Betrayed by Blood, Claimed by the Alpha-Chapter 32

Betrayed by Blood~

The next day, Avery was up and already working, going about to complete her chores for the day. She had made up her mind to avoid Cain for as long as she could today. The thought of what happened yesterday filled her mind, and she shook her head, trying to drive it away. She had already made up her mind.

Avery placed the last cup of tea on the tray and made her way out of the kitchen. Life had been sort of easier when Martha wasn’t around, breathing down her neck or yelling at her for a mistake she thought Avery made. Martha herself hadn’t been in the pack house for a while now, not since she received her lashings outside the yard. Rumors had it that she’d been tasked with cleaning up the guards’ bathroom and toilets, and some even said she was banned from the pack house. In all, nobody had any idea where she was.

Avery walked towards the guards by the doors and offered them the tea as instructed. Her gaze flickered about, and that’s when she noticed her.

Lydia stood some feet away, talking to a pack member, her hands moving about almost animatedly. As though she could sense Avery’s eyes on her, Lydia snapped her head towards Avery. frёeωebɳovel.com

Avery gave a small smile and bowed, still thankful for all the woman did for her. It was only then that she noticed the beta already walking towards her. By now, she was already done serving the guards the tea.

"Avery..." Lydia called out her name with a small smile on her face.

"Beta Lydia," Avery called out, bowing yet again. She’d gained even more respect for the woman who had helped her. Lydia’s smile faltered only a bit.

"You really don’t have to call me by my title every time," she said, her gaze flickering over Avery only to stop at something. Avery’s gaze trailed Lydia’s eyes to her arm, and she awkwardly pulled her sleeve down even more.

Lydia was quick to notice the marks on Avery’s arms. They weren’t subtle—angry, dark bruises blooming across her skin like ink stains. It was nothing like she had seen. She opened her mouth to speak, but Avery was faster.

"I should get going. My chores are still much, and I don’t want to miss dinner," Avery replied with an awkward chuckle. She turned to leave but barely made it away.

"Avery, stop," Lydia said, her tone firm.

She reached out to catch Avery’s wrist gently. Avery flinched but didn’t pull away. "What happened to you?" she asked.

"Nothing," Avery mumbled, avoiding Lydia’s sharp gaze. She tried to tug her arm free, but Lydia tightened her grip just slightly, her eyebrows furrowing.

"Did- Did Martha do this to you?" Lydia asked, her voice growing deep at the thought of Martha doing this to Avery. She really couldn’t put it past the former head maid.

Avery’s eyes widened at the mention of Martha’s name, and once again, she was reminded of the bitterness she saw in Martha’s eyes days ago. The hatred embedded in her orbs as she stared Avery down.

"No, no, it’s not Martha," Avery rushed out, her voice wavered, and her heart ached as she thought about the real source of her pain.

Lydia didn’t look convinced, her gaze searching Avery’s face as though she could see through the lie. "Avery," she said, her voice softer now.

"I’m okay, Lydia. Thank you for asking," Avery whispered. She had spent the entire night up, her body ached from everything that had happened.

"You can tell me, you know. You don’t have to suffer alone. If anything is wrong, all you have to do is tell me," Lydia said.

Avery’s throat tightened. She glanced down at the space between them, tears threatening to spill as the memory of the pain from yesterday came rushing back. She couldn’t lie to Lydia—not completely—but she couldn’t bring herself to tell the full truth either.

So she shook her head, "It’s...nothing I can’t handle," she replied.

Lydia hesitated, her hand still on Avery’s wrist before she slowly let go. She nodded and stepped back. "Alright, but if you ever need me, just come. I’ll be free if it’s for you," Lydia said before walking away.

Avery watched her retreating figure, wondering if there was anything that made Lydia like her? Especially when half of the pack hated her and the other half were indifferent.

