Betrayed by Blood, Claimed by the Alpha-Chapter 19

Betrayed by Blood~

"What is going on here?"

Avery stiffens, instinctively taking a step back. Xander straightens, turning to face Cain, whose dark gaze flickers between the two of them. His jaw is tight, his posture stiff with irritation.

"Alpha Cain-"

Cain’s eyes narrow on Xander, then drop to the handkerchief wrapped around Avery’s hand. His nostrils flare slightly, catching her scent, and his jaw clenches harder.

"I asked a question. What’s going on here?" He gritted out through clenched teeth.

Avery opens her mouth to explain, but Xander steps in first, lowering his head respectfully. "She burned her hand earlier. I was just helping her. That’s all, Alpha."

Cain’s eyes flash with something unreadable, but his tone remains icy. His gaze flickers to the handkerchief around her hand again, and he scoffs, "Helping her? Since when is that your job?"

Xander doesn’t respond, bowing his head further. Cain jerks his chin toward the packhouse. "Leave," he orders.

"Alpha- I," Xander begins, hesitating slightly. Cain’s eyes narrow, his eyebrows cocked up. Xander has never hesitated at an order he gave.

"Leave, Xander," he orders.

Xander nods and bows again, walking off towards the pack hide but not entering, lingering behind, watching Cain and Avery from a distance.

Cain’s eyes sweep over Avery, his jaw clenched tight. He steps dangerously closer to her, and she swallows hard, her heart pounding in her chest. Every nerve in her screams to step back, but she forces herself to stand still, her eyes glued to the ground.

"You’ve got a habit of drawing attention to yourself, don’t you?" Cain’s voice is low and deep.

Avery shakes her head quickly, "I wasn’t—" her voice trembling, but he cuts her off.

"You think I don’t see what you’re doing? Playing innocent, drawing sympathy from everyone around you. It won’t work. Not here."

Avery clenches her teeth, fighting to keep her voice steady. "It’s just a burn. I didn’t want to trouble anyone."

Cain scoffs, stepping so close that she can feel the heat radiating off of him. He reaches out, grabbing her chin roughly and forcing her to meet his eyes. "Trouble? That’s all you ever are, isn’t it? Weak. Helpless. Always needing someone. You’re always trying to make yourself seem weak, but you’re not."

Her heart races at the contact, she stiffens under his grip. His fingers are like iron around her chin, and for a moment, she thinks he might snap her neck. But instead, he lets go. "If I see you pulling stunts like this again, you’ll regret it. Do you understand me?"

She nods quickly, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Yes, Alpha."

Cain’s eyes linger on her for a moment, his grip still firm, and her scent spikes again with fear and something he refuses to acknowledge. Finally, he releases her, shoving her away as if her touch burned him before walking off.

Avery stands frozen, still feeling the burn of his touch on her skin. From a distance, Xander watches, his jaw clenched. He doesn’t move, his eyes never leaving her.

Xander leans against the fence bordering the training yard, his arms crossed as he observes the pack members walking about. Lydia approaches quietly, stopping beside him, her gaze following his.

"You’ve been quiet today," Lydia says, her voice filled with curiosity.

Xander shrugs, "Nothing much to say," he replies, running his fingers through his hair.

"I heard what happened last night," Lydia says suddenly. Xander hums, not surprised. It’s a huge pack, after all, someone was bound to see something. How they interpret what they saw is what matters.

"What did you hear happen?" he asks casually.

"You, Cain, and Avery jae. What were you thinking?" she hisses out.

His jaw tightens at the mention of their Alpha. "What was I thinking with what? I saw an injured pack member and helped," he grits out.

Lydia sighs internally, "You know, she’s not a pack member yet," Lydia replies, warning Xander’s attention on her.

"Cain refuses to induct her into the pack," she says quietly, her gaze flickering to the girl who had just walked by, heading towards the laundry line.

"Cain’s made her his target for the month, hasn’t he? It’s like he’s looking for ways to make her life unbearable," he says.

Lydia sighs, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "It’s how he copes, I think. He channels everything into his anger. Unfortunately for her, she’s the easiest outlet right now." frёeweɓηovel.coɱ

Xander hesitates, his voice dropping. "Do you think he’d actually do it? Cut the bond, I mean."

Lydia frowns slightly, her eyes narrowing in thought. "Cain?" She shakes her head slowly. "I doubt it. He’s too proud, too caught up in his ego to let go of something as significant as the bond. Breaking it would mean admitting he couldn’t control it—or himself. That’s not Cain."

Xander glances at her, "So you don’t think he will break it off?" he asks, and Lydia sighs again.

"Honestly, I can’t say. I don’t know what he can or cannot do. It’s Cain," she murmurs, thinking back to when the girl had gotten attacked by rogues. There was still the rogue’s teeth in Cain’s room as a keepsake. She had no idea what it was for Cain when it came to Avery.

Xander hums, his gaze shifting. Across the field, Avery stands by the laundry line, carefully spreading out wet clothes. The afternoon sun catches her hair. His eyes linger on her longer than necessary.

Lydia notices. She folds her arms, stepping closer so only he can hear her.

"You might want to watch where your eyes stray, Xander," she says, her voice firm.

Xander blinks, turning to her, his eyebrows furrowed. "I wasn’t—"

Lydia raises a brow, cutting him off. "Cain might not want, but he doesn’t share. Not with anyone."

Xander’s lips press into a thin line, and he looks away. "Don’t misunderstand," he mutters stiffly.

Lydia doesn’t press further, she nods and glances back at an oblivious Avery.