85 Chapter 85
Betrayed by Blood
The forest felt like it was closing in around him. Xander wiped the sweat from his brow, his sharp eyes darting between the trees. He could hear the faint rustling of leaves, but whether it was the wind or someone following him, he didn’t know. Paranoia had become his closest companion.
His stomach growled, and his legs felt like lead. He hadn’t stopped moving since dawn, and the town ahead promised some semblance of rest. Or danger. Probably both.
He was exhausted. After his fist to Lydia, who he was now certain couldn’t help him, he had been on the run. Stopping for minutes to rest his muscles. He hadn’t had a good sleep in a week and he was only running on the thoughts of finding the bastard who sells the poison. There he could trace it back to the day of the blood hunt and figure out who bought the poison.
As he approached the edge of the forest, he heard loud voices in the air and halted in his steps, his eyebrows furrowing. It had been days since he heard anything like a voice. His only company had been the animals that resided in the woods.
He stopped, crouching low, his eyes sharp and assessing, he watched as three men walked along the trail toward the town. They were laughing, their voices loud enough to carry but not loud enough to sound careless.
Xander debated. Walking with them might draw less attention than sneaking around. Then again, if one of them recognized him… He clenched his jaw, adjusting the hood of his cloak. No choice. –
He stepped onto the trail, falling into step behind them.
One of the men glanced back. “Hey, stranger! Are you heading to town too for the upcoming moonlight festival?”
Xander almost stopped in his tracks. The moonlight festival was already around the corner, and his life was still in shambles?
“Hey! You there?” The man called out again, jolting him from his thoughts.
Xander nodded curtly, keeping his head low.
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What pack are you heading to? I hear it can be pretty lively during the festival at the Blood–moon pack. Is that where you are from?” Another man asked film.
Xander’s eyes flickered between the three, whose gaze was now on him, waiting for his reply.
“No,” he replied curtly.
The three men waited for him to continue, but when they saw that he didn’t talk, they accepted his silence without question, falling back into conversation.
“You hear about Alpha Cain’s pack, Vehiron?” one of them said. He was stocky, with a rough voice that matched his scruffy beard.
The second man, taller and leaner, snorted. “Who hasn’t? It’s been the talk of the region for days now. It’s beginning to get on my nerves.”
“Hmm… if only that man, Xander, is it? If only he hadn’t betrayed his own people. He caused this whole mess.”
“Betrayed?” The third man, laughed. “Cain’s no saint. You ask me, Xander probably had his reasons. Cain’s always been ruthless. You don’t just chop off a man’s arm unless you’re mad.”
“Cain’s the alpha. He did what he had to do. Xander’s nothing but a traitor,” the taller man shot back.
Xander stayed quiet, his gaze focused ahead, but their words struck a nerve. They spoke of him like they knew him, like they could weigh his choices and measure his worth without ever having walked a step in his shoes.
“Don’t tell me you’re now one of his fanboys. He’s a madman, that’s what he is. He’s always acted so irrationally too. A beast, I tell you.”
“Keep it down, Rick. Are you so eager to lose your life? Don’t forget even the trees have ears.” The tall man whisper–yelled, and the man rolled his eyes.
“Oh please, someone has got to put that man in place. Not even the king can stop him. He’s become a monster.”
“A monster and yet he gets hundreds of requests begging to join his pack.”
“That goes to show you that people are scared. The king has done such a poor job of
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keeping the region in order and now… look. The people have resorted to joining that beast’s pack regardless of the animalistic acts he carries out. They prefer the security and safety that comes with being a pack member of his than being a random person outside of Vehiron.” The tall man replied.
“That is to show you that Cain rules the region now. The king is old news, but he doesn’t see it yet.”
The wiry man scoffed at the tall one’s loyalty to Cain. “I’d rather be a lone wolf in a rogue–infested forest than serve under that beast. At least I’d have my pride.”
“You think pride is worth dying for?” the tall man retorted. “What good is pride if you’re dead? Vchiron might be brutal, but at least people survive there.”
