Axel’s grip on my wrist was strong but not forceful as he led through the butcher shop’s doors and into the cold evening air.
My legs wobbled beneath , my body still running on the adrenaline of everything that had just happened. I had barely processed the fact that I was no longer in debt when Axel stopped in front of a black car parked a few feet away.
"Get in," he ordered and his voice left no room for argunt.
I blinked at him. "What? Why?"
He sighed, crossing his arms in front of him. I could tell his patience was thinning by the second.
"We’re going to your house."
My whole world banged.
"We’re what?"
"You heard ," Axel said, his brows knitting. "We’re going to see your father."
No. No, no, NO.
He didn’t understand. Father must not know I was ever here this morning. He must not know I had faced an attempted rape. He must not know I ever owed the butler. He must not know I lost his money or that I crashed into that tomato vendor.
EVER.
Imagine what he’d do to if he knew all of that considering how he sent Juana ho to punish for returning ho late.
Every muscle in my body snared. My heart pounded hard in my chest.
"That’s a terrible idea," I blurted, taking a step back.
Axel unfurled his arms from his broad chest. "Is it? Because I think it’s an excellent idea."
Oh, Dios mío.
This was far from excellence, Axel. This was a disaster.
He had that look on his face—that stubborn, immovable, Alpha-who-isn’t-actually-an-Alpha look that told he was about two seconds away from tossing over his shoulder and throwing into the car if I didn’t comply.
"I don’t see why you’re panicking," He continued evenly. "Your father should already know you’ve been working here."
A nervous laugh coughed up in my throat. "W-Well... about that."
His eyes dimd. "María José."
I took another step back, holding up my hands as if that could physically stop him. "He doesn’t know."
This beautiful man stared mutely at for a few seconds until he blurted out in wonder.
"He doesn’t what?"
I winced.
Axel’s hands clenched into fists beside him. "You an to tell your father has no idea that you’ve been coming to this godforsaken place every day?"
I swallowed. "That’s... correct."
His jaw twitched. I could almost hear his molars grinding together.
"That’s it," he said decisively. "We’re going."
"No, we’re not!"
"Yes. We. Are."
I grabbed his arm. "Axel, listen to . You can’t take ho."
He looked down at where my fingers were gripping his sleeve and then back at , unimpressed. "And why exactly can’t I?"
"Because—I—" I stamred, scrambling for an excuse. "I—uh—I’m grounded."
Well, it wasn’t an excuse anyway.
Axel stared at . "You’re what?"
"Grounded," I repeated quickly. "You know, punishnt? Not allowed to leave the house? Big scary father with a temper and all that?"
Axel scoffed out a sarcastic chuckle. "You’re a grown woman. The fuck do you an you’re grounded?"
"Tell that to my father!"
He crossed his arms again. "So let get this straight. You’re grounded—aning you’re supposed to stay ho—but instead, you snuck out to work in a butcher shop? Where a literal piece of werewolf garbage tried to take advantage of you?"
I swallowed. When he put it like that, it did sound insane.
Axel exhaled through his nose, frustration swirling around the gesture. "Even more reason to take you ho. How the hell is your father just sitting around while you—"
"I told you already. He doesn’t know!" I burst out.
Axel stopped short.
I clasped my hands together, speaking so fast I wasn’t even sure my words were forming correctly. "He doesn’t know, okay? Do I need to repeat this? He never knew I was working at the butchery. It was my idea. My plan. I didn’t want him to find out because—" I paused. "Because I didn’t want to disappoint him."
Axel stared at like I had just sprouted a second head. "Disappoint him? Honey, seriously? Disappoint him?"
I took a nervous step back.
"Oh, I’m sorry," he mimicked my voice, "I must be hallucinating because I could have sworn you just said you were worried about disappointing a man who left you to work in a butcher shop to repay a debt that wasn’t even your fault."
A debt that wasn’t even my fault? How the hell did Axel know it wasn’t my fault?
I bit my lip. "It wasn’t his fault. It was mine—"
What ca from Axel was a slow disbelieving laugh and then, he dragged a hand down his face. "You can’t be serious right now."
I stayed silent.
"This is exactly why we need to go," he pressed. "You need to learn how to stand up for yourself, María José."
"I—"
"And your father needs to learn how to treat you like a damn daughter and not so invisible burden just because you’re an Oga."
I flinched.
He saw that and finally, he sighed "María José," he began, voice calr this ti, "you can’t keep living like this. You shouldn’t have to live like this. You can’t keep hiding from your own father, sneaking around like you’re so criminal."
"But you don’t understand," I whispered. "My father... he’s not like you. He doesn’t listen the way you do. He won’t hear ."
"Then I’ll make him hear you."
His confidence was infuriating. The man spoke like he could rearrange the entire universe with sheer willpower alone.
"You don’t know my father," I muttered.
"No, but I know ." Axel’s gaze burned into mine. "And I don’t back down."
I wiggled my fingers together.
Oh, Dios mío.
Why did that just make my stomach flip? Why was I suddenly hyper-aware of how close he was standing? The heat radiating off his body? The way his scent seed to engulf , making my brain short-circuit?
I needed to get a grip. Fast.
"I’m not getting in the car," I said stubbornly.
"Yes, you are."
"No, I’m not."
Even though sitting close to him sounded so tempting, I knew I mustn’t. It’d be synonymous to spelling doom for myself.
Rosa and father wouldn’t spare .
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