Betrayed by Blood, Claimed by the Alpha-Chapter 185

Avery stood in front of the mirror, finally dressed. She smoothed her hands over the fabric of her gown. The ceremonial dress was breathtaking; it hugged her curves delicately, the layers of delicate silk embroidered with gold threads, exactly a gown befitting a Luna. Her fingers brushed over the necklace Cain had left her that morning, and she smiled.

Behind her, Selena leaned against the vanity with an amused smirk. "I’m still not over it," she said, tilting her head.

Avery arched a brow. "Not over what?"

Selena pushed off the vanity and gestured at her. "You. Dressed as a proper Luna. Being the Luna of Vaheeran. It’s unreal." She huffed. "I mean, seriously, just look at you."

Avery smirked, shaking her head. "You’re acting like I transformed into someone else."

Selena threw her hands up. "That’s because you did!" She gestured wildly toward the dress. "The little omega I met back then is long gone."

Avery laughed. "Oh, stop it."

"I won’t." Selena grinned. "But seriously... You look stunning."

Before Avery could respond, the door creaked open, and Lydia stepped in, pausing for a moment before placing a hand over her chest. "Goddess above," she murmured. "You’re breathtaking."

Avery flushed hard at the compliment, looking away shyly as Lydia stepped into the room fully.

"You honestly look so beautiful. Cain won’t believe what hit him when he sees you."

Millie gasped, "Exactly what I was telling her. Alpha Cain would be stunned to his core. She looks like a real-life angel."

Avery chuckled at this. If she were a peacock, her feathers would be up and proud right now. "You guys are really going to make me turn red," she mumbled.

Millie grinned. "Good. You deserve to hear it."

Lydia laughed out loud then clapped her hands. "Okay! We’ve done enough. Alright, everyone out. The ceremony is about to start, and we need all hands on deck." She paused to look at Avery. "In ten minutes, we’ll come to escort you down."

"Ten minutes," Avery murmured to herself as the others walked out of the room, leaving her alone.

She turned back to the mirror, running her hands over her dress. Her heart pounded in her chest, but she couldn’t tell if it was excitement or something else entirely.

Something felt off.

The hall was filled with restless murmurs.

The Elders stood in their ceremonial robes; Cain had invited them solely for the sake of joining him and Avery. Everyone by now had taken their seats. Cain stood tall and proud at the front, dressed impeccably.

Everything was ready. Everything was perfect... just as Avery wanted.

His wolf stirred inside him, thrumming with energy. He knew it was excitement. Soon, his mate would walk through those doors, and then she would be his. Officially.

Cain exhaled slowly, rolling his shoulders as he resisted the urge to glance at the entrance again. His heart beat a little too fast, his skin prickling under his clothes. Not nerves. He never got nervous. But anticipation was a different thing entirely.

The doors would open any second.

Any second now.

Cain’s fingers twitched at his sides.

Something felt off.

His wolf bristled, but Cain pushed it down. His gaze flicked to Lydia. She stood near the entrance, arms crossed, her face tight. When she turned slightly, she swept her gaze over the room, then frowned.

Avery wasn’t late, but she wasn’t early either.

Cain followed her line of sight.

Millie and Selena’s seats were empty. They had been assigned to bring Avery and not even them were there yet.

Lydia hesitated only for a second before Cain’s voice cut through the mind link.

’Find out what’s keeping her.’

Lydia nodded once, then turned and strode briskly toward the doors.

Cain inhaled deeply, exhaling through his nose as he flexed his fingers. His wolf was restless now, pacing inside him. He reached for Avery through their bond, expecting the usual warmth, the familiar hum of her emotions... maybe nervous excitement, maybe happiness.

But instead, he felt nothing.

Cain’s entire body stiffened.

The silence hit him harder than ever. Avery had never been good at masking her emotions. She always felt something. Even when she was afraid, uncertain, or angry. But now? It was like she wasn’t there at all.

A creeping sensation crawled up his spine.

His wolf stilled completely.

Cain’s jaw tightened. He reached out again, more urgently this time, pushing at the bond, trying to grasp even the faintest trace of her presence.

Still nothing.

A muscle in his temple ticked. He could feel his pulse hammering now, too fast, too hard. He could no longer stay still. Just as he moved to leave, the doors to the hall suddenly burst open with a force that shook the walls. Lydia ran in.

The color had drained from her face. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, and for the first time in years, Cain felt something sharp twist in his gut.

His stomach dropped.

"Where is Avery?" His voice was deathly quiet, but it cut through the hall, and everyone went silent.

Lydia’s hands trembled. She tried to steady herself, but her lips parted, and nothing came out at first.

Cain took a single step forward. His wolf was howling inside him now.

"Lydia." His voice was deeper, sharper, almost unrecognizable. "Where. Is. Avery?"

Lydia’s throat bobbed. Then finally, the words tumbled out in a hushed, trembling voice.

"She’s gone."

Cain’s world tilted slightly. His ears rang, his vision was sharper than ever.

Gone?

The word didn’t make sense.

But then Lydia shook her head, her hands shaking. "She—she disappeared. We found her dress. There’s—" She swallowed hard, her voice trembling. "There’s blood... and this."

Slowly, she lifted her hand. A bloodied necklace lay in her trembling palm.

The same one Cain had given Avery that morning.

Cain couldn’t hear anything. Not the murmurs. Not the sound of his breathing. Not even the howling of his wolf.

Just the sight of that necklace.

And the blood.