Chapter 125

~Axel’s Point Of View~
I stood in front of my mirror, staring blankly at myself, at my new haircut, my new look, and my new vision. I had just made the grandest revelation to my family and it had stirred a lot of troubles.
Two days ago

By the time I stepped back into the mansion after I visited Luis, my head was a mess.
Luis’s slow, wheezy judgment still haunted me like an old, damp coat, and I hated it.
I stormed past the grand foyer, ignoring the workers bustling about. Someone called out to me—a maid, probably—but I didn’t bother answering. I had bigger problems.
Like the fact that I kissed María José last night.
And bit her.
And drank her blood.
I shuddered, running a hand down my face as I climbed the stairs two at a time.
The second I reached my room, I kicked the door shut behind me, yanked my shirt over my head, and flung it somewhere across the room. My pants followed.
The cool air kissed my bare skin, but it did nothing to cool the heat in my chest. It only reminded me of how warm her skin felt against mine.
Fuck Axel. You’re so doomed.
I paced. Back and forth. Back and forth. The thick Persian rug muffled my footsteps, but the tension in my muscles only coiled tighter.
“Hugo,” I muttered.
“Yeah?” My wolf’s voice echoed in my mind, calm as ever.
“I need suggestions.”
“For what?”
“For my problems.”
Hugo snorted. “We’re going to need a bigger room then.”
Argh, Hugo and his jokes. This was the wrong timing.
I scowled. “Just start somewhere.”
“Alright. Which problem do you want to tackle first?”
I ran a hand through my hair, exhaling.
Which problem do I want to tackle first? Urm… by their order or importance, I’d say…
“María José.”
“Good choice.”
There was a pause. Then Hugo hummed thoughtfully.
“From my observations, she doesn’t seem mad at you.”
I halted mid-step, turning toward the floor-length mirror across the room. My own reflection scowled back at me. “What?”
“I mean, look at her reaction to your touch last night. She liked it.”
“That doesn’t make any sense.” I resumed pacing. “Are you saying María José is—what? Wayward? Because no woman would let a man she considers a big brother sneak into her room, kiss her in her sleep, and not get mad about it.”
Hugo snorted. “Did María José ever tell you she considers you a brother?”
I stopped dead in my tracks. That was true. She never did. But then, it was only logical that she did.
My jaw worked. “What else would she consider me as?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Hugo scoffed. “A man? A protector? Someone she actually cares about beyond whatever ridiculous ’big brother’ narrative you’ve shoved into your skull?”
Ridiculous big brother narrative? What the hell was that even supposed to mean?
I let out a dry laugh. “Hugo, I look out for her. I protect her. Like any big brother would. What are you talking about, bro?”
Hugo growled. “Are you blind, Axel? Are you dumb? Or are you just willingly being an idiot?”
I turned toward the mirror again, eyes dimming. “Excuse me?”
“Even a teenager would know that after last night, María José is interested in you.”
For the love of everything good…
Hugo was crazy! Out of his mind even. What the bloody hell did he take María José for to fall for a horrible man like me? I didn’t know how to love women or treat them right.
I was good as a friend or a big brother… anything but a love interest.
I scoffed. “That’s bullshit.”
“Is it?” Hugo’s tone was sharp. “You don’t remember how she reacted to your touch? How she kissed you first? How she’s kept your secret without a single complaint?”
I clenched my fists.
“And what about that scarf she wore today?” Hugo pressed on. “You think that was for fun? She was covering the mark you left on her neck, Axel. She’s protecting you, and here you are, acting as if she’s a clueless little girl.”
I swallowed, my mind flashing back to earlier. That scarf. Tied neatly around her soft throat.
Had I really left a mark? Of course, I had. I fucking bit her. What the hell was I thinking?
I groaned, facepalming. “Shit.”
“Yeah. Shit. Because did you ever stop to think about what happens if someone sees that mark? Do you know what they’d do to her?”
I gnashed my teeth together. I knew.
In a pack like ours, where hierarchy was everything, where María José was already disgraced—a mark like that would be her fault.
Not mine. Hers. Fınd the newest release on.net
She would be blamed. She would suffer. And yet, she still covered it up.
Still protected me.
My stomach knotted. Oh, how undeserving of her consideration I was!
“From what I’ve seen, that girl would sacrifice herself for you in a heartbeat,” Hugo said, softer now. “Because you were the first person to stand up for her when no one else did.”
I gulped down hard.
I turned toward the window, staring out at the sprawling estate below. My mind was a mess, replaying every single moment of that meeting.
The way she looked at me.
Those green, cautious eyes—so filled with emotion I couldn’t name at the time. I had thought it was guilt. Or maybe regret for what I’d done to her last night.
But now?
I can finally see clearly. It was longing.
Like a child waiting for her father to lead.
She wasn’t looking at me with hatred. She wasn’t avoiding me because she was repulsed.
She was waiting. Waiting for me.
Epiphany slammed into me like a sledgehammer. I cursed under my breath, gripping the windowsill.
I was such an idiot.
I had spent the entire day convincing myself that I had ruined everything, that María José wanted nothing to do with me, that she would never forgive me.
But she wasn’t mad. She wasn’t scared. She was waiting.
Waiting to see if I would step up.
Waiting to see if I would lead.
Waiting to see if I would claim her.
A strange heat spread through my chest.
Possessiveness.
Protectiveness.
Something hungry that made my wolf stir restlessly beneath my skin.
Hugo let out a satisfied huff. “Finally. Took you long enough.”