Betrayed By My Mate, Claimed By His Lycan King Uncle
Chapter 108: Traps.

Chapter 108: Traps.

Mira sat stiffly on the feather-lined chair in her private chamber, her face twisted in a storm of fury and seething hatred as she stared blankly into space. Her knuckles turned white from how tightly she gripped the armrests, her mind spiraling with thoughts she could barely contain.

"The Beta Lord actually put you on house arrest because of that common maid," her newly assigned personal maid muttered bitterly. "A maid, Your Highness! And not even one from your own household....since your loyal maids were all slaughtered by her, that filthy creature Sorayah. And yet he still let her go free. Just what is happening, my lady? Could it be that the Beta Lord has... feelings for that human maid?"

"Shut up!" Mira snapped, her voice laced with rage. She hurled the tear-shaped glass cup in her hand across the room, letting it shatter violently against the floor. Her breathing came in sharp bursts. "Do you have a death wish?!"

"I....I’m sorry, my lady!" The maid cried out, dropping to her knees as she trembled uncontrollably. Her forehead touched the cold floor, and she dared not lift her gaze. "Please have mercy."

"Dimitri would never have feelings for a mere maid and a human so don’t you dare say something like this or you’ll lose your head." Mira voiced out with anger etched in her tone.

"Yes your highness!" The maid replied, her head still bowed all while she was still trembling with fear.

Before the silence could settle, a lazy voice echoed from the doorway.

"Oh, what’s going on now?" Arata purred with a mocking smirk as she sauntered into the chamber, her gown swaying with every graceful step. "Sister dearest was told to reflect on her behavior during house arrest, but instead, it seems she’s only grown more spiteful. Pity."

Mira’s eyes snapped to her, burning with loathing....not just for her words, but also for the swell of her pregnant belly. "What are you doing here?" she hissed, the venom in her voice unmistakable. "No one is allowed to visit me. Aren’t you afraid of being punished?"

"Oh, no. The Beta Lord gave me permission to visit if I wished due to our close familial ties," Arata replied airily. She settled onto a nearby chair with the assistance of her own maid, a subtle smirk still tugging at her lips. "I’ve never seen you this unraveled before. Is it because the Beta Lord didn’t bother to check on you? Or is it because a mere maid is the reason you’re locked up in here?"

"Mind your own business, Arata." Mira rose from her seat with a cold, mirthless laugh. She took slow, deliberate steps until she stood before Arata. "Since you’re here, are you happy now? Are you satisfied seeing me punished while you’re being favored just because you’re carrying the Beta Lord’s child? Are you here to mock me Arata?"

Arata’s smirk widened as she adjusted her gown. "Don’t twist things. This isn’t about me. We’re talking about the maid....the one who got you into this mess. Did you know..." She leaned in slightly, as if sharing a scandalous secret. "That maid was pregnant with the Beta Lord’s child?"

"What?!" Mira gasped, her voice rising in disbelief and terror. Her eyes widened as if they would burst from their sockets. "What are you saying?!"

"Oh yes," Arata said with mocking sweetness. "But it was terminated. Apparently, the Alpha Emperor was interested in making her a concubine but discovered she had already been claimed. Defiled, even. The child made it impossible for her to be elevated to royal status."

Mira stumbled back a step, her mouth slightly agape. "The Alpha Emperor wanted her as a concubine? Was he... possessed?"

"Maybe," Arata said with a shrug, "or maybe men in power just have terrible taste lately. Either way, she’s being punished now. But between you and me, the gossip among the court is that after the Full Moon Hunt, Sorayah may yet rise again. If she wins the hunt, she can buy her freedom from the Alpha Emperor and become the Beta Lord’s concubine. Well she should be the beta lord Concubine considering the fact that she carried his child."

"What nonsense are you spouting now?" Mira spat, though her voice trembled.

"It’s true. The hunt is a twisted mercy offered by the Alpha Emperor to a few select slaves. If they survive and prove their worth, they’re granted freedom or elevation. And Sorayah... she’s dangerous. Skilled. You and I both know it. If anyone can win that hunt, it’s her among other humans. And if she does...well, even if she doesn’t....she’ll likely still end up as the Beta Lord’s concubine."

