THE ALPHA WHO HATED ME

Chapter 1

EVANGELINE POINT OF VIEW

My uncle used to say that some places are built to break you.

The bus wheels screech against wet pavement. Through the rain streaked window, Blackclaw Academy looks like something out of a nightmare. Gothic towers stab at the gray sky. Gargoyles stare down with hollow eyes. Even the stone walls feel like they're watching me.

I press my face against the cold glass. Students move across the courtyard in tight groups. Their uniforms are perfect. They walk like they own the world. Like they were born knowing they belonged here.

I wasn't.

My fingers trace the edge of my acceptance letter. The paper is soft and worn. I've folded and unfolded it so many times the creases are starting to tear. Uncle Marcus gave this to me three weeks ago. Right before he died.

"For your future, Evie," he whispered. His breath smelled like whiskey and cigarettes. "Promise me you'll take this chance."

So here I am. Keeping promises to dead men.

The bus door hisses open. Rain hits my face. Cold. Sharp. I step down onto cobblestone and my worn backpack digs into my shoulders. Everything I own for school fits inside. Library sale books. Bent notebooks. Pens that leak sometimes.

Other students push past me. Their bags are leather. Expensive. Mine is canvas and falling apart. They smell like money. Like fancy perfume and brand new things. I smell like cheap soap and fear.

I pull my hood up and walk toward the main building. Each footstep echoes too loud. Makes me feel smaller. Like I'm disappearing with every step.

This school is for werewolves. Pack royalty. Future leaders. Not for girls whose wolves are barely bigger than dogs. Not for girls like me.

A group blocks my path. Three of them. Blonde hair that shines even in the rain. Skin that's never known hunger. They smell like power.

"Look what crawled out of the woods." The tallest one wrinkles her nose like I stink.

My chest goes tight. I try to step around them but they move to block me.

"Isn't that the Omega from Crescent Moon?" another one whispers. The word hits like a punch.

"I heard she lived in the slums. With that drunk uncle."

Heat floods my face. My hands shake but I keep them at my sides. Fighting makes it worse. Always does.

"What's wrong?" The blonde steps closer. Her wolf presses against mine. Demanding submission. "Cat got your tongue, Omega?"

The word burns. It's supposed to be just a rank. The lowest one. But the way she says it makes it sound dirty. Shameful.

"Excuse me." My voice comes out too small. Too weak.

They laugh. The sound bounces off the stone and comes back to hurt me twice.

"Did you hear that? She thinks she can speak."

"Someone should tell her. This isn't a charity school."

My throat closes. I can't breathe right. Panic starts in my chest and spreads. My wolf whines inside me. Wants to run.

Not here. Not now. Don't let them see.

I push through harder this time. My shoulder bumps the blonde girl. She stumbles back and gasps.

"Don't touch me! You probably have diseases!"

More laughter follows me. My face burns. This is exactly what Uncle Marcus tried to warn me about. But it still cuts deeper than I thought it would.

The main hall steals my breath. Marble floors stretch forever. So shiny I can see myself in them. Chandeliers hang from ceilings that disappear into darkness. Portraits of dead Alphas line the walls. Their painted eyes judge me.

The air feels different here. Heavy with old power. It makes my skin prickle.

Students fill the space like they own it. Because they do. Their families built this place. Their bloodlines earned them spots. I'm the mistake that slipped through.

I find the administration office. Wait in line behind other new students. They talk about summer homes. Family vacations. Which packs their parents lead. Arranged matings. Political alliances.

I have nothing to say. My summers were spent working to help Uncle Marcus pay rent. My family is dead and buried in unmarked graves. My future is whatever I can scrape together myself.

"Next."

I step forward. The secretary looks me up and down. Her nose wrinkles.

"Name?"

"Evangeline Cross."

She types. Frowns. Types more.

"There must be a mistake. We don't have any Omegas enrolled."

My heart drops. "Please check again. Marcus Cross sponsored me."

Something flickers in her eyes. Recognition. Then pity. Or maybe disgust.

"Oh. You're that one."

That one. Like I'm not worth a name.

She hands me papers. Schedule. Locker assignment. "Building C. Third floor. Don't cause trouble."

I take them and leave without a word.

The hallways twist like a maze. Everything screams wealth. Power. Students laugh and talk between classes. Their voices echo off the walls.

I clutch my schedule and try to find my first class. The locker key bites into my palm. Nothing here makes sense.

"You look lost."

I turn. A girl with dark hair and kind eyes stands behind me. She's pretty but quiet about it. Her uniform fits right but she doesn't wear it like armor.

"I'm Luna. You must be the new student everyone's talking about."

