#Chapter 1: Betrayal

Isla's POV

"Congratulations, you're pregnant!" I stared at my nurse, unsure how to react.

When I came to the human hospital here in the city, I never would have expected this.

My stomach had been hurting, so I had traveled from the small town my werewolf pack secretly inhabited to be checked by a medical doctor here.

I thought I had been ready for any diagnosis. But… pregnant?

The longer I took to react, the more uncomfortable my nurse became. "I'm sorry. Should I not have said congratulations?"

"It's fine," I said quickly. While unexpected, the news wasn't unwelcome. I smiled at her. "The father is going to be very excited."

As the daughter of the pack's Beta, I had known the Alpha's son Adrian since we were children.

We started as friends, and then became lovers. Because we weren't quite 21 yet, we didn't have confirmation that we were fated mates, but our bond was strong without it.

We were so close that even if we were fated to others, I imagined we would reject those partners to remain bonded to each other.

The nurse seemed relieved, and the appointment continued, with the nurse giving me some tips on how to help with morning sickness.

When I returned to my pack, I was happy, pressing my hands to my still-flat belly. I couldn't wait to tell Adrian. A pregnancy now was sooner than we had planned, but we had talked about it for our future. I hoped he would be as excited about this as I was.

Yet, as I came closer to my small down, pluming dark smoke filled the air, blacking out the sun.

Turning the headlights on my car, I sped up a little, eager to get home to find out what was going on.

Dread was rising from a pit inside of my stomach.

When I pulled into my parents' driveway, they were loading suitcases into their own car. I quickly parked and approached them.

"What's going on? Is something happening in town?"

"We have to go," Mom said, grabbing my hand. She dragged me to the open backseat of the car and tried to shove me into it.

"Why? What's happening?" I asked, my fear making my voice tight. I fought loosely against my mom, not wanting to go anywhere without an explanation.

"Alpha Leonard and Adrian want us dead, Isla," Mom said. "We have to go. Now."

"That can't be. Adrian would never hurt me," I said. But listening now, I could hear the sounds of battle in the distance, as werewolves fought against werewolves. Roars and whines and howls. Alongside the scent of smoke in the air was the scent of blood. "Adrian –"

"Forget him," Dad said. "We're leaving."

"But!"

My parents left no more room for argument. One minute we were pushing against each other – I wasn't going to leave without Adrian – and in the next, a needle pierced my skin.

My dad was holding a needle and a vial. I couldn't read it, my vision was darkening. I slumped into the backseat of the car and passed out.

When I blinked my eyes open again, I was staring at an unknown celling.

My hands immediately went to my stomach, fearful of my baby, but other than a throbbing headache, I seemed unharmed.

As I pushed myself up on the couch I was on, I could see I was in a living room of a house I had never been before. I didn't have a clue where we were.

My dad was standing near the window, with my mom nearby pacing behind the couch. Neither of them seemed to pay me much attention, as they seemed nervous.

"Do you think they followed us?" Mom asked Dad.

"Impossible," Dad said. "We should be far enough from town that they won't be able to find us."

"We have to go back," I said at once. "We can't stay here."

"We aren't going back," Dad said gruffly.

"But Adrian –"

"Adrian is likely dead, Isla," Mom said. "And even if he did survive, he will only hate you now. Just put him out of your mind."

My blood ran cold. Adrian was dead? How could that be? I had just seen him yesterday, when he had kissed me and told me we'd always be together.

"We'll stay here tonight," Dad said. "But only for tonight. We will move to the next safehouse tomorrow."

I still didn't understand. "If we could just talk about this…"

"We'll talk when we're out of this mess," Dad snapped, turning to me and away from the window. "You need to stay quiet, Isla, and trust us to –"

At that very moment, the front door flew open, kicked in by a snarling man covered in blood.

I recognized the shape of Adrian at once. Tall and broad shouldered, he had held me in those muscled arms many days and nights.

His typically blue eyes usually looked at me with love.

Right now, he glared at me with eyes tinted red from hatred and fury.

His clothes were torn, his skin bruised. Blood splattered and covered him, mostly on his hands. While some of that blood might have been his, the majority smelled different.

My parents froze, their eyes wide with fear.

"How did he find us?" Dad gasped.

Adrian reached into his pocket and lifted his phone. On the screen was my own phone's location. We'd turned on shared location long ago as a sign of love and trust.

"Isla, you fool," Mom whispered.

"Adrian," I said, worry rising within me, swirling with the confusion and fear. He was someone I had always felt safe with, someone I loved and trusted. I stumbled toward him, desiring that feeling again. "What's going on? Are you hurt? I don't know what's –"

"Stop pretending," Adrian snarled at me with such venom that I took a step back on startled instinct. "You knew all the time. You had to. Your family betrayed my whole pack."

"What?" I gasped.

"Your parents are Lycans." Adrian spit out the word, and for good reason.

Lycans were extremists within the werewolf realm, who didn't believe that werewolves should be kept secret. Instead, they wanted us to use our enhanced strength and healing to conquer the world and make humans our slaves.

I struggled to believe Adrian's words, but he's never lied to me before.

Shifting, I glanced back at my parents. They were the pack Betas, high ranking members, and they had each joined the pack as teenagers. Had they been faking their loyalty this whole time?

"Because of your treachery, many warriors, women… children… are dead," Adrian growled. "And so are my parents."

"This can't be true," I said to Mom, to Dad. "Say it isn't true!"

They remained silent.

"Don't pretend you didn't know, Isla," Adrian said, his voice twisted with hate. "You used my trust to extract information from me."

"No!" I said, turning back to him. "Adrian, I would never –"

"I don't want to hear any more lies!" he roared.

"I'm not –"

"Quiet, Isla," Dad said. He and Mom stumbled toward. Pushing me behind them, they dropped to their knees in front of Adrian. "Please, Adrian. Do what you will to us, but do not harm Isla."

"Please," Mom cried. "Spare her…"

A low, deadly growl escaped Adrian's throat. "Why should I show her mercy, when none was given to my parents?"

Adrian was the man I loved, who I had grown up beside. We had shared everything: secret jokes, laughs, kisses, and glances. He was the father of my child and the man I wanted to be my mate. Forever.

Yet, in this moment, he became a handsome, blood-soaked nightmare.

As he slashed his hand, his fingers turning to claws, and tore out my father's throat.

My father dropped at once, lifeless, face first down onto the ground.

And my entire heart shattered.