156 Chapter 156
Betrayed by Blood
Cain sat at the head of the long wooden table, his fingers tapping idly against the armrest of his chair. The voices around him droned on reports of border security, trade agreements, and minor disputes among the lower–ranking wolves, but none of it held his interest. His mind was elsewhere, tangled in the revelations of the night before.
Avery. ‘He pushed me off the cliff to stay pack alpha!
The words echoed in his head repeatedly, his fingers stilled, and his jaw clenched.
He had heard everything Lucas was quick to say about her, believing he had truly done his due diligence about it, but of course, everything he heard couldn’t be farther from the truth. Yet, he had believed them without a second thought. What was it he said again? ‘The moon goddess cursed him with a mate like her.‘
The goddess must’ve been laughing, mocking his stupidity and the rumors he heard. He had never once questioned where she came from or why she was practically dead when she arrived. She had been stabbed and looked drained of life when he met her, and not once did he think perhaps she wasn’t the evil mastermind he thought she was.
Her uncle had tried to kill her. He stabbed her and pushed her off a cliff. Her own blood had discarded her like she was nothing. And Cain, without even realizing it, had
done the same.
The goddess was truly cruel for giving Avery a mate like him.
A muscle in his jaw twitched. His fingers curled into a fist. He had to make this right.
“Alpha Cain?”
Lydia’s voice cut through his thoughts. He blinked, turning his gaze to her. She stood near the end of the table, waiting for acknowledgment.
The room was silent. The other wolves looked between them, waiting for him to speak.
Cain exhaled slowly and leaned back in his chair. “Dismissed,” he said.
There was a pause before the wolves hesitantly got up to their feet, exchanging
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giances as they filed out of the room. Lydia lingered, watching him carefully.
s something wrong?” she asked once they were alone.
de
Cain didn’t answer right away. He sat forward, resting his forearms on the table, fingers laced together. “How well do you know Avery?” he asked.
Lydia’s eyebrows knitted in confusion. “How well do I know Avery? What’s this about? Did something happen?” she rushed out, already panicking. Things have been going so well between them, she couldn’t afford any kind of fuck–ups.
“No, it’s just-” he trailed off.
Lydia tilted her head sideways, taking a step towards him. “It’s just what, Alpha?”
Cain looked at her, his jaw clenched. “She’s an Alpha’s daughter. Alpha of the Blood Moon pack, and her uncle stabbed her then pushed her off the cliff to stay pack Alpha.” Lydia’s lips parted slightly, her brows knitting together in disbelief. “She–what?”
Cain leaned back in his chair, his fingers drumming once against the table before stopping. “Everything I was told about her was a lie,” he said. “Her own family betrayed her. They tried to kill her.”
Lydia’s mouth opened and closed as if searching for the right words. “That’s–That’s insane.”
“She never told me,” Cain continued, his voice quieter now. “Not once. Not even after I marked her.”
Lydia sighed, “Perhaps she didn’t think you’d care to hear it.”
Cain’s face hardened. She wasn’t wrong. He had spent so much time treating Avery like she was beneath him, like she was nothing. Why would she think he’d care?
He clenched his fists tightly.
“I need to know everything about her life before Vehiron,” he said firmly. “Everything.” Lydia frowned. “You want me to-?”
“Go to the Blood Moon pack,” Cain interrupted. “Find out everything. What happened to her. How they treated her. Who was involved in trying to kill her.”
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“Me? I am the beta. We can have any other wolf go and
“But I’m asking you, Lydia. He stood up, running his hands through his hair as he walked towards the window, pulling the blinds apart. “I don’t trust anyone else to do this.” He paused, turning to look at her. “And I know you care about Avery. You will do a perfect job. I want you to go. He said, and she nodded.
“I’ll go. I’ll do it.” She replied with the enthusiasm Cain wanted. He nodded then looked out the window again, his gaze flickering through the large landscape, searching for her. Usually, she would be out there doing something. It was almost like she was allergic to not doing anything, but this time around, she was nowhere to be found.
