MATED TO THE STRONGEST ALPHA
Chapter Twenty - Three

*Selene's POV

The wind gently swirled around me as I came to a stop in front of Axel. He stood there, waiting for me at the gate. As I looked around, I noticed no other girls were hovering around him, which was quite a miracle. "Who are you looking for?" he asked, his eyebrows furrowing.

"Your girls?" I retorted, not holding back.

Instead of answering, he just laughed at my response. "Let's go? You want coffee?"

"I want it. But not with you," I replied, straightforward and unwavering.

He smirked and shot back, "You have no choice. You don't have anyone to have it with. You don't have a friend. Look, no one wants to approach and bond with a violence-freak princess."

I raised an eyebrow to indicate that he was mistaken about me not having friends.

"So, what does that mean?"

"I have a friend now," I said confidently, though it seemed he didn't quite believe my claim.

"An imaginary friend? Where is that friend?" He teased, scanning the area behind me as if searching for someone I had mentioned.

Smiling, I turned my gaze to his back. "I am here, brother."

Startled, he looked behind him, only to find his sister leaning on the gate, her hair neatly arranged, and a teasing smile on her face.

"Hello," she waved, but Axel seemed taken aback and didn't respond.

"Now you see her. We can leave now. Goodbye," I said, about to walk away when Axel spoke again.

"Wait, you two know each other?" His words were filled with disbelief.

"Yeah, we are friends now. We have something in common. You know what that is?" I paused for a moment before stepping closer to Alex. "We both hate you," I added, glad to have found someone who shared my feelings towards him. Axel couldn't seem to accept our defiance and tried to provoke us further. "That's funny. You two have similarities. The weirdos," he chuckled, attempting to mock us.

I exchanged a knowing glance with Alexa before she retorted, "Let's go; I'd rather have coffee than be subjected to my brother's nonsense. He just makes my blood boil."

"Okay," I replied simply, but my eyes conveyed the message that we didn't care about his opinions.

As we walked away, we shared a laugh, observing how Axel seemed offended despite his lack of verbal reaction. This time, he let us be. We were free to go wherever we pleased.

"He looked offended. My brother doesn't handle rejection well. He'll probably talk to me about it later when I get home. That's just how he is," Alexa remarked, opening up about her brother and how she despised how he criticized her fashion choices, even though there was nothing wrong with them. Maybe she loved the color black, or maybe it made her feel empowered.

"He does that? I have a feeling he'll keep doing it," I said, happy to have met someone like Alexa who understood Axel better. It was a relief to know that if I ever wanted to vent about him, I could talk to her. She wasn't afraid to speak her mind, and I admired that.

"Oh, we've arrived. The coffee here is simply amazing," Alexa exclaimed as we stood in front of a café. I looked up and read the name: Bravebae Café. It sounded familiar, but I couldn't quite place where I had heard it before. "Bravebae Café?" I frowned, racking my brain for any hints.

"Perhaps you heard about it from another student on campus. This café is famous worldwide. I happen to know the owner's daughter; she also studies at our university," Alexa explained, and it all started to make sense. Without another word, I followed her inside. As we stepped in, my jaw dropped in awe. The café was one of the most beautiful places I had ever seen. How was it possible for a café near the school to be this stunning? "I can't believe how beautiful this place is. It gives off a vintage vibe. And..." I hesitated, deciding not to voice the rest of my thoughts. Alexa didn't ask, probably too preoccupied with finding us a table. "Here it is! My favorite spot," she said, grabbing my hand, and we made our way there together.

As I sat down, my gaze wandered over the paintings adorning the walls. There was a nagging feeling that I knew the owner of this place. If I was right, meeting them again would make me incredibly happy. "We always sit here. I'm glad it's still unoccupied. It's like he's not here," Alexa said with a beaming smile.

"Who?" I inquired, genuinely curious.

She shook her head and laughed. "The one who always takes this spot. I don't know him, but he's handsome." She revealed a hint of intrigue in her voice, which piqued my interest further.

"It seems like you have a crush on him. Is he that good-looking?" I teased, enjoying our newfound camaraderie.

With a laugh, she responded, "Yes." She said shyly. "But..."

"But what?"

She hesitated for a moment before admitting, "He seems like he doesn't notice me." There was a tinge of sadness in her voice.

"What? Is someone not noticing you? He must be an idiot," I retorted, genuinely baffled.

"Or perhaps he has high standards for girls?" she speculated.

"Why? In any man's standard, you surpass them. You're strong, smart, and beautiful," I complimented her sincerely.

Her laughter echoed through the café. "You're funny."

"I'm not joking," I insisted with a grin, which made Alexa smile.

"Alright, let's order our coffee. What do you want?" Alexa asked, holding up the menu for me to peruse.

I glanced down at the menu, uncertain of what to choose. "I don't know. Just pick the best one for me."

She confidently pointed to a particular item. "I have just the thing. You won't regret it."

It was a good day. Finally, I had met someone who could be a true friend. Alexa was kind, and I knew we could get along well. Discovering that Axel had a sister surprised me, especially considering I hadn't met her at the party or the dinner we attended last time..

*