The other workers exchanged wide-eyed looks, and Manuel’s face turned into the reddest shade of red—if there’s anything like that.
"But, Beta, that’s—"
"Did I ask for your opinion, Manuel?" Axel cut him off smoothly, eyes darkening.
Manuel swallowed again.
I watched his gaze flicking to the pile of at and then to . "Yes, Beta. I understand."
As much as this was all a shock to , watching soone put the bully in his place for was satisfying.
"Good," Axel said, clapping him on the shoulder with enough force to make the man stumble slightly. "And before you get started, apologize to María Jośe."
Goodness , there was more?!
Manuel turned to , glaring at with resentnt and embarrassnt. "I’m sorry," he mumbled.
Axel waggled a finger in front of him. "Louder. And like you an it."
The latter bit his bottom lip and tried again. "I’m sorry, Señorita María Jośe. I shouldn’t have said that."
I nodded awkwardly, uncertain about what to do with the sudden shift in power. "It’s... fine."
Axel, however, wasn’t done. "That apology was for your words. Now, your actions will make up for them."
He turned to to my utmost stupefaction. "Shall we?" He extended his hand toward , palm up in an invitation.
Hold on a second... Axel wanted to... hold hands with him?!
I an, every nerve in wanted to, but I doubted my poor heart could handle Axel’s hand in mine without throwing myself at him.
I paused, glancing at the pile of at and then at Manuel, who was already preparing to lift the first bundle.
"Axel, this really isn’t necessary—"
"I insist," Axel countered. "A noble lady shouldn’t have to lift a finger. Let Manuel handle it."
With no room to argue, I placed my hand in his, my heart doing an embarrassing little flip at the warmth of his touch.
By the moon, it is official; I have a crush on Axel.
"You’ll ride in my car while Manuel carries the at after us," he announced casually, as though this were a perfectly ordinary thing to suggest.
My jaw nearly hit the floor. "I... What?"
His eyes t mine, my gaze catching the color for the first ti. His eyes were silvery, a perfect match for my sage green eyeballs if you’d ask
Well, who asked to make such a comparison when this man was so out of reach?
Now, about what he just proposed, he’s got to be kidding, right? He wanted to ride in his car? I was just a bloody Oga who humiliated his little brother by being cursed by the Moon Goddess.
The cursed one was also a threat on the pack, and the Beta wanted to ride in his car?
Oh, no. He was serious. Dead serious.
My brain scrambled for a response, but all I could manage was, "You don’t have to—"
"I insist. It’s only fair that you’re treated as you deserve."
Deserve? Treated as I deserve?
If I was to be treated as such, then a pile of thrash would be synonymous with what I deserved.
If I wasn’t so stunned, I might have swooned right then and there. The Moon Goddess hear , this was just like the romance novels I read—a ruggedly handso Beta swooping in to defend my honor and demanding I be treated like a queen.
"Thank you, Beta Axel. Thank you so much for your kindness—"
"It’s nothing," he said, cutting off my gushing with a dismissive wave of his hand, as though carrying my dignity on his broad shoulders was no big deal.
anwhile, Manuel looked like he wanted to crawl into the nearest at locker and stay there forever. He had already begun hoisting the first bundle of at, mouth clenched in embarrassnt and rage.
Serves him right.
Just then, the butcher erged from the back, his apron stained with fresh blood while he wore a sheepish smile on his face. "Beta Axel, weren’t you here to buy the lamb? Or has sothing... changed?"
His eyes darted to Manuel, who was glaring at the at like it had personally offended him.
Axel straightened, his grip on my hand still there. His touch was as warm as sunset, and I felt my pulse stutter embarrassingly against my skin.
Get a grip, María Jośe.
"I am still buying it. But I needed to handle this first." Axel replied coolly.
The butcher raised a brow, clearly understanding the "this" Axel was referring to. He wisely kept his mouth shut.
With his free hand, Axel reached into his pocket and pulled out a black credit card. The sight of it was almost as srizing as the man holding it. He extended it toward the butcher.
"Here. Charge whatever I owe. I’ll return later to pick it up."
The butcher’s face lit up like a Christmas tree as he accepted the card. "Of course, Beta. Right away."
All the while, Axel’s hand remained clasped around mine. My senses were on full alert, every nerve in hyper-focused on the warmth of his palm and the faint calluses that brushed against my skin.
The roughness only made it worse—or better, depending on how you looked at it.
My God, I should cover my face in sha now. What a hopeless romantic I was!
I was so lost in the sensation that I almost didn’t notice when Axel turned to . "Shall we?"
I swallowed hard. Get in his car? Just and him? In such an enclosed space?
With how giddy I felt on the inside, I didn’t trust myself to behave.
I nodded and led out of the shop and toward ablack Range Rover Velar parked along the curb. It was spotless, the kind of vehicle that looked like those ones that speed through the streets in an action movie.
Axel opened the passenger door, gesturing for to step inside.
What a gentleman.
"After you."
I paused, glancing back at Manuel, who was still struggling to balance the bundles of at. He looked like he was two seconds away from dropping them all and running for the hills.
"Axel, really, this isn’t—"
"Necessary?" he finished for . "It is. Get in."
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