Semua Bab Betrayal at its Closest: Bab 1 - Bab 10

I was thrown into a water cell, where a ring of silver bars surrounded the pit. The filthy water was ice-cold, rising all the way to my chest, with rats and snakes slithering and swimming around me.Butcher stood at the edge of the pit, a sack of coarse salt in his hand.“Take this time to reflect, little princess,” he said with a vicious grin.Then, he dumped the entire bag into the water.When the brine touched the whip wounds on my back, pain exploded through my body. I bit down hard until my lip split, forcing myself not to scream. I knew my suffering would only excite him more.After Butcher finally left, I began thinking about how to save myself. I carefully reached out and touched one of the bars. The moment my palm made contact, it felt as if my flesh were burning. Cold sweat soaked my body, but I didn’t dare make a sound.Using my feet, I slowly felt around beneath the water. Suddenly, my toes brushed against something solid. I picked it up and saw that it was a rusted p

I was dragged back to the mining camp like a dead dog. Right in front of me, Butcher hauled Amina into the center of the square.“This,” he said, “is the price of betraying me.”He ripped Amina’s clothes apart and shouted to the werewolf guards behind him, “She’s yours.”I could only watch as those beasts swarmed around her.Amina’s desperate screams and their obscene laughter tore into my ears. I thrashed wildly, a beastlike roar ripping from my throat. I tried again and again to call out to the wolf inside me, but there was no response. All I could do was watch as the only person who had ever shown me warmth in this hell was tortured to death before my eyes.Bloody tears slid down my face as hatred ignited inside me, burning away what little sanity I had left. However, Butcher still wasn’t satisfied. He walked up to me, crouched down, and pinched my chin between his fingers.“Keeping you here is a waste,” he said with a grin. “I hear the Wakha Pack deep in the jungle loves tend

News of my survival was kept a secret. Drake erased every trace of that night, as if it had never happened. Butcher “disappeared,” and the illegal mining camp was wiped off the map overnight, reduced to rubble.I was taken to recover at the Moon Goddess Chapel of Shadowbite Pack. Lucius and Hale stayed there as well, at least for the time being. Although Drake held resentment toward them, since I still called them Father and Mother, he gave them the best treatment possible.Half a month later, my injuries had mostly healed. That day, Drake placed a folder in front of me.“This is Embermoon Pack’s current situation.” He paused, then continued calmly, “Gariel has announced to the outside world that Lucius and his wife couldn’t withstand the blow of your death. They had both since fallen ill and are no longer capable of managing pack affairs. As the heir, he has taken control of Embermoon Pack.“He’s also sent out invitations. Tomorrow, he’s hosting a banquet to formally announce his

After Gariel was taken away, Lucius fainted and collapsed. He was rushed to the hospital and admitted directly to the ICU.Outside the room, Hale stayed by the door, crying until it seemed like her very breath would break. Overnight, she looked twenty years older.Drake and Mona stayed by my side.Mona took off her coat and draped it over me, assuring me, “Veya, don’t be afraid. Your father has called in the best cardiothoracic surgeon.” I nodded but didn’t speak.…A few days later, news came from Beta Raine of Shadowbite Pack. While investigating the flow of Gariel’s funds, they discovered that over the years, he had been transferring large sums of money to a single account. The account belonged to his biological mother, Layla. However, upon receiving the money, Layla immediately lost it all in the casino.When Raine found her, she had been caught cheating, beaten, and thrown into a back alley with a broken leg. She had no idea Gariel had gotten into trouble. In fact, she was

When I thought it was finally over, Drake told me that the last “gift” for Gariel was only just beginning.A week later, Drake called me with news that Gariel had gone mad. I rushed to the mental hospital. Through the thick glass of the observation room, I saw him. He was wearing a blue-and-white striped hospital gown, curled up in the corner of the room. A pillow was clutched tightly in his arms, and he muttered to himself, “Mom… don’t go. I’ll avenge you… I’ll kill them all… The money, I have so much money…”His eyes were empty and unfocused, trapped entirely in his own world.I asked the doctor how he had become like that. The doctor explained that a week ago, under the pretense of “humanitarian aid,” a special “meeting” had been arranged. Gariel had been seated in a one-way observation room, while on the other side of the glass was his mother, Layla. Layla, however, had no idea that Gariel was watching her. She thought she was speaking to a lawyer sent by Drake, and to reduc