Rejected by the Alpha, Claimed by his Brother

I barely had time to register the warmth of Axel’s hands steadying me before the weight of everything hit me all at once.

The butcher. His hands. The way he touched me. The way he looked at me.

I was shaking.

Axel’s sharply cut through my spiraling thoughts. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

The question broke something inside me.

I couldn’t hold it in. Here he was... the only man who truly cared about me.

This couldn’t have been a more perfect timing.

With a sob, I flung myself into his arms.

His body tensed in surprise, but he didn’t pull away. If anything, his arms tightened around me, caging me in a warmth that sent my nerves crumbling.

My hands gripped his jacket, my fingers twisting into the fabric as if I could burrow into him—disappear into the solid comfort of his chest.

My whole body trembled.