Everyone's talking about me. Great.

"I'm Evangeline. But my uncle called me Evie."

"Come on, Evie. I'll show you to your first class." She smiles a little. "What do you have?"

I check. "Advanced Literature with Professor Kane."

Her eyes go wide. "That's ambitious. Professor Kane doesn't go easy on anyone."

Perfect. Just perfect.

She walks me through the maze. Students stare as we pass. Some whisper. Others don't bother hiding their stares.

"Don't mind them," Luna says. "They'll find something else to talk about."

I doubt that. Being the only Omega here makes me a freak show.

We reach the classroom as the bell rings. Professor Kane is already up front. Older. Silver hair. Sharp eyes.

"Ah. Miss Cross, I presume. How good of you to join us."

Every head turns. I want to sink into the floor.

"Take a seat anywhere."

I scan for empty chairs. Most students sit in groups. I pick one in the back. Try to disappear.

The lesson starts. Professor Kane talks about symbolism. Hidden meanings in old stories. His voice is smooth but I can barely focus. Too many people keep looking at me.

A paper airplane lands on my desk. I unfold it.

"Omega trash doesn't belong here."

My hands shake. I crumple it. Shove it in my bag. Keep my eyes forward. Pretend my heart isn't racing.

Another paper. Then another.

"Go back to the gutter."

"No one wants you here."

"Pack reject."

Each one cuts deeper. I bite my lip. Don't cry. Show no weakness. That's survival for wolves like me.

The bell rings. Students leave fast. Chattering. I stay in my seat until everyone's gone. Give myself a second to breathe.

"Miss Cross. A word?"

I walk to his desk on shaking legs. He studies me with those sharp eyes.

"I've heard about your circumstances. In my classroom, everyone is judged by their mind. Not their bloodline. Work hard and you'll do fine."

His kindness almost breaks me. "Thank you, sir."

"However." He pauses. "Not all professors will be understanding. Some believe in traditional hierarchy."

Translation: some will make my life hell.

"I understand."

"Good. Now get to your next class."

The rest of the morning blurs. History: a boy knocks my books off my desk "by accident." Science: my lab partner refuses to work with me. Math: the teacher makes me work alone while everyone else gets partners.

By lunch I'm exhausted. Drained. I want to go home and hide.

But home is a tiny apartment I share with three other girls. Uncle Marcus left me just enough for rent and food. Barely. I can't quit. Can't give up on his dreams for me.

The cafeteria is chaos. Hundreds of students at long tables arranged by pack rank. Alphas sit by the windows where the light is best. Betas take the middle. And there in the back corner near the kitchen, a few Omegas pick at their food in silence.

I grab a tray. Get in line. The food looks amazing. Real meat. Fresh vegetables. Warm bread that smells like heaven.

I pile my plate. More food than I've seen in weeks. The mashed potatoes taste incredible. The chicken falls apart under my fork. For a second I forget everything except eating.

Luna waves me over. She's sitting with some other students. They look normal. Friendly. Not like they want to destroy me.

"How's your first day?" Luna asks as I sit.

"Challenging."

She nods. "It gets easier. Eventually."

I hope so.

They talk about teachers. Assignments. Weekend plans. Normal things that feel foreign to me.

I'm halfway through my sandwich when the cafeteria goes quiet.

The silence spreads like water. Conversation dies table by table. Even the silverware stops clattering. Students turn toward the entrance.

Five students walk in like they own everything. They move with confidence that comes from never hearing the word no. Never feeling small.

Power rolls off them in waves. The air thickens. Even teachers straighten up.

"The future Alpha and his inner circle," Luna whispers. "Ronan Nightbane and his friends."

I follow her gaze.

And everything stops.

He's beautiful in a dangerous way. Tall. Lean muscle that speaks of hours running wild in wolf form. Dark hair falls across his forehead.

But his eyes.

Storm gray with silver flecks that almost glow. They sweep the cafeteria with casual authority. Taking everything in. Missing nothing.

This is what an Alpha looks like. Power and strength and danger wrapped in human skin.

He moves like a predator at the top of the food chain. His uniform fits perfectly. Shows off broad shoulders built for leadership.

The scent hits me. Pine and rain and something wild. My wolf perks up. Something twists in my chest.

Everything about him screams dominance. Authority. The kind of pull that makes people follow without question.

I can't look away.

My heart pounds. My mouth goes dry. There's something about him that calls to every instinct I have. Something that makes my wolf restless.

The group heads to a table at the front. An elevated platform that sets them apart. Like royalty.

Ronan settles into his chair with easy confidence. His friends arrange themselves around him. Even sitting still he commands the whole room.

