Chapter 1
Evangeline Mendoza knelt outside the gates of the Mendoza Pack mansion, her heart shattered as she begged her mate Lucas Mendoza, the Alpha, for help.
Her mother, Amara Ruiz, lay dying, and only the best healers could save her.
For three days and nights, Evangeline pleaded, her voice hoarse, but Lucas remained unmoved.
Finally, Lucas relented, promising help. Hope surged in Evangeline's chest as a healer entered the treatment room.
But as the door closed, her heart sank. Her mother was gone.
Stumbling out of the room, grief consuming her, Evangeline froze when she heard a low chuckle. The voice was unmistakable—Lucas.
"Don't worry, Marceline, it's all taken care of. You wouldn't believe how naive that woman is—she thought I was going to save her mom! Ha! I even got a video of her kneeling at my door. I'll send it to you later; it's quite the comedy."
Her knees buckled. Marceline? The she wolf Lucas truly wanted, the mistress he'd been chasing for years.
"This was just a dress rehearsal. The real show will be at the marking ceremony. As long as I have you, anything's worth it."
The truth crashed down on her—she had been nothing more than a pawn, a game for Lucas to play in his cruel pursuit of Marceline.
Her heartbreak, her mother's death—just part of his twisted entertainment.
Evangeline's hands clenched into fists, fury replacing the grief. This story ends now. She would no longer be his pawn.
And she would make sure Lucas would regret it.
......
Evangeline Mendoza knelt outside the grand gates of the Mendoza Pack mansion for three days and three nights, her mother's life hanging by a thread. Amara Ruiz, a respected healer in the pack, lay critically ill in the pack's infirmary. Evangeline pleaded with Lucas Mendoza, the Alpha of the pack, to summon the best healers and arrange the treatment her mother desperately needed. Finally, he relented.
Hope surged through her as she watched the healer close the doors to the treatment room. But instead of relief, she was met with the cold, crushing reality of death. Her mother, the woman who had always been her anchor, was gone.
Evangeline stumbled out of the room, her grief overwhelming, only to be stopped by the sound of a low chuckle echoing from the staircase.
"Don't worry, Marceline, it's all taken care of. You wouldn't believe how naive that woman is—she actually thought I was going to save her mom! Ha! I even got a video of her kneeling at my door. I'll send it to you later; it's quite the comedy."
"This was just a dress rehearsal. The real show will be at the marking ceremony. As long as I have you, anything's worth it."
The truth hit Evangeline like a thunderclap. This was all a cruel game, a deception where she was nothing more than a pawn, sacrificed in Lucas's pursuit of Marceline Williams—the daughter of the Williams Pack's Beta and the woman he truly desired.
Her mind buzzed with fury, her muscles tense to the point of pain. If this was the story Lucas had authored, it was time for her to take the pen and write her own ending.
***
Lucas ended the call with a cold flick of his wrist, his fingers tapping impatiently against his desk as he flicked through a set of documents. His voice was dripping with cruelty when he spoke to his Beta, Danny Crawford.
"Do you think I care about Evangeline's life, Danny? She's nothing but a pawn in my game."
Danny's gaze hardened, a flicker of concern crossing his features as he looked at his Alpha.
"Alpha, we're talking about a life here. Are you really going to just let Marceline call the shots? Evangeline's suffered enough—six years of it. And you… you feel nothing?"
Lucas casually waved a hand and pulled a cigarette from his pocket, lighting it up. With a contemplative puff, he gazed at the photo of Marceline on his phone, his expression softening with the kind of warmth reserved solely for her.
"Feelings? Please." He let out a humorless chuckle. "I only kept Evangeline around to make Marceline squirm. Watching the perfect little star fall from grace—that's my kind of entertainment." His voice grew more venomous.
"The day I mark her, I'll propose to Marceline right in front of everyone. That's how you break a woman. Imagine the drama—a mate jilted publicly in front of an audience. It'll be glorious."
Danny frowned deeply, his mouth tightening. "You've pursued Marceline for years, Alpha, but are you sure you're willing to sacrifice someone else's happiness for that?"
Lucas shot him a dark look. "I promised Marceline I'd humiliate her rival on my marking day. Do you think I'll back out now?"
With a wicked grin, he opened his phone once more, sending a video of a drenched and tear-streaked Evangeline, sitting on the cold pavement. Her sobs echoed in the silence of the room, and Lucas couldn't help but revel in the discomfort it brought him.
"Look at her," he sneered, his gaze flicking over the video. "She's fallen for me—just like I knew she would. Now, imagine her embarrassment when I make her my public spectacle."
Danny stood in silence, watching his Alpha with a mix of disapproval and reluctance. He finally muttered,"Hope you won't regret it. Evangeline...she's not like Marceline."
Lucas's eyes glinted, hard and cold. "Regret? Please. I'll have everything I've ever wanted—Marceline, humiliated, and Evangeline out of the way."
"Make sure the marking ceremony goes as planned. Evangeline's dress can be whatever, who cares. But Marceline's—only the best will do. I've already contacted a designer overseas; the gown should be en route."
"Go sort it out and change the invitations to list me and Marceline."
Danny nodded silently and left.
Evangeline didn't know how long she'd been standing there. The weight of the moment crushed her chest. As the door clicked shut behind Danny, she was too caught in the tail end of Lucas's cruel words to move. She hadn't meant to overhear, but the Alpha's voice, dripping with venom, had pierced her as she'd entered the hallway.
She felt her heart twist.
He'd never loved her—not truly. Not for the past six years. His affection had been a tool, a weapon to get what he wanted, and she'd been blind to it.
With shaky hands, she clutched her shirt as her knees buckled beneath her. She collapsed against the cold wall, her body trembling violently. Her mind raced back to the past—memories of everything Lucas had done to her, all the ways he had sabotaged her, and how she had been too naive to see it until now.
She recalled the time she topped the class, snagging the only scholarship, while Marceline had wept openly in the classroom. Naively, Evangeline had tried to console her with a warm spiced honey cake, only for it to be knocked to the ground.
From that moment, her life became entangled with Lucas—a relentless hunter drawing ever closer.
He publicly declared his love for her. The esteemed Alpha of the Mendoza Pack was smitten, or so everyone claimed. And young Evangeline, defenseless against his feigned warmth, was slowly drawn in.
Before an exam, he suggested they study together but led her to an arcade, keeping her up all night with games. Consequently, she received her worst grades ever, losing her status as an honor student.
There were countless similar incidents.
Under Lucas's deceitful guidance, her grades plummeted, and she became a shadow of her former self in the eyes of her teachers. Believing herself at fault for her perceived laziness, it was only now that she saw it as Lucas's revenge on Marceline's behalf.
Six years of deception—a thousand lies. Even her mother's life was a mere token in his bid for Marceline's affection.
Having lost everything, Evangeline staggered to the treatment room's entrance, collapsing into a corner, her tears flowing.
Lucas rushed to her side, full of apologetic urgency, pulling her into a tight embrace. He kissed her forehead gently.
"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."
"Don't worry, I'll handle everything about your mother. Don't cry, seeing you like this genuinely pains me."
Evangeline remained silent, quietly observing him. His eyes radiated concern and empathy, as he tenderly held her and offered a warm coffee.
"You shouldn't have cold things right now. I got this specially for you. Come on, have a sip. Your mother wouldn't want you to be this upset."
Reflecting on Lucas's past lies and the grievances she'd swallowed, Evangeline realized she'd no longer be swayed by his attempts to soothe her with favorite treats or gentle words.
Now, his gestures held no warmth for her. How could one go to such lengths for someone else?