Betrayed by Blood-
The meeting was in full swing, everyone in his circle had gathered, after all, he had called upon the meeting suddenly. Everyone sat tensely, wondering what he was about to say. Cain stood at the crown of the table, his gaze flickering about.
“I’ve made my decision,” Cain said, his voice deep and filled with authority. His gaze swept over all of them before finally landing on Xander. The man stiffened the second he felt Cain’s gaze on him.
“Xander,” Cain began, his tone void of emotion. “You’ll be leaving tomorrow at dawn. The Northern Ridge pack requires our support in their fight against rogues and settlers. You’ll lead the effort.”
The room froze.
“What?” Xander’s usually calm self was over the roof at this. His eyebrows furrowed, and for the first time in a long while, he looked genuinely rattled. “The Northern Ridge?”
Lydia’s chair screeched as she abruptly stood. “Alpha, that’s a warzone!” she exclaimed desperately, “He’s your best warrior. You can’t send him there.”
Cain silenced her with a single, cold look. “I’m not asking, Lydia,” he said coldly. “I’m ordering.”
Xander stood as well, his hands clenched tightly, “Why me? We have others better suited for this kind of mission. Warriors who’ve trained’specifically for these conditions. Why are you sending me?” He demanded, his voice tight with emotion. Cain looked at him with a deadpan expression. “Because I can,” he replied casually. The bluntness of Cain’s words hit Xander like a punch to the gut. He clenched his jaw, wanting to refute this, refuse this order. The northern ridge was no different from a death sentence. He wanted to say more, to argue but he stopped himself. He could never go against the alpha’s order.
“This is madness, Alpha,” Lydia gritted, her voice trembling with anger. “You’re sending him to his death!”
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Cain’s gaze darkened, his green eyes flashing with warning. “Another word, Lydia, le growled, “and I’ll ship you off with him. Do not test me.
Lydia opened her mouth to talk back but promptly shut it back, She sank back into her chair, her hands trembling with anger.
“I’ll go, I serve my pack and my alpha before anything and if Alpha Cain wants me there to fight on behalf of our great pack then I will proudly do it? Xander declared and Cain nodded.
“You leave in an hour.”
Xander took a deep breath and nodded, he bowed at Cain before walking out of the office to pack up. The meeting was done now and everyone had begun to leave, all except one person. Lydia.
She stayed behind, glaring at Cain. Once the last person stepped out, she stood up. “What is it, Cain? What did Xander do to have you ship him off to the deadliest place in the region?” She shrieked. Cain glanced at her, he wasn’t too bothered by her reaction. After all, Xander was her brother.
He leaned back against the chair, eyebrows quirked up. “What makes you think I did this because he did something?” He asked and she scoffed.
“I know you, Cain. I’ve known you for years now. I know exactly what you’re capable of and if you decided to send Xander to a place like the northern ridge. Then he must’ve done something.”
Cain’s smirk was cold as he met Lydia’s gaze. “Careful, Lydia. You’re treading on dangerous ground.”
Lydia stepped closer, her fists clenched. “He’s my brother,” she said through gritted teeth. “And you’re sending him to a battlefield where survival is a gamble. You expect me to just stand by and let this happen?”
Cain tilted his head slightly, “You don’t have a choice Lydia. “You don’t question my decisions, and you don’t stand in my way. Unless…” His gaze turned icy, “You’d like to join him.”
Lydia flinched at his words, she knew he wasn’t above carrying out his threat. Her lips pressed into a thin line as she stared at him. “This is personal, isn’t it?” she accused, her voice trembling with rage. “This has nothing to do with strategy or the pack’s
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needs. You’re punishing him for something, and we both know it.”
“Do not mistake your position for power, Lydia,” he said, his voice low and dangerous. “You think you know me? You don’t. Xander goes because I cómmand it, and that’s all you need to understand. Now leave and go solve actual pack problems.” He spat out.
Lydia’s jaw tightened, but she forced herself to step back, Her eyes burned with unshed tears of frustration as she turned to leave.
Cain watched her leave, the door slammed shut, leaving him in the silence of the office. He exhaled slowly, his wolf growling in restlessness. He’s been on the edge today in particular.
