Betrayed by Blood, Claimed by the Alpha
Chapter 83

Chapter 83: Chapter 83

Betrayed by Blood

Cain stood behind the window, his arms crossed against his chest as he watched the pack members. He heard the door creak behind him and didn’t bother looking up, already knowing who it was by their scent. Soon the person was joined by two others, all three of them bowing to him.

Cain turned back, his sharp, piercing gaze sweeping over all three of them. He had called for the three of them: Callum, Lydia, and Nathan.

Callum glanced at Lydia, his jaw clenched in annoyance at the sight of the beta. Cain barely punished her after what she did. She was only excluded from a few meetings, but now she was back?

"Lydia is back from today. She’s served her punishment already and she’s still the beta for this pack. Her input is needed regardless," Cain said, almost like he couldn’t read Callum’s thoughts.

Callum straightened, "Of course, Alpha," he replied with a tight smile directed at Lydia.

"Okay, we will get straight to work. Alaric summoned me to his pack a few days ago. I’m sure you’re aware, Lydia," Cain said, his eyebrows cocked up.

"Yes, I’m aware, Alpha," Lydia replied. How couldn’t she be aware?

"Vehiron has reduced the amount allocated to the region, and I’m sure he and his council are not taking it well, at all."

Nathan raised an eyebrow, leaning forward slightly. "The King thrives on control. Cutting back what he expects was a direct challenge."

Lydia straightened, her voice careful but steady. "Did he threaten you, Alpha?"

Cain’s eyes flicked to her sharply, Alaric’s words echoing in his head again. "Threaten? When he doesn’t want me withdrawing my support entirely. I can’t almost imagine what he’s doing. For now, he’s testing me, probing for weakness within the pack," Cain paused for a second, his gaze flickering over all three of them.

"I want this whole business with Xander wrapped up as soon as possible. The Moonlight Festival is quickly approaching, and our focus would go into that. I want every available resource out, searching for him," Cain ordered coldly.

All three of them tensed up at the tone of his voice. "Consider it done, Alpha. I’ll bring him in myself. I promise you this," Callum said, his eyes darkening with motivation.

Cain nodded once. "Good. Use every available resource. The Moonlight Festival is coming, and I want this pack focused on showing its strength, not chasing shadows."

Lydia’s jaw tightened, but she said nothing. Nathan glanced at her briefly before clearing his throat. "Speaking of the festival, Alpha, preparations are nearly complete. Invitations have gone out to our allied packs. Do you have a guest list in mind for the central table?"

Cain leaned back, his expression unreadable. "We’ll discuss that later. For now, focus on securing the territory and preparing the festival grounds. The refugees we’ve taken in will be assigned their roles by tomorrow. I’ll evaluate each and every one of them myself."

"Yes, Alpha," they all chorused.

Cain nodded, signaling the end of the meeting. They all bowed their heads before walking out of the office.

"Stay back, Lydia," Cain offered, stopping the beta in her steps just as Callum and Nathan stepped out of the room.

Lydia turned around to look at him, "Alpha?"

Cain’s gaze was intense on her, almost like he was searching for someone in her soul. He then stepped forward, stopping right in front of her. "You have one chance to prove your loyalty, Lydia. Don’t mess it up."

Lydia’s heart skipped a beat, but she held her ground. "I understand, Alpha," Lydia said, her voice steady despite the cold sweat trickling down the back of her neck as she remembered meeting up with Xander.

Cain’s eyes narrowed, studying her carefully. He seemed to be weighing her sincerity, her very soul. After what felt like an eternity, he nodded, "Good, gather all the refugees, and I’ll address them in a minute."

Lydia nodded again and stepped out of the office, her heart pounding hard in her chest. She had to do something quick.

____________________________________

The air was thick with the smell of fear and sweat. Hundreds of refugees stood in rows, stretching across the grounds of the central courtyard. They all looked tired, worn out, injured even, but they’d all managed to drag themselves to Vehiron’s borders, seeking shelter in Vehiron. They all knew of the reputation Vehiron had. They all knew exactly how ruthless Alpha Cain was, yet they didn’t mind. They craved control, safety, and security. Something they all didn’t have in their former packs and when it was hit with the cautious rogue attacks. They all sought refuge in the one place that they could find protection regardless. Vehiron.

