Rejected by the Alpha, Claimed by his Brother Chapter 180: Need Answers

Mother just said she knew I loved María José innocently. I knew I loved her but I wasn’t sure if innocently was the word for it when I had marked her, abandoned her, and now, went to ask for her sister’s hand in marriage?

By the Moon, what the hell was going on?

I dragged a hand down my face. My throat was dry too. My mind was running in circles, desperately trying to make sense of this.

What the hell had happened to ?

My mother’s gaze softened. "Could it be... that you were drunk?"

Drunk?

I frowned. "No. I didn’t drink anything."

But even as I said it, I hesitated.

My thoughts flickered back to this morning. To Rosario. To waking up in that bed, my clothes scattered and my mind completely blank.

To the way she had stretched lazily under the sheets, wiggling her fingers at with that playful smile.

"Niño, don’t be so dramatic. This is a little secret between friends." She’d said.

My stomach turned.

Had she...? Had she done sothing to ?

I swallowed hard. "Mamá... I think I need to talk to soone."

Her brow furrowed. "Who?"

I exhaled sharply, shaking my head.

"...Rosario."

I took a slow breath, trying to push down the gnawing unease in my gut. My mother’s eyes were still on , full of that quiet, patient concern that sohow felt worse than anger.

"Rosario?" she repeated, frowning.

I gave a stiff nod. "Yeah. Luis’s caregiver."

I saw the silent hesitation before she sighed. "I don’t know, Axel. It’s just a feeling, but... I think Luis is cursed."

I blinked. "What?"

Cursed? That was a new one. So María José wasn’t the cursed one now, it was Luis. Why did they have to na almost everyone I loved and who was on my side ’cursed’?

Mother exhaled, rubbing her temples like she was searching for the right words. "I can’t explain it. It’s just... mother’s instincts. Sothing about him... about what happened to him, about his condition. You know, no improvents after all these years. It just feels... unnatural."

I scoffed, shaking my head. "That’s ridiculous. Mamá, Luis is..."

"Miserable," she cut in. "And he’s going to stay that way, Axel. It would be kinder to just let him be alone in his misery. You don’t have to be around bad energy to avoid the aura rubbing off on you. Look at what happened just because you fell asleep there."

A sharp, unexpected flare of anger shot through . "I can’t believe you’re saying this. You, of all people."

Her gaze didn’t shake. "Don’t twist my words, mi amor. I feel bad for him. I really do. I wish things were different, but they’re not. And now that things are the way they are... why are you insisting on being around him? What do you think you can do to help him? Why haven’t you done it already and he’s back on his feet?"

Dios... even her? I expected better from her. Never in my wildest dreams would I have expected that she’d badmouth Luis too. After everything. After everything she knew our family did to his.

I clenched my fists, nails digging into my palms. "I don’t know, maybe just treat him like a human being instead of so damn ghost we’re all supposed to ignore."

She sighed again, slower this ti. "I make sure he’s taken care of, Axel. I always have. His caregiver is instructed to give him maximum care, and I’ll continue ensuring that. But spending ti with him?" She shook her head. "That, I don’t want."

I stared at her, my head pounding. "So what? We just pretend he doesn’t exist?"

"We acknowledge that he exists, but that his existence is not our burden to carry."

Her voice was calm... too calm. Like she’d already made peace with sothing I refused to.

My teeth ground together. I was so damn sick of everyone deciding what was best for Luis when the only thing that made sense was treating him like a person.

"It’s not his fault he’s like this."

"No," she agreed quietly. "It’s your father’s."

The room suddenly felt too small. His fault. It was my father’s fault. My jaw locked so tight my teeth ached. Don’t react. Don’t let it show, Axel.

But Mom could see it. I felt her gaze on , digging in, prodding, and I hated it.

Not this. Not now.

I forced a smirk. I wished it’d be sothing dismissive, sothing I hoped looked like I didn’t care instead of what it really was... desperately trying to keep my balance.

"Well, this has been fun, but I actually have sowhere to be." I turned imdiately, heading for the door.

"Axel."

I ignored her, grabbing the handle.

"Where are you going?"

"Out."

I didn’t look back.

I didn’t give her the satisfaction of seeing the way my fingers trembled as I pushed the door open and stepped into the hallway, the walls suddenly feeling too close around .

I needed air. I needed space.

And most of all, I needed answers. And right now, the only person who might have them was Rosario, not Mother.

I moved fast, my mind full of conflicting thoughts as I cut across the courtyard toward Luis’s cottage. The sun had dipped lower in the sky, drenching everything in long golden shadows. I barely noticed. My pulse was too loud in my ears

Rosario.

She had said it so casually. Niño, don’t be so dramatic. This is a little secret between friends.

What the hell did that an? What had really happened last night?

I reached the cottage and knocked sharply on the door.

There was no answer.

I knocked again, harder this ti. The faint sound of movent shuffled from inside before the door swung open, revealing Rosario in the doorway. She blinked at , then let out an exaggerated sigh.

"Again?" She folded her arms across her chest, leaning against the doorfra. "Dios mío, niño, what are you doing back here?"

I didn’t waste ti. "We need to talk."

She gasped before her eyes went wide, and then, before I could process what the hell was happening, her lips stretched into a slow smirk.

"Oh?" She tilted her head. "Do you want us to do another one already?"

By the Moon, what do I do with this crazy woman?

"What?"

She tsked, stepping closer while her long nails traced along the doorfra. "Axel, cariño, I know I’m irresistible, but you could’ve at least waited until nightfall."

Her voice was humorous, but I wasn’t laughing.

I felt my entire body go rigid and my throat suddenly dry.

"Another one."

I couldn’t breathe. Was she kidding ? Did that really an we had... sex?