Betrayed By My Mate, Claimed By His Lycan King Uncle
Chapter 83: Open the gate!

Chapter 83: Open the gate!

Rhys still hadn’t recovered from the shock.

His eyes burned with restrained fury as he stormed toward Anaya, grabbing her arm and forcefully pulling her away from Sorayah.

"Just stop it, Anaya!" he barked, his voice trembling with anger.

"Stop what?" Anaya shot back, her voice laced with defiance as she jerked her arm out of his grip. "That I’m reassuring your dear friend here that I’ll take care of you better than some woman who will never return the love you so desperately long for?" Her words were laced with venom, her gaze unflinching as she stared him down.

"You’re..." Rhys began, his voice catching in his throat, as though he couldn’t find the right word for what she had become.

"Sister-in-law," Anaya cut in smoothly, raising her chin with pride. "Why is your heart so cold, Rhys? Am I not beautiful enough for you?" she asked, her voice softening slightly, though her eyes now drifted longingly back to Sorayah.

Sorayah blinked as she kept mute.

Rhys exhaled sharply, his frustration boiling to the surface. "I’ve told you time and time again that I cannot reciprocate your feelings. I only see you as a friend. So stop telling everyone we meet that we’re lovers. It’s false. And it’s humiliating."

Anaya’s eyes flared with a possessive glint. "I’ll keep telling everyone," she said, her voice firm and disturbingly calm, "because you’re mine, whether you accept it or not. You can’t just walk away from me because you have feelings for another woman who will never love you . Fate has tied us together, Rhys. We are destined for each other."

Her words hung in the air, and for a moment, Rhys stood frozen, speechless.

Even Sorayah couldn’t hide her discomfort. She swallowed hard, her throat suddenly dry as the tension in the room thickened.

"Well..." she finally said, forcing a neutral tone as she swung her legs over the side of the bed. "I really have no intention of discussing this topic now."

Rhys moved instinctively, stepping forward and brushing Anaya aside, not violently, but firmly so he could offer Sorayah his hand. "We’ll settle this later," she muttered, her voice low and strained. "Right now, we need to leave. We can’t afford to linger here any longer."

"Let’s go, Your Highness," Rhys said more clearly, his grip on her hand tightening protectively. "The assassins I hired are still out there keeping the enemy at bay, and there’s a carriage waiting to take you out of this cursed pack."

Without another word Sorayah nodded her head in agreement while Rhys led her out of the room. Anaya followed reluctantly, trailing behind them with bitterness etched into her features.

The carriage was waiting as promised, dark and sleek, flanked by two bloodied but still-standing guards. Sorayah and Anaya climbed inside while Rhys took the driver’s seat, urging the horses forward as arrows and blades clashed in the distance. The assassins fought to keep the path clear, their swords flashing as they defended the retreating party.

The city was still in ruins. Fires crackled in the distance, smoke curling through the air. The streets were littered with bodies, men, women, wolves...all lying in pools of blood.

Eventually, the carriage could go no further. The road was too clogged with debris and the chaos of combat.

"We’ll have to continue on foot," Rhys called out, leaping down from the driver’s seat. He helped Sorayah down first, then reluctantly turned to offer Anaya his hand as well but she brushed his hand away.

Rhys didn’t even look at her twice before turning back to Sorayah.

The three of them pressed forward, navigating the bloodstained streets with caution all while the assassins continue to fight to protect them.

At last, the gate came into view...just beyond the final cluster of crumbling buildings. But even as they neared it, they saw the massive iron doors beginning to close from the outside, inch by inch.

’What’s going on?’ Sorayah thought anxiously, her heart pounding in her chest. As if Rhys and Anaya could hear her thoughts, all three of them broke into a sprint toward the city gate.

The sounds of battle still echoed behind them....swords clashing, bodies falling, cries of pain but what gripped Sorayah’s heart was the massive iron gate slowly closing before their eyes.

"Why is the city gate closing?" she muttered under her breath, disbelief tightening her throat. The battle wasn’t over. The enemy was still inside.

"Is Dimitri trying to let the city perish with his own soldiers inside?" Her mind flashed back to Dimitri’s cold words, "I’ll raze this city to the ground if I have to." The most common method of destroying a city was by sealing it off... and burning it down.