Rick, the wiry man, smirked. “Survive? You mean having severed hands, heads, and body parts according to the Alpha’s mood. No thanks.”
Xander’s fist clenched inside his cloak, his teeth grinding together. He wanted to speak, to tell them to shut the fuck up. All they could do was lay speculations about and that’s it. Fucking pussies.
As they walked farther into town, the three men had slowly moved on from the conversation and were now discussing the upcoming festival and which unmated girls they planned on asking to dance. Xander’s mind was filled with thoughts on how to locate the poison seller.
He looked up a couple of times, noticed the wiry man–Rick, stealing glances at him. He quickly looked away whenever Xander looked up. and Xander knew it right then and there. The man had probably recognized him.
Soon they came across an abandoned shed and stopped. “Let’s rest here for a bit, town Is still some kilometers away.” Rick suggested, sitting down and pulling out a flask.
Xander stood a few feet away, leaning against the trunk, his hood casting shadows over his face. He watched Rick out of the corner of his eye as the man stood up, muttering something about needing privacy before stepping away from the group.
Something wasn’t right.
Rick moved farther from the group, glancing back once before pulling out a small device.
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‘Fuck, Xander muttered under his breath and immediately followed silently, the other two were engrossed in their argument.
Rick’s voice was low and cautious, but Xander’s sharp cars caught every word.
“Yeah, it’s him. Xander. I’m sure of it. He’s with us now, just outside the stalling us so you better send someone fast before he bolts”
square. I’m
Xander’s blood ran cold, and then hot. Anger burned in his chest, and he stepped out from the shadows where he stood. “You shouldn’t have done that.”
The man spun around, his eyes wide. “1-”
Xander’s fist connected with his jaw before he could finish.
The force of the punch sent Rick staggering backward, his phone slipping from his grasp and falling to the dirt. “You don’t know what you’ve just done, Xander growled angrily.
Rick scrambled to his feet, his hands raised defensively. “I–I was just-
Xander didn’t let him finish. Another blow landed, this time to Rick’s gut, sending him crumpling to the ground. The other two men rushed over, having heard the noise and grunts.
“Hey! What’s going on here?” the tall man shouted, reaching for Xander.
Xander turned on him, his eyes blazing. “Stay out of this.”
The man’s eyes widened the second he saw his full face, finally recognizing him. He hesitated for a second, glancing at his friend and then took a step back.
Linden in his boot, but Xander stepped Rick lunged at Xander with a blade he had aside quickly, grabbing Rick’s wrist and twisting it until the knife clattered to the ground.
With one swift motion, Xander grabbed the knife and held it to Rick’s throat. “You made a mistake,” he hissed.
Rick’s eyes widened with fear, his breath coming in short gasps, his eyes darting between the knife and Xander’s face. “Please… I was just trying to-”
“You were trying to sell me out.” Xander’s grip tightened. “Now you’re going to pay
for
- it.
85 Chapter 85
Without a second thought, he plunged the knife into Rick’s side, twisting it just
enough to incapacitate him without killing him. Rick let out a strangled cry, collapsing to the ground as blood seeped through his shirt.
Xander then picked up the discarded phone, scrolling through the last dialed number.
It was Matt.
He pressed redial and waited as the line connected.
“Rick? Did you get him?” Matt’s voice was sharp and impatient.
“It’s not Rick,” Xander said, his voice cold and deadly.
There was silence on the other end.
“Stop looking for me, Matt,” Xander continued. “If you don’t, I’ll make you regret it.” Before Matt could respond, Xander ended the call and crushed the phone under his
boot.
He turned to the other two men, who stood frozen in fear. “You didn’t see me. You didn’t hear me. And if you tell anyone otherwise…” His gaze fell to Rick’s writhing form on the ground. “You’ll end up like him.”
Without waiting for a response, Xander pulled his hood lower and disappeared into the town, silencing every growl from his wolf who was more convinced he should’ve killed all three men. Xander couldn’t, though. He wasn’t a monster. 2
