Page 1 of Set Up By the Cartel

Chapter 1

Mateo

I was sitting in my study late one evening when I heard a knock at the door. Who was it? I asked myself. It was unusual for anyone to disturb me after sunset, especially without an appointment. Curious, I called out,"Come in."

The door creaked open, revealing my most trusted advisor, Santiago. Ah, so it was just him. His face bore an expression of cautious excitement mixed with trepidation.I wondered what he was thinking.

"You're going to want to see this,"he said, holding up a rolled-up parchment.

Intrigued, I gestured for him to approach. As he handed me the document, I could feel the weight of its age in my hands. Unrolling the brittle paper with carefulness, I squinted at the faded ink, trying to decipher the strange symbols and glyphs etched upon it. This was unexpected, to say the least.

"What is this?"I asked, my brow furrowing.

"It appears to be some kind of prophecy,"Santiago replied, leaning over to peer at the text alongside me."One that speaks ofa great alpha and his destined omega mate. I thought you should know."

My heart skipped a beat at the mention of a 'fated mate.' In our world, the concept was both revered and feared — a bond so powerful that it transcended time itself. I had never truly believed in such things, dismissing them as mere fairy tales told to impressionable pups. And yet... It still lingered in my mind.

"How did you come across this?"I inquired, my voice tinged with skepticism.

"I've been researching ancient wolf lore and traditions lately,"Santiago explained."This particular scroll came from a hidden vault deep within the archives of the old pack libraries."

I nodded, still examining the cryptic script before me. The more I studied it, the more convinced I became that there was something significant about these pages — though whether they held any real truth remained to be seen. I intended to find out, though.

"You don't actually believe this nonsense, do you?"Santiago scoffed, unimpressed by what he perceived as superstitious drivel. I could understand why he was thinking about it that way."It's just an old story meant to scare pups into behaving themselves."

A part of me wanted to agree with him, to chalk the whole thing up to myth and legend rather than risk entertaining dangerous notions of fate or destiny. But another part, a deeper part buried beneath layers of cynicism and hardened resolve... that part yearned to cling onto hope like a drowning wolf grasping at driftwood. I wanted to find true love. I just didn't know where it might be.

As Santiago rambled on about practical matters related to our current business dealings, I found myself growing distracted by the second. My thoughts kept drifting back to the mysterious scroll and its promise of a soulmate, someone who wouldcomplete me in every way imaginable. And, yes, the scroll referred to me.

At the same time, though... I couldn't allow myself to indulge in such fantasies. Not now, perhaps not ever. Too many responsibilities weighed like boulders upon my shoulders; too much blood stained my paws already. How could I possibly consider subjecting another being to the dark shadow cast by my very existence?

Lost in contemplation, I barely registered Santiago's departure until the door clicked shut behind him once again. I'd been speaking with him without actually thinking about what I was saying.

Alone with my troubled musings, I poured myself a generous glass of whiskey from the crystal decanter atop my desk. Sipping the amber liquid, I allowed the warmth to spread through my chest as memories began flooding back unbidden.

For as long as I could remember, my life had revolved almost exclusively around the Nightshade Wolves cartel. From a young age, my father groomed me to take over leadership someday, drilling into me the importance of strength, ruthlessness, and unwavering loyalty to the pack above all else.

And so, I had grown hard, unyielding — a man carved from stone with no room left for softer emotions. Love, passion, vulnerability... these were luxuries reserved for those lucky few whose lives didn't demand constant vigilance and calculated cruelty. I'd made peace with that reality years ago. It was just the way my life was.

Yet even then, nestled somewhere deep inside the cold void of my heart, lay an aching emptiness that nothing seemed able to fill. A hollow space reserved for the elusive 'other half' of my soul, forever lost amidst the carnage and betrayal inherent to the underworld I inhabited.

Tossing back the rest of my drink, I slammed the empty glass down onto the polished surface of my desk with enough force to shatter the delicate material. Cursing under my breath, I rose right away from my chair and stalked towards the window overlooking the sprawling estate grounds below. I would clean that up later.

Moonlight bathed the landscape in an eerie silver glow, casting long shadows across the tended gardens and neatly arranged rows of barracks housing my loyal soldiers. All of it mine by right of birth and sheer force of will alone.

Everything I touched turned to dust... or worse. What kind of monster would dare to dream of finding love in such circumstances? What cruel twist of fate could possibly decree that I deserved such a blessing after everything I'd done?

I shook my head, dispelling the traitorous thoughts crowding my mind. Enough wallowing in self-pity. There was a lot to do tomorrow. There was work to be done if I hoped to maintain control over my territory and the various factions vying for dominance.

With a heavy sigh, I retired to my chambers for the night, determined to put aside childish notions of fated mates and happily-ever-afters. Such folly belonged in bedtime stories told by naive omegas far removed from the harsh realities facing men like me.

Sleep eluded me for hours as my brain continued churning through endless scenarios and possibilities. Sometime past midnight, exhaustion claimed me at last — only to grant me fitful dreams haunted by ghostly apparitions whispering taunting promises of redemption and salvation should I but open myself up to their enticing message.

The next morning arrived much too soon, heralded by the insistent chirping of birds outside my bedroom windows.Groaning, I dragged myself out of bed and splashed cool water on my face from the porcelain basin.

After dressing in a hurry in black slacks and a crisp white shirt, I strode down the hall towards the main foyer where Santiago awaited me with a steaming mug of coffee and a stack of papers requiring my signature.

"Morning, boss,"he greeted with half a smile, his eyes flickering knowingly to the faint purple smudges beneath my own reddened eyes."Rough night?"

---