This is the future. The next generation of leaders.

And I'm just an Omega from the wrong side of town. Staring at something I can never have.

But I can't stop.

He cuts his meat with precise movements. Everything he does looks graceful. Controlled. Even eating looks elegant.

What would it be like to be noticed by someone like that? To be worthy?

Dangerous thought. Impossible.

But I can't help it.

Then, like he feels my stare, Ronan looks up.

His storm gray eyes scan the room lazily.

And find mine.

Time stops.

The world narrows. Just him and me and this electric moment.

His eyes widen slightly. Something flickers across his face. Surprise. Maybe recognition.

I can't breathe. Can't think. Can't do anything but stare at the most devastating boy I've ever seen.

And he's staring right back.

Something shifts inside me. My wolf reacts in a way she shouldn't. A way that's impossible for an Omega. She doesn't cower. Doesn't submit.

She rises to meet him.

And from the shock on his perfect face, he feels it too.

Chapter 2

Evangeline's POV

The second our eyes meet, everything stops.

The noise dies. Chatter. Laughter. Trays clattering. It all fades into this weird silence that hums under my skin. Ronan's storm gray eyes lock onto mine from across the cafeteria and something inside me breaks open.

It starts small. Just a spark. Then it spreads. Hot and bright. Like fire crawling under my skin.

My wolf wakes up. Really wakes up for the first time in months. She stretches. Howls. Surges toward him like she's found something she's been searching for her whole life.

Mate.

The word whispers through me. Soft but certain. My breath catches. My fingers shake so bad my fork slips and clatters on the table.

No. This can't be real.

Not him. Not Ronan Nightbane.

The future Alpha. Untouchable. The one person who would rather die than be tied to an Omega like me.

My pulse pounds in my throat. I grip the table edge but it doesn't help. The bond hits me full force. A surge of warmth. Energy. Everything I didn't know I was missing. I can feel it. A thread pulling between us. Dragging me toward him while my brain screams to stay away.

Across the room, Ronan freezes. His fork drops. The sound cuts through everything. His friends look at him. Confused. He doesn't answer. Just stares at me like I've committed murder.

The bond pulses again. Demanding. Alive.

He goes pale. His jaw clenches. Then he whispers one word.

"No."

It's quiet. Barely there. But it cuts me open. Conversations stop. Heads turn. Dozens of eyes swing between us. Waiting.

Luna grabs my arm. "Evangeline... what's happening?"

I can't answer. Can't breathe. The pull is too strong. Too wild. My wolf is losing it. Begging me to go to him. To finish what fate started.

Ronan shoves his chair back. The screech makes everyone flinch. He stands fast. His friends murmur something but he ignores them. Starts walking toward me.

Every step makes the bond throb harder. My wolf almost purrs. Desperate. But there's no happiness in his face. Only horror. Only disgust.

"Stay back." My voice shakes.

He doesn't listen. He moves like something's dragging him forward but every muscle fights it. His jaw tight. Hands in fists.

When he stops at my table, I smell him. Pine. Rain. Something darker. My wolf whines. My heart aches.

"What did you do?" His voice cuts.

My eyes go wide. "I didn't-"

"You did something." His tone gets louder. "Some trick. Some spell. You think you can fake a bond with me?"

The words sting. My throat closes around a sound I won't let out. "I didn't do anything. I swear."

He leans close. His breath touches my cheek. The bond flares. Burns. But his next words freeze it.

"Listen to me." His voice shakes with anger. "Whatever this is, it's not real."

I flinch. The cafeteria goes silent again. Dead quiet. Students watch. Phones already up. Recording.

"It's real." I hate how small I sound. "You feel it too. I know you do."

For one second I see it. Confusion. Pain. Maybe fear. In his eyes. But it vanishes. His face turns to stone.

"I feel nothing." The lie comes out smooth.

The bond twists inside me. Screaming that he's lying. I feel his wolf pushing against his control. Feel the chaos he's trying to hide. But he won't give in.

He won't accept me.

"You're lying." I barely breathe it.

Something in him breaks. "I am Ronan Nightbane. Heir to the Crescent Moon Pack. I was born to lead. Not to be chained to someone like you."

The words hit harder than fists. Around us, whispers spread. Omega. Nobody. Pathetic.

Ronan keeps going. Louder now. Crueler. Like he needs to convince himself as much as everyone else.

"And you." He spits the word. "Are nothing. A stray. An Omega with no pack. No strength. No worth. The Moon Goddess doesn't make mistakes. But maybe this time she did."

Laughter ripples through the room. My face burns. My wolf whimpers. Wounded and confused.

