Rejected by the Alpha, Claimed by his Brother Chapter 25: Axel is Mine

"Then why did you let him help you?" Camilla interjected when I said I wasn’t trying to woo him. "If you weren’t trying to steal him, why did you let him drive you here, huh?"

"I didn’t let him!" I snapped in a shaky voice. "He offered, and I—"

"It doesn’t matter. Stay away from Axel. Even if he talks to you, don’t reply. Do you understand ?"

"But Rosa—"

"Do you understand ?" she repeated, eyeing with contempt.

I wanted to decline. I wanted to tell her how I’d only t Axel twice and he already was dominating my world. How he’d stood up for in ways that no one had over such a little period.

How much indebted I felt towards him... how much I liked. How much I didn’t want to give him up for her. I wanted to fight for my own options as well.

But such would never end well for an Oga. We were designed to be quiet, to let things be, and to let every other person step over us.

It was the Moon Goddess’s wish to refuse us a wolf. Hell, I would never even feel the euphoric feeling of being marked by a mate or being mated to one.

I an, how could I ever find a mate when there wasn’t a wolf to ’mate’ in the first place?

With Axel, I didn’t stand a chance. And with Rosa? I wouldn’t stand a chance in hell in a physical fight if I dared to provoke her. The next best thing was to be wise and dance to her tunes.

I nodded quickly, swallowing the lump in my throat. "Yes, I understand."

Rosa then nodded with satisfaction. "Good. Because if you don’t listen, and I ever see you with Axel, I will make your life unbearable."

"Oh, don’t worry, Rosa. I’ll keep an eye on her. You know how slippery María José can be." Camilla clapped her hands, shooting devious glares.

"Thank you, Camilla," Rosa smiled faintly like Camilla was the best sister in the world and not the one who had just bad-mouthed her outside in front of the said Axel.

Was it weird that knowing there was no sincerity, between these two, that their cordial sisterhood was only a product of their shared disdain for , and that when that was omitted, what was left was two bitter sisters who didn’t like each other much and would betray each other at the slightest opportunity satisfying?

They were the jokes. Pfft.

Rosa turned back to , twisting her lips. "You need to rember sothing, María José. Axel is mine. We’ve been friends for years, and everyone knows we’re ant for each other. Everyone is rooting for us. Don’t co ss this up for like you do with every other thing with your useless pretty face, okay?"

I bit my lip, trying to hold back the volcano of words about to erupt inside of . I wanted to scream. Instead, I nodded again. "I understand."

Rosa tilted her head, her eyes searching my face as if looking out for any hint of defiance. "And another thing," she added. "Don’t forget who you are. You’re wolfless. Cursed. Anyone who gets close to you will be cursed too. Don’t disrupt Axel’s life with your pathetic presence. You’re tainted. Don’t stain him."

The words dropped in a dreaded pool of misery. My chest tightened, and for a very long mont, it was hard to breathe.

I wished to hell that I could tell them how unfair they were being— how fast their words were traveling into my brain, how painful they were—but I didn’t.

I couldn’t.

After all, she was right. I was a stain. Polluted. Corrupted.

Camilla let out a dramatic sigh, shaking her head. "Poor Axel. He probably doesn’t even realize what a danger María José is to him."

"Exactly. Which is why it’s my duty as his friend—and your big sister—to protect him. You should be grateful for my advice, María José. I’m saving you from getting your heart broken." Rosa spat.

I stood there, my fists clenched at my sides, my nails digging into my palms. The air in the room began to suffocate, and I wanted nothing more than to run away.

If only I could. If only...

"Do you understand?" Rosa asked again, cutting through the fog in my mind.

"Yes."

"Good.".

She turned on her heel and walked away, leaving standing there with Camilla, who was still grinning like she’d just won a prize.

"Well," Camilla said, flipping her hair over her shoulder, "I think that went well, don’t you?"

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. All I could do was stand there, staring at the floor, as the painful words stabbed at my heart over and over again.

But deep down, beneath the hurt and humiliation, anger began to burn in . It wasn’t fair. None of this was fair.

Did I really deserve to be cursed?

I raised my head, my tear-stained face puffy and swollen with sorrow.

"Karma is a bitch, Camilla. I just can’t wait for you to find out how true that statent is." I bellowed, spitting a chunk of saliva on her stupid dress and walking away.

I stord into the kitchen, my chest heaving as I fought back the untad emotions in . Behind , I heard Camilla’s dramatic shriek echoing through the hallways like so banshee.

But for once, she didn’t follow . Bloody thanks to the Moon Goddess.

The kitchen was bustling with activity, pots clanging and the rich aroma of roasted ats in the air. I barely noticed any of it.

I just wanted my mother, and since she was dead and gone, I went to the next best person—Juana.

My vision was blurry, my focus was scattered, and my composure was in shreds.

"María José!" her familiar voice called, and monts later, Juana appeared in front of , her brown eyes wide with concern.

"Are you okay?" she asked, her hands hovering uncertainly over my shoulders as if unsure whether to hug .

I tried to muster a smile, to tell her I was fine, but the words choked in my throat. Instead, a sob tore its way out, followed by another, until I was full-on crying.

Good grief, it was the kind of crying that left you gasping for air and wondering if your body could handle it... always followed by multiple hiccups.

Juana didn’t hesitate this ti. She pulled into a hug. "It’s okay, María José. It’s going to be okay."

Would it? Doesn’t seem like it. I just wanted to die. It hurts... Everywhere.