Rejected by the Alpha, Claimed by his Brother
Chapter 76: _ Axel And The Sleeping Seńorita

Chapter 76: _ Axel And The Sleeping Seńorita

"Don’t be ridiculous." Hugo hissed in my head and I could picture him rolling his eyes.

Yeah, right. As someone who was allergic to traditionalism, I was starting to sound like a traditionalist thinking the Moon would possess someone as shameless as Camilla De la Vega.

She kept walking in a zig-zag pattern. I stayed deathly still as she passed inches from me. She smelled like lavender soap, the type of smell that told one a lady had taken her a nighttime bath seriously.

Just when I was complimenting her for the one good thing I’d noticed in her ever since I knew her, she stopped.

I held my breath. Dios mío. What sort of girl was this?

Slowly, she turned and I remained immobile, hating myself for an unsuccessful mission. Camilla had seen me, I thought until she slapped me.

"How dare you disrespect the Moon Goddess," she scolded, jabbing a finger in my direction.

Then, she promptly turned and kept walking. I stood there, stunned with my cheek tingling.

What in the crazy Camilla had just happened?!

"Pfft—" Hugo wheezed. "She bitch-slapped you in her sleep!"

She had been sleepwalking all along?! Motherfucker!

I rubbed my jaw, scowling at Hugo. "Shut. Up."

Camila stopped again.

Oh no.

She sniffed the air. Turned slightly. And walked straight into a marble pillar.

The crack was loud.

I blurted out an uncontrollable snort. Serves her right.

The universe was on my side. The Moon Goddess was on my side.

I was going to save her beloved, so of course, she was on my side.

Camilla swayed. Rapidly. Then, like a dignified queen, she continued walking as if nothing had happened.

I gawked after her.

"This," Hugo cackled, "is the single greatest thing I have ever witnessed."

I puffed out slowly, shaking my head with gritted teeth. Even in her sleep, Camilla was bitchy. I didn’t have time for this. If I stayed here any longer, someone actually awake would catch me.

I turned instantly, following María José’s scent up the staircase. Suddenly, something inside of me whispered; as a grown man, was sneaking into a beautiful señorita’s room like María José’s a good idea?

Probably not. Was that going to stop me? Not a chance.

María José’s scent grew stronger as I ascended the staircase, the traces of her violets and warm honey scent guiding me through the corridors of Don Diego’s villa.

It was intoxicating, almost sensationalistic so, but I shook the thought away. I wasn’t here to get lost in her scent—I was here to ensure she was safe.

I moved with stealth, pressing myself against the cold stone walls whenever I heard the faint shuffle of a servant or guard. The last thing I needed was to get caught like a lovesick fool sneaking into a señorita’s room in the middle of the night.

They wouldn’t understand that I was doing this for my sister. No one would listen when I said I was here as a worried brother.

After all, María Jose and I did not share the same mother.

Her scent reached its peak near the end of the hallway. I slowed my pace and let my fingers brush against the door as I tested the handle.

For fuck’s sake, it was unlocked.

Dios mío, she needed to be more careful.

I pushed it open, slipping inside as silently as a whisper. And there she was.

The room was surprisingly peaceful. The air was filled with the scent of the same lavender soap I had smelled on Camilla and something so damn her—sweet and earthy, like rain-kissed violets.

Given how unkempt she had been these past few days, I had expected the room to carry the same exhausted and smelly air, but it didn’t. Instead, it smelled like the quiet sigh of nature after a storm, fresh and clean despite the traces of the butchery that clung to her skin during the day.

The moonlight pooled and glowed over the modest space. It wasn’t the grand, lavish bedroom one would expect of Don Diego’s daughter, but rather something simpler. Humble.

The sound of her peaceful breathing led my eyes to her. And there she was—slumped on the floor beside her bed, as though she had meant to crawl in but never made it.

I made a soundless gasp while my chest tightening at the sight.

She was curled in on herself, her arms tucked beneath her head like a child who had fallen asleep while brooding. Strands of red hair cascaded over her face, her beautiful features softened even further by the serenity of slumber.

Even with the faint shadows of exhaustion under her eyes and the bruises along her arms which were probably remnants of her father’s cruelty—she looked... breathtaking.

I crouched beside her, the urge to wake her warring with the strange pull that rooted me in place.

She was enchanting like this—innocent, fragile, so far removed from the reality she faced when awake.

Damn it.

I had told myself she was like a little sister. I had insisted on it. And yet, here I was, utterly spellbound by the way her lips tutted in sleep, the slow rise and fall of her chest, the faint flutter of her lashes as she dreamed.

I moved before I could stop myself.

My fingers brushed against her cheek, the warmth of her skin sending a jolt through me.

I had never felt anything softer.

Her breath rose slightly at my touch, and I froze, watching her expression for any sign of waking. When she remained still, I exhaled in relief and slid my arms beneath her, lifting her gently off the floor.

She stirred, nuzzling unconsciously into my chest, and my grip tightened.

Dios mío. Girl, you don’t do that to a man in your room in the middle of the goddamn night... at such an ungodly hour.

I swallowed hard, ignoring the way my heart pounded as I placed her on the bed, adjusting her limbs so she wouldn’t wake up sore.

I should have left then. I should have turned around, left as quietly as I had come, and let her rest.

But I didn’t.

Instead, I hung back, watching her.

Just for a moment.

Her lips were slightly parted, her breath rhythmic. The moonlight painted patterns across her skin, making her look almost ethereal.

Something in my chest sparkled. This was wrong.

But I couldn’t move.

I reached out again, this time tracing my fingers over the curve of her jaw lightly. My thumb brushed the corner of her lips, and a shudder ran down my spine.

I was too close.

Too close to her warmth. Too close to the way she smelled. Too close to...

Fuck.

I kissed her.