His eyebrows furrowed, and he shut his eyes, pulling up the mind–link between them. In a second, his eyes shot open, a smile coming to rest on his face. He knew where she
was.
Meanwhile, Lydia stood behind the table, staring at Cain. If she left the Blood Moon pack now, then who would be around to stop Kendra and her mother from doing whatever it was they were planning. For the past five days, they’ve managed to put on quite a show, Kendra still wouldn’t heal, and they were backed by the doctor’s words. “Kendra’s wolf is unresponsive and until her wolf is back. She won’t heal easily.‘
Lydia sighed, this was also important. Cain had gone from questioning everything and anything she suggested to saying she’s the only one he trusts to carry this out. She couldn’t disappoint. Maybe she was underestimating Avery. After all, if she were an Alpha’s daughter, then she’d know better than to trust Kendra and her mother. She held the documents in her hand and turned to leave the office.
Avery sat on the floor of the small study hall, her legs folded beneath her as she guided the children through their lessons. It was an abandoned part of the pack house, and she had resorted to using it.
She’d decided to teach to the best of her abilities. Lydia had granted her permission even though she stood rigid on the hill that Avery didn’t need her permission. Avery had taken to teaching the kids of those who had come into Vehiron with nothing just like her. When their mothers and fathers were laboring for the pack, she thought it would be good to help the children.
A few younger ones sat close, their tiny hands clutching sticks of charcoal as they
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practiced forming letters on parchment. The older teens sat at the back, more hesitant, their movements slow and uncertain as they tried to carve simple shapes into wood, basic survival skills she had begun teaching them. Things her parents had made sure she learned.
She glanced over one of the younger boy’s attempts at writing. “That’s good, Micah,” she encouraged softly, pointing to where his letters wobbled. “Try to keep them even, like this. She took his hand gently, guiding his strokes.
The boy beamed at her praise, nodding cagerly as he tried again.
This was what she loved. It was fulfilling watching them grow to be better. She wished she could do more but knew this would have to do for the time being. If she couldn’t help the pack with the servants‘ chores like she used to. She could do this instead.
She stiffened when she felt it, her mark bite tingled softly. Her fingers twitched slightly against the wood as a strange warmth filled her chest, a warmth that hadn’t been there before. Slowly, she looked up.
Cain stood at the doorway, leaning against the frame with his arms crossed over his chest. His green eyes were locked onto her, intense.
Avery’s breath hitched, her eyes widening slightly. She scrambled up to her feet. How did he find me?
Cain pushed off the doorframe, taking a step inside. “I just knew,” he murmured.
Avery’s heart stopped. Her eyes widened, a sharp gasp leaving her lips as the realization hit her. He can hear me.
Cain’s lips curled into something amused, satisfied even. But before she could react, a loud voice crashed the moment.
“It’s the Alpha!”
A chorus of gasps filled the room. The teenagers froze where they sat, their expressions shifting from surprise to unease. Some lowered their heads immediately, avoiding eye contact. Others stiffened, their hands gripping their tools as though expecting punishment. All of them jumping to their feet the second they got out of
their shock.
The younger children, though, didn’t care.
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A shrick of excitement rang out as Micah and five others bolted toward
ain, their tiny arms latching onto his legs. More followed, swarming him like a pack of eager pups.
Cain went completely stiff.
Avery clamped a hand over her mouth, stifling her laughter as she watched his body tense. She was sure he wasn’t expecting any of this. Not like she was too, but the pups were extremely energetic and unlike the teens who knew and have heard of Cain’s brutality. The kids had no idea how insane the man before them was. Avery was sure their parents had also amped up his reputation to them seeing how excited they were to see him.
Cain’s hands hovered awkwardly in the air, unsure where to place them as the children tugged at his pants, their voices overlapping excitedly.
“Alpha! Alpha! Did you come to play?”
“Are you staying?!”
“Can you shift?! Show us your wolf!”
Cain’s eye twitched, he swallowed hard, looking at her for help.
Avery’s shoulders shook as she bit down her laughter as she watched the mighty Alpha of Vehiron standing like a rigid statue, overwhelmed by a group of tiny, sticky–fingered children.
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