Rejected by the Alpha, Claimed by his Brother
Chapter 265: _ I Knew

Chapter 265: _ I Knew

"Then maybe I’m not a werewolf."

María José took a step back, her lips parting. "Are you saying you’re a witch?"

"I’m saying we can stop pretending now." I took a step forward. "You know I’m not the real Mateo. You can’t even play it well. You’re too soft to lie properly, María José. Don’t try it again."

The day when I’ll kill Axel, I would make sure he pays for all the things he had put her through. Like making her try too hard to lie.

Her mouth opened, then closed. Her throat bobbed up and down as she gulped. "I don’t..."

"Don’t," I cut in. "Don’t insult me. I knew the moment I stepped into that house last night. You’re no spy. You’re no actress. You could barely look me in the eye."

She clenched her fists. "I didn’t say anything because..."

"Because you didn’t want to blow Axel’s plan. I know."

She looked up sharply, horrified that her secret wasn’t a secret.

I smirked. "Yes, it was that obvious."

Her face tightened and she bit her bottom lip. "So what now? You’re going to kill me?"

"If I wanted to, I would’ve done it already. We slept on the same fucking bed, chica."

She stared at me for a long moment. Her voice was low and quiet, but not afraid. "Why didn’t you?"

I sucked in breath.

Because I couldn’t. Because you smiled at me that first night like I wasn’t a monster. Because you spoke to me like I mattered, even when you didn’t know who I was. Because the thought of hurting you makes my skin feel too tight for my bones.

But I didn’t say any of that.

Instead, I said, "Maybe I’m curious what lies Axel has fed you. Maybe I want to see how far you’ll go."

She raised her chin. "And maybe I’m not as soft as you think."

"You’re soft," I said darkly. "And I won’t let him corrupt you."

She scoffed, throwing her hands in the air like I was being absurd. "Corrupt me?"

"Teach you how to lie. Teach you how to scheme. That’s not you."

"And what about you?" she snapped suddenly, eyes flashing. "What the hell are you, if not a werewolf? If you’re not a witch, then what are you?"

I smiled wickedly.

She took a step back.

"I’m something else, mi chica. Something I’m not going to tell you because you’re telling your Axel the moment you see him."

She squared her shoulders and lifted her chin. "Leave Axel out of this."

Of course, it’s always Axel, Axel, and Axel!

I laughed bitterly. "I won’t."

Her eyes blazed. "Why not?"

"Because you’re choosing him over me. So there’s no leaving him out of anything. Not now. Not ever. This begins with him and ends with him!" I yelled, gripping the air like I’d strangle it.

That bastard... he’s had the life meant for me for years, and now, he was having the woman that was mine too. I hate him. Hated him down to my core.

María José stepped forward, hands clenched at her sides. "You think this is a game?"

"No," I said flatly. "I think this is war."

"And you’re proud of it?" she scoffed incredulously. "Of stealing someone else’s face? Of living a lie? Do you even understand how wrong that is? What kind of person takes another man’s form and pretends to be him?"

I didn’t even blink. "I don’t care."

Her lips parted. Her expression crumbled just a little, like she’d been expecting remorse, or shame. Something that showed I could still be redeemed. Foolish girl.

I was past the point of redemption.

"Why?" she whispered. "Why did you steal Axel’s form and do all that too? Mateo’s form was not enough? You had to steal Axel’s too?"

I narrowed my eyes. Oh, did she really want to know?

"Did you do it to spite me?" she demanded, voice cracking now. "Sleeping with my sister and letting her think it was him? You ruined his name..."

I snapped. The rage was instant, like a glass shattering inside my chest.

"For you," I hissed, taking a step forward, "I could do worse to Axel."

She flinched, but I wasn’t done.

"I’d burn him alive if it meant keeping you from falling stupidly in love with him. I’d tear the skin off his bones if it stopped you from whispering his name like he’s something sacred."

I turned before I could say more—because I would. I would say things I couldn’t take back. I started walking.

"Are we going in," I growled over my shoulder, "or are we going to stand here and cry about Axel all damn day?"

But I’d barely taken three steps when she yelled after me.

"Rosa’s pregnant!"

I halted in my tracks, sighing.

My boot crunched over the leaves, and I turned back to look at her. Her eyes were glassy, lips trembling, breath uneven like she’d just fired a gun and was waiting to see where the bullet landed.

I should’ve felt something. Shock. Pity. Guilt. But all I felt was laughter clawing up my throat.

And then I let it out. I let out a twisted laughter that echoed through the trees and made the birds go silent.

Of course, Rosa was pregnant.

"That’s exactly why I slept with her," I said, teeth bared in a grin that didn’t reach my eyes. "You think I didn’t see it? The way she tried to play me that day? The perfume, the touches, the little sighs, like I was supposed to feel sorry for her. She wanted something. And when I heard it..."

I tapped my ear.

"...the little heartbeats. Like tiny drums tucked beneath her ribs. I knew."

María José’s jaw dropped.

"She was already pregnant," I continued, shrugging like it was a casual weather report. "I knew it. That’s why she tried to seduce me, thinking I was Axel. She wanted someone to pin it on. She wanted a way out. Axel needed to sleep with her that night before her bumps started to show, and Axel did."

Too bad that only complicated things since my master wanted them to marry. I have to clean the mess I made.

Tch.