Betrayal

Kael had just finished checking on the pack warriors, who were training like they had never held a sword before. Their movements were weak, uncoordinated, and sloppy and it irritated him.

Out of curiosity, he decided to check on his brothers, thinking they might be in their room. But when he got there, there was no sign of them. He frowned and turned toward the study instead, suspecting that’s where they might be.

Kael walked down the hall with his usual commanding stride, and as always, the pack members he passed bowed their heads in respect the moment they saw him.

When he reached the study door, he didn’t go in immediately. Instead, he stood quietly outside, wanting to catch a few snippets of their conversation first before deciding whether to enter or walk away. His real reason for coming wasn’t just to see them. He wanted to know exactly what they were up to.

He stood there for a while, listening to them go back and forth about random things. Eventually, their chatter began to grate on his nerves. Just as Kael was about to leave out of frustration, something caught his attention.

“Lucian, I think it’s high time we contact Xander, the Blood Moon Pack Alpha, about our mate,” Damien suggested.

“Yeah, it’s about time we actually find out where our mate is. And as you said, Xander is the one we’ll have to contact since he’s the only one who hasn’t given us any feedback,” Lucian replied, agreeing with Damien as he reached for his phone.

After a few rings, Xander picked up. Damien felt a small sense of relief that the other Alpha had answered, knowing Xander was a busy man with his own pack to run. Damien quickly turned up the volume so Lucian could hear too.

“Good day, Alpha,” Damien greeted respectfully, using Xander’s title instead of his name.

“Good day to you too, my fellow Alpha,” Xander replied, his tone equally formal.

“I’d like to ask if you’ve found any clue about my mate yet,” Damien asked, tapping his fingers lightly on the desk.

“Well, about your mate…” Xander’s tone shifted slightly. “She’s in my pack, but I won’t let you have her until you do me a favor.”

Damien froze for a moment, hope and anger mixing inside him, but he didn’t hesitate to agree. “I’ll do anything,” he said quickly, “but don’t harm her or cause her any discomfort.”

“So, you’re that concerned about your mate that you’ll agree to anything without even asking what the favor is?” Xander asked, sounding amused.

“What’s the favor?” Damien asked again, realizing too late that he should have asked before agreeing.

“Now you remember to ask,” Xander said with a low chuckle, shaking his head in distaste. “Anyway, I want information. Everything about Kael. What he’s doing, what he’s planning, who he’s meeting. In exchange, I’ll make sure you get your mate. Do we have a deal?”

Kael’s expression hardened outside the door. He knew his brothers were capable of being impulsive, but he trusted them not to betray him. Even though he had been distant lately, he didn’t think it was enough to make them turn on him.

There was silence for a few seconds. Then Damien spoke. “Okay then, it’s a deal.”

Kael’s heart sank when Damien agreed. The words hit him like a punch to the gut, and all he could feel was betrayal from his own brothers. He felt the ground shift beneath him, and for a brief moment, all he could hear was the pounding of his own heart.

“That’s good,” Xander said, satisfaction dripping from his voice. “And next time you call, make sure you have something useful to tell me about Kael.” With that, the call ended.

Kael turned away from the door immediately, not wanting to hear another word. His jaw tightened as he walked down the corridor, his mind burning with anger and disbelief. He couldn’t understand how his brothers had fallen for Xander’s lies so easily or how they could so quickly decide to give away everything about him.

He needed to focus, to regain control of himself before he did something reckless. After taking a deep breath, Kael remembered his other purpose, to report the poor state of the pack warriors’ training to his father.

He made his way to his father’s quarters and knocked firmly on the door.

“Who is there?” Beta Aldric’s voice boomed from inside.

“It’s Kael,” he answered calmly. A moment later, Aldric opened the door.

“Good day, Beta Aldric,” Kael greeted politely, even though his rank was higher.

“Good day to you too,” Aldric replied, motioning toward the sitting area. “What brings you here?”

“I came to see my father,” Kael said evenly.

“And why do you want to see him?” Aldric asked, raising a brow as if trying to fish for more.

“I need to tell him something important. If you’ll excuse me, I’d prefer to speak with him now.” Kael’s tone remained calm but firm as he walked past Aldric toward Magnus’s room, leaving the Beta slightly startled by his directness.

Kael knocked on the inner door, and his father’s deep voice soon responded.

“Come in,” Magnus said.

Kael stepped inside and bowed slightly. “Good morning, Father.”

“Good morning, my son,” Magnus greeted warmly, a smile spreading across his face.

“I hope I didn’t wake you, Father. It would be bad if I disturbed your rest,” Kael said softly.

Magnus chuckled. “No, my son, I wasn’t sleeping.”

Kael stood tall but serious. “Father, I came to tell you something important concerning the pack’s training.”

Magnus nodded and gestured for him to continue, his interest piqued by his son’s tone.

“This morning, after my run to improve endurance and speed, I went to observe the warriors’ training,” Kael began. “What I saw disappointed me. The pack warriors were not serious at all, even with their captain present.”

Magnus’s expression darkened. “Are you saying the same warriors who’ve been training diligently have suddenly become lazy?”

“Yes, Father,” Kael confirmed. “I was just as surprised as you are.”

“That’s not good,” Magnus said with a sigh, shaking his head.

“Father, if you allow me, I could personally take charge of their training for a month. I’m sure I can get them back into shape,” Kael offered.

Magnus considered for a moment, then nodded. “Alright. You have my permission.”

Kael smiled faintly. “Thank you, Father. I’ll begin immediately.”

“Very well,” Magnus said. “And, Kael… I’m proud of your dedication.”

“Goodbye, Father. See you later,” Kael said before turning toward the door.

“Goodbye, Kael. See you later,” Magnus replied warmly.

Kael stepped out of the room, passing Aldric without saying a word. His mind was too clouded with thoughts of betrayal to care about the Beta’s reaction.

Aldric, on the other hand, clenched his fists in frustration. Kael’s unexpected visit had just ruined one of his carefully laid plans, and that made him furious.