Chapter 241

I wanted to ask Rosa what she meant by a war looming, but she barely gave me any chance to talk.
“I would stand by you,” she continued, her voice softer now, like a whisper meant for the part of me that still craved comfort.
Little did she know that I already got all the comfort I needed and already had someone to be with me for a lifetime, offering me the same.
My María José.
“Don’t you repeat your lack of ambition, Axel. You have me, so think of that as having the world. I will stand by you until you become the leader of all the werewolf packs. Not just this one. All of them with every last Alpha kneeling at your feet.”
The galls of this woman. She and I had never discussed such and I don’t remember telling her I wanted every existing Alpha to bow to me.
Bold of her to try to impose her ambitions on me.
I shook my head. “When have I ever told you that’s what I want?”
Rosa blinked. Her lashes were thick, long, and maybe enchanting for someone who might be interested in her.
She twisted her lips spitefully. “Then you’re a fool.”
That stung more than it should’ve.
“A war is coming, Axel,” she reminded, eyes gleaming like twin stars about to explode. “Not just among wolves. The supernaturals are stirring. The witches are arming themselves. The vampires have been whispering alliances in the dark. Sooner or later, we’ll all be forced to choose sides. If we don’t rise now, we’ll be buried beneath them.”
I turned to her fully. “How do you know all this?”
She tilted her head, mocking. “Because I’m broader, smarter, and more connected than any female in this pack. None of the other girls come close. I wasn’t wasting years moping in the forest like you or pretending I didn’t belong to this world.”
That hit like a fist to the ribs. She was really throwing my wild days right in my face. The source of this content ɪs.net
“You’ve been avoiding the pack for years,” she went on, circling me now like a lioness. “While you played the feral prince in the woods, the real game moved on. Every influential wolf here knows what’s coming. They’ve been preparing. But you she stopped in front of me, reaching out to brush a hand against my chest you have so much catching up to do.”
I stared down at her fingers and wished to hell that I could break them into two. However, I did no such thing.
I didn’t stop her too. I should have but then, it’d jeopardize everything.
“But with me by your side,” she whispered, “you could have everything. Power. Connections. Legacy. I could show you everything you’ve missed. Everything you didn’t know you needed.”
I blinked, trying to shake off the haze Rosa had cast over me. My mind was clouded, still whirling from the way she had moved, her fingers brushing against my chest seductively. I hated how she seemed to have found a way to worm under my skin.
But no, my body and soul belonged to María José. ONLY María José.
“Explain it to me, Rosa,” I said, trying to keep my voice measured, though my curiosity bled through. “Explain this war to me, because that’s what has my attention.”
It came out more like a command than a question, but something about the way she held herself—so sure, so confident, pulled at me. She knew things, things I needed to understand, things that could shape the future of everything.
She might just be so… useful.
Oh, darn. Venomous fucking damn temptation!
Her lips curled into a slow smile. “Of course, Axel,” she purred, voice soft and seductive, leaning in just close enough to make it hard to think.
“I’ll tell you everything you need to know. But She trailed her fingers down my arm, and the light touch sent a shiver through me, despite the wall I tried to keep up.
“I’ll only tell you on the night of our wedding. And I’ll introduce you to everyone in my circle—those inside the pack and beyond. You’ll see, Axel, you’ll understand exactly what you’ve been missing. I’ll make you a king, and we’ll rise together. But remember, only I can give you that. You need me.”
Her words were honey, slipping smoothly into my ears, promising power, control—everything I needed to push this Alpha position through.
Or so it seemed.
Her hand remained just a little too long on my arm, and I felt Hugo stir uneasily inside me.
” She’s a viper,” Hugo warned.
“Don’t fall for her sweet words. She’s using you.”
Oh, Hugo, how right you always are.
Tension coiled in my chest, but I tried to suppress it. I won’t fall for it. I won’t, I told myself.
I cleared my throat and met her gaze, steady and unflinching. “You’ve been talking a lot about power and connections, Rosa,” I said, my tone colder now as I tried to anchor myself.
“But you knew my father’s ultimatum, didn’t you? The one he gave me and Álvaro. It’s more than just producing a baby.”
Her lips quirked upward, the smirk on her face dangerous in my eyes. “Of course, I know all about it. I also know that you need a male heir—your father’s orders. It’s a very delicate matter, isn’t it? The baby needs to be a boy.”
“Yes, so why are you so sure this baby is going to help me become the Alpha? We don’t even know its gender yet.”
Confusion and disbelief shot through me, but before I could say anything, Rosa kept going.
“Then perhaps She paused, her eyes gleaming with venom. “Maybe we should take matters into our own hands. Perhaps we should just… eliminate Álvaro.”
W-what in the unholy hell?!
Did I hear that correctly? Did Rosa just suggest eliminating as in, killing Álvaro?!
Okay, I know there was a plan. I knew I was supposed to tolerate everything, let her touch me, let her say whatever to tempt me, and so on.
But this? This wasn’t in the deal.