And then, she saw it. Blood-stained fabric fluttering beyond the narrowing gap in the gate. It was his cloak. Dimitri’s cloak.

He’s already outside.

Her heart screamed in alarm.

Without hesitation, Sorayah pushed herself forward despite the agonizing pain radiating from her shoulder. The bandages had loosened in their frantic escape, and fresh blood now soaked through the fabric. Still, she didn’t care. She couldn’t afford to care.

"Don’t close the gate!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, her voice hoarse with desperation. Rhys and Anaya joined in, their shouts echoing over the battlefield.

Rhys, seeing the princess stumble, immediately rushed toward her. Without a word, he scooped her into his arms in a swift motion, cradling her in a bridal carry. Anaya’s heart clenched at the sight, jealousy flashing in her eyes, but now wasn’t the time to let her emotions get the better of her.

They ran.

Anaya, a skilled warrior in her own right, drew her blade and fought off enemies that dared get close. Alongside the hired soldiers they’d brought with them, she carved a path through the chaos, her movements sharp and graceful.

The gate loomed ahead. It was nearly shut.

"Open the gate!" Sorayah cried, her voice ragged but unrelenting. She didn’t even know where the strength was coming from anymore.

Suddenly, the gate halted then slowly creaked open again.

Standing just beyond it was Dimitri, his figure tall and imposing, drenched in blood. Behind him, the dirt bore deep impressions, hoofprints, footprints, the grooves of carriage wheels. A clear sign that the slaves and survivors had been evacuated. Likely by Liam or another one of Dimitri’s trusted men.

As soon as Rhys set her down, Sorayah stumbled away from him and faced Dimitri with trembling fury.

"You really planned to kill me in that city, didn’t you?!" Her voice cracked, emotion rising in her throat. "I was just another chess piece in your game after all. I knew it, and still I followed you here. How stupid of me!"

Dimitri’s eyes widened in shock. "Liam told me you were hurt... that you were resting inside one of the carriages. I didn’t know you were still in the city. Though I did feel your presence since I imprinted my scent on you but I believed Liam. He’s never lied to me before."

What?!

"That bastard hates me!" Sorayah shouted, tears now spilling freely down her cheeks. She hadn’t meant to cry but the tears came anyway, hot and relentless. "He never cared about my life! He didn’t even try to save me. He lied to you, just to get rid of me!"

Dimitri stood there, speechless for a long moment. Then, slowly, his eyes drifted toward Rhys and Anaya. His gaze darkened with suspicion.

"Who are you?"

’He’s not even going to apologize...’ Sorayah thought bitterly. Her lips quivered, but she held her ground.

Of course. What was she thinking? Dimitri Nightshade would never apologize. Not for his own mistakes, and certainly not for the mistakes of those who served him. Her pain clearly meant nothing to him.

"These are the ones who saved me," Sorayah declared, her voice sharp with controlled anger. "Because your most trusted man couldn’t. Because to him, I was disposable." She winced as her shoulder throbbed, but forced herself to continue. "I was shot with an arrow. I was abducted by unknown enemies. But they..." she motioned to Rhys and Anaya, "...they saved me."

Dimitri’s eyes softened slightly as he took in her bloodied appearance, but his tone remained detached. "I see. Every injury will be treated at the camp," he said quietly. "You three should take the northern trail. You’ll likely meet Liam and the others on the way. I’ll meet you there."

He turned away, as though the conversation had ended.

"Are you really going to kill your soldiers?" Sorayah’s voice rang out. She raised an eyebrow, her tone biting. "Are you planning to destroy this pack along with the people in it?"

Dimitri didn’t flinch. "I’m not killing my soldiers, Sorayah. Those men who stayed behind are not mine. They’re spies, traitors from this pack who masqueraded as loyal soldiers only to betray me in battle." His voice grew colder, his expression grim.

He paused. "And you should stop asking such dangerous questions," he added, his gaze locking with hers, "questions that could very well cost you your life."

Rhys moved protectively in front of her, his hand instinctively reaching for his sword.

"Rhys, no." Sorayah’s voice was firm as she placed a hand on his arm, gently lowering it.

Dimitri exhaled, then nodded toward the path. "Do as I say. Take that route. You’ll meet up with the others. Once I’m done here, we’ll all return to Alpha Emperor Lupien’s territory. We’ve come out victorious... and he’s waiting for our return."

His voice was cold, final.

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