Rejected by the Alpha, Claimed by his Brother
Chapter 154: _ The Things We Do For Love

Chapter 154: _ The Things We Do For Love

I watched in delight as her expression soured for just a second before she quickly put on a look of indifference. But I saw it. I saw the whiff of rage, of humiliation, of truth hitting her like a flying brick.

"You shut your filthy mouth."

I let out a dramatic sigh, shaking my head. "Oh, Camilla. You can insult me all you want. You can pretend it doesn’t bother you. But tell me..." I stepped closer, lowering my voice conspiratorially. "If María José is so weak, so useless, so unworthy... why does she have everything you’ve ever wanted?"

Camilla pounced at me before I could even finish pronouncing the word ’wanted’.

I was expecting it. I caught her wrist before she could claw my face, twisting it just enough to make her gasp.

The maid let out a stifled noise, eyes wide.

Camilla growled. "Let go of me."

I did.

But not before leaning down to murmur, "If you ever try to use someone to stress María José again, you’ll wish your father had swallowed his pride and sent you off to some lesser noble for marriage instead of Álvaro.

"But don’t worry, you’re about to receive all the punishment you deserve in twenty-one days when you get married to that son of a bitch. You two really deserve each other." I patted her shoulder fondly.

The maid’s eyes were literally bulging now. Not only did I annoy the most insufferable De la Vega daughter, but I called her father out, and even insulted the Alpha heir.

She knew that whoever I was, I was going down after this. Or so she thought.

Eish... poor Mateo was going to be in quite a lot of trouble.

Camilla was too dumbfounded that she couldn’t even talk or blink.

I took a step back, grinning.

"Oh, and Camilla?" I added as an afterthought. "You should thank me. No one else would dare talk to you like this, but I value honesty." I placed a hand over my heart, mockingly sincere. "It’s a noble trait, really. Far more noble than some spoiled brat who needs a maid to do her dirty work."

She was fuming.

Good.

"Listen to me, you pathetic little pack guard," she hissed. "You are nothing. You’re a low-class, powerless, nameless piece of filth who should know his place. I could have you shot to death just for the way you’re speaking to me."

I tilted my head. "You could. But you won’t. Because that would mean admitting I got under your skin."

Camilla’s chest rose and fell in anger. Her fingers wriggled at her sides, fists curling and uncurling like she was debating her next move.

For a moment, I saw the hesitation and the war in her mind. Her pride screamed at her to call for the guards, to demand retribution for this humiliation. But she didn’t. Because that would mean I won. It would mean I had rattled her so deeply that she needed help dealing with a mere pack guard.

Her jaw clenched. But her lips stayed shut. Points for me!

I crossed my arms, staring her down. "Face it, Camilla. No matter how many times you insult María José, no matter how many times you try to tear her down, you will never be her. Because unlike you, she doesn’t have to try to be loved. She just is."

Her nostrils flared.

I clicked my tongue. "Also, she’s prettier than you."

Her jaw dropped.

I winked at the maid and strolled away, leaving Camilla standing there, seething, knowing there wasn’t a damn thing she could do about it.

Not yet, anyway.

.

.

I walked out of that encounter with Camilla with a satisfied grin. Ah, the sweet taste of victory. It wasn’t every day you got to completely dismantle someone and leave them standing there, too enraged to even form words.

Camilla had probably never been spoken to like that in her life, which made it all the more satisfying.

And yet, despite my little triumph, there was a nagging feeling in the back of my mind. It was a familiar itch I couldn’t scratch. It wasn’t enough. Nothing would be enough until María José was free of people like Camilla. Still, at least I had done something for her today.

It would have to do. Tomorrow, I would seal Axel’s marriage deal with Rosa, and the day after, I would hunt Luis Miguel and his gang down.

The things we do for love...

The evening air was tender as I made my way back to the packhouse. A few soldiers and vendors nodded at me as I passed, but I barely paid them any mind.

If only they knew who they were greeting. If only they knew what kind of monster was hiding in their midst.

I turned down the secluded path that led to my little house at the back of the packhouse grounds, where no one dared to come unless they wanted to be ignored. Which suited me just fine.

Two more years.

That was all.

Two years, and I could finally shed this ridiculous disguise, finally claim what was mine, and finally, build myself a house that matched my ambitions. No more tiny, suffocating spaces. No more sleeping under a roof that wasn’t fit for someone like me.

When I was done serving my master, I would build the biggest damn house in the entire pack. And then, I’d watch as everyone who once ignored me had no choice but to bow.

As soon as I was out of sight, I let go of the pathetic form of Mateo. My shoulders stretched, my spine straightened, and my body became mine again. My true face was then hidden beneath the veil of invisibility, unseen by any wandering eyes.

I needed to go inside quietly and hope the illusion I left behind as Luis hadn’t been cracked.

I rolled my neck, cracking out the stiffness of pretending to be less than I was, and approached my house. I was already regretting it.

Because I could hear her.

That goddamn voice.

Rosario was inside.

Singing.

Again.

It was some tragic Spanish ballad about longing and desire... the kind meant to be sung on balconies under the moonlight by some heartbroken idiot with a guitar.

I was going to kill her.

Well, I would if she wasn’t actually useful in satisfying my sexual desires amongst other things. Seriously, even if I didn’t care to admit it, Rosario had grown on me.

She had taken care of me all those years, saw to my every need even if she did them in the most ludicrous and insufferable way, but she had been useful.

She’d been around me more than anyone ever had all these years. I couldn’t even imagine changing her and having someone else take her position.

Yet, she’d been living a pathetic life that she didn’t deserve. Maybe my last act of service for her would be killing her at the end of this all.

I’d give her an escape, so she could go to a better place in the blossom of their pathetic Moon Goddess. Until the end, I would look out for Rosario.

she was loyal, devoted, indispensable. But so were guard dogs, and even they got put down when they outlived their purpose.

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