"Ronan, please-"

"I reject you." The words slam into me. "I, Ronan Nightbane, reject you as my mate."

The bond convulses. Pain rips through my chest so hard I gasp. The invisible thread between us twists and tears. But it doesn't break. It can't. The connection runs too deep. Too real. It flickers. Weak and bleeding. But still there.

Ronan feels it too. I see panic flash across his face.

"Why isn't it working?" he demands.

Tears blur everything. My voice comes out broken. "Because it's real. You can't reject the truth."

His face goes cold. Cruel. "Then I'll make sure everyone knows the truth."

He turns to the crowd. Voice rising like a command. "Listen to me. There's no bond. No destiny. Just a desperate Omega trying to cling to something she'll never have."

More laughter. Someone whispers, "Pathetic." The shame burns hotter than the bond.

"She means nothing to me." He keeps going. "She is nothing to me. The Moon Goddess wouldn't curse me with an Omega mate. This is her delusion. Not mine."

Every word tears me apart. Piece by piece. I try to hold together but my body shakes. My vision spins. It feels like drowning in air.

He looks at me one last time. Expression carved from ice.

"Stay away from me, Evangeline. From my friends. From anything that's mine. If you don't, I'll make you regret it."

Then he walks away. Just like that.

The crowd parts. His friends follow. Silent.

And I'm standing here. In the middle of a sea of eyes.

Nobody moves for a long moment. Then whispers start. Phones still recording. Someone snickers. Someone else mutters, "That's what happens when you aim too high."

I can't breathe. Can't think. My chest aches with every heartbeat.

Luna touches my shoulder. "Evangeline, let's go-"

"Don't." My voice cracks. "Please don't."

She pulls back. Tears in her eyes. She doesn't understand. Nobody does. The bond is still there. Pulsing faint like a wound that won't close. I can still feel him. Angry. Ashamed. Confused. But walking away.

I stand on shaky legs. Grab my tray even though I can't taste anything anymore. Food might as well be dirt.

Every step toward the door feels like dragging chains. Whispers follow me like ghosts.

"Did you see her face?"

"She really thought she was his mate?"

"What an embarrassment."

By the time I hit the hallway, cafeteria noise is distant. My knees almost give out. I press my hand to the wall. Try to breathe steady. But tears won't stop.

The bond is still alive. I feel it beating weak against my ribs. Proof the Goddess doesn't make mistakes. Proof that no matter how much he denies it, we're tied by something bigger than pride.

But to him I'm just an Omega. A mistake he wants erased.

That realization cuts deeper than any rejection.

I slide down the wall until I'm sitting on cold tile. The hallway's empty now. Just me. My tears. The echo of his voice in my head.

"I reject you."

I close my eyes and let the pain crash over me. Wave after wave. My wolf howls. Broken and lost. But underneath the pain, something else stirs. Something small and quiet.

A spark.

A whisper.

Not love. Not anymore.

Anger.

Resolve.

He humiliated me in front of everyone. He took my heart and crushed it because he was too scared of what people would think.

Maybe one day he'll regret it.

Maybe one day he'll feel this pain too.

But not today.

Today I let the tears fall. Tomorrow I learn how to never need him again.

I sit there for a long time. Long enough that the bell rings. Students flood the hallways. Some stare. Some whisper. Most just walk past like I'm invisible.

Maybe that's better. Being invisible.

Eventually I force myself up. My legs wobble but they hold. I wipe my face with my sleeve. It doesn't help much. My eyes are probably red and swollen. I look like exactly what I am.

Broken.

Luna finds me before the next period. She doesn't say anything. Just walks beside me. Her presence is the only thing keeping me from falling apart again.

"You don't have to explain," she finally says. Soft. Kind. "But if you need to talk..."

I shake my head. Can't find words yet.

She nods. Squeezes my hand once. Then let's go.

Chapter 3

RONAN POINT OF VIEW

The training room door slams behind me with a sound like thunder. I lean against it, my chest heaving like I've run a marathon. But I haven't moved a muscle since leaving the cafeteria. Since putting that pathetic Omega in her place.

Since doing exactly what needed to be done.

My hands shake as I push away from the door. Not from regret. From rage. Pure, white-hot fury at the cosmic joke that tried to ruin my life.

The memory hits me like a physical blow. Her face. The way she looked at me with such desperate hope. Like I was her salvation instead of her superior in every possible way.

I punch the concrete wall. Hard. My knuckles split open. Blood drips onto the floor. The copper tang mixes with the scent of her still clinging to my skin. It makes my stomach twist in ways I refuse to acknowledge.

