Rejected by the Alpha, Claimed by his Brother
Chapter 244: _ Not Yet

Chapter 244: _ Not Yet

I had barely stepped inside when María José reached for me again and I didn’t stop her.

I let her guide me to the couch, where she sat with her knees tucked under her and pulled me close. Her sleeve slipped down more, and my fingers twitched with the urge to fix it. To tug it back up. To tug it all the way off.

Hugo growled low in my head. "Mate."

Yeah. I knew.

But not tonight. Not like this.

It was crazy how I wanted to retain control but kept on with that one thing that was driving me toward the edge of insanity.

The type of insanity triggered by the beautiful body of the most beautiful woman in the world.

It was all instinct—urgent and desperate like we hadn’t seen each other in years. There was no hesitation, no second-guessing. My lips met hers with a fire I didn’t know I had been holding back. It was the kind of kiss that made everything else fall away, like we were the only two people in the world.

Her hands moved to my face, her fingers tracing the rough edges of my jaw. I pulled her closer, feeling the heat of her body against mine, and it made me dizzy.

Hugo growled in the back of my mind, like he was just as eager to lose control. The wolf inside me wanted more—wanted to take her here, now, let the tension between us finally snap like a taut string.

But no. I couldn’t. Not yet.

I broke away, my breath ragged. She looked up at me with those beautiful eyes, her lips swollen from our kiss. I swallowed hard, trying to steady myself. My hands were still on her waist, but I could feel myself pulling back.

Axel?" she asked, her voice soft and a little confused.

I took a deep breath, my chest rising and falling too fast. "I can’t, María José. Not yet."

Her face softened with understanding, though I could see the disappointment in her eyes. She nodded slowly. "Okay," she whispered.

I kissed her forehead, gently, and then I stepped back. "I want to be with you, María José. More than anything. But we’ll take this slow. I’ll do it right."

She nodded again, her hands still resting lightly on my chest.

"You’re everything to me. I just need you to know that."

"I know," she replied, and the way she said it, the way she looked at me, made my heart twist in the best way possible.

She pulled back enough to meet my eyes. "Rough day?"

I scoffed. "You have no idea."

"Tell me?"

Urm... telling María José about the whole pregnancy issue with Rosa and her suggestion that we kill Álvaro would definitely ruin the mood.

I wanted to enjoy this moment for longer. I wanted to bask in the glow of her affection, to feel the glory of being missed.

I shook my head. "Later. I just want to be here. With you. Like this."

Her face softened. "Okay."

Her fingers drifted to my collar, toying with the buttons, making my pulse spike.

She didn’t mean it. Or maybe she did. But it was dangerous.

Too much. Too soon. María José was delicate. I had already taken so much from her. I had illegitimately marked her, didn’t recognize her feelings soon and my recklessness had gotten us into this tight corner we currently were.

But Hugo wasn’t urging me to stop. He wanted me to give in. Her mouth found mine again, and this time it was different.

This time it was hunger. Need.

Her hands slipped under my shirt again, fingertips brushing my skin, and I could feel her heart hammering against me like she was just as scared of what we were doing as I was.

I nearly stopped breathing. I kissed her back, harder. My hand slid to the small of her back. She was warm and soft and everything I’d never let myself want.

But she wanted me. She trusted me. And that trust felt like a noose around my throat.

She shifted, her thighs bracketing mine, and the movement sent lightning straight through me. Her dress slid farther off her shoulder, and I saw the traces of her scars again—the faded ones.

Her wolf had completely healed her face, but not her body. It seemed it hadn’t fully awakened still. Something was definitely keeping it from fully blossoming.

I plan on finding out what.

She didn’t notice. She was too caught up. Her hands were moving again, trying to strip away distance.

But I saw them. And suddenly, I couldn’t breathe. My hardened cock fell like the walls of Jericho.

Oh, Rosa, you’ll pay for every

I gently grabbed her wrists. "María José."

She blinked, dazed. "What?"

"We can’t."

Her face crumbled. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No," I said quickly, my voice raw. "God, no. It’s me."

I cupped her face in both hands. "I told you already. Look, if I don’t stop now, I won’t stop later. And I don’t want this to be... because you’re lonely. Or afraid. Or grateful."

She stared at me and I watched her lip shake. I brushed my thumb over it.

"I want this," she whispered.

Oh, she wants me.

"I know," I said. "I do too. But I want it when you’re safe. When you’re happy. When I know I won’t hurt you."

Her brow furrowed. "You won’t."

I gave a crooked smile. "I’m a wolf, remember? We lose control."

She sighed and leaned into my touch. "I trust you."

That almost broke me.

I kissed her forehead. "Let me earn it."

If only her wolf was fully awakened, my mind would be at rest, knowing that whatever bruises I inflicted on her during sex, she was going to heal from it.

Because I... had a little problem.

Moreover, María José deserved to be deflowered properly. After a grand wedding with the necessary rites performed and I, did the right thing by her.

Only then would I claim her finally. Only after she became my wife, which I hope happens soon.