Rejected by the Alpha, Claimed by his Brother

I swallowed hard and looked down at my hands, tracing the worn-out stains of dried blood on my fingers that probably got smeared on it while running from that damn butcher.

"I’ll figure it out," I mumbled, though, my chest was tightening as I thought about how impossible that sounded.

To my surprise, Axel hummed thoughtfully, drumming his fingers against the steering wheel. "Well, I might have a solution for you."

I blinked and jutted my head up. "What?"

He shot me a smirk. "Unless you find a mate or a husband who shares the same dream as you—someone who wants to travel, leave the pack, and live in the human world—then maybe my brother could grant your husband that wish. Otherwise, your chances of getting out of here are zero."

Once again, a woman’s fate needed to be tied to a man.

I didn’t know when it slipped out—maybe my brain had short-circuited, or maybe I was just an idiot. But before I could stop myself, I asked, "Do you mean a husband like you?"

The car jerked slightly. Axel’s grip on the wheel tightened, and he turned his head so fast I thought he might snap his neck. His expression was pure, shock.

One would think I had just spouted the most forbidden statement of the world. Axel definitely wasn’t prepared for such.

Oh. Oh no.

I gasped, slapping both hands over my mouth. "I mean—! Not you you! I meant someone like you—well, no, not like you, just—someone who, um, travels... with the Alpha’s permission... and, uh, doesn’t get arrested for kidnapping innocent Omegas..."