I stared at the butcher, still on my knees, and weighed my options. Work in this slaughterhouse of horrors or go ho empty-handed to face my father's wrath.
It wasn't much of a choice. My father's anger was legendary, and I wasn't keen on becoming the latest casualty of his volcanic temper.
At least, not any more than I already had.
"I accept." I gulped.
The butcher gave a long, scrutinizing look, as if sizing up whether I was truly desperate enough to go through with this.
Truth was, I had no idea how I'd pull off such a thing, but I knew it was the next best thing. Anything was better than Father's anger.
Then, the butcher nodded. "Good. You'll start tomorrow. Be here by sunrise. A week's worth of work, and we'll call it even."
Sunrise? My mouth parted in shock, making nearly suffocate from my frustration.
That ant waking up before the roosters crowded and leaving before the housemaids even started their day. Was I even fit for such stress?
But I had no other option.
"Okay. Thank you," I said, twisting my fingers in uncertainty.
He grunted and motioned for to stand. "Follow ," he said, leading back toward the front of the shop.
I tried not to look too closely at the carcasses as we passed, though the overwhelming stench and the occasional squelch beneath my shoes made it impossible to ignore my surroundings.
When we stepped outside, the butcher barked at his workers. "Bring out Don Diego's order!"
The n exchanged glances at the sound of that, which imdiately put on edge. One by one, they began carrying out massive bundles of wrapped at, each one bigger and bigger.
My jaw dropped.
"That's all for... ?" I stamred.
The butcher crossed his arms over his broad chest and gave a bemused look. "It's your father's order, not mine. I don't decide how much he buys."
The workers deposited the at into a pile at my feet, and I felt my knees wobble just looking at it. There was no way I could carry all of that. Even if I were a werewolf with supernatural strength, it would still be a challenge.
Not to ntion I was nothing. Empty.
The butcher glanced around. "Where's your car parked?"
I felt my face pale with embarrassnt. "Um... I don't have one. My father... he sent on foot."
The butcher's eyebrows shot up so high they nearly disappeared into his hairline. "On foot? With this much at? What does he think you are, a pack mule?"
I winced at the comparison, though it wasn't entirely inaccurate.
"I guess he thought it wouldn't be this much," I lied, knowing full well my father didn't care whether I could carry it or not.
He just wanted to punish . Consider punished.
The butcher sighed heavily. "There's no way you're hauling this by yourself."
"I know," I said quickly, wringing my hands. "Do you... have any ideas? Maybe soone who can help deliver it?"
He shook his head. "I've already done more than I should. I can't spare anyone else."
Panic began to rise in my chest. How was I supposed to move all this at without help? I opened my mouth to plead further when one of the workers suddenly called out.
"¡Jefe! A VIP just arrived!"
The butcher frowned. "A VIP? Who?"
Another worker ran in, out of breath. "It's the Beta!"
What in the seven blazes of thunderstorms?
The Beta? Axel?
My heart began to thump so loudly, I could hear it in my ears. This was the last place I'd expected to see him.
I hadn't seen him since the Luna Hunt gala, where he'd defended when everyone else judged . I'd been too stunned—and too shy—to thank him properly back then.
And now, of all tis, he showed up while I was dressed in miserable clothes, reeking of the butcher shop, and sared with who-knows-what from the streets.
Oh, I know... Tomato juice!
The butcher's face was nearly as shocked as mine.
"The Beta? Axel Montenegro has never set foot in my shop before. Why now?"
Before anyone could speculate further, the man himself appeared in the doorway.
Axel Montenegro was everything you'd expect a Beta to be—was it his height? Looks? The authoritarian way in which he carried himself?
It was such that made everyone instinctively straighten up. He glanced around the room as he stepped inside, and his presence was magnetic—drawing every gaze toward him.
Once again, unlike his scum brother, Álvaro, he was not dressed in a fancy way. Just what one would see on a regular guy on a regular day.
Except Axel looked nothing like a regular guy.
The butcher and his workers imdiately scrambled to greet him.
"Bienvenido, Beta Axel!" They chanted in unison.
I, however, remained frozen in place, my nerves fraying. I had been stressed out by everything going on before, and now, Axel showed up.
Worse, I looked at my problems too. Bet he'd regret ever going against the whole pack to stand up for a fraud like when he set his eyes on .
My face fell. I think I like him so much to care about what he thinks of .
Axel acknowledged the greetings with a simple nod but didn't spare a glance at first. A part of wish he wouldn't, but deep down, I wanted him to.
But why? Was it just gratitude? I an, I'd been through a lot these past three weeks to realize how golden that mont was. That soone as respectable as Axel found worthy despite being worthless.
"I was in the area and thought I'd see if you had any fresh lamb," Axel announced.
Oh, that baritone voice... it made heat rise between my legs.
The butcher looked uneasy, clearly unused to directly dealing with soone of Axel's rank.
"Of course, Beta! We have the finest cuts ready. Just give a mont to prepare them."
As the butcher hurried off, Axel's gaze finally landed on . For a mont, we stood there, eyes interlocking and voices muted.
Oh, by the moon and the sun, I felt a rush of heat crawl up my neck. It was undoubtedly now—I might kind of have so fangirl crush on him.
Bold of . No, laughable of .
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