"Alpha, no!"
Dylana was the first to object. She rushed forward and clung to Graham's leg, halting him. Even Merry darted toward him, hands clasped, eyes wide with desperation. She dropped to her knees, begging him to forgive the poor girl one last time.
"Move away, Lana," Graham demanded, voice tight.
"No!" Dylana sobbed harder, refusing to let go. "Strip her title. Kick her out of the pack! Just—please, not this…"
Tears streaked her face, but she couldn't stop. Evangeline was the reason she had been brought to this pack, the reason she was living a happy life. If it came to it, she would trade hers to save her.
"Please… she doesn't deserve this…" Dylana cried louder.
Johan let out a sharp curse under his breath. Vallienne moved to intervene, but her mother, Healer Jasmine, caught her wrist and yanked her back. They had caused enough chaos already and needed to lie low until Friday. If not, the Council would cut their throats before their Alpha could get rid of his darling daughter for them.
Alpha Graham exhaled, his nails digging into his palms. For the briefest moment, his gaze flickered to Evangeline. She sat slumped on the floor, eyes moist but empty, shoulders dropped as if accepting his decision wholeheartedly. Something warred inside hi, —but it vanished just as quickly.
"Then do I deserve to have a daughter like her?" he asked coldly.
Turning to Dylana, he continued, "She took my wife. My son. And now she's dragging my name through the dirt. Tell me, Dylana… why should I still pity her? Why should I still keep her alive?"
Dylana had no answer. Her grip loosened around his leg. It wasn't Evangeline's fault, but she was still at the center of it all. And no matter how they spun it, the truth festered like rot.
"Stop caring about her and look after yourself," Graham muttered. Sparing one last glance at his daughter, r—void of anything fatherly, he walked out.
Beta Fredrick stepped forward, his face devoid of any emotion. Looking down at Evangeline, he ordered, "Lock her in the basement. Make sure she doesn't flee before the execution."
"No!" Dylana lunged to shield her friend. "Don't take her—please!"
The guards shoved her aside. They seized Evangeline by the arms and dragged her away.
"Please, stop!"
Merry and Dylana trailed after them, crying, shouting, begging—but Evangeline didn't flinch. She didn't cry, scream, or even move. Her eyes stared unblinking at her father's retreating back—not with grief… but quiet gratitude.
The elders watched in silence as Evangeline was dragged away. She didn't struggle. She didn't speak. It was as if she had died the moment her father sentenced her to execution. Sighing in relief, they walked out. Their part was done.
But Healer Jasmine wasn't done.
The moment the hallway cleared, she gripped Johan and Vallienne's wrists and stormed through the back corridors. Fredrick followed, silent and stiff. Inside her cabin, Jasmine sealed the doors, closed the curtains with a remote, and nodded to Fredrick. He tapped into the control panel, pausing the CCTV loop.
Johan leaned against the desk, arms crossed, radiating smugness. Vallienne stayed close to him, her fingers clinging to his sleeve like a lifeline.
"What the fuck did you do?" Jasmine hissed, her voice sharp enough to cut bone. She glared at Johan, then snapped at Vallienne. "How many times did we tell you, huh? We needed to wait until the coronation was over! But you two reckless brats nearly blew everything up!"
"We told you to be nice to her, Johan," Fredrick added coldly. "Just until you became Alpha. That's all we asked—and yet you pull this prank?!"
"I'm done playing the good guy, Dad!" Johan muttered, kicking the desk. "I faked it for a whole damn year. How long did you expect me to keep pretending? I couldn't bear that idiot anymore!"
"Then what will you do now?" Jasmine shot back. "Without a mate, you're nothing. The Council won't let you touch the Alpha seat. They'd even strip you of your successor seal now!"
Frederick agreed. The Werewolf Council had a long list of requirements for someone to become Alpha. The main rule: he needed to have a mate—one he had marked and who could bear his heir. And now, within a few weeks, they needed to find his actual fated mate.
Johan didn't flinch. "Relax. I've already found her," he said.
Both Jasmine and Fredrick were surprised. It hadn't been easy. Over the past few years, they'd tried to find his actual fated mate and failed, so they'd used Evangeline to raise him in Graham's eyes.
"That's impossible," Jasmine said slowly, eyeing Vallienne. The girl looked away, guilt flickering in her eyes.
Jasmine's heart sank. No. No. Not her. She would rather rip her daughter's heart out than watch that happen.
"Who is she?" she demanded.
Johan gave her a smirk. "It's a secret for now. I'll reveal it when the time is right."
Before Jasmine could press further, he reassured, "It's all falling into place, just like our plan. By the time anyone realizes what happened, Evangeline will be long gone. And I'll have exactly what we want."
Fredrick's eyes narrowed. He didn't trust that glint in his son's gaze, but the paperwork had already been signed. Johan was officially named successor, and no one could change it. Evangeline's execution wouldn't be an issue, as long as he found his real mate. The coronation would still take place without a glitch, and the Lunaris Pack would finally belong to them.
"Fine," Fredrick nodded.
When Jasmine tried to object, he took her hand. Seizing the moment, Johan and Vallienne slipped out of the cabin, disappearing down the corridor.
"I don't like this," Jasmine murmured, watching them go. "If they end up being mates…"
"They won't," Fredrick said firmly, pulling her into his chest. He pressed a kiss to her temple. "The Moon Goddess would never pair siblings."
Jasmine's heart nearly dropped. She instantly clamped a hand over his mouth, stopping him from uttering another word.
"How many times must I tell you not to say that aloud?!" she hissed. "Do you want us all dead?"
Fredrick smiled and kissed the back of her hand. "There's no one here. Calm down."
Jasmine heaved a sigh, her mind spinning with the new problems piling up. She leaned into him anyway, letting his warmth dull the storm in her head. He had been her secret lover for decades, and if the truth came out, they would be doomed.
"In fact," Fredrick murmured, lips grazing her ear, "I know a way to calm you down."
Jasmine gave him a half-hearted glare. "Before your loyal mutt returns?" she asked, referring to Fredrick's wife, who might be back any minute after hearing about Evangeline.
Fredrick chuckled. "Exactly."
Jasmine smacked his chest playfully, a smirk curling her lips. "Let's make it quick," she whispered, pulling him closer and claiming his lips.
But just as they got busy, a small red light flickered behind the desk. Quiet. Hidden. Recording everything.
They had messed with the wrong girl. And even if God could forgive their deceit, the devil, closely watching them never would.