Rejected by the Alpha, Claimed by his Brother
Chapter 289: _ End Of Volume One

Chapter 289: _ End Of Volume One

Inside those walls, my girl was faking a smile for a husband she didn’t love. For a family that saw her as a pawn. She probably still smelled like rose oil. I remembered the scent clinging to her skin like second thoughts.

God, I hated how much I remembered.

I felt the twitch in my fingers again. Power itching to be used. I needed an outlet. Soon. Or I’d snap a tree in half just for the thrill.

"So what do you think?" Ivan asked.

I blinked. "About what?"

He laughed again, slapping his thigh like he was the funniest bastard in Spain. "About María José being the new Beta’s wife! I mean... I always thought she was kinda timid, you know? Quiet. Pretty, yeah, but soft in the head maybe. Now look at her. She will be running the pack. You think she’ll last?"

How about I think your head will look better when it’s not in your neck?

I smiled, even though it hurt. "She’ll last."

Because I’d make sure she did.

The night crawled by. Ivan eventually wandered off to relieve himself or harass the buffet table again—I didn’t care. I slipped away from the posted station, vanishing into the trees with the silence of someone used to being ignored.

Mateo had that advantage, too. He was just interesting enough to be remembered, just boring enough not to be watched.

Perfect.

I positioned myself near the eastern garage entrance. Vehicles lined the path; black SUVs and a few overpriced sports cars. A limo had been readied earlier, the long sleek kind with blackout windows and a driver who looked like he’d committed tax fraud for sport.

That was my guess. People with faces like that were always hiding something.

I kept my distance, perched in the shadows behind a crooked column. The scent of gasoline and overwatered flowers was in the air. Crickets screamed. Somewhere a dog barked.

The ballroom doors burst open and the clatter of heels echoed across the cobblestones. I peeked.

There she was. María José.

In the same dress, the one I had seen her wore earlier at the woods. White, of course, but simple and elegant. Not the usual lace monstrosity you’d see on brides.

She looked soft but sharp, like a cloud about to cut someone. Her hair was tied back in something lazy and romantic, and her mouth—God, her mouth was pressed in a tight line.

She didn’t look like a bride. She looked like someone heading into war and with all the drama of the day, maybe she had indeed just returned from one.

Behind her came Axel, smug as ever, dressed in a suit that probably cost more than the combined salaries of every maid in the estate. He had that walk, that stoic, infuriatingly blessed walk, as the world owed him worship.

I would enjoy ruining him.

They reached the limo. The driver held the door but Axel guided María José into a SUV instead with a hand on her lower back. She flinched. Barely. But I saw it.

Oh, I saw it. She hates his touch, I swear.

I watched until the limo pulled away, taillights like demon eyes vanishing into the trees.

Then I turned.

The chase was slow and sweet. The SUV moved smoothly, unaware of my presence a few cars back, like a shark drifting behind a yacht. I kept floating after them, keeping myself invisible.

They didn’t go far. Just far enough to escape the estate’s reach. It was a private ranch tucked between two hills, the kind of place with no neighbors and too much privacy.

Perfect for a honeymoon. Or an execution.

The gravel crunched softly beneath my shoes as I walked in Mateo’s shoes. They were too tight. My feet hated them. I’d ditch them once I was inside.

From here, I watched.

They entered the ranch and lights flickered on inside. She walked in first, slow, shoulders drawn in like she was bracing for a storm.

She wasn’t wrong.

Axel followed. Smirking. He said something and she didn’t respond. He said something again, louder. She finally nodded.

Just then, a limousine pulled in slowly, like it regretted its own arrival. It idled in front of the ranch. The passenger door swung open before the driver could reach it.

Camilla practically exploded out.

"¡No me hables!" she shrieked, heels digging into the gravel like she was ready to throw hands, not bouquets.

Álvaro followed, trying to zip up his pants.

"For God’s sake, I just said I liked the dress more on María José," he groaned, exasperated.

"You moaned her name, Álvaro! You were inside me, and you moaned her name!"

The ranch echoed with that, carrying her fury up the hills and across the silent countryside. Birds scattered from a nearby tree. Somewhere, a lizard probably had a heart attack.

I crouched lower in the brush, watching as Camilla stormed past the SUV Axel and María José had just exited. She didn’t even spare it a glance. Álvaro trudged after her, adjusting his cravat like that would fix the situation.

I wasn’t even mad. That whole relationship was a forest fire built on kerosene and lies. And now it was combusting right in front of me.

Axel stood on the porch, arms crossed. Watching.

María José had already gone inside.

Álvaro stopped at the foot of the stairs, tossing a glare toward Axel. "Where’s your wife?"

Axel didn’t blink. "And what business of yours is that?"

Camilla spun on him. "Don’t let her talk to Álvaro. You know she’s always had a thing for him."

Álvaro lifted both hands. "Dios, Camilla, can you shut the hell up?! She’s married to him now. Not me. You’re the one I’m—"

"Liar!"

Camilla launched her purse. It smacked Álvaro square in the shoulder and hit the gravel with a pitiful thunk.

Axel turned and entered the house without another word.

Camilla and Álvaro continued fighting on the porch. I slid through the shadows like smoke, edging closer to the side of the house, ignoring the stench of spilled wine from a shattered bottle near the bushes.

This was it. The time when I’d finally make love to María José. Her virginity... It was mine. It was time, time I act.

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