Chapter 98

Chapter 98: Chapter 98

Evelyn stood on the platform, her fingers curling against her palm before she forced them to relax. Around her, the Alphas exchanged amused looks, some not even bothering to hide their contempt.

"Go back to the kitchen, sweetheart!"

"Make us food instead—that’s more your speed!"

Evelyn stayed completely still. She just waited, her eyes sweeping over the sea of grinning, wealthy men, until the laughter began to die down.

"Are you done?" she asked, her voice cutting through the lingering chuckles.

Her question earned another round of laughter.

"Done?" The older Alpha who had first interrupted her leaned forward in his seat. "You’ve barely begun embarrassing yourself, Lady Evelyn." He mocked.

"Then perhaps you should allow me to finish before deciding how embarrassed I ought to be."

His smile faded. "You’re a mouthy woman."

Evelyn looked around the hall, taking in their smug expressions and the men who seemed to find the entire situation amusing.

"Is that what you all are?" she asked. "Little men who need to shout down a woman to feel important?"

The laughter faltered. The older Alpha frowned hard. "Watch your mouth, woman. Who do you think you are, standing up there and speaking to us like that? Why is Alpha Lucien even allowing you to dictate to the First Houses?"

"I’m not dictating anything," Evelyn replied. "I’m speaking. There’s a difference, though I understand how the distinction might escape you."

The Alpha’s face darkened. "Women like you need to be reminded of their place. You’re here to look pretty, spread your legs, and be discarded when a man is finished with you. You’re far too mouthy for a woman. Perhaps you need a good fucking to teach you some manners."

If it affected Evelyn, she didn’t show it. Soren, on the other hand, couldn’t listen to the insults. His hands curled into fists, his knuckles whitening as he fought the urge to cross the room and put the man on the floor.

He glanced toward Evelyn, waiting for some indication that she wanted him to intervene, but she gave him none.

Instead, she regarded the Alpha with a calm that seemed to irritate him more than an outburst would have.

She looked at the Alpha, her expression utterly bored. "If your wit is as flaccid as your insults, I pity the poor woman forced to share your bed."

The Alpha’s face flushed purple, but before he could retort, Alpha Vane held up a hand, silencing the room.

"You want our attention so badly?" Vane stepped forward, his eyes glinting with malice. "We don’t take orders from women. If you want to pitch to the First Houses, you have to earn it. You must pass a test."

At this, the entire gathering began to cheer.

Evelyn’s brows furrowed at the reaction. She glanced at Soren, who clearly had no idea what was going on.

Kael, on the other hand, was having fun. He leaned back in his seat, watching with quiet intensity. This was what he’d missed—a way to humiliate Evelyn, and it had just come. He wasn’t new to the First Houses and their rules. Evelyn wasn’t going to get out of this one in one piece.

Evelyn tilted her head. "What test?"

One Alpha shouted, "Strip for us!"

Another laughed, "Arm wrestling!"

"Chess," Alpha Vane said, his voice cutting through the noise. "A game of chess against our best player. The best in the gathering, and the realm."

Evelyn smirked. This she could do. She wasn’t a newborn when it came to chess. She and her father had spent years playing before his demise. All that she knew about chess was a result of their games.

She was relatively good, and thus she knew this was a piece of cake for her.

Evelyn smirked. "And who is your best player?"

Alpha Vane looked over toward where he stood. "The Supreme Alpha Lucien."

Evelyn turned. Lucien stood with his arms crossed, his expression unreadable. He didn’t look thrilled at being used as a pawn in Vane’s game, but he also didn’t look like he was going to refuse. He was a predator, and he was looking at her like she was already bleeding.

Soren stepped closer to the stage. He whispered into her ear, "Evelyn, Lucien hasn’t lost a game in ten years. He plays like a butcher. You can’t do this."

Evelyn’s heart hammered against her ribs. Panic flared in her chest. She was good at chess. She was very good. Her father had taught her every counter, every trap, every defense. But Lucien’s reputation preceded him. He was a master.

If she backed down now, she lost the room forever.

She looked toward the back of the hall. Kael and Sophia were watching. Kael’s grin was wide, vicious, and victorious. He knew Lucien would destroy her. He knew she was about to fall.

"Clear a table," she said instead.

Moments later, a wooden chessboard sat in the center. Evelyn sat on one side, and Lucien on the other.

Up close, Lucien’s composure was even more unnerving. He looked as though he had all the time in the world, while Evelyn was painfully aware of the dozens of eyes fixed on them.

A man near the front called out, "Try not to make this too embarrassing for her, Supreme Alpha."

The first moves were made. Lucien played with confidence. He established control of the center, developed his pieces, and began shaping the board to his advantage.

Evelyn responded carefully, remembering the principles her father had drilled into her.

Don’t rush. Don’t chase a move simply because it looks impressive. And never assume your opponent has shown you his entire plan.

For a while, she held her own. A few of the Alphas grew quiet as they watched the board. Evelyn wasn’t making the careless mistakes they’d expected.

Lucien noticed it too. He had expected Evelyn to be competent enough to recognize the basic principles of the game. He hadn’t expected her to anticipate his attempts to control the board.

She was cautious—perhaps overly so—but there was a method to her play. Whenever he threatened to open a line of attack, she adjusted her position. Whenever he tried to draw her into an exchange that would benefit him, she hesitated long enough to consider what she stood to lose.

Interesting.

Evelyn knew she wasn’t going to win, and thus when Lucien checkmated, she’d predicted it. She only dragged the game out for as long as she could.

"Checkmate," he said quietly.

He had won. Across from her, Lucien studied her face, perhaps expecting disappointment or an attempt to dispute the result. Instead, Evelyn calmly straightened the sleeve of her gown. "Well played, Supreme Alpha."

The men erupted in cheers—one would think their masculinity had been threatened.

"Checkmate!" Lord Vane roared with laughter, his voice echoing off the rafters. "The Lady Evelyn loses! A deal is a deal, sweetheart. Get off the stage and go back to where you belong."