Rejected by the Alpha, Claimed by his Brother
Chapter 32: _ Axel Must Pick a Wife

Chapter 32: _ Axel Must Pick a Wife

The sharp knock on my door dragged me out of sleep the next morning, and I groaned, pulling the blanket over my head. It was too early for this. Too early for anything, really.

"Who the fuck is that?!" I grumbled, my voice muffled by the pillow.

However, I received no answer. Just another round of knocks—more insistent this time.

"Dios mío..." I muttered, throwing the blanket off with an exaggerated sigh. "If this is about breakfast, I’m not hungry."

Still no reply.

"¡Ya basta!" I barked, stumbling out of bed and making my way to the door.

This better be good. If it was some maid getting in the way of my beauty sleep, I might eat her ears raw.

My bare feet slapped against the cool wooden floor as I yanked the door open, ready to chew out whoever thought it was a good idea to mess with me before I was fully awake.

What I wasn’t ready for was the sight of my father standing there, his face hardened into a look that could cause an earthquake.

Uh-uh. I could already tell today was going to be a bad day judging from the face of the first person I saw in the morning.

"You do realize that’s your father, cámarada?" Hugo pointed out amidst laughs.

Oh, wow... thanks for telling me something I didn’t already know, Hugo.

"Papá. What the hell are you doing here?"

He arched an eyebrow, his dark eyes sweeping over me like a mother about to scold an erring child. "Why are you still in bed at this hour?"

I scrunched up my face, trying to process the absurdity of the question.

"Because I was sleeping?" I shrugged.

Wasn’t that obvious?

"Everyone else in this house is awake. Your brother has been attending to pack matters since dawn," he said, stepping into the room without waiting for an invitation. "Meanwhile, here you are, acting like you have nothing better to do."

"That’s because I don’t," I shot back, closing the door and leaning against it. "Unlike Álvaro, I’m not the future Alpha. So forgive me if I don’t feel the need to run around pretending to be busy."

His jaw tightened, and I could basically hear the grind of his teeth. "Your brother is hardworking. Dedicated. You could learn a thing or two from him."

I scoffed, crossing my arms. "And that’s why he’s the Alpha heir, isn’t it? He gets to shoulder the responsibility, and I get to... well, not."

"Enough," he snapped, throwing his hands in the air with a scoff. "I didn’t come here to listen to your immature excuses."

"Oh, good. Because I was running out of them," I said dryly, earning myself a withering glare from the man.

"I came to tell you something important. Something that concerns the future of this pack—and your future." He waggled a finger my way.

Oh, please. Like I care.

I twisted my mouth casually, already internally dreading whatever was about to come out of his mouth.

Trust me when I said it couldn’t be anything good. Usually, the mother was the one who did all the nagging. When Dad comes to you himself, know that he’s brought news that’d ruin the rest of your days for weeks.

If not months.

"Alright. What is it?"

He straightened, adjusting the lapels of his jacket. "Tomorrow, when we visit the De La Vega family to formalize Álvaro’s engagement to Camilla, I want both of my sons to commit to marriage. No more delays."

HUH? A JOKE?!

I stared at him, waiting for the punchline. When it didn’t come, I laughed hard, clutching my stomach.

"You’re joking."

"Do I look like I’m joking?"

I stopped laughing when he squinted slightly.

"Well, good luck with Álvaro. I’m sure he’ll make a great husband. As for me, no thanks."

"You don’t have a choice," he snapped, a finger pointing at the floor.

This man better not start...

I ran a hand through my hair, trying to rein in my frustration. "Papá, with all due respect, I’m not interested in marriage. Not now. Not ever."

"Not under my watch," he countered. "My sons are meant to set an example for the pack. You think you can shirk your responsibilities forever? Not while I’m alive."

"Set an example? I don’t care about the pack. I don’t care about being a role model. Haven’t my actions made that clear enough for you?" My shoulders were raised.

Couldn’t he just let me BE?!

I knew their request for me to come home was a trap. A bloody trap!

"Your behavior is a reflection of me, Axel. Of this family. It’s hurting the pack’s unity and my authority. People are starting to say I can’t even control my own son. If I can’t tame you, how can I lead them?"

I clenched my jaw, totally stunned by the ignorance of this man. This wasn’t the bloody 90s. This was the twenty-first century and arranged marriage doesn’t just cut it.

Not even as a werewolf.

"And getting married is supposed to fix that? How?"

"It shows stability. Responsibility. It proves you’re capable of putting the pack’s needs above your own selfish desires." He said as a matter of factly.

"Right. Because nothing says stability like an arranged marriage," I croaked sarcastically.

"This isn’t about what you want, Axel. It’s about what’s best for the pack."

I still couldn’t see a way in hell that my getting married could be best for the pack. Who the hell gives a fuck about me because I sure as hell don’t care about any of them!

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Fine. Let’s say I humor you for a second. Who exactly do you expect me to marry? Or am I supposed to pick a name out of a hat?"

His silence was telling. Man didn’t say a word but I already understood him. He’s got to be kidding me.

"Don’t even go there." I chuckled, shaking my head.

He better not.