~Axel's Point Of View~
"Can we be on the lookout for our mate now that we're heading out?" Hugo whined for the fiftieth time that morning, his voice like a toddler begging for a cookie before breakfast. "You're wasting time! What if she's right here? Right under our nose?"
"Hugo," I muttered under my breath, making a beeline for the hallway leading to the salón de estar, which was the main living room in the pack house.
"We live in the middle of a forest. Unless you think she's disguised as a squirrel, you need to calm down."
A mate… something I didn't care much for. I wasn't ready for the responsibilities that came with that. I wasn't much for commitment. It was why I passed on the Alpha position.
Hugo huffed dramatically, the mental equivalent of throwing himself onto a couch. "You're so closed-minded. I bet when we finally meet her, she'll wonder why it took us so long. This is why you're single."
"Thanks for the pep talk, Dr. Phil," I shot back, rolling my eyes as I passed the Hall of Triumphs which was a corridor lined with portraits of ancestors who, according to family legend—never made a single bad decision in their lives.
As I approached the central living area, I heard the rumble of my father's voice. Alpha Tomás always spoke like he was addressing a courtroom, even if the topic was as mundane as breakfast.
That man. Pfft.
Anyway, my curiosity was piqued and I paused at the doorway, my wolf ears twitching. Inside, the scene unfolded like a dramatic telenovela.
Seated on a sofa, my father, Alpha Tomás, sat with his hands clasped under his chin. Opposite him, my mother, Luna Ana, sat on the edge of an armchair in an elegant posture. Between them, Alvaro, my younger brother, fidgeted with a silver goblet.
"Álvaro, you simply cannot be serious! You want to marry Camilla after what you did? After you rejected her last year for... for her sister?!" My mother had a tone that made you feel like you were being scolded by the sun itself.
What? Álvaro shamelessly wants to marry the older sister of the Omega girl he just rejected three weeks ago?
Had he no respect for familial ties? That would certainly cause a rift between the girl and her sister.
What the hell was I even saying? Rejecting the sister to marry her alone could have done some damage. Now, he wanted to completely destroy things between them.
My brother couldn't be more selfish and self-centered. I couldn't imagine the faith of this pack in his hands. They were all fucked.
Álvaro's voice came next, breaking me out of my thoughts. Bro's tone was a little defensive but mostly full of conviction.
"But, mamá, I was waiting for Maria José—not her! I didn't know she would... be like that. You can't blame me for... well, how things turned out."
My father laughed so loud it seemed to shake the walls. What the heck was funny about their nauseating conversation?
"Who cares? ÁLVARO, you've been waiting for nothing! She humiliated you in front of the whole pack, and she's an Omega!" He threw up his hands, as if the universe itself had let him down. "It's not your fault, hijo. You deserve better. The whole pack probably laughs at you now."
Talk of rubbing salt in the wound. I thought the elderly ones were supposed to be wiser. Well, I couldn't have expected better from my father after what I witnessed him do seventeen years ago.
That horrible night changed my whole life and shaped me into the black horse that I am today. If there was a magic to take away the memory, I would have jumped at it.
Maybe it was time to make some vampire friends.
Hearing these people talking about Maria José—the one who had caused quite the stir at the Luna Gala kind of made me so invested. I'd be surprised by how interested I was to hear the topic.
So interested that I, Axel Montenegro was eavesdropping.
The moment my father mentioned her, I could feel my eyes rolling on their own, as if my body couldn't contain the sheer annoyance I had for this ridiculous family drama.
Álvaro's voice was quiet at first as he replied to father. "I know... but I need to do something. I can't let it slide. I can't let everyone think I'm a fool. Also, marrying her sister is a way of getting back at the wretched girl.
Wretched? Did he just call her wretched?! My hands balled into fists. Rich, coming from Álvaro. Very rich.
"Exactly," Tomas said, slapping his hand on the arm of his chair as if he were giving a lesson. "Marry Camilla. Ahora. She's still a good match for you, even if you were an idiot before. At least she's a noble woman. She's not an Omega. And the pack will respect you for making the right choice."
Mom uncrossed her legs. "Do not forget Emilia. The Luna wolf has been found in her. The Vasquez is also a noble family and they already are looking forward to uniting their daughter with our Álvaro here. Why not let us proceed from there instead of rallying in the past?!"
"And then what, mujer? Let everyone call our son, the Alpha heir, a loser? Having to settle for what is next since he couldn't get his wish? Moreover, how can you compare the Vasquez family to the De la Vega? Be for real!" Father fired at her.
One thing about Mom was; she also wasn't in total support of father's ways, but she was weak. Too weak to assert her opinions or implement anything at all. That made it so that despite how I enjoyed her differing personality, I couldn't let her in too.
She was no different from them if she just let them do whatever they wanted. My father was a horrible man who had done horrible things.
And now, Álvaro was following in his footsteps.
Ana shook her head indignantly. "Tomas, please. We must consider the poor girl's feelings. María Jośe, it's not her fault she's an Omega."
"Feelings? Ha! Someone needs to take the blame for this fiasco, and it might as well be her. The damage to Álvaro's reputation is already done."
Álvaro thrust out his chest. "I need to make a statement, Father. I need to show the pack that I won't be humiliated by some.. .some... worthless Omega."
"Marrying her sister isn't the answer, Alvaro! That's not a solution, that's just—"
Alpha Tomas slammed his fist on the desk, silencing Ana. "¡Callate! You are not part of this conversation. This is a man's talk. And frankly, we all know that someone has to take the blame for this. It's her. Maria José. She ruined things for ÁLVARO, and now he has to make a statement!"
Statement? Why not a speech? Tch.
I couldn't help myself; I rolled my eyes even harder. The hypocrisy in this shitty family was unbearable.
Álvaro – the dutiful son, nodded eagerly. "Yes, father. I agree. I'll marry Camilla. I will make a statement that I'm not going to let anyone laugh at me again."
Isabel stood up, her elegant figure high over the table where they sat. "But it's not as simple as that! You don't just use someone because they're the right choice. What about—"
"¡Basta ya!" Tomas shouted. He motioned with his hand for her to leave the room. "This talk is for men. You should go find something else to do."
Isabel, shocked by his outburst, bit her lips, but she turned on her heel and walked out of the room with her usual grace. I could hear a muttered curse slipping from her lips.
Hahaha… no matter what, she's still got the badass Montenegro blood.
The moment she exited, she found me by the entrance and pressed her lips together.
She knew… knew how I felt about all of this. She came closer. "Axel, please, help me with them. Your father... he doesn't care about anything but his own will."
I looked at her indifferently, though a part of me wanted to put an arm around her, to make her feel better. But instead, I just patted her shoulder. "I'm sorry, mamá, but that's a conversation I'll pass on."
"I understand, hijo. I just don't want to see you turned into... that."
I stepped away from her, walking past her without looking back. "I've got my own things to worry about."
I knew if I stayed a moment longer with her, I might pull her into my embrace and tell her everything would be fine. But no—even Mom didn't deserve that.
After all, seventeen years ago, she let the forbidden atrocity Father committed slide like she had been doing all along. Like she was doing now.
I, Axel Montenegro would make sure my old man lawfully paid for his sins.