All Chapters of Scent of Betrayal: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Kaidën Aria looks like she's just seen a ghost when Calais speaks, like a deer caught in a trap. "Um, I-" "That's my mate you are speaking to, Calais. I'll consider the tone you're using if I were you." I respond instead. It's one thing for the council members to doubt the existence of my mate, but disrespect towards her, means disrespect to me. Thankfully, he takes the warning for what it is and bows his head. "I'm sorry, Alpha. It's just that," he pauses and looks around at the council members then back to me. "We don't perceive any scent from your mate." From here, I can hear how Aria's breath catches at his words. "Then I can explain that." I say, my eyes darting to hers briefly. She gives me a disbelieving look. I won't deny that it is strange to find a Shifter without her scent, but unlike the pack shifters realm, trivial laws like that don't apply here. Whether or not Aria has a wolf doesn't concern the council members. I can see this as what it is-a ploy to question my

Aria The head band around my head feels both restricting and comforting, and when the girl trying to tie the accessory tugs again, I let out a tiny, "oomph" sound. "I'm sorry, Luna. Is it uncomfortable? I can adjust it." The girl dressing me is nearly half my size, which is peculiar in itself because I'm considered quite lean back at the Shifters realm. Her fingers feel too delicate, and too thin. I almost want to ask if she's okay, if she didn't have such a wide smile on her face. "No, thank you. It's fine. The head tie is very beautiful." I answer. It's no secret that when I'm not around Kaidën, I suddenly don't know how I should act around these strange people. It's almost amusing how I am still a Luna, yet the circumstances are so different, it feels like I'm not even one. The girl pauses again, and flashes me another one of her bright smiles. "Thank you very much. The best for our Luna." She sounds very excited to be doing this, and I furrow my brow in confusion. From t

Kaidën "No need to keep looking back so much. Tonight is to celebrate the Luna. After tonight, you can have her all to yourself, Alpha." Riven enunciates on the "Alpha" like he's teasing me on some joke I'm not aware of. I shoot him a playful glare. "I'm just worried she'd be nervous around everyone. This place is still new to her after all." At this, Riven peers at me intently. He's always had a skill for reading people. It's a surprise he hasn't read through our lies already. We both slump on a seat near the far end of the party. At least from here, we reduce the amount of people coming over to greet me, and if I focus hard enough, I can hear the light twinkling of Aria's laughter from here. "Here," Riven says, as he passes me a cup of alcohol. I stare at the swirling black liquid for a while, before throwing it back down my throat. "I'm sure she'll be fine. She may not look it, but she's strong." He whispers fondly. Of course she is. She survived everything they did to he

Aria "Oh, Luna. Come dance with us." Someone says, but everything feels hazy around me, and I can barely focus on one thing. The girls in front of me look around my age, and their dresses, although shorter than mine, are equally as strappy, and see through. Their giggles grow louder the closer they come to me, and someone stretches a drink towards me. "I think I'm okay. I don't want to-" "Have fun with us, Luna." Something about the way their voices swim around me, causes my thoughts to swirl further from me. I accept the drink one of them is handing to me, and take a small sip. The drink is surprisingly very sweet despite the dark green color of it. I don't think I've ever seen a drink like this, and I almost want to ask them what it is, when my feet start to feel a little heavy under me. "Luna?" The girl closest to me peers at me intently, her smile still firmly in place. My mind struggles to wrap around where I am for a moment, and I stagger onto what I can only assume is

Aria "Who are you?" Kaidën's voice is thick, and holds the kind of authority familiar to Alphas. The kind that has you submitting to them whether you want to or not. It's a trait most Alphas have. It makes me wonder what kind of life Kaidën would have lived if he'd not been born a rogue. He probably would have still ended up an Alpha just like Cassius. So who was his father then? A former Alpha I haven't heard anything about? Part of my Luna training has been to learn the history of most of the Alpha's and Luna's before me. I try to move the rope tying my hand together again. All these aren't important when I've been abducted again. It seems the moon goddess has forgotten me these days, or maybe bestowed a curse upon me? Why am I so unfortunate? First it's my best friend that betrays me. Then I lose my scent and my mate. And my grandmother... Now, I'm tied up somewhere I don't even know. And yet again, it's someone in the rogues camp that's kidnapped me. If I remember it