_ The Beta is Here

I stared at the butcher, still on my knees, and weighed my options. Work in this slaughterhouse of horrors or go home empty-handed to face my father's wrath.

It wasn't much of a choice. My father's anger was legendary, and I wasn't keen on becoming the latest casualty of his volcanic temper.

At least, not any more than I already had.

"I accept." I gulped.

The butcher gave me a long, scrutinizing look, as if sizing up whether I was truly desperate enough to go through with this.

Truth was, I had no idea how I'd pull off such a thing, but I knew it was the next best thing. Anything was better than Father's anger.

Then, the butcher nodded. "Good. You'll start tomorrow. Be here by sunrise. A week's worth of work, and we'll call it even."

Sunrise? My mouth parted in shock, making me nearly suffocate from my frustration.

That meant waking up before the roosters crowded and leaving before the housemaids even started their day. Was I even fit for such stress?

But I had no other option.

"Okay. Thank you," I said, twisting my fingers in uncertainty.

He grunted and motioned for me to stand. "Follow me," he said, leading me back toward the front of the shop.

I tried not to look too closely at the carcasses as we passed, though the overwhelming stench and the occasional squelch beneath my shoes made it impossible to ignore my surroundings.

When we stepped outside, the butcher barked at his workers. "Bring out Don Diego's order!"

The men exchanged glances at the sound of that, which immediately put me on edge. One by one, they began carrying out massive bundles of wrapped meat, each one bigger and bigger.

My jaw dropped.

"That's all for… me?" I stammered.

The butcher crossed his arms over his broad chest and gave me a bemused look. "It's your father's order, not mine. I don't decide how much he buys."

The workers deposited the meat into a pile at my feet, and I felt my knees wobble just looking at it. There was no way I could carry all of that. Even if I were a werewolf with supernatural strength, it would still be a challenge.

Not to mention I was nothing. Empty.

The butcher glanced around. "Where's your car parked?"

I felt my face pale with embarrassment. "Um… I don't have one. My father… he sent me on foot."

The butcher's eyebrows shot up so high they nearly disappeared into his hairline. "On foot? With this much meat? What does he think you are, a pack mule?"

I winced at the comparison, though it wasn't entirely inaccurate.

"I guess he thought it wouldn't be this much," I lied, knowing full well my father didn't care whether I could carry it or not.

He just wanted to punish me. Consider me punished.

The butcher sighed heavily. "There's no way you're hauling this by yourself."

"I know," I said quickly, wringing my hands. "Do you… have any ideas? Maybe someone who can help me deliver it?"

He shook his head. "I've already done more than I should. I can't spare anyone else."

Panic began to rise in my chest. How was I supposed to move all this meat without help? I opened my mouth to plead further when one of the workers suddenly called out.

"¡Jefe! A VIP just arrived!"

The butcher frowned. "A VIP? Who?"

Another worker ran in, out of breath. "It's the Beta!"

What in the seven blazes of thunderstorms?

The Beta? Axel?

My heart began to thump so loudly, I could hear it in my ears. This was the last place I'd expected to see him.

I hadn't seen him since the Luna Hunt gala, where he'd defended me when everyone else judged me. I'd been too stunned—and too shy—to thank him properly back then.

And now, of all times, he showed up while I was dressed in miserable clothes, reeking of the butcher shop, and smeared with who-knows-what from the streets.

Oh, I know… Tomato juice!

The butcher's face was nearly as shocked as mine.

"The Beta? Axel Montenegro has never set foot in my shop before. Why now?"

Before anyone could speculate further, the man himself appeared in the doorway.

Axel Montenegro was everything you'd expect a Beta to be—was it his height? Looks? The authoritarian way in which he carried himself?

It was such that made everyone instinctively straighten up. He glanced around the room as he stepped inside, and his presence was magnetic—drawing every gaze toward him.

Once again, unlike his scum brother, Álvaro, he was not dressed in a fancy way. Just what one would see on a regular guy on a regular day.

Except Axel looked nothing like a regular guy.

The butcher and his workers immediately scrambled to greet him.

"Bienvenido, Beta Axel!" They chanted in unison.

I, however, remained frozen in place, my nerves fraying. I had been stressed out by everything going on before, and now, Axel showed up.

Worse, I looked at my problems too. Bet he'd regret ever going against the whole pack to stand up for a fraud like me when he set his eyes on me.

My face fell. I think I like him so much to care about what he thinks of me.

Axel acknowledged the greetings with a simple nod but didn't spare me a glance at first. A part of me which he wouldn't, but deep down, I wanted him to.

But why? Was it just gratitude? I mean, I'd been through a lot these past three weeks to realize how golden that moment was. That someone as respectable as Axel found me worthy despite being worthless.

"I was in the area and thought I'd see if you had any fresh lamb," Axel announced.

Oh, that baritone voice… it made heat rise between my legs. 

The butcher looked uneasy, clearly unused to directly dealing with someone of Axel's rank. 

"Of course, Beta! We have the finest cuts ready. Just give me a moment to prepare them."

As the butcher hurried off, Axel's gaze finally landed on me. For a moment, we stood there, eyes interlocking and voices muted.

Oh, by the moon and the sun, I felt a rush of heat crawl up my neck. It was undoubtedly now—I might kind of have some fangirl crush on him.

Bold of me. No, laughable of me.