Mira’s jaw clenched. "Then I’ll watch the hunt myself," she said coldly. "The Beta Lord leaves halfway through, but members of his household are permitted to remain. I will be there. Just because she came back alive from war doesn’t mean she’ll be saved here. Feral wolves are released into the wild. There’s no way any human would survive. There has never been one."

"Perfect," Arata replied, rising gracefully from her chair, one hand resting on her round belly. "Do come. It will be such a sight to witness. You’ll get to see Sorayah prove herself before the court...either as a survivor or as a corpse." She turned, pausing at the door. "See you again soon, dear sister."

With a final smirk, Arata swept towards the exit of the room leaving Mira with anger and hatred burning deep within her.

"There is still no scent of your child," Mira said, her voice sharp as she stopped Arata mid-step. "The Beta Lord is a well-known figure. People should have caught a whiff of his heir’s scent by now, even before any official announcement. But strangely, all anyone can smell is you."

Arata stiffened but didn’t turn around. "And what exactly are you implying, sister?" she asked coolly, her back still facing Mira.

"Oh, nothing serious," Mira replied, a smirk creeping across her face. "I’m just... curious."

"This isn’t the first time something like this has happened," Arata said, her voice calm but with a hint of ice. "Sometimes, a child’s scent blends so deeply with the mother’s that it becomes indistinguishable until the day of birth. My son’s scent is masked by mine. Once he’s born, you’ll smell him clearly. You should know that already sister or don’t you?"

"I see," Mira said dismissively, twirling a lock of her hair as she leaned against the edge of her vanity. "Still, it would’ve spared the Beta Lord from having to make such a bold announcement. But then again... whatever."

She waved a hand in the air as if swatting away the conversation. "Take care on your way out. I’m far too punished to escort you, as you know."

Without responding further, Arata made her way out of the room. But once she was far enough from Mira’s quarters and out of earshot, she came to a stop in the corridor.

"Ensure guards from our family are stationed around the forest," Arata whispered, her voice low but firm. "Especially where Sorayah will be hunting. Mira is bound to act on that day."

Her maid’s expression twisted with worry. "You intentionally provoked her today, didn’t you?" she asked. "But are you certain Lady Mira would go as far as trying to kill Sorayah? It’s risky. She knows she could get caught. And that kind of scandal...."

"She will," Arata interrupted coldly. "I’ve known Mira since we were children. She rarely thinks before acting. When she feels threatened or humiliated, she lashes out. This time won’t be any different. She’ll want Sorayah silenced forever....especially now that she believes the Beta Lord had feelings for her."

The maid furrowed her brows. "But what if she’s careful? What if she hides her tracks?"

"Oh, she’ll try," Arata said, her tone laced with bitter amusement. "But our guards won’t just protect Sorayah. Their real task is to plant just enough clues pointing back to Mira. Because even if no one cares about the life of a mere maid, trying to kill during the full moon hunt with evidence everywhere is practically an attempt on the Alpha Emperor’s life. I know Mira might get skilled assassins but we’ll help her to plant evidence as well as get an assassin from our side who will lie to have connections with Mira."

Her smirk widened. "And such a crime will not go unpunished."

"But won’t her family intervene?" the maid asked, anxiety clear in her voice. "Even if there’s evidence, won’t they argue it was circumstantial? That she just happened to pass by the hunting grounds? They won’t allow her to be executed."

"Exactly," Arata murmured with a cold glint in her eyes. "They’ll buy her freedom eventually. But she’ll still be shaken. And that’s what I want. I want her to feel fear for once. Real fear. I want her to know she’s vulnerable."

She paused before adding darkly, "Mira won’t die quickly. She’ll live long enough to walk through every death trap I’ve set....one by one. And I hope her pride can survive the journey."

"You’re so wise, my lady," the maid said with reverence, bowing deeply. "Congratulations in advance."

Arata’s heels clicked softly as she resumed walking toward her quarters, her personal maid trailing close behind.