Chapter 4: Betrayal and Darkness
Point of View: Elara
The pack had fractured. Chaos bled into chaos. From the shadows of the trees, rogues surged forward, drawn by the scent of blood, by the fracture in the pack’s unity. They descended on the clearing like vultures.
The night became war.
Wolves clashed, teeth sinking, claws tearing. Bodies crumpled to the ground, blood soaking the dirt. Screams of pain tangled with roars of rage. The fire blazed higher, devouring everything in its light.
And at the center of it all, Kael and Alpha Orion collided.
Father against son. Alpha against heir.
The sound of their impact was thunder. They clashed, fangs snapping, claws slashing, snarls tearing from their throats. Sparks rained down from the fire as if the Moon herself had dropped shards of stars into the clearing.
I could still feel his touch. The heat of Kael’s hands on my skin, the roughness of his kiss—it was seared into my memory, and no matter how hard I tried to push it away, it lingered. But the warmth wasn’t comforting; it was suffocating.
His rejection was final. I’ll never claim you.
Those words burned, leaving a hole in my chest where something... something fragile had once been.
I stumbled through the woods, the moonlight flickering through the trees as I tried to make sense of what had just happened. My wolf whimpered inside me, weak and fractured, the bond between us and Kael pulling at the edges of my soul like a fraying rope.
I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, trying to erase the memory of his lips on mine, but the feeling wouldn’t go away. Why had I let him do that? Why hadn’t I stopped him?
The truth was, I couldn’t.
The bond had taken over. It was too powerful, too overwhelming, and I had been powerless to resist it. But now... now I was left with the aftermath. The pain. The emptiness.
I collapsed against a tree, my legs giving out as the weight of it all crashed down on me. The marking ceremony was still going on behind me, the sound of laughter and cheers from the pack echoing through the trees. For them, this was a night of celebration. For me, it was a nightmare I couldn’t wake up from.
I pressed my hand to my chest, trying to calm the frantic beat of my heart, but it was no use. I felt like I was being ripped apart from the inside. My wolf—what little there was of her—howled in pain, the severed bond between me and Kael leaving a deep, festering wound.
It wasn’t just rejection. It was annihilation.
A rustling sound came from behind me, and I jumped to my feet, my body tense. My eyes darted through the trees, scanning for movement. My heart raced as my mind flashed with images of rogues, of danger. But it wasn’t rogues.
It was Kael.
He emerged from the shadows like a predator stalking its prey, his eyes dark and unreadable. His presence sent another wave of heat and fear through me, my wolf responding instinctively even though I tried to shove her down.
"Elara."
My name on his lips was a sharp command, but there was something softer underneath. My stomach twisted. I didn’t want to hear him. Not now. Not ever again.
“Go away,” I choked out, backing away from him, my legs trembling. “You’ve done enough.”
Kael took a step closer, his jaw clenched, his hands flexing at his sides. “I didn’t—” He stopped, shaking his head like he was fighting with himself. “I didn’t mean for it to happen like this.”
“Then what did you mean?” I spat, my voice cracking under the weight of my rage and confusion. “To ruin me? To destroy me in front of everyone?”
His expression darkened, his eyes narrowing. “You think I wanted this? You think I wanted you as my mate?”
The words sliced through me like a blade, and I stumbled back, clutching at my chest. The pain was unbearable, but I forced myself to meet his gaze. “I never asked for this either, Kael. But you—”
“I don’t care,” he growled, stepping forward. “This bond, it means nothing to me. Nothing.”
Something inside me broke at that moment. I could feel it—like a piece of my soul was being torn away, ripped apart by his cruelty, by the bond we shared. The connection that should have been sacred, beautiful, was now poisoned. Ruined.
“Then why are you here?” I whispered, barely able to get the words out. “Why did you follow me?”
Kael’s jaw tightened, his eyes flashing with something I couldn’t read—guilt? Regret? Anger? But he didn’t answer.
I shook my head, taking another step back. I couldn’t be near him. Not now. Not after everything. The bond between us was still there, lingering, twisting inside me like a knife, but it was broken. And it hurts.
“You need to leave,” I said, my voice stronger now. “You need to leave me alone.”
Kael’s expression hardened, but he didn’t move. His eyes locked on mine, his wolf just beneath the surface, pushing against his control. I could feel it—the tension between us, the pull of the mate bond still flickering despite his rejection.
But I wouldn’t let him have any more power over me.
Without another word, I turned and ran.
---
The packhouse loomed ahead of me, dark and foreboding. I could still hear the remnants of the marking ceremony in the distance, the pack celebrating while I crumbled. I barely noticed as I burst through the door and into the quiet, empty corridors.
I didn’t have time to think. I didn’t have time to feel.
I just had to move.
I grabbed the small bag I kept hidden under my bed, stuffing a few essentials inside—things I would need to survive once I left. I wasn’t staying here. I couldn’t. Not after what Kael had done. Not after the humiliation I’d endured.
I slung the bag over my shoulder and paused, my hand resting on the doorframe. My heart pounded in my chest as the weight of my decision settled over me.
I was leaving the pack.
I was leaving the only home I’d ever known, the place where I’d grown up, the place where I’d lost everything. But I didn’t have a choice. Staying here meant more pain, more torment.
And Kael...
I couldn’t face him again.
My hands trembled as I reached for the door and stepped out, but before I could walk away, a voice from behind stopped me cold.
“Running away?”
I froze, my heart leaping into my throat. Slowly, I turned to face him.
It wasn’t Kael.
It was Alpha Orion.
My blood ran cold as his eyes bore into mine, his expression cold and calculating. He took a step closer, his presence filling the small room like a dark storm cloud. “I thought I’d find you here,” he said, his voice low and dangerous.
I swallowed hard, my grip tightening on the doorframe. “I’m leaving.”
Orion’s lips curled into a twisted smile. “Oh, I don’t think so, Elara. Not yet.”