Betrayed by Blood, Claimed by the Alpha-Chapter 17

Betrayed by Blood~

The doors opened, and Cain stepped in, his boots clicking against the marble-tiled floor. Behind him were Xander and Callum. They had arrived at the Nightshade Pack, the king’s pack.

The room was grand and cold, its high ceilings casting long shadows across the room. At the far end, on a raised platform, the king sat upon his gilded throne, with his queen beside him. To their far left was the council, three elderly men who helped the king make his decisions.

Seated across from the throne to the left was the Richards family. The young brother, now the pack alpha, the mother, and the sister. Rowan’s brother sat in the front, his posture stiff, eyes fixed on Cain as if daring him to meet his gaze.

Cain paused at the center of the room and nodded at the king and queen, "Your Majesties," he said, his gaze landing on the king. It had been a while since he last saw the man, yet he somehow looked the same.

The king nodded back, "Alpha Cain, thank you for honoring our summons. Without wasting time, we will get into the purpose of the summons," the king said.

"I trust you understand the gravity of the situation regarding Rowan."

"The gravity?" Cain replied dryly.

"Alpha Matt here has accused you of murdering his brother, decapitating his head, holding his body from funeral rites, and refusing to give them closure... Furthermore," the king added, his tone sharpening, "he has claimed that you have misused your power and authority as alpha."

Cain’s gaze flicked to Alpha Matt, his eyes narrowing as he took in the younger alpha’s simmering fury. Matt’s hands clenched into fists as he glared hard at Cain.

Cain chuckled briefly and then tilted his head, "Misused my power?" he repeated slowly, his voice dripping with mockery. "Fascinating."

"Do you admit to the allegations leveled against you by Alpha Matt?" the king asked aloud.

"I did kill Rowan. He betrayed my pack; he was a traitor and got what he deserved. That’s not misuse of power; that’s correcting his fault. A traitor, as we all know, deserves nothing like a funeral. They should be thrown to the vultures and eaten," Cain spat out just as Matt bolted upright from his seat, his eyes red with anger.

He pointed a finger at Cain, "My brother was an honest and upright man! He did everything right!" he growled, the pain heavy in his voice.

Cain turned slightly to look at the man, his lips curled into a smirk, "Your brother was a coward. He was a traitor."

Matt slammed his fists against the table before him, the sound echoing across the chamber. His mother reached out a hand, trying to calm him, but he shrugged it off. "My brother was more of a man than you’ll ever be!" he roared.

Cain only smirked, infuriating the other man even more. Matt had spent days, weeks going back and forth from his pack to the king’s, seeking justice for his brother, only for this man to smirk? Laugh? Mock him?

"You bloody bastard!" Matt roared. His body trembled, not just with rage but with the weight of his grief. "You think you’re untouchable, don’t you? Hiding behind your title, your power, but that doesn’t change what you are—a runt, a bastard, and the son of a madman who ruined everything he touched!"

The words hung in the air, and everywhere went still, silent, Matt’s voice echoing.

Xander took a step forward, but Cain raised a hand to stop him. Slowly, he turned to face Matt, his expression devoid of humor now.

"Say that again," Cain growled, his voice low.

Matt stepped around the table, fully enraged, closing the distance between them. "I said, you’re nothing but a runt, a bastard, and a murderer. Just like your father!"

Cain moved faster than anyone expected. In a flash, he crossed the space between them, his claws coming out. His hand slashed across Matt’s face, the sharp claws cutting deep into his skin. Blood sprayed around.

Matt staggered back, clutching his face, which was quickly drenched in blood, his screams piercing through the room, loud and painful. The wound burned, the kind of injury that would never heal cleanly, leaving a permanent scar.

Cain straightened as Matt fell to the floor, immediately surrounded by his mother and sister, who were in tears. "Watch your tongue, boy," he snarled. "You have no idea who you’re speaking to. Be thankful I only gave you a scar and not your brother’s fate. Remember this scar the next time you think to challenge me. It will remind you of what happens when you cross Cain Knight, and should you forget, you might not live to remember next time."

The queen stood from her seat, her face pale with shock. The king raised his hand, "Cain! This isn’t your territory," he growled, clearly displeased about the situation.

Cain turned to the king, his gaze cold. "No, it isn’t," he said, his tone clipped, "but I don’t tolerate insolence, no matter where I am."

Cain looked around the room, his disdain evident. "Is this what I came here for?" he asked the king. "To entertain baseless accusations from a grieving family? If this is all, I have a pack to run."

The king’s face darkened, but he remained seated. "The accusations are serious, Cain. We summoned you here to find a resolution, not to sow more chaos."

"Resolution?" Cain scoffed, his gaze sweeping over the Richards. "I already resolved the issue. Rowan was a traitor, and I dealt with him as any alpha would. This is nothing more than a grieving family looking for someone to blame for their failure to raise a loyal son."

Matt growled through clenched teeth, but his mother’s hand on his arm kept him from speaking further.

Cain’s eyes flicked to Matt one last time, his eyes glinting darkly. "Next time you want to insult me, Alpha Matt, make sure you’re strong enough to back it up."

Without waiting for a response, Cain turned around and walked out, Xander and Callum following behind him. The king stared hard at his retreating figure, his jaw clenched hard. Cain was becoming a problem he could no longer contain.