Every year, Vehiron was opened for people seeking refuge into the pack. They get to become pack members even if they weren’t born in the pack, and every year, Vehiron’s borders brimmed with hundreds of people. No one cared about his reputation, well, at least, those that could gather the courage to come.

Cain stood before them, his figure imposing in the morning light. His sharp eyes scanned the group, taking in every detail: the nervous shifting of feet, the sharp yet fearful glances exchanged among themselves, the regular flinch when one of the pack warriors walked by. He was used to it, seeing this every year.

Cain was very particular about those allowed in his pack, though. Those that didn’t benefit the pack were sent out of the pack, and those that proved stubborn were sent to the goddess.

He stepped forward, and all the murmurs stopped, all eyes on him.

"Welcome to Vehiron. You are no longer refugees. Nor are you a part of this pack, yet. You will prove your worth with actions, not words. And the price of failure will be far greater than what you’ve already endured." His gaze swept across the crowd, his words were cold. "The warriors will train you. You will work day and night, you will fight, and you will live by Vehiron’s law. You will learn that loyalty is above everything in this pack. Wherever you are coming from doesn’t matter and will never matter. You will not be handed a place to stay in Vehiron. You will earn it."

A murmur passed through the group, some faces uncertain, others hopeful. Cain didn’t wait for their reactions to settle. He turned to his warriors. "Start the introductions. Let them know their roles. Callum, Nathan, make sure they understand the severity of their situation."

He stepped down from the podium, oblivious to the eyes watching him from the crowd, her eyes glittering with excitement. "Ah, so this was the infamous Alpha, Cain," she thought to herself.

~~~~~~

Martha paced around the room, her lips caught between her teeth. She glanced at the wall clock and then her phone. She was expecting a call from Alpha Matt and didn’t want to step out of the room until she got it. She wouldn’t risk being heard by anyone.

The thoughts died down in her head when she heard her phone ring; she didn’t waste time before swiping right and pressing it against her ear.

"What have you found out?" Matt’s gruff voice came from the line. He wasn’t interested in pleasantries; there were way too many loose ends for him to connect.

"Alpha Matt," she began.

"Get to the point, Martha. I don’t have all day. Have you found out anything yet?" He asked.

"No, not yet," she lied. "But I’ve been keeping an eye on her. She’s clean for now. I’ve been monitoring her movements, and I haven’t seen anything suspicious," she rushed out.

There was a slight pause over the line, and then came Matt’s gruff voice again. "Nothing suspicious? That means Xander hasn’t gotten in contact with Lydia?" He asked.

"Not to my knowledge, and I swear I’ve been watching her all day and night. I’ve literally memorized her schedule. She hasn’t even received a call from him," she replied, trying to be as convincing as she could be.

"Are you sure? I need something, Martha. Anything," he said, his tone tinged with frustration.

"I swear on everything I own, she’s clean. I haven’t found anything suspicious," she replied.

There was silence again, this time for almost a minute, then he was back on. "Alright, but make sure to keep an eye on her movements. I want to know everything, and I mean everything. Don’t mess this up, Martha," he gritted out tightly, then hung up.

Martha heaved heavily, throwing the phone onto the bed as she wiped the sweat beads on her forehead. This was enough to throw Matt off for some time while she searched for whatever Lydia was hiding. She knew Lydia had to be hiding something, and her gut was telling her it had everything to do with Xander.

Memories of being confronted by Lydia for the stolen jewelry and being publicly whipped flashed in her mind. It might have been Avery’s fault she got demoted, but it was Lydia’s fault even more. The damned beta couldn’t just mind her own business, and she must’ve forgotten. What goes around comes around, and now it’s Martha’s turn.

This was the best opportunity to have Lydia pay for what she did to her, so why would she give that information to Matt when she could go bigger with it? All she needed to do was find out what’s in that envelope Lydia had hidden, and then she’d figure it out. She’d take the information to Cain and ask for her position as head maid back. Not just that, she’d also get to see Lydia punished. She’d be hitting two birds with one stone.