Chapter 01: Betrayal

Chapter 01: Betrayal

Lyra’s P.O.V.

--

I woke up to the warmth of Marion’s kisses on my back. Smiling, I turned to face him. Our lips met again, and if I hadn’t restrained myself, it might have led to another round of heated lovemaking.

Marion is my Alpha—the newly appointed leader of our Silverfang pack. And I am the chosen Luna, selected by our ancestors, the rightful one to stand beside him.

We’ve been together for almost two years, and I can confidently say that we love each other. Although we haven’t bonded yet, it was never an issue for me. What mattered most was Marion achieving his dream of becoming our pack’s leader, and I supported him wholeheartedly. I stood by his side, protecting our pack through every war and battle.

“Just one more time, Lyr,” Marion whispered, his voice low and husky as his hands wandered boldly over my body, exploring every inch.

A soft moan escaped my lips when his touch reached my most sensitive spot. A surge of heat coursed through me, and I surrendered once again to his passion.

I straddled him, our eyes locking. A spark ignited in his gaze as I began to move my hips. One of my hands slid down between us, never breaking eye contact. A smirk tugged at my lips when I grasped his throbbing arousal, fully ready for what I was about to do.

Holding him in my hand, I gave a few teasing strokes, leaving his mouth hanging open. A loud groan escaped him as he grabbed my waist, his desire no longer containable.

His eyes burned with hunger and lust as he looked at me. When he could no longer hold back, he thrust into me, finally uniting our bodies. We both cried out, overcome by the intoxicating pleasure.

His grip on my waist tightened as he set the rhythm, and I matched him, moaning as we moved together in perfect sync.

“Damn, you’re still so tight, even after all the times we’ve done this,” Marion groaned between heavy breaths and deep, intense thrusts.

I didn’t respond, choosing instead to move with him, driving him further into madness. Suddenly, he shifted our position. In an instant, I was lying face down on the bed, and he was behind me. He lifted my hips and grabbed my hair.

A shiver ran down my spine when Marion kissed the nape of my neck, licking it repeatedly as if he were ready to mark me. Deep inside, a sudden wave of panic surged through me. A part of me wanted to resist, to stop him. Fear crept into my heart, yet I was secretly relieved when he didn’t go through with it.

I love him. I’m sure I’ll stay with him for the rest of my life. But I didn’t understand why panic suddenly took hold of me at that moment.

He withdrew his lips from my neck and kissed me deeply, thrusting into me with intense force. Soon, the room echoed with our moans and cries of pleasure until we both collapsed, gasping for air as we reached our climax together.

Thankfully, the room was enchanted with protective magic, no matter how loud we were, none of our kind could hear us.

As werewolves, our senses were heightened. We could hear conversations from up to a mile away. However, only a rare few among us possessed rapid healing, senses three times sharper than usual, and unique powers that went beyond those of ordinary wolves. Marion and I were among those gifted few.

Marion’s ability was called Bloodfang Dominion, a powerful, albeit sinister, gift that granted him control over the wolves under his command. Through a binding blood oath, he could compel their unwavering obedience. However, that bond is weakened if a pack member doubts his leadership, making his control unstable over time.

His abilities included Combat Enhancement, Crimson Roar, and Bloodfang Berserk. The latter triggered a surge of raw aggression, doubling his strength and speed for a short period. But it came at a cost, once the effects wore off, he would suffer from intense fatigue, leaving him vulnerable.

It was this power that earned him the right to be chosen as our pack’s leader.

***

I woke up again to the sound of commotion outside.

When I opened my eyes, I immediately noticed Marion was no longer beside me. I shook my head and smiled to myself, thinking he must have been called away for some urgent matter. Little did I know that outside, our kinds were already waiting, to capture and present me before the man I had just been intimate with.

After slipping on my dress, I moved toward the door but froze when I heard voices on the other side. Though the room was shielded by magic, it wasn’t strong enough to block out my enhanced hearing. That was part of my unique ability as the chosen one.

I quickly opened the door, stepping out with a furrowed brow as I met with several of my packmates. “What are you doing here?” I asked sharply, my senses immediately on high alert when I noticed some had already shifted into their werewolf forms.

