Betrayal

"How could this happen!", Karen screamed in disapproval of the painful reality before her.

A while ago, she struggled to process the bombshell her mate, Alpha Damion, had dropped on her. And now, the scene unfolding was even more heart-wrenching.

The lady Damion referred to was none other than her blood sister, Charlotte, her only friend during her confinement at the cabin in the woods. Inwardly, she questioned why Alpha Damion had to choose her of all people to mark as his Luna.

" Uhm…Karen, I can explain…," Charlotte stammered, her hands tentatively reaching for Karen's slumped shoulders.

"Explain what?!" Karen snapped, her anger escalating.

"Explain the fact that you were just marked by my mate?" she exclaimed, tears cascading down her reddened cheeks.

"Wait a moment, what's happening here? Because I'm completely lost," Damion quipped, his lush dark brows furrowing in confusion.

"What's she talking about?" he questioned further, seeking answers from his supposed Luna.

However, Charlotte opted to remain silent, directing her plea to Karen.

"It's not what you think, Karen. I... I'm sorry," Charlotte admitted sheepishly, her voice tinged with regret.

"You're sorry? So this was the reason you hinted that things might take a different turn, right? It's all coming back to me now. I must have been so naive to have placed my trust in you all this while," Karen scoffed bitterly, a dry laugh escaping her lips.

Despite her outward facade of composure, Karen inwardly seethed with resentment, though all she could manage in that moment was a bitter chuckle.

The escalating confrontation had now attracted the attention of bystanders and onlookers in the hall. When Karen caught sight of her father, Alpha Adam and Marcus attempting to navigate through the crowd to reach her, she could no longer stand the unpleasant sight.

Embarrassed by the whole act, Karen hastily clutched the sides of her red gown and shamefully fled the castle, seeking solace in the somber embrace of the dark woods.

"Karen! Karen!! Come back!" Marcus's frantic cries echoed after her, but Karen refused to stop or acknowledge his desperate calls.

Alpha Adam's steely gaze bore down on his daughter, Charlotte, before he turned his attention to Damion, who stood befuddled amidst the unfolding scandal.

"I apologize for Karen's behavior, Alpha Damion," Adam began apologetically. "She's merely a spoiled birthday girl who found herself in the wrong place at the wrong time."

With a cold, subtle glare directed at Charlotte, he pulled her roughly.

"Come with me."

Charlotte winced as her father's grip tightened, his fingers digging into her arm painfully.

"Dad, you're hurting me! I didn't do anything to upset Karen. I was only…"

"Save your explanations for later, young lady" Adam interjected sharply, cutting off her protests.

Leaning in closer, he whispered something into her ear that ignited a flicker of suprise within Charlotte's eyes.

"We'll need to do something to get you out of this mess."

Walking past the curious crowd of shifters, Alpha Adam paused before Cullen, exchanging a subtle signal that conveyed a clear message to him. Beta Cullen, understanding the cue, approached the discomfited shifters, clearing his throat to draw their attention.

"Alright, everyone, party's over. We've got to address this small problem," Cullen announced, his voice coaxing the crowd into silence.

"Until then, I urge you all to return to your homes and packs and rest for the night."

With a dismissive wave, Cullen turned and made his way back into the building, the murmurs of the shifters resuming once again after his departure. However, he could still hear them chattering amongst each other, even when he shut the door behind them.

"This birthday celebration is sure to be the talk of the town," he muttered sardonically under his breath.

*****

Karen ran through the forlorn fields, her feet pounding against the earth as she sought refuge from the turmoil that churned within her. Ignoring the strain in her muscles and the ache in her heart, she ran and ran not clearly having a clear direction.

Misery washed down her pallid face which was now reddened from prolonged sobbing. She could neither accept the embarrassment from her fated mate, Damion nor the betrayal from her older sister, Charlotte.

After what felt like an eternity of aimless wandering, Karen finally collapsed weakly at a secluded spot. Turmoil twisted her heart, birthing an overwhelming urge to scream and release the pent-up pain inside.

Unable to contain it any longer, she let out a guttural cry of despair that echoed into the emptiness around her.

"Nooooo! Why me, Charlotte? Why did you have to stab me in the back?!" she cried, her voice cracking with emotion as tears streamed down her cheeks.

In a fit of anger, Karen yanked a delicate hairpin from her intricately styled blonde hair, flinging it aside with a force that matched the betrayal shredding her apart.

Her wolf, Jenna, mirrored her sad mood, both of them reeling from the sting of rejection; a blow no werewolf ever wished to come its way.

Despite the silvery glow of moon overhead, Karen viewed this night as one of the worst moments of her life. While life at the enchanted cabin had been filled with its own challenges and solitude, it now seemed like a better sanctuary compared to the fleeting moments of luxury tainted by deceit.

Inwardly, she wondered if this birthday celebration been orchestrated merely to shatter her heart into a million fractured pieces?

Lost in the depths of her despair, a haunting howl reverberated through the air, followed by the ominous rustle of dry leaves being crushed beneath an unseen presence.