Betrayed by Blood, Claimed by the Alpha-Chapter 148

Betrayed by Blood

Chapter 148

Avery took a steadying breath before moving. She wondered for a brief moment if she could do this, after all, this was Cain, her mate. She circled him carefully, her body recalling old instincts as she analyzed him the way her father had taught her. But Cain was different—too controlled, too powerful.

The moment she lunged, he was already moving.

In an instant, she was beneath him, her wrists pinned effortlessly above her head as she lay flat against the ground. Her breath caught.

Cain hovered over her, his face frustratingly calm, as if he’d predicted every move before she even made it. "Not bad," he murmured.

Avery looked up at him, refusing to acknowledge the way her skin burned where he touched her. "You cheated."

His brows lifted slightly, amusement dancing in his eyes. "Did I?"

She swallowed hard, her breath coming uneven. The way he was looking at her, the closeness between them—it was too much.

Before she could even think of a reply, a voice broke through the tension.

"Alpha? You might want—" Lydia trailed off, a smile making its way to her lips when she saw the two of them. "Did I interrupt something?"

Cain got up, helping Avery stand too. He rolled his eyes at Lydia. "Yes."

"No," the two of them said at the same time.

Lydia’s smirk widened. "Right. So, which is it?"

Avery quickly dusted herself off, avoiding Cain’s gaze. "We were training."

Cain crossed his arms, staring at Lydia expectantly. "You had something to say?"

Lydia waved a dismissive hand, but her grin remained. "Oh, yes! It’s just we got some news from Silverstone, so I thought I would let you know but—" her gaze flickered towards Avery who was dusting off imaginary dirt off her body.

"I’ll go now...excuse me." She said with a bow, but Lydia stopped her.

"You know, Alpha. I can train Avery for you if you’d like. You are a very busy man and I can think—"

"No," Cain spat out immediately, not even letting her finish her words.

Lydia raised a brow. "No?"

"I’ll train her myself. No one else," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Avery blinked, caught off guard by how fast and sharp his words were.

Lydia glanced between them before a slow, knowing smile curled her lips. "Ah, I see."

Avery, feeling very awkward now, bowed again and walked off as fast as she could, her entire face red.

Cain watched her walk away, his gaze stuck on her retreating figure. Once she was out of sight, he exhaled sharply and glanced at Lydia, whose eyes were on him.

He frowned, already knowing what she’d say. "Don’t."

Lydia gasped dramatically, placing a hand over her chest. "I didn’t even say anything yet."

Cain narrowed his eyes. "You were about to."

She grinned. "Oh, come on. I was just going to say it’s cute how protective you are. Possessive too."

Cain frowned, "You’re imagining things."

Lydia hummed, clearly not buying it. "Right. So, if someone else tried to train her, you wouldn’t have a problem with it?"

Cain didn’t answer. His jaw clenched, and Lydia’s grin widened.

"That’s what I thought." She chuckled, shaking her head. "You’re smitten, Alpha."

"One more word, Lydia, and I’ll personally ship you off to the Northern Ridge Pack."

Lydia’s smile dropped instantly, not putting it past Cain to carry out his threats. Who would want to be shipped to a war zone? "Tough crowd." She mumbled.

Cain ignored her, already walking towards the door while she caught up from behind, reciting the report she’d gotten.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Alaric sat comfortably in his chair, fingers lazily rolling the base of his glass against the wooden desk. The amber liquid inside sloshed lightly with each movement. His most trusted warrior stepped into the office, he bowed as he shut the door behind him.

"Your Majesty."

Alaric looked up at the man, "You’re back? How was it?" He asked.

The man, Fin, stepped forward, his expression firm. "I’m afraid the Silvermoon Pack is no more, Your Majesty. Alpha Cain has taken over it all and has even his men acting in command on his order. The line Victoria and her daughters are also nowhere to be found. Some of the people believe he might have locked them up in his dungeon back in Vehiron as no one has heard from them."

Alaric stood up, the glass of wine still in his hands. He walked towards the special ornaments he had got done for his office alone, carrying on in his hands.

"Who are the men he sent to act in command?"

The warrior cleared his throat. "Nathan and Xander, my King."

Alaric hummed, twirling the ornament between his fingers as he processed the information. "Nathan and Xander..." he repeated, the names rolling off his tongue with mild amusement. "Cain is trusting Xander with power again? Interesting."

Fin nodded. "It seems so. From what I gathered, Xander has been keeping the remaining Silvermoon wolves in line while Nathan oversees the integration process. Cain is being strategic about this."

Alaric took a slow sip from his glass before setting it down. "Of course, he is. That boy never acts without reason." He exhaled sharply, placing the ornament back on its stand. "That will be all for now, Fin. You’ve done well."

The man, Fin, nodded but made no move to leave. "My King, permit me for asking but..." he trailed off, waiting for Alaric’s permission.

He continued when the King nodded. "Gerald and his daughter. I saw them on my way coming in. What are your plans with him? I can take him out if he’s being a problem." He said. He was the only one Alaric trusted with information. He’s done so many things on Alaric’s command that even Alaric himself can’t remember. Fin was truly the only one Alaric trusted.

Alaric waved a dismissive hand. "No need, Fin. The man is living well—eating good meals, enjoying the company of his daughter. He deserves it, after all the information he’s given me about Cain and his little mate." He tilted his head, "Besides, why waste my energy on a dead man walking?"

Fin nodded, "Understood, sir. And Alpha Cain? How long do we wait to take action against him?" He asked, thinking back to the ridicule he’d faced in Silvermoon when they thought he was just a random Silvermoon Pack member.

Alaric’s smirk didn’t waver as he picked up his glass again, taking a slow sip before setting it down. "Tell me, what do you think would happen if we moved too soon?"

Fin clenched his jaw. "Cain is strong. His pack is loyal. If we make the wrong move, we risk losing everything."

Alaric nodded, pleased with the answer. "Exactly. That’s why we wait. We let him grow comfortable. Let him think he’s untouchable." He tilted his head slightly. "Then, when he least expects it, we strike. Patience is a virtue, Fin."

"It’s just—We’ve been patient enough, My King. His men were out of line."

He set his glass down with a quiet clink and finally turned his attention back to Fin, "Don’t worry," Alaric said smoothly, his smirk widening. "Cain’s time is almost over."