Chapter 29

I made a choice—a cowardly one, maybe, but it was the only thing I could think of.
As the boys left her crumpled and humiliated, I pulled out the small amount of cash I’d brought with me. It wasn’t much, just enough for a few supplies, but it would have to do.
I could sacrifice that for her. Quietly, I approached her, careful not to be seen. She was sitting on the ground, her head in her hands, and I couldn’t bring myself to say anything.
Instead, I dropped the money beside her and disappeared into the crowd before she could look up.
However, it wouldn’t end here. Those pricks, I’d definitely teach them the lesson of their lives. Maybe not in the open, but they needed to pay.
How could he do that? Kiss her? The image of him forcefully planting those ugly lips of his on hers while his friends stood back and watched would forever haunt me if I didn’t do something.
She was like a white rose sitting lonely on a bed of ocean. I needed to be her island… her big brother. Perhaps, I had found a purpose in this visit.
I would be María Jośe’s big brother until it was time to leave. If I have to play big brother for the first time in my life, I might as well do it right and now.
I did. Yeah, I did try my best.
.
.
Sometimes, I wonder if I’m cursed to watch humanity’s most ridiculous moments unfold right before my eyes.
I’d just dropped the money for María José and was halfway down the street, mentally congratulating myself for being a decent human—or wolf, rather—when I heard it:
“¡Oye, señor! Wait!”
No way.
I turned my head just enough to confirm my suspicions. Yep. There she was, chasing after me like some kind of overzealous debt collector.
“Oh, for the love of I muttered under my breath, adjusting my pace to put more distance between us. But she wasn’t giving up.
“Señor!” she called again.
I glanced over my shoulder. Her tiny frame was cutting through the bustling market like a determined squirrel, clutching the money I’d left behind.
“Unbelievable,” I muttered, pinching the bridge of my nose.
Why wasn’t she keeping it? Did she not realize it was a gift? Did she think I was testing her integrity? Or was she just this fucking soft-hearted?
Hugo snorted in my head. “Too soft for this world, or just plain dumb. Either way, she’s exhausting.”
“Couldn’t agree more,” I whispered back.
I slowed slightly, hoping she’d catch up so I could tell her to keep the damn money and stop making a scene. But I think she didn’t see me.
Oh, right. She was wolfless… no elevated sightedness. However, before she could even try to reach me further, someone else got to her first.
A gangly swooped in with an infuriating smirk. With one swift motion, he snatched the cash from her hands.
“¡Hey!” she shouted.
I froze in place, my jaw tightening as I watched the little punk hold the money over her head like some kind of stupid game.
I clenched my fists, resisting the urge to intervene. It wasn’t my problem, right? She needed to learn to stand up for herself. Besides, I’d already done my good deed for the day.
And yet, there I was, standing rooted to the spot, watching her struggle.
“Idiota,” I muttered under my breath. “You should’ve just taken the money and gone home.”
María José stood there, looking down at her empty hands, her shoulders sagged in defeat.
“You’re killing me, kid,” I muttered, running a hand through my hair.
Just as I was about to turn away, I caught something in the corner of my eye: the stupid Luis who had kissed her earlier and his friends lingering near the edge of the market, whispering to each other and glancing back at her.
“They’re not done,” Hugo growled.
“No kidding,” I muttered, gnashing my teeth.
I couldn’t believe the idiot shared the same name with my precious cousin. I needed to keep an eye on María José.
At least, this would keep my company and keep me away from the bloody Packhouse until nighttime.
I trailed behind her at a safe distance, hiding the crowd as she made her way toward the butcher’s shop. The whispers of her tormentor replayed in my ears:
“We’ll wait for her here. She won’t escape us there.”
Great. They were planning round two.
María José walked with her head down, as if she could feel their eyes on her. It was like watching a deer stroll into a lion’s den.
“She’s gonna need a babysitter at this rate,” Hugo muttered.
“Shut up,” I snapped, though I couldn’t argue with him.
When she finally reached the butchery, I stayed back, leaning against a nearby wall as I listened. My elevated senses made it easy to pick up on the conversation inside.
“But it’s a heavy load. You sure you can carry it all by yourself?”
There was a pause, and I imagined her biting her lip nervously. “I’ll manage.”
“No, you won’t,” I muttered under my breath, already pulling out my phone.
I dialed the Packhouse, keeping my eyes on the butchery entrance. When the line connected, I didn’t wait for pleasantries.
“I need a car sent to the butcher’s shop in the market. Three minutes, tops,” I said.
The voice on the other end stammered. “Señor Axel, I—”
“Three minutes,” I repeated, cutting them off.
“Yes, Señor Axel. Right away.”
I hung up and slipped my phone back into my pocket.
I waited for approximately seven minutes before the car arrived like clockwork. I signaled to the driver, who left the keys in the ignition as instructed, and hurried away.
“I hope to hell that I don’t regret this.” I groaned, rubbing my hands.
Taking a deep breath, I pushed off the wall and made my way into the butchery.
.
.
Driving with her by my side made me realize one thing… I didn’t just want to be her big brother. I want to use her as an example of how much Omegas were still one of us despite the Moon Goddes’s reluctance to give them their wolf.
I wanted to prove the Moon Goddess wrong… to prove the pack’s political system wrong. I’d do it. I’d protect her, nurture her, and make sure she proved herself.
I swear on my soul.