The Alpha’s Final Betrayal

"Sylvia?" he gasped. "No... you’re dead. You were a nerd! You were nothing!"

"I was your mate," I said, stepping over Cassidy’s shaking body. "But tonight, I am your nightmare."

Suddenly, the front doors of the hall burst open. A group of men in black tactical gear rushed in, pointing silver-tipped crossbows at everyone.

"Nobody moves!" a man shouted.

I looked at the leader of the gunmen. My heart dropped. He was wearing a crest I hadn't seen in years. It was the mark of the Blood Moon Pack, the enemies who helped kill my father.

But then, the leader looked at Harden and smiled. "Good job, Alpha Harden. You lured all the world leaders into one room for us. Just like we planned."

I turned to Harden. "You set a trap? You sold out the whole wolf world just to save your skin?"

Harden looked at me, then at the gunmen. A sick, desperate smile grew on his face. "I had to, Sylvia! They promised to make me king if I gave them Kaelen!"

The gunmen aimed their weapons at Kaelen. But before they could fire, the ground began to shake. A massive shadow grew on the wall behind me.

My wolf was coming out. And she was hungry.

"Harden," I growled, my voice shifting into a wolf's howl. "You just made your last mistake."

The room was a mess of screaming Alphas and clicking crossbows. I looked at Harden. He wasn't even trying to protect his pack. He was standing behind a row of guards, his eyes darting toward the exit.

"You sold us out," I whispered, my voice deep with the power of my silver wolf. "You brought the Blood-Moon pack into your own home to kill your guests."

Harden sneered, though his hands were shaking. "I had to do it, Sylvia! You don’t understand. This pack is broken! My father left me with nothing but debts. The Blood-Moon Alpha promised me gold and power if I helped him take down King Kaelen. Once the king is dead, I’ll be the one in charge!"

"You really are a pathetic worm," Kaelen said. He hadn't even moved. He stood there with his hands in his pockets, looking bored. "Did you think silver-tipped arrows could stop a lycan king?"

The leader of the gunmen, a scarred man named Victor, stepped forward. "Enough talking! Kill the king! And kill the girl too!"

Twang!

Dozens of arrows flew through the air at once. The sound was like a swarm of angry bees.

In a heartbeat, I moved. I didn't need to shift into my full wolf form yet. I just used my speed. I was a blur of silver and steel. I grabbed a heavy metal tray from a nearby table and spun, knocking the arrows out of the air. They clattered to the floor like harmless sticks.

Kaelen didn't even need to hide. He simply raised his hand, and the air around him seemed to thicken. The arrows slowed down and dropped before they could touch his skin.

"My turn," Kaelen growled.

He didn't shift. He just moved. One second, he was standing next to me, and the next, he was in the middle of the gunmen. I heard the sounds of bones snapping and men screaming. Kaelen was a whirlwind of destruction. He was fast, brutal, and terrifyingly strong.

I didn't watch him for long. I had my own target.

I turned my eyes toward the stage. Cassidy was trying to crawl away toward a back door. Harden was right behind her, using her as a shield.

"Leaving so soon?" I called out.

I leaped across the room, clearing twenty feet in a single bound. I landed right in front of the exit, blocking their path.

"Get out of the way!" Harden yelled. He tried to swing a heavy punch at my face.

I caught his fist in my palm. The impact didn't even make my arm move. I looked at him, and for the first time, I felt zero love. No pain. No sadness. Just a cold, hard desire for justice.

"Five years ago, you watched me crawl in the dirt," I said. I squeezed his hand. I heard his knuckles pop. "You watched me cry while you held Cassidy’s hand. You called me a traitor."

"Sylvia, please!" Cassidy sobbed, clutching at my dress. "It was all Harden’s idea! He forced me to poison the juice! He said he would kill me if I didn't help him get rid of you!"

"Liar!" Harden screamed at her.

I looked at the two of them. They were pathetic. Two snakes are biting each other to stay alive.

"You both deserve each other," I said. I threw Harden’s hand back at him, sending him crashing into a pile of chairs.

I grabbed Cassidy by the hair. Not enough to hurt her, but enough to make her look at me. "You were my best friend. I shared my secrets with you. I loved you like a sister."

"I was jealous!" Cassidy wailed. "You were the one with the betrothal! You were the one everyone respected! I wanted to be the Luna!"

"You wanted the crown, but you couldn't handle the weight," I said. I pushed her away. She fell onto her face, her blue dress tearing at the seams.

Behind me, the fight was over. Kaelen was standing over a pile of defeated gunmen. He wiped a drop of blood from his cheek and looked at me.

"Are we done here, Sylvia?" he asked.

"Not yet," I said.

I walked to the center of the ballroom. All the Alphas who were still standing were watching me in awe. They saw the silver light glowing under my skin. They felt the power of the True Alpha King’s bloodline.

"Listen to me!" I shouted. My voice echoed off the walls like thunder. "Alpha Harden Silius has betrayed this pack and every leader in this room. He is a traitor. He is a coward. According to the ancient laws of the moon, he is no longer fit to lead!"

Harden scrambled to his feet, blood dripping from his nose. "You can't do this! This is my pack! I am the Alpha!"

"The pack belongs to the bloodline that protects it," I said. "And your bloodline is built on murder and lies."

I closed my eyes and let the change happen.

I didn't fight the pain this time. I welcomed it. My bones snapped and grew. My fur burst through my skin, shining like a thousand diamonds. In seconds, a massive, silver-white wolf stood in the middle of the ballroom. I was twice the size of Harden’s wolf.

I let out a howl that shook the very foundation of the building.

One by one, the members of the SilverLine pack who were in the room dropped to their knees. Even the Alphas from other packs bowed their heads. They recognized the White Wolf. They recognized their true queen.

I walked toward Harden. He tried to shift, but his wolf was small and gray. He was shaking so hard he could barely stand.

I didn't kill him. Death was too easy.