Betrayed by Blood, Claimed by the Alpha
Chapter 71

Chapter 71: Chapter 71

Betrayed by Blood

"What?" Kendra whispered, her voice filled with disbelief, the words ringing in her ears. She looked up, ready to plead, counter, argue, do whatever to make Cain see he was going about this wrong, but when she finally raised her head, he was gone.

The crowd had now slowly begun to disperse, leaving just the guards who were to see her through Cain’s orders. Kendra’s gaze flickered around the room only to stop on someone.

Avery stood near the door, her arms crossed over her chest, gaze heavy on Kendra, and next to her stood Lydia. The two of them stared at her so intensely it made Kendra’s blood boil with even more anger.

It was all her fault! If only she stayed away from the pack! If only she had died when Kendra wanted, then none of this would have happened. Kendra wouldn’t be in such a problem. This was all Avery’s fault.

Kendra clenched her fists at her sides, her nails digging into her palms as she glared at Avery. The sight of her standing there, composed and calm, made Kendra’s anger bubble over. "What are you looking at?" She growled.

Avery didn’t flinch. She simply tilted her head slightly. Lydia, however, narrowed her eyes, stepping slightly in front of Avery as if shielding her from Kendra’s wrath.

"You did this to me!" Kendra hissed, her voice trembling with emotion, her finger pointed at Avery. "You ruined everything! You waltzed into this pack like you belonged here—like you had a right to be here! You don’t belong. You’ll never belong!"

Lydia smirked mockingly. "And yet, here you are, being banished while she’s still standing. Funny how that worked out, isn’t it?"

Kendra’s face flushed red, her mouth opening to retort, but no words came out. She turned away abruptly, storming up the stairs to pack her belongings, leaving Lydia and Avery behind.

Kendra’s footsteps echoed in the hallway as she shoved her way into her room, slamming the door roughly behind her. Carol was already inside, pacing anxiously.

"Well?" Carol snapped, stopping mid-step. "What did he say?" she asked. She had left before Cain announced his sentence, hoping she could call her father to help with the situation, but of course, it was futile.

Kendra didn’t answer immediately. She stalked toward her closet, yanking it open and throwing clothes onto the bed. Her breathing was uneven, her hands trembling with anger.

"Kendra!" Carol snapped as she walked towards her and yanked her to face her. "Talk to me!"

"What do you think, Mother?" Kendra finally snapped, "He banished me. Two months. He’s stripping me of everything I have worked for!"

Carol’s face reddened in anger and frustration. "And whose fault is that, hmm? I told you to think things through. I told you to give it time and let me handle it, but no—you had to go after her, didn’t you? You can’t do anything yourself? Such an idiot, and now look what you’ve done." Carol snapped irritably. She also tries to communicate with her, tell her to deny every single accusation, but what does she do? She confesses to it.

"She’s the reason for this!" Kendra shot back, her voice shaking. "Avery. It’s all her fault! If she hadn’t come here, if she hadn’t wormed her way into Cain’s favor—"

"Stop blaming others for your failures!" Carol interrupted harshly. "You’re the dumb one. You’re the one who got caught. You’re the one who couldn’t cover your tracks. You can’t do a single thing right. All you’ve ever done is ruin it, instead. I’ve tried so hard to plan this so meticulously, and yet this is what you do?" Carol spat out irritably as she shook her head. "Head back to your father. He’ll look after you for the next two months, and please, for the goddess’s sake. Don’t do anything foolish."

Kendra’s lip trembled, but she didn’t respond. She turned back to her suitcase, shoving the last of her things inside before zipping it shut. Without another word, she grabbed the handle and walked out of the room.

Avery stepped out of the door with Lydia beside her; she couldn’t stop thinking about what had just happened inside; she was mind-blown.

"Well, that was something," Lydia said, jolting Avery out of her thoughts. Avery turned to look at her, her lips palmed into a thin line. "What do you mean?" She asked quietly.

Lydia glanced at her with an eyebrow quirked up. "Don’t tell me you think that was a good judgment. I don’t know what I was expecting, but this was below my expectations. A two-month banishment? That’s hardly a punishment."

