Chapter 273

She sighed like I was being a petulant child who refused to eat his vegetables. “Look, I understand. Truly. Rosa is difficult—vain, selfish, and manipulative. But this wedding isn’t about love, Axel. It’s about duty. Alliances. Survival. You think every Alpha here came to celebrate your union? No. They’re here to test our strength.”
Argh! How the fuck was any of that my business?!
“I don’t care about the others,” I snarled. “Let them test us. Let them see what I’ll do if they try anything.”
My mother walked to the window, parting the curtains and peering out. “Then pull yourself together. Because right now, you look like a wounded pup licking its ego.”
I stood from the bed, finally. My body was stiff, and my muscles were aching. “I need time.”
She turned to face me again. “You have until tomorrow.”
I met her eyes. “I’m serious. I need space. I need… to clear my head.”
She paused, then nodded, smoothing down the front of her elegant navy gown. “Fine. But the maids will be in shortly to drop off your suit. It’s custom-made. Italian fabric. Tailored to perfection.”
“How lucky I am.”
She walked to the door, then paused, hand on the knob. “All you need to do tomorrow is show up. Stand beside Rosa. Smile at the guests. You don’t even need to speak much.”
Then, she left, the door clicking shut behind her. Updates are released by.net
And just like that, I was alone again with my fury, my bitterness, and my thoughts of her. María José.
I collapsed into the chair by the fireplace, head in my hands.
What the hell was she doing with him?
Had she been forced? No… she didn’t look frightened. She looked… content. Peaceful, even. The kind of sleep people only had when they trusted the person beside them.
Was she in love with him?
No. She couldn’t be. She didn’t even know him—he was new, dangerous, not to be trusted. He wasn’t me. He wasn’t her friend. He hadn’t watched her, protected her, burned for her in silence.
But he was bolder. I’d give him that. Maybe she mistook boldness for charm. Maybe she didn’t see through him the way I did.
Or maybe… I was just too late.
I slammed my fist into the desk, papers scattering like frightened birds.
Damn it.
My heart was a war drum now, pounding so hard I thought it might break through my ribs. I needed to see her. Confront her. Hear the truth from her lips. Even if it destroyed me.
I couldn’t stand another second with these thoughts chewing through my sanity. I was an Alpha heir, damn it. I didn’t just sit around like a moody teenager pining over a girl.
I stood up and marched to the door.
It might have been too late, but enough is enough.
If María José had chosen him, I would deal with it like the man I was. And if she hadn’t—if there was even a chance she still belonged to me, then I was not letting her slip away into another man’s arms.
As I buzzed out of my room and stalked down the hall, the estate assaulted my senses. Everything screamed celebration. Hell, there were garlands twisted in gold and red clung to pillars like ivy, and the scent of fresh-cut roses dominated the air.
Laughter echoed from the inner courtyard, and servants darted back and forth with trays of champagne and ribbons like we were hosting some royal carnival instead of a death sentence.
Everywhere I turned, someone was preparing for a wedding. My wedding.
What a farce.
A pair of older women, both clad in fine silk and enough perfume to burn the lungs, beamed at me as I passed.
“Felicidades, joven lobo,” one cooed, clasping her hands.
“May the Moon bless your union,” said the other with a wink that made my skin crawl.
I didn’t even slow down. “Save your blessings,” I muttered.
The smile on the second woman faltered just enough to satisfy me as I pushed past, chin high and expression locked into what I hoped passed for controlled disdain.
Was I snobbish? Maybe. But better that than letting anyone see I was bleeding inside.
I reached the main foyer just in time to see the grand double doors swing open. In strode a tall Alpha from the Eastern ranges with thick beard, leather coat, a gaze like a glacier.
And flanking him, of course, were the two people I least wanted to see.
Álvaro and my father.
Álvaro’s posture was perfect. Standing beside him, Father was in full diplomat mode, all smiles and stiff greetings. Álvaro’s mouth curved just enough to resemble a sneer when he saw me.
Motherfucker.
And then my father, as the master of dramatic timing, clapped the Eastern Alpha on the back and turned toward me, his voice booming through the space.
“Ah! And there he is! My firstborn, Axel. The one I’ve been speaking of. Our second proud groom tomorrow!”
It took everything in me not to roll my eyes.
I strolled forward at my own pace, refusing to quicken my step or fix my expression. Álvaro looked ready to stab me with a smile, and Father’s eyes lit with expectation.
I stopped in front of them, gave the visiting Alpha a look, then gave my father nothing at all. Not a bow or a word.
Just a cold glance.
Then I turned abruptly and walked past them without a single damn word.
The silence that followed was delicious. Let them talk. Let them wonder. I didn’t have time to play prince in a fairytale that wasn’t mine. I had a mission.
My feet carried me faster now, through the decorated halls, through the maze of velvet runners and servants. The estate melted behind me as I crossed into the edge of the territory, past the gates, and through the stretch of woods that separated the main pack from the rural worker quarters of Santa Leticia.
Where she was. Where she might still be.
María José.