“Lyra Veythorne, you are under arrest for conspiring with our enemies and plotting an attack against the entire pack. You must come with us now to face our leader and receive your rightful punishment,” Dracob declared, his face unreadable, his eyes avoiding mine.

Dracob had always been close to me, second only to Marion in trust. But now, he acted like he didn’t even know me. Like I was a stranger.

“What?” I gasped, stunned. “What are you talking about, Cob? I would never do such a thing!”

But he acted as if he hadn’t heard me. With a flick of his hand, he signaled the others to advance. They stepped forward, silver shackles in hand.

I instinctively took a step back, and in an instant, their fangs were bared, their growls rumbling low in their throats. I raised my hands, showing them I couldn’t resist.

“Come with us quietly. Do not attempt to fight back,” Dracob said again, his tone clipped and cold.

Confused and shaken, I let them restrain me. The silver shackles were fastened tightly around my neck, wrists, and ankles. Each one burned against my skin, but I swallowed my pride and my pain, and walked with them in silence.

They brought me to the Bloodstone Tribunal, where traitors and captured enemies were judged and punished.

My heart pounded as we entered. There, seated on the throne with a deadly calm, was Marion. His expression was unreadable, carved from stone. But his eyes were dark and cold, void of the warmth I knew so well. All I could see in them now was fury and contempt.

I froze. Confusion swirled inside me like a storm. Why is he looking at me like that? I became even more confused, unable to comprehend what was happening. Was I dreaming?

Dracob shoved me forcefully in front of Marion’s throne. Because of his strength and the restraints on me, I lost my balance and fell to the ground. I glanced around, seeing my parents and relatives, their faces filled with disbelief, tears streaming down their cheeks.

“M-Marion, what is the meaning of this?” I asked, my voice trembling in confusion.

Marion didn’t answer right away. He just kept staring at me, his gaze cold and unreadable. After a tense moment, his form shifted, and he let out a growl that shook the very air around us. The ordinary wolves among us fell to their knees, some even fainting, unable to withstand the power of his howl, but it did not affect me.

“I never thought you could betray your kind, Lyra,” he said, his voice laced with fury. “I trusted you. I loved you. How could you betray us?”

My lips parted in shock. I couldn’t speak for a moment, stunned by the sheer weight of his accusation.

“You know I would never do that!” I shouted, attempting to rise to my feet, but I failed and remained kneeling.

“Stop denying it, Lyra! You can’t deceive us anymore!” Marion roared, his anger palpable. “We captured an enemy who had been lurking around our fortress. He confessed that you were their accomplice, that he had been sent here to gather information from you!”

Marion signaled to one of our packmates, who left the room and returned moments later, dragging a bloodied and weakened figure behind him. The moment the creature saw me, he broke into sobs.

“Forgive me… I wasn’t careful enough. They caught me and tortured me until I confessed. I didn’t want to die, and they promised to keep me alive, only captured for a year…” he cried, his voice desperate.

My brows furrowed deeper, and around me, I could hear the murmurs of our pack, whispering in disbelief at the captive’s confession. I shook my head repeatedly, my heart pounding. Turning to Marion, desperation surged within me.

“T-That’s not true! I don’t even know that creature! I would never do what you’re accusing me of!” I shouted, panic creeping into my voice as tears threatened to spill from my eyes. “Marion, you know me! I would never betray our kind!”

I struggled to process what was happening. Someone was clearly trying to tear me down, to destroy my relationship with Marion. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t think of anyone who would do this. The pack loved me. They always respected me because I was the chosen Luna, the rightful mate of the Alpha who led us.

I froze when Marion shook his head, his eyes colder than I had ever seen them.

“I won’t let you deceive me anymore, Lyra,” he said, his voice devoid of emotion. “I cannot love a traitor. And as the leader of this pack, I must make a decision.”

“W-What do you mean? How could you not believe me?” I asked, my voice trembling, my body wracked with confusion and fear.

Marion’s gaze remained unwavering as he spoke the words that shattered my world.

“By the power vested in me, I, Marion Dravenholt, sentence you to death and brand you as a traitor to this pack. You will be executed in front of everyone, so that it will serve as a lesson to all that betrayal against the pack is punishable by death.”

“No!” I screamed, my voice echoing through the tribunal, the sound filled with raw anguish.