"Why her"

The question burns through my mind for the hundredth time. Of all the wolves in all the packs, why did fate try to chain me to her? An Omega with no family. No power. No backbone.

Weakness. That's all she represents. Everything I despise about the lower ranks. The way they cower and submit and accept their pathetic place in the world.

My wolf snarls inside me, agitated and furious. He doesn't understand why I rejected our so-called mate. Why I chose strength over the weakness she offered.

Because I'm going to be Alpha. Because leaders don't mate with failures. Because the future of our pack depends on strong bloodlines and stronger resolve.

Everything except the poison that tried to bind me to mediocrity.

I sink onto the weight bench and clench my fists. The cold metal bites into my skin through my uniform. The scent of her still clings to my clothes. Sweet vanilla and wildflowers. It makes my stomach turn with disgust.

The flashback comes without warning.

The look on her face when I spoke the truth. When I reminded her and everyone else exactly what she was.

I squeeze my eyes shut, pride swelling in my chest. I handled it perfectly. Showed everyone that Ronan Nightbane doesn't bow to anyone or anything.

"Ronan?"

I look up to find my best friend Marcus standing in the doorway. His face is tight with something that looks like concern but could be admiration. Behind him, the rest of my inner circle crowds into the room.

"We heard what happened," Marcus says carefully. "That was brutal."

Brutal. Perfect. Exactly what it needed to be.

"She had it coming," I say, and my voice is steady now. Strong. "Someone needed to put her in her place."

"The way you shut her down," says Jenna, the only girl in our group. "Everyone's talking about it. You made it clear that Alphas don't associate with trash."

My wolf writhes inside me, clawing at my consciousness. He doesn't understand. Doesn't see the bigger picture. All he knows is some primitive instinct that tried to make me weak.

"It was necessary," I say. My voice sounds exactly like an Alpha should. Confident. Unshakeable. "Omegas need to understand their place. Especially ones who think they can reach above their station."

But my friends' expressions are strange. Like they're seeing something I'm not showing them.

"The bond," Marcus says quietly. "There was something there, wasn't there?"

The words hang in the air like an accusation. My wolf goes completely still, waiting.

"There was nothing," I lie smoothly. "Just a pathetic Omega with delusions and an overactive imagination."

"But the way you reacted..."

"I reacted like any Alpha would when faced with such disrespect," I cut him off. "With strength. With clarity. With the kind of leadership this pack needs."

My wolf starts pacing inside me, agitated and angry. He doesn't agree with anything I'm saying. Keeps pushing images at me I don't want to see.

"What are you going to do now?" Jenna asks.

"Nothing," I say. "Because there's nothing to do. She got the message. Everyone got the message. Alphas mate with equals, not charity cases."

My wolf starts howling. A sound of pure anguish that tears through my consciousness like claws.

My friends exchange glances before quietly filing out, leaving me alone with my satisfaction. My pride. My wolf's endless protest against what I've done.

The silence feels heavier now. I slam my fist into the wall again. This time, it doesn't feel good. It feels hollow. Like hitting air. Like punishing the wrong enemy.

My knees wobble for just a second. I grip the bench harder, the metal edges cutting into my palms. Sweat beads on my forehead despite the cool air.

The flashbacks come in waves now. Each one is trying to make me doubt myself.

Her hand reached toward me before she caught herself. The desperate hope in her eyes that I crushed so completely.

The way she whispered "you're lying" when I said I felt nothing. Because some part of her refused to accept the truth.

How small she looked walking away. How defeated.

I did that to her. Took her delusions and shattered them because someone had to. Because truth is more important than feelings.

Because Alphas don't coddle weakness.

My wolf has gone from howling to something worse. A low, constant whine that makes my skull ache. Like he's mourning something I don't understand.

"No," I growl out loud, my voice echoing off the concrete walls. But then my wolf's voice breaks through mine, soft and hoarse: "Evangeline..."

I slam my hand over my mouth. Force the weakness back down where it belongs.

There's nothing to mourn. I made the right choice. The strong choice. The choice that protects everything I've worked for.

The bond that tried to form between us was a mistake. A cosmic error that would have destroyed everything I'm meant to become.

I close my eyes and let myself feel satisfied with how I handled it. How I protected my future from contamination.

She was nothing. Is nothing. Will always be nothing.

And I made sure everyone knows it.

My phone buzzes with texts from pack members congratulating me and praising my strength. Talking about how perfectly I handled the situation.

I answer each one with pride, I feel. The satisfaction of a job well done.

But for some reason, the pride doesn't taste as sweet as it should. Each reply feels more forced than the last.