Chapter 1 Mate!

• "Cheers to the newlyweds! You two are perfect together as fated mates!"
• Newlyweds? Fated mates?
• She was supposed to be the bride, the one in the white dress, standing beside Jax, the alpha of Creekwood. Ava and Jax had been betrothed at a very young age to each other. At the age of eighteen, if they had no mates, their engagement would be finalized.
• But now, she was nothing more than a shadow of her former self, a slave in the pack she had once been a proud member of. The wedding bells had rung not for her but for Lily, the woman who had stolen it all. Lily was Jax’s fated mate. And the most miserable thing was that it was her ex-fiance Jax who told her.
• Ava was crouched in the garden away from the ceremony, her hands bound in shackles, tugging at the wild weeds that dared to grow where they weren’t wanted. She didn’t care. Every tug of the weeds was a small defiance, a quiet rebellion against the life she was forced to endure. The clinking of chains against her skin felt like a constant reminder of her fall from grace.
• “Oh”, Lily’s voice rang close, as high-pitched and playful as before when she chatted with the pack members, basking in their adoration.
• “Isn’t it just perfect?” A voice interrupted Ava’s bitter thoughts.
• Ava froze as Lily appeared from behind her, her movements graceful. There was no mistaking the malicious glint in her eyes. “You look like you’re enjoying yourself,” Lily continued, her tone dripping with mockery. “I’m sure you’re thrilled to see me as the future Luna. It must be so nice for you to watch everything slip away.”
• Ava remained silent, her hands balling into fists, but the chains made movement impossible. Her heart raced in her chest, but she wouldn’t give Lily the satisfaction of seeing her break.
• Lily circled Ava like a predator, her eyes appraising her, a smug smile playing at the corners of her lips. “You know, I should thank you,” she continued, her voice sweet but sharp as a knife. “If it weren’t for you, I never would’ve ended up here. I wouldn’t have met Jax.” She stepped closer, so near that Ava could smell the sickly sweet floral perfume Lily wore, a reminder of everything Ava had lost. “You’re the one who found me, brought me into this pack... all because you wanted to play the hero, didn’t you?”
• Ava’s pulse quickened, but she fought to stay still, to not show how badly Lily’s words stung. Her breath was slow and steady, as she whispered, “I didn’t know you were Jax’s mate when I found you.”
• Lily tilted her head with a smirk. “Oh, you didn’t? How charming,” she mocked, before stepping even closer, her hand suddenly pressing hard against Ava’s cheek, the force making Ava flinch. “Tell me, Ava,” she purred, her voice thick with satisfaction, “How does it feel knowing you were never the one Jax wanted? You thought you had him, but in the end, it was me. It’s always been me.”
• Before Ava could respond, Lily’s fingers curled into a fist and slapped her hard across the face.
• SLAP!!!
• The sound of skin against skin echoed in the still air, a sharp crack that reverberated through Ava’s entire body. Her cheek burned, but it was the humiliation that stung even more.
• Ava's head snapped to the side from the force of the slap, her body trembling as the stinging pain settled into her bones. She hadn’t expected it. Not like this. Not from Lily, who had been the one to steal everything from her.
• Lily’s laughter was sharp, cruel, like nails on a chalkboard, and she ran a finger along her own lips, as if wiping away a speck of dirt that wasn't there. “Oh, don’t look so surprised, Ava. You should’ve known it was coming. You really thought you could get away with what you did?” Lily’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t forget you tried to kill me.”
• Ava’s breath caught in her throat, the memory of that day rushing back. The sudden fury, the strange rage that had made her lose control... The sight of Lily standing there, untouched, while she lay on the ground, helpless, had been the last straw. And Jax, the fury in his eyes when he found out, the disappointment. The punishment that had come after.
• “I didn’t try to kill you,” Ava finally spat out, her voice hoarse. “I was only—”
• “Only what?” Lily interrupted, stepping forward again. “Only protecting what was yours? Tell me, Ava, how did that work out for you?” She placed a hand on Ava’s bound wrist, twisting it cruelly as she grinned. “You should’ve stayed out of it. But you didn’t. You made me your enemy. And look at you now.”
• Ava bit her lip, trying to suppress the heat that spread across her face from the sting of the slap. It hurt, not just from the physical pain, but because it represented everything she had lost. The victory Lily had stolen from her. The complete destruction of everything Ava had once held dear.
• The bitter taste of it was suffocating.
• Lily took a step back, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction. “Enjoy the view, Ava. Because this is as close as you’ll ever get to anything that’s mine.” With that, she turned and walked away, her laughter trailing in the air like a lingering poison.
• Ava stood frozen, the sharp sting of Lily’s words still echoing in her mind. She could feel the weight of her failure, the humiliation burning deep in her chest. But before she could even collect herself, a cold voice cut through the silence.
• "Look how far the mighty has fallen" two female werewolves passed her, one of them looked at her disdainfully.
• "She was always acting like she was better than everyone else because she was betrothed to Alpha Jax. Look at her now, a common slave" the other one replied.
• "I heard Luna's brother is coming soon and he wants revenge for all the bullying his sister went through"
• "I heard that he is a bloodthirsty wolf and he really cherishes Lily, anyone who tries to hurt her always suffers by his hand."
• They looked at her and snickered mockingly before leaving.
• Hearing this, Ava suddenly remembered that Lily’s elder brother, Alpha Ryder from Fireblood Pack, was known to be a cruel and unforgiving person.
• If he was really coming, it meant that he would surely take revenge on anyone who had wronged his sister. Ava’s stomach churned at the thought. Her only hope now was that he wouldn’t harm her father.
• She bent down and continued working, all of a sudden, she heard the most delicious scent, it smelled like vanilla and butter.
• "Mate!" a voice echoed in her head,
• Ava couldn't believe it, she had a mate? After everything she had done, she had someone who would love her unconditionally. Could her mate save her from this living hell?
• She looked around frantically, where was he? Who could this mate be? Was he someone from this pack?
• She noticed someone walking in her direction, the closer the person got, the stronger the scent was, this was her mate!