incident proves he is not as infallible as he claims."

Álvaro smirked. "And the pack should see it. This is a gift, Father. If we use it well, we can finally put him in his place. We can sue him and demand for more of his men to come over to our side as compensation and become the strongest family in the pack. That man needs to respect the Montenegro name and know that he is not the main character in this pack, the Alpha is."

My fingers tapped idly against the mahogany table. A gift. A burning body near his estate. A power struggle disguised as justice.

It was almost admirable—the way these men spun misfortune into opportunity. I listened as they planted their plot, twisting the narrative in their favor.

They spoke of "damage control" and "public perception," about how Don Diego’s reputation as an unshakable Gamma had suffered a hit and how they should "guide" the pack’s thoughts toward realizing he was no longer as capable as he once was.

At no point did anyone mention the dead body. At no point did anyone suggest actually finding the murderer.

Finally, I had enough.

I pushed back my chair, the legs scraping against the wooden floor. The noise echoed through the room, snapping their attention to me. I stood, rolling my shoulders and letting my frustration settle into my bones before I spoke because only then would I have enough bravado to deliver the level of bluntness in my next words.

"You should all be ashamed."

My father’s brow furrowed slightly. Álvaro scoffed, arms crossing. The Delta merely watched.

I let the silence settle before I continued. "Instead of discussing how to strengthen the pack’s security, how to ensure this doesn’t happen again, you’re sitting here, plotting yet another mishap." I turned my gaze to my father. "You, especially. An Alpha should be protecting his people, not using their misfortunes as chess pieces."

Álvaro let out a low, mocking chuckle as though he had been expecting my reaction.

"Here we go..."

I ignored him. "We have an enemy bold enough to burn a body near Don Diego’s estate, and instead of uniting as a pack to root them out, you’re talking about how to manipulate the pack’s perception? Do you even hear yourselves?"

My father snarked. "Axel..."

"No," I cut in. "You don’t get to silence me. Not this time."

Álvaro tufted his lips, his smirk widening. "This," he gestured to me, "is exactly why I said you were a mistake, Axel. Father, is why I said you were wrong for even considering him for such an important position. He doesn’t belong in our world. He belongs wherever he runs off too, roaming the human world like a lost rogue."

He paused and brought his unwavering gaze to mine. "You don’t belong here, Axel. Need I cut off your ears to tell you that?"

I met his gaze. "Oh? Please, enlighten me."

Álvaro’s smile was razor-sharp. "Politics is a game for men, Axel. You, despite being older than me, are still nothing but a boy." His voice oozed with condescension. "You can’t even handle a meeting without getting emotional. You still believe in fair play, in justice. You think the world runs on morals instead of power." He tilted his head. "You should be dismissed. Permanently."

I was so dumbfounded that the only thing I could think of was to burst out in laughter. Álvaro was calling me a boy?

The lackey who couldn’t do shit without Daddy’s supervision and recommendation was calling me a boy?!

Me, Axel, who had been sent to live in the human world at a young age. Imagine the great change for a young werewolf only used to his pack’s tradition and culture suddenly thrust into the mundane world.

Without any supervision, and no emotional support from my family my Father had ensured my mother had no way to contact me.

Hell, she didn’t even know what school I attended.

Yet, I adapted. I struggled. Even when my wolf first emerged, I survived. I single-handedly learned to grow up, learned control over my wolf, and so on.

Single-fucking-handedly!

Yet, Daddy’s boy had everything I couldn’t; Father’s first hand supervision and protection, and Mother’s love.

His smug expression right now shook a little.

"You’re hilarious," I said, shaking my head. "Truly. But tell me, dear little brother, if I am so naïve, why do I still threaten you?" I leaned down slightly, meeting him eye to eye. "Why do you feel the need to undermine me at every turn?"

His jaw tightened. "I don’t..."

"You do," I cut in smoothly. "You don’t want me here because, despite all your careful planning, all your ruthless ambition, you know I have something you don’t." I straightened, sweeping my gaze over the room. "I have the people."

Álvaro scoffed, but there was something cautious in his expression now.

"The noblemen at this table? Sure. They support you. But the pack?" I let my words settle. "They don’t love you, Álvaro. They fear you. And fear is only useful for so long before it turns into resentment. But me? I actually talk to them. I walk among them. I fight for them. When the time comes, we’ll see who they truly stand behind."

My father exhaled, rubbing his temples. "Enough." He looked at me, eyes sharp, and voice-controlled. "This is exactly why I wanted you here, Axel."

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

He nodded. "While Álvaro spent his entire life preparing for this position, standing in the shadows of powerful men, you stood against everything the position represents."

Álvaro stiffened. "What are you saying?"

My father continued, "You think you can wake up one day and suddenly claim you want to be Alpha? That you can just declare it, and it will be so? That’s not how it works."

My hands curled into fists at my sides. "No. But you know what?" I took a slow step back, letting my gaze sweep across the room, meeting every pair of eyes in turn. "I will become Alpha."

Álvaro sneered. "Oh? Is that so?"

I smirked. "You bet your ass it is."

The air buzzed with tension. My father’s expression remained full of disapproval, the Delta merely watched, but Álvaro—Álvaro’s eyes burned with fury.

Good.

Let him seethe.

Because this wasn’t just talk. This wasn’t just bravado.

This was a vow.

A promise.

And I never broke my promises.

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