Rejected by the Alpha, Claimed by his Brother
Chapter 269: _ My Name is Ignacio

Chapter 269: _ My Name is Ignacio

My mind buzzed with thoughts. This was it. The smoking gun. The missing link. The cursed holy grail of gossip and guilt. This journal could expose everything—Rosa’s betrayals, her lover’s identity, the mutilated truths hiding in that box of fingernails.

This could finally stop the wedding. Finally get me justice. Finally give Axel and me a chance.

The realization hit me like a runaway bull. I had everything I needed. Well. Almost.

I turned to Mateo. "What now?"

He looked at me with a bland expression. "Now? Now it’s up to you and Axel. I’ve handed you the evidence. You have to decide what to do with it."

My stomach coiled. "What if they... I don’t know... get here and can’t see any of this because the veil’s still up? What if it’s just me ranting about a hidden lair full of fingernails and wedding sabotage while everyone stares at me like I’ve lost my mind?"

That could be a possibility. The moment we leave, the veil could return. Worse, Rosa’s lover might come back at night to put it back up even if Mateo helped lift it.

Mateo tilted his head, impressed. "That’s... actually a smart thought. Damn. I didn’t think of that."

I rolled my eyes. "Glad one of us is the paranoid type."

He stepped back, frowning thoughtfully. "I’ll have to be nearby then. Hide somewhere in the woods. That way, when I see you coming with the others, I can lift the veil just in time. But you’ll need to tell me when."

That froze me. I hadn’t thought that far ahead.

"When" meant picking a day.

"When" meant going through with it.

"When" meant possibly blowing up Rosa’s entire wedding in front of our family and the entire pack.

"When" meant war.

I wasn’t sure I was mentally ready for "when."

"I..." I stammered. "I should talk to Axel—"

"There’s no time," Mateo cut in. "We’ve wasted too much already. Rosa’s wedding is in two days. If we don’t move fast, this gets buried. Literally. And let me tell you, María José, until after the wedding, you’re not seeing me. So it needs to be decided now."

"Why won’t I see you? Are you leaving?" I asked, shocked.

Gosh, why the hell was I shocked? I should be elated if he were to leave.

He shrugged. "I can’t loiter around watching you prepare to get married to another man. Plus, you’re the bride, María José, you’ll need some me time."

Oh. How right he was! But how do I make such a huge decision on my own?

I chewed my lip. Axel wasn’t here. And waiting meant risking everything. I had to decide. I had to choose.

I squared my shoulders. My hands still shook, but I held the journal like a torch.

"The wedding," I said finally. "Do it on the wedding day."

Mateo arched an eyebrow. "You sure?"

"No," I admitted. "But I shouldn’t let that stop me."

He smirked. "Alright. Wedding day it is. I’ll be in the woods. Hidden. Watching. Try not to bring half the military, yeah?"

"No promises," I muttered.

He turned, clearly ready to leave.

"Wait!" I called out. "Can I... take some of the pictures? Just in case?"

Mateo frowned. "Better not. If her lover’s got half the senses I suspect he does, he’ll know something’s off the second he sees something missing. Rosa might be busy playing bridezilla, but he’s another story."

"So I have to drag everyone down here instead?" I asked, half a groan.

He nodded. "Trust me. Seeing is believing. Especially when it comes to fingernails in a box."

I looked around one last time. The photograph. The chest. The ghost of a love story written in blood and madness.

I looked at the journal in my hands. It pulsed.

Okay, not literally. But I swear I could feel it. Like it had its own heartbeat. Like it had waited years to be opened by someone else. Like it was tired of holding so much darkness and needed even the tiniest ray of light.

Mateo started walking up the steps, and I followed, my legs shaking slightly as if they were still stuck in the weight of the truth.

Oh, they were. Because after today, everything changes. However, the question was; for good or for the worse?

The cold air gave way to the heavier heat of early noon. Outside, the sky was a smeared painting of bruised pinks and angry purples. Somewhere, birds chirped—loud, cheerful, and oblivious to the carnage beneath their wings.

We emerged from the hidden entrance, both blinking into the dying light. For a moment, I stood there with the journal clutched to my chest, wondering if I’d ever feel normal again.

Mateo gave me one last look. "Be ready."

I nodded. "You’ll be there?"

"Wouldn’t miss it."

He was about to keep walking when I halted. "W-wait..."

He groaned, clutching the air like I was the biggest pain in the ass and not him.

"What now, María José?! It’s essential that I leave NOW!" He bellowed impatiently.

His harsh tone provoked a flinch in me, and I almost jumped. His eyes squinted in realization. I could see remorse blooming in those eyes I bet barely felt any in years.

"I-I... I didn’t mean to scare you. Sorry. I’ve just got other important stuff to do." He had a hand extended like I was a wild horse he was trying to tame.

I gulped.

He paused. "Come on. Tell me what you want."

"Your name, Mateo. I mean, your real name and who you really are. I’ll be a married woman in a few days. Isn’t it fair to know the real identity of the man who made that possible?" I asked, getting the heebie-jeebies for the acceptance and certainty that I was going to end up as Axel’s wife.

My words caused wrinkled lines to appear on his face. I could tell he hated the thought of me tying the knot with Axel. Yet, he did this... for me.

He handed me my happiness on a silver platter. For that, I was grateful–eternally.

His next words made everything else make sense all along, and utterly unbelievable at the same time. "My name is Ignacio, María José, and I am a demon. A demon who is in love with you."

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