Rejected by the Alpha, Claimed by his Brother
Chapter 157: _ Living as Axel

Chapter 157: _ Living as Axel

I woke with a start, my body drenched in sweat. What the heck was that dream?

Was that a warning? That if I didn’t act fast enough, I’d lose her to my enemy?

No, no, no... I couldn’t take that chance.

My fingers twitched, and my breath became ragged. I couldn’t keep my chest from heaving as I tried to shake off the last remnants of the dream.

But the agony stayed.

The pain.

The rage.

I clutched the arms of my wheelchair so tightly that my knuckles went white.

It wasn’t real.

It wasn’t real.

It wasn’t real.

But the ache in my chest told me otherwise.

María José would never look at me the way she looked at Axel.

Not now. Not ever.

Unless I changed that. Unless I took what should have been mine. I couldn’t let that future exist. I couldn’t live in a world where she belonged to him.

My fingers relaxed at that mere thought. A wicked smile curled across my lips.

Yes. I would take it all. Axel. The pack.

Her.

And when I did, María José would never smile at him again.

Only me.

Only me.

I looked around and could already see the morning sun filtering through the blinds.

Rosario and Axel were still frozen on the bed, locked in perfect stillness, unmoving and unknowing. It was beautiful. A true masterpiece.

Just how I wanted everything to be.

A slow grin spread across my face.

This was about to become the biggest day of my life.

I pushed myself forward, rolling up to the bed where Axel lay. He was still annoyingly handsome even in unconsciousness; muscles relaxed, jawline sharp, looking as if he were simply catching up on his beauty sleep instead of suffering my wrath.

I extended a palm, touching his face. And then, the shift began.

A deep warmth flooded my veins, spreading through every nerve, twisting my body, reshaping my very being. My bones cracked, stretching and shrinking, my muscles contorting and I gritted my teeth in pain until...

It was done.

I opened my eyes and turned toward the mirror on the far side of the room.

And there he was.

Axel.

No—me.

I stood, rolling my shoulders, adjusting to the new weight of my body. My hands were larger and rougher. My stance was broader which was evidence of a man who worked out and not one confined to a wheelchair. And my face...

I sneered.

What was so special about this bastard?

Dios mío... I looked disgusting.

I bent closer to the mirror, studying the sharp lines, the stupidly perfect symmetry. Was this what made women swoon? Was this the face that had María José looking at him instead of me?

Ridiculous.

I turned my head slightly, testing different expressions. The brooding glare. The charming smirk. The intense, silent gaze that probably made weak-willed women melt.

I laughed.

"I look better."

It was true. Axel had always been the second-best to me. And yet, here I was, living in his skin, and I already felt bored.

But that was beside the point.

I had work to do.

I cracked my neck, adjusting to my new form, and grinned at my reflection.

"Time for the show to begin."

*****

The walk through town was... disgusting.

Everywhere I turned, people greeted me with smiles, nods of respect, and admiration even. Vendors waved. Elders gave approving glances. Women... Dios mío, the women—were unbearable.

"Buenos días, Beta Axel!" they chirped as I passed, batting their lashes, brushing their hair back, and standing a little straighter in my presence.

One even went so far as to sigh dreamily as I breathed in her direction.

I nearly gagged.

The worst part? They weren’t greeting me. They were greeting him.

I wanted to look them all in the eyes and say, You absolute morons. I could gut you right now and you wouldn’t even realize it wasn’t your precious Axel smiling at you.

But I didn’t. Because I was on a mission.

A group of vendors near the market square called out to me as I walked past.

"Señor, do you need a ride?" one of them asked, concerned. "We can arrange a car for you, Beta."

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Oh, of course. Heaven forbid Axel uses his perfectly functioning legs like the rest of us.

I waved them off. "No need."

"But..."

"I said, no need."

They fell silent immediately, nodding in obedience.

At least I could command them. That part, I didn’t mind.

.

.

By the time I reached Don Diego’s estate, I was already so done with this experience.

The guards at the entrance stood taller the moment they saw me approaching.

"Señor Axel," one of them greeted with a nod of deep respect. "You’re expected?"

I smirked. "Aren’t I always?"

They chuckled, bowing their heads before opening the grand iron gates for me.

Dios. This was too easy.

Inside, the estate was as lavish as ever; high ceilings, marble floors, expensive furniture that screamed you can’t afford to breathe in here.

Wealth... a wrath these men gathered with people’s blood.

The maids noticed me immediately, rushing over with polite smiles.

"Señor Axel, what an honor," one of them said with a small bow. "How may we assist you?"

I parted my lips to speak, to say something dramatic or something formal.

"I’ve come to..."

But before I could finish, a shrill voice booms in the air.

"Brother-in-law!"

I froze.

Oh, no.

No, no, no...

I turned my head very slowly.

And there she was.

Camila.

The stupid idiot who threatened me yesterday.

She was seated on a velvet chaise like she was posing for a Renaissance painting. Two maids were painting her nails, and a third holding a fan over her head as if she were some ancient queen.

The second she saw me... well, Axel—her entire face lit up like fireworks.

"Ay, Dios!" She practically flung herself up, scattering nail polish bottles and pillows everywhere. "You came to see us? To see me?"

I took a deep breath to calm my nerves or I just might end up killing her.

Killing her, however, wasn’t an option.

Yet.

I put on a dazzling smile – the kind that made girls weak in the knees. "Ah... Camila."

I had never seen anyone move so quickly. She rushed forward, nearly turning over a maid in the process, before grabbing my... Axel’s—hand with both of hers.

"You have to sit with me," she declared, dragging me toward the couch. "Oh, it’s been days! Why didn’t you visit sooner? Were you too busy? Were you thinking about Rosa?"

Ugh... what the hell was her problem? Was Axel supposed to visit daily because his brother was getting married to her?

I bet Álvaro himself had never come to see her once. What a pathetic little twig Camilla was!

She gasped, reading my silence as something far more sentimental than it was.

"You were thinking about her!" She clapped her hands together, eyes glittering with excitement. "Ay, how romantic! My brother-in-law is a man of passion!"

I’d die before I ever thought of Rosa De la Vega. She was a con artist and a fake. Her show of sophistication and reliable woman was a farce too.

What everyone else in the pack didn’t know about her, I did.