164 Chapter 164
Betrayed by Blood-
For a moment, no one moved. No one even breathed.
Hugh’s grip on Avery slackened slightly, his lips parting as though he had misheard. But the weight of Cain’s words, his tone as sharp as a blade, hung in the air.
His gaze flickered between Cain and Avery, his mouth opening and closing in stunned disbelief. “Mate?” he repeated.
Cain’s eyes burned, his expression unreadable, but the way his gaze locked onto Hugh’s hand said everything.
The moment stretched unbearably, and then, with ease, Cain reached out. His fingers clamped around Hugh’s wrist tightly and roughly.
Hugh barely had time to react before Cain twisted. A sharp crack split through the air. Hugh let out a strangled grunt of pain, his knees nearly buckling as Cain wrenched his fingers away from Avery.
Avery exhaled, the ghost of Hugh’s grip still lingering on her skin, but Cain didn’t let her dwell on it. Without breaking eye contact with Hugh, he reached for her, his large hand settling firmly at her waist, pulling her close.
Darla’s eyes burned red. The message was unmistakable. Avery was his.
She sucked in a sharp breath, her face paling as she stepped back, her shock painted across her face. She opened her mouth as if to say something but thought better of it.
Jasmine, however, was frozen in place, her hands clenched into tight fists at her sides. Her eyes darted between Cain and Avery, her expression twisting into something ugly.
This man was Avery’s mate? Is this a joke? Was the moon goddess pranking her? Why?
Why did Avery get to have this?
Why did she always get the good things? The things Jasmine deserved?
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Cain was power, strength, dominance. An impossibly handsome man who commanded absolute authority with just his presence. And yet, he was standing here, claiming her, Avery, as his mate.
Jasmine’s stomach twisted with resentment, her nails digging into her palms.
‘It’s not fair. Why is she the one who gets him? Why do I have to be the one following my father’s orders, left with scraps while she…‘
Jasmine’s bitter thoughts cut off when movement in the background caught her attention.
She turned to look at Dean, whose face had turned whiter than a ghost. The woman he had been convinced was a stray whore, was standing right there behind Cain, her arms crossed over her chest, her gaze pinned on him, his face lost all color as realization dawned.
He’d been set up. Everything he’d told Lydia suddenly rushed back into his head. He had said so much, too much even when he thought of her as a commoner. Oh, this was bad, this was bad.
Slowly, almost imperceptibly, Dean began edging backward, his body tensed, his gaze darting around, looking for an escape.
But he didn’t get far.
Cain was on him in an instant, his hands pressing over Dean’s shoulder tightly,
“Going somewhere?”
Cain’s grip on Dean tightened. His fingers pressed against the bone of Dean’s shoulder, and in one second, he pushed deeper. A sickening pop filled the air.
Dean screamed. His knees buckled as pain tore through him, his breath shuddering as he gasped. His hand shot up, clutching his shoulder, but Cain didn’t let go. If anything, his grip tightened.
“Pathetic,” Cain muttered, watching as Dean trembled beneath him.
Dean’s agonized cries filled the silence, his body writhing in Cain’s grasp, and that was when Hugh finally snapped.
“I don’t care if you’re a Riskmid!” Hugh growled out, his face twisted in anger. He stood
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to his full height, his fists clenched. “You have no right to come into my pack and act like this! I am the Alpha of Blood Moon! And I deserve respect!”
Cain turned to him slowly, a mocking smirk on his face, his eyebrows arched up. “Respect?” His lips curled slightly, almost as if he were amused. “And you’re the Alpha of this pack?”
Hugh stiffened.
Cain’s grip on Dean released, and then he pushed the man forward. Dean’s body slammed forward, crashing onto the ground. Right in front of Avery.
A shudder ran through him as he lifted his head, his face contorted with pain. He looked up… right at her.
Avery saw it. The fear.
He was shaking.
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His mouth opened, a weak, stammered breath escaping, but before he could utter a word, a new voice cut through the air.
Lydia stepped forward, her arms crossed, her gaze locked onto Dean intensely.
“Shall we go over what you said to me, Dean?” Lydia drawled, tilting her head. Her voice was calm, mocking. “I do believe the Alpha of Blood Moon deserves to hear it. Or maybe he has already. Who is to tell?”
Dean’s entire body went still.
Hugh’s gaze flickered to his son, his jaw clenched hard. “I don’t care whatever it is my son has told you. You have no right coming here and doing this to us.” He gritted out.
“Alpha Cain. I have held you onto such high regards. You cannot possibly allow a woman such as Avery, a manipulative narcissist whore like Avery, tell you what and what not to do. I bet you everything she’s told you is a lie. Whatever she said happened is nothing but lies. Avery is filth. She’s a traitor. Ask around the pack and hear how she seduced Jasmine’s old mate and even almost killed me. Avery is nothing but vile, hateful, disgusting–”
He doesn’t get to finish his words as Cain leaped forward, his claws retracting momentarily and stroked Hugh right on the face, tearing his skin apart.
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The room froze.
Blood splattered.
Cain’s claws had ripped across Hugh’s face in one brutal strike. His flesh split open, blood gushing down his cheek and dripping onto the floor.
A strangled, wet gasp left Hugh’s lips as he staggered back, clutching his face in pure
agony.
Cain stood still, his hand still raised, claws dripping. He stared at the man before him unbothered, as if he had merely swatted away a fly. “Say her name like that again,” his voice was low, “And I will rip your tongue from
your mouth.”
The room goes still, and everyone staring in shock after what Cain had done. They’d heard of his brutality, of course. Of how insane the man was, and yet Hugh had thought to be allies with a man like this. He craved the power Cain had, but now… seeing him use his power. It scared him.
Cain straightened up, a guard handing him a clean cloth to clean Hugh’s blood off. He then began to walk up to the Alpha’s chair. The one Hugh thought belonged to him,
and then he sat down…
Hugh, still clutching his bloodied face, glares up at him with seething hatred, but there’s something else there now… fear.
Cain doesn’t acknowledge it. Doesn’t need to.
Cain leans back into the chair, settling in, owning it, like it was never Hugh’s to begin with. It never was his anyway.
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He exhales slowly, then says… “Now… let’s begin your judgment.”
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