Cain turned toward the window, his hands gripping the edge of the table. The Northern Ridge was a harsh place–cold, deadly, and brutal. He knew what he was doing, sending Xander there.
It was night already, Avery glanced at the tray in her hands. She had to fetch the cups and things used in Cain’s office for the meeting today. Originally, it was Millie’s task but the girl had been too scared to go up to his office and face him. Avery was scared too, after all, it was Cain but Millie held another kind of fear towards him. She was trembling when she managed to beg Avery to help her with this. Avery couldn’t refuse, not when she knew Millie helped her out of the dungeon too and so she waited.
She had waited for five hours since the meeting ended and waited right for this moment. Cain would be out of his office and she wouldn’t be berated or insulted or demeaned. She’d just grab what she needed to and leave. As simple as that.
Except, it’s never as simple as that.
Avery took a deep breath as she walked up the hallway toward Cain’s office. She told herself to be calm, just grab the items, leave quickly, and get back to the safety of her own quarters. Millie’s terrified face flashed in her mind again, and she couldn’t back out now. It was too late.
She reached the door, hand trembling as she knocked softly but got no response. She wondered briefly if he had truly left. She’d been hoping he was out by the time she arrived and it looked like the goddess answered her prayers.
Avery pushed the door open slightly, careful not to intrude too much. The place was
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empty which meant he had left, it was also dark. Avery’s eyes flickered over the room and she was instantly relieved that he wasn’t there.
She shut the door quietly behind her and made her way to the table, She quickly grabbed the empty cups and the pitcher of water, her bands moving instinctively. Just as she turned to leave, the hairs on the back of her neck prickled. A chill ran down her
spine.
“What are you doing in here, Avery jac?” Cain’s deep, hoarse voice came.
Avery’s heart skipped a beat as she froze in place. Cain was standing at the doorway, been there moments ago. He had to have entered while she wasn’t looking. The door had barely made a sound.
“I–I’m sorry, Alpha,” Avery stammered, her heart pounding hard in her chest, her voice barely above a whisper. “I didn’t mean to intrude. I was just—”
Cain stepped closer, his eyes gleaming with something she couldn’t recognize, his gaze locked onto hers. Avery’s pulse quickened. Her fingers tightened around the handle of the pitcher, but she couldn’t seem to move. She felt trapped against the table, there was nowhere to go.
“You don’t clean my office so why are you here?” He growled, his voice low.
“I-” She started again, but the words caught in her throat as he took another step forward, his body closing the distance between them until there was almost no space left. Avery swallowed hard, she had no idea what was happening but her mate bond was tugging relentlessly, it almost had her knees buckling.
He took another step closer, and she could feel the heat radiating from his body. The
air felt thick, suffocating, as if every breath she took was a mistake. Her mate bond screamed at her to step closer, to close the gap between them, to do something, anything but she stood still.
He was so close now, his chest almost touching hers, his gaze dropped to her lips, his Adam apple throttled up.
“A–Alpha..” she whispered and his gaze flicked back to her eyes and without warning, he crashed his lips against hers.
The kiss was rough, desperate and hot, his lips claimed hers like a starved man, as if he had been holding back for too long and couldn’t anymore. Avery’s mind whirled, the
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sensation of his lips on hers unlike anything she had ever felt, and yet it felt so right. It was her first kiss–a kiss born from everything that was wrong, everything that was twisted. Avery’s hands trembled, the pitcher she was holding was long forgotten as she placed her hand over his chest. She wanted to melt into him,
A few seconds stretched like hours and Cain broke the kiss, his breath ragged, his lips lingered on hers for a second longer and he pulled back, his eyes dark with frustration.
“Get out.” He gritted out through clenched teeth.
Avery blinked, disoriented, her heart pounding in her chest. She opened her mouth to speak, but the words caught in her throat. She could feel his gaze burning into her, but she couldn’t make sense of it.
“Alpha…” she whispered, her voice shaking, but when he looked at her, she flinched. The anger in his eyes–it wasn’t just anger. It was hate.
“Out!” He snarled, his voice filled with disdain.
Avery flinched, her entire body trembling. Tears blurred her vision as she nodded mutely. Without a word, she ran from the room.
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LauraRave