Avery sighed and turned around, walking off, oblivious to the fact that Lydia had now stopped, turned around, and was now staring at her.

~~~~~~

Kendra~

Kendra lay sprawled on her bed, her hair a tangled mess, and her body sore from the night before. She stared up at the ceiling, her lips pressed into a thin line.

The memory of Cain’s rough hands, the coldness in his eyes towards her, the animalistic grunts she heard, and the sheer pain of his touch filled her with anger and frustration. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. She was supposed to have control. She wasn’t supposed to be the whimpering teary mess she was, but Cain reduced her to nothing but that.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of her door slamming open. She sat up abruptly, her muscles popping in pain. Standing by the door was her mother.

"Kendra," Carol called out her name as she stormed into the room and slammed the door shut behind her. "I need answers. Now."

Kendra groaned, flopping back onto the bed. "Mother, I’m tired."

"Did you just say you’re tired? Tired, Kendra?" Carol snapped. "Do you realize how important this is to our family, and you say you’re tired? You’re just pathetic," Carol spat out. "I don’t care how tired you are. Did you get it?"

Kendra’s jaw clenched, and she turned to glare at her mother. "No," she said through gritted teeth. "I didn’t."

Carol’s eyes narrowed. "What do you mean, ’you didn’t’? You had one job, Kendra. One."

"Do you think I didn’t try?" Kendra snapped, sitting up again, her temper flaring. "Do you have any idea what I went through last night? He’s not a man, Mother. He’s a monster. He doesn’t care about me. He barely even looked at me. And when he... when he—" She paused, swallowing hard. "It was brutal. I’m covered in bruises."

Carol scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Oh, please. Spare me the dramatics. You’re not some delicate flower. Bruises heal, Kendra. This is the price we pay for power."

Kendra’s lips trembled as she stared at her mother in disbelief. "He doesn’t even trust me enough to finish," she muttered bitterly. "He pulled out."

Carol’s face grew redder, her nostrils flared in anger. "Are you telling me," she began, her voice low, "that after all the planning, after everything we’ve done, you didn’t get what we needed because you couldn’t handle a little pain?"

Kendra shook her head, her frustration bubbling even more. She was already having a hard time as it was. She didn’t need this. "It’s not that simple, Mother!" Kendra snapped as she ran her fingers through her hair. "Cain isn’t like the other men you’ve manipulated. He’s... he’s different. He’s cold and calculating, and he doesn’t trust anyone. I thought I finally had him when he called him, but yesterday was worse. He treated me like I was worthless. Like I wasn’t deserving of anything. He made me feel inadequate! Like a rag-doll," she croaked out.

Carol rolled her eyes. Kendra had always been a little too soft, and it hit even worse when she began to have actual feelings for Cain. Who would ever have feelings for a man like Cain? A beast like him.

"What do we do, Mother? I can’t get his sperm like you wanted," Kendra said, and Carol sighed internally, running her hands through her hair. She was running out of time, and Cain was too uptight. Everything had failed so far. Carol needed something immediately! There wasn’t much time anymore. She needed someone with power.

She looked at her daughter, her gaze cold and calculative. "I’ll think of something and figure it out, but you! You better do everything to make him fall for you," she gritted out through clenched teeth before storming off the same way she came.

~~~~~

They had all gathered for their meeting again, Cain sat at the head of the table, his expression unreadable.

Lydia sat to his right, and opposite her was Callum. The rest of the members were already seated, murmuring among themselves as they waited for the meeting to start.

Cain leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers against the armrest. "Let’s get this over with," he said, "Callum, you can start."

Callum cleared his throat, shifting in his seat. "As you know, the annual Blood Hunt is just over two weeks away. As the host pack this year, we’re expected to provide accommodations, ensure security, and maintain the orderliness of the event. All packs from the region will be sending their representatives, including, of course, the King and his entourage."

A ripple of unease coursed through the room at the mention of the King. They all knew of Cain’s animosity towards the man. Cain’s jaw tightened at the mention of the king, but he said nothing.

Callum continued, "The hunt itself will take place in the southern forests, which have already been scouted. We’ve identified the hunting grounds and ensured that the game population is sufficient. The competition will follow the usual rules. The alpha who brings down the largest and most challenging/deadliest prey will be declared the victor."

"And the prize?" Lydia asked.

Callum nodded. "Tradition dictates that the prize be something of value. This year, the king has chosen the silver blade of the late Alpha Yuko of the Blood Moon pack," Callum said.

Cain tensed up at the mention of the prize. Alpha Yuko’s blade is a historic and monumental piece. Not even the king had access to it as it was kept in the rarest of places, but he did have the power to gift the sword. Alpha Yuko’s sword being the prize will definitely bring in a lot more alphas into Vehiron for the hunt.

Cain finally spoke. "Security?" he asked.

Callum straightened. "We’ll double the patrols around the borders and assign guards to all high-ranking visitors. However, there’s been... chatter about potential unrest. Some of the smaller packs have been grumbling about the King’s growing demands. We’ll need to keep a close eye on things."

Cain’s gaze darkened. "If anyone so much as breathes out of line, deal with them. Swiftly."

"Speaking of the King," Lydia interjected, her gaze flickering towards Cain. "Will it really be alright?" she asked, but they all could hear the underlying question.

Cain’s smirked. "More than alright. This is my territory. The king will play by my rules."