Finally, Rosa stood to inspect the ss she had made, straightened and smoothed her dress like she hadn’t just slashed open my face.
"You should be grateful I’m feeling generous tonight," she mused. "I could have done so much worse."
Her eyes flickered to my neck, the mark burning there like a brand, and then she laughed.
"Oh, María José," she sighed, shaking her head. "Why am I even bothered?"
My eyes blinked rapidly, struggling to stay open.
"Axel has nothing to be mated to where you’re concerned
I knew what that ant. The words struck harder than her claws. I sucked in a sharp breath, the sting of the wound forgotten when it ca to the impact of her cruel words.
"You’re wolfless," she continued, waving a hand like it was the simplest truth in the world. "You have nothing to offer him. No wolf. No bond. No future." She clicked her tongue, feigning pity. "How tragic."
I wanted to scream.
I wanted to claw at her perfect stoic face and tear it apart the way she had torn mine.
But I couldn’t. Because she was right. Axel had rejected . Not just as a mate. But as soone who even mattered.
Rosa stepped back, her eyes gleaming. "And until I’m sure that you haven’t already mated with him..."
She trailed off, a cruel smile curving her lips. "You will protect that mark like your life depends on it."
I stiffened.
"If anyone sees it, María José, you will not link it to Axel. Find soone else to bla it on. I can’t let you ruin my and Axel’s future because you chose to be a whore rather than being the innocent girl Father has brought you up to be."
My stomach churned.
"And if they do find out?" Her voice turned silky. "I will make sure you regret it."
She let the words sink in, watching with sothing I could only call pure delight.
"Know what I’ll do? I will work day and night to ensure Father marries you off to a rogue," she mused. "Soone worthy of a wolfless, worthless Oga."
Well, that wasn’t news. I really wanted to talk back at this point, but even my mouth felt too heavy to move.
She chuckled. "Oh, don’t look so horrified." She tapped my nose with one bloodied nail. "It’s only what you deserve."
My breathing turned shallow, panic curling around my ribs. She leaned in, lips brushing my ear one final ti.
"Rember, little sister, you belong to nothing. And no one. Especially not to Axel."
With that, she turned away, striding toward the broken door, her laughter trailing behind her.
But as she reached there, I saw her stumbled back, startled, just as a figure stord in, his presence swallowing the room whole.
My blood ran cold.
Don Diego. Father.
His furious eyes snapped between us, taking in the wreckage.
The blood. The broken mirror. The mark on my face.
"Which one of you dares to break down a door in my precious VILLA?!" He roared, his wolf howling beneath the vibration.
Was that the more important thing right now? Didn’t he see the gash on my face? The horrendous wound inflicted upon by my so-called sister amongst other things?!
Rosa, who had been so confident monts ago, was startled at his entrance but it was only for a fraction of a second. Then, like the skilled actress she was, she straightened her shoulders, widened her eyes in carefully placed innocence, and let out a trembling gasp.
"Oh, Papá!" she exclaid, clutching her chest as though she had been caught in the middle of so terrible tragedy. "Thank the Moon you’re here!"
I stared at her, still too dazed from the blood loss to even scowl. I should have expected this. I should have known that Rosa wasn’t done ruining .
Don Diego’s furious gaze snapped between us, nostrils flaring. "What the hell is going on here?"
Rosa bit her lip, like she was fighting back tears, then stepped toward him. "It’s María José, Papá. I—I don’t even know where to begin!" She turned to , shaking her head with sothing like pity. "How could you?"
How could I what? Exist?
I wanted to speak. I really did. But my body was barely holding itself together. The sting of the open wound on my face, the sticky warmth of the blood trailing down my neck, the burn of Rosa’s claws still embedded in my ski.... it all blurred at the edges.
Still, I forced myself to stay upright. Because I knew what was coming.
"She..." Rosa turned back to Don Diego with an shaky sigh, like she was so exhausted by the weight of her own suffering.
"She was waiting outside my door, Papá. Like a pervert!" She shuddered, wrapping her arms around herself. "Just sitting there, waiting for my fiancé like so desperate..." She let out a fake, breathy sob. "And when Axel walked past, she lured him inside!"
I almost choked.
"I did what?!"
But my voice barely ca out. It was hoarse and weak, making unsure if it even made it past my throat.
Rosa didn’t even look at . She was fully committed to the performance.
"She threw herself at him," she continued dramatically, stepping closer to Don Diego, her hands clenched into fists. "Kissing him, touching him, begging him to leave !"
She let out a gagged laugh, like she just couldn’t believe what she was saying. "I—I was in shock! I walked in and she was all over him! And poor Axel, he... he didn’t even know what to do! He was frozen!"
Frozen?
I barely had the strength to scoff.
Don Diego turned to now, eyes dark and cold. "Is this true?"
The rage in his voice sent a pulse of fear through , but I clenched my jaw. My vision swam, and my body swayed all thanks to the exhaustion, but I forced myself to stay standing.
And then Rosa, as if she hadn’t already damned beyond repair, let out a tiny little whisper... just enough for Don Diego to hear.
"She’s trying to steal my mate, Papá."
The room exploded.
"YOU SHALESS, WORTHLESS GIRL!" Don Diego’s voice thundered so violently that the walls seed to shake.
His wolf howled beneath, vibrating with anger, so powerful that even the broken mirror at my feet cracked further.
If there was one thing Father hated the most in the world, it was when his daughters embarrassed him. It was when they didn’t act like well-mannered ladies should.
Tis without number, he had said to us that he would never accept a daughter who acted too vulgar around n. Hence, I could understand and imagine his anger right now.
I winced.
But Rosa? Rosa looked pleased.
"How dare you? How dare you throw yourself at your sister’s fiancé like so desperate whore?"
Finacé? They weren’t even engaged yet. Pfft.
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