Avery glanced up, her brow furrowing slightly. "What did you expect him to do?"

"Oh, I don’t know," Lydia said with a huff, waving a hand dramatically. "Something with a bit more bite. Stripping her of her rank, exiling her permanently, making an example of her! She endangered the pack, for crying out loud. But no, of course not. Cain is too—" She cut herself off, taking a deep breath.

"Too what?" Avery asked quietly.

Lydia shook her head, a tight smile on her face. "Don’t worry about that. What matters is she got punished regardless of how little it is."

Avery nodded; she wasn’t expecting anything much actually. She didn’t even know Kendra was the one who set the whole thing up until she saw the crowd in the hall and went in. To say she was shocked was an understatement. She surely wasn’t expecting to find Kendra at the bottom of it all. She knew the other hated the very sight of her; she knew she would do everything she could to get rid of her, but this...she didn’t see it coming.

"It’s okay though. I didn’t think someone like Kendra could be punished for-"

"For you? Is that it?" Lydia interjected sharply, and Avery went silent.

Lydia scoffed in disbelief, "Honestly, you’re way too good for Cain. I can’t believe this is what you think. Kendra should’ve faced the repercussions of everything she’s done to you, but Cain has always overlooked it, and even now when he takes a step....it’s—" she paused, shaking her head. "You’re too good for Cain. You’re kind, thoughtful—you’re everything he’s not."

Avery smiled tightly and nodded faintly, though her thoughts were already elsewhere—on Cain, on the heat they’d shared, and on the way he’d looked at her during those fleeting moments when his guard was down. She shook her head, dispelling the memories.

"It’s fine, Lydia. I’m okay with it." She replied quietly. "I should go now; I still have some tasks left to complete." Lydia nodded with a smile and watched Avery walk off.

________________________________________

Avery had barely walked a distance when she saw him, Cain. He stood at the edge of the courtyard, speaking to some pack members.

Avery paused in her steps, her breath catching in her chest. She watched animatedly as he spoke to the men. She watched as the men bowed to him and walked away, leaving him alone.

Avery swallowed hard, thinking back to all that’s happened in the past three days and today. She stepped forward, walking towards him slowly. Just as she walked towards him, he turned around, locking eyes with her.

Avery froze for a second, her heart beating faster than usual. She hadn’t seen him since midnight until now; she made her way towards him, "Alpha." She called out to him.

Cain’s expression hardened, his jaw set in a way that made her chest tighten.

"What is it?" he asked, his tone clipped.

Avery hesitated at his tone, her lips caught between her teeth nervously. "I wanted to thank you," she said quietly. "For what you did to Kendra."

Cain let out a low, humorless chuckle, shaking his head as he took a step closer. "Thank me?" he repeated, "You think I did that for you?"

"No," Avery said quickly, her voice steady despite the sting of his words. "I know you did it for the pack’s safety. But still... it meant something to me."

His expression darkened, and he closed the remaining distance between them in a long stride. "You don’t get it, do you?" he growled lowly, "What I did wasn’t a favor. It wasn’t for you. Don’t mistake my actions for kindness."

"I’m not—" Avery began, but he cut her off sharply.

"Don’t lie to yourself," Cain snapped. "I see it in your eyes, the way you’re looking at me. But let me remind you of something." He leaned in closer. "You begged me during your heat. Begged me to touch you, to take you. That’s all it was. A biological need, nothing more. Don’t confuse my willingness to satisfy that with anything else."

Avery’s breath hitched, her eyes widening as his words struck her like a physical blow. Her chest tightened, the air suddenly feeling too heavy to breathe.

Cain straightened, his gaze hard, "Don’t for a second think something will ever be between us. Nothing has changed and will ever change. "You’re nothing to me," he said coldly. "And you never will be.

The silence that followed was deafening. Avery stood frozen, her heart shattering under his words. She swallowed hard, willing herself not to cry, not to break in front of him. Without another word, she turned and walked away.