Alle Kapitel von The Alpha's Betrayal-: Kapitel 11 – Kapitel 20

Selene stood at the window of what had been Aria's bedroom, watching as Kieran's defeated warriors returned to the pack house. They moved slowly, heads down, the shame of their Alpha's humiliation weighing on them like chains. But Kieran himself was nowhere to be seen.Her perfectly manicured nails dug into the windowsill, leaving deep scratches in the wood."Pathetic," she hissed under her breath. "Absolutely pathetic."She'd watched the entire confrontation through the eyes of one of her spies—a young warrior she'd seduced and manipulated into carrying a hidden camera. Every moment of Kieran's defeat, every second of Aria's glowing triumph, had been transmitted directly to her tablet.And it had made her want to scream.Aria was supposed to be dead. Broken. Forgotten. Instead, she was more powerful than ever, glowing with that cursed Moon Blessed energy, standing beside a new Alpha who actually valued her. And those twins—those precious, prophesied twins that should have died with t

Aria couldn't sleep that night, despite her exhaustion. Her mind raced with everything Morgana had told her, cycling through revelations and fears in an endless loop. She lay beside Landon in the bed they'd begun to share in his personal quarters, a room far more luxurious than the safe chamber, with windows that looked out over the territory and soft lighting from enchanted crystals that mimicked moonlight.Landon slept heavily beside her, his arm still protectively draped across her belly, but Aria remained awake, her hand resting on her own skin as she felt the twins moving. They seemed more active than usual, their movements sharper, more purposeful. Were they responding to her anxiety? Or were they already beginning to access their prophesied power?She thought of the prophecy, of the words Morgana had read. One fierce as flame, one calm as night. Aria had felt that distinction in her pregnancy, Orion's wild, aggressive energy constantly at odds with Lyra's soothing presence. Wha

The silver light had barely faded from Aria's fingertips when the first scream echoed through the pack house.She was in the middle of her evening training session, sweat beading on her forehead as she held a complex shield pattern Morgana had just taught her. The sound cut through her concentration like a blade, and the shield shattered into a thousand glittering fragments."What was that?" Aria gasped, her hand instinctively going to her belly.Morgana was already moving toward the window, her expression sharp with concern. "That came from the eastern wing. Someone's hurt."Landon burst through the training chamber door before Aria could stand. His eyes were wild, his chest heaving as if he'd run the entire length of the pack house."We need to get you to the safe room," he said, reaching for her. "Now.""What's happening?" Aria asked, but she was already letting him pull her to her feet, her body responding to the urgency in his voice even as her mind demanded answers."Selene," he

The message came three days after Elder Thorne's visit.Aria was in the library, supposedly resting but actually poring over old pack records that Morgana had brought her. Landon had forbidden her from doing anything strenuous, but he'd said nothing about reading. It was a loophole she was exploiting shamelessly.The door opened without a knock, and Landon strode in, his expression unreadable."We found him," he said without preamble.Aria's heart leapt. "Marcus?""Living in the Borderlands. Completely off-grid." Landon moved to the window, his shoulders tense. "My contact says he's... not doing well. Living like a true rogue. No pack, no community. Just surviving."The guilt that crashed over Aria was immediate and overwhelming. Marcus had been punished for defending her, and she'd never even tried to find him, to thank him, to help him."When can we go see him?" she asked, already pushing herself up from the chair."We?" Landon turned, his eyebrows raised. "You're on bedrest, rememb

They left the Borderlands an hour later, Marcus with them. He'd had so few possessions that packing took only minutes. Everything he owned fit in a single worn backpack.During the drive back, Marcus sat silently, staring out the window at the passing landscape. Aria watched him from the seat in front, noting the way his hands trembled slightly, the way his eyes couldn't quite settle on anything.This was what Kieran had reduced him to. A proud, capable Beta turned into a shell-shocked rogue.But there was still strength in him. She could see it in the set of his jaw, the way he'd stood straighter when he'd agreed to testify. He wasn't broken beyond repair. Just... damaged. And damage could heal, given time and care.When they reached Blackthorn territory, Landon had Marcus taken to the guest quarters, actual guest quarters, not a cell or guarded room."Get cleaned up," Landon told him. "Eat something real. Sleep in an actual bed. Tomorrow we'll talk about your testimony and what you