ONCE BETRAYED: TWICE RECLAIMED

"RUN!!!" I heard my father yell and immediately, I felt my feet moving, carrying me to the woods.

Once I was close to the forest, I stopped and looked behind me, longing unconsciously for my father. He was fending off the rogue werewolves all by himself, keeping them from coming after me. I began to run back, ready to defend my father, when he yelled once more.

"Leave, Lia -" one of the wolves slashed a claw in his back and my father roared in pain but was quick to hit the wolf away.

I turned and began to run into the forest. My father would be weak soon. No one man, no matter how powerful he is, can fend off such a number of wolves by himself – had I counted twelve? – I had seen more coming from the other side of the forest. I must find help for my father soon.

The moon was hanging low, half and beckoning to me. I howled desperately into the night, releasing my fears and grief. We had not gone too far from the pack settlement before the attack, so soon, I was in front of the pack house. I howled once more and in an instant, I began to hear echoes of howls and people began to pour out of the house.

Some had shifted to their wolves and others remained in their human form. At that moment, I felt my knees go weak. My wolf whined as I fell to my knees and I felt arms around me. They must have rushed forward to keep me from falling to the ground.

I felt someone rushing towards me and asking me questions but I could not make out what they said or see them till the darkness took over me.

I woke up the next morning to a blinding light and a burning pain in my side. A woman was sitting by my bedside and I almost mistook her for my mother until she turned her head and settled those cold, steely eyes on my form.

"I cannot be your mother." She commented as though she had read my mind which was very likely, given that she was the priestess. She stood from where she had been seated and returned with a cup of steaming liquid. "You are not healing."

"What?' I asked in confusion.

"You sustained an injury –" she pushed the cup into my hand. "It has been three days but it is still not healing."

"Three days? I jumped from my bed, suddenly remembering I was supposed to do something. But as I jumped, something pulled me back down, I Looked around for what it was until I found it. My left hand was cuffed to the bed. My wolf growled in annoyance.

"What is this?' I growled, baring my canines at the priestess.

"You're to remain in your room until we decide what to do with you."

"What do you mean by that? I demand to see my father now!" I seethed.

The priestess sat back beside me, her sharp blue eyes never left mine. I felt my body vibrate with fear, but for a reason, I held the fear away.

"You must not know, my darling." Her voice was low and venomous. Her hand touched my face, they were cold, too cold for my warmth. "Or was it not a part of your plan?"

I shifted. "What are you talking about? What plan?"

She stood up and began to walk away from me. I tried once more to stand from my bed and rush towards her but the cuffs drew me back.

Frustrated, I huffed. "Don't walk out on me! I'm still talking!"

I growled, my wolf growled and we were trying to shift, to gain control but something was not letting us, instead, we felt weaker.

"What – what did you do to me?' I asked weakly.

She smiled. A wicked smile which mirrored her black heart. "It was in your tea. Anytime you try to turn, you would only make your wolf weaker, so I advise you not to try anything stupid."

The door opened and Beta Blade walked in.

I tried to scream but all that managed to come out was a strangled choke. Beta Blade rushed to my side and bent towards me. I showed him my hand in cuffs and he held it then squeezed tight.

"What- what." I managed to choke out. "Beta Blade?'

His eyes were fiery and he looked at me like I was his worst enemy.

"You did this." He spat. "There will be no mercy."

I looked behind him to the priestess but she had already excused herself from the room. I looked at Beta Blade, wondering for the thousandth time what was going on.

"Where is my father?" I choked weakly. "Get me my father, Beta Blade."

"Did you forget? Amelia? Did you really forget?"

"Forget what?"

"He trusted you, Amelia."

"What are you talking –" I tried to ask but beta Blade was already leaving. I struggled against the cuffs, to run after him and tell him he was mistaken. To make him explain things better to me, to know what was going on. But my body was becoming too weak, the struggle was draining out my energy faster than my heart could beat and even keeping my eyes open was a chore and soon, I slipped into restless slumber.

I woke to a pounding in my head and the same burning pain in my side. I had not had the time to check how deep the wound the priestess said I had sustained was or try to remember when I had gotten it.

I felt my body being dragged. Rough hands seized mine and were pulling me towards a gathering. I struggled but they were much more powerful. They did not stop until we were in front of the crowd. Roughly, they threw me on the muddied ground and spat. I growled at them as their spittle hit me in the face and one of the men rushed to hit me but beta Blade restrained him.

"That's enough!' he thundered and the man maintained his initial composure. The murmuring in the crowd died and even the leaves stopped moving. I looked around, hoping to see my father and wondering why he would let his beta address such a huge crowd as if he was the alpha himself.

"We are here today," Beta Blade began. "To choose a new Alpha following the murder of the previous one. May his soul rest in Peace."

"What? Murder? Did my father die?" I queried suddenly finding the strength to stand on my feet.

Blade ignored me and continued his speech. "The Alpha loved his daughter, we all know this and since he had no male heir, trained her to take over from him after his demise. Unfortunately, he had to leave us so soon."

"I loved our Alpha but he and I had never agreed on one thing. That is the ability for a woman to lead a pack the way a man should. We all know Alpha Owen was in support of women becoming Alphas. His greatest wish was to be succeeded by his daughter and on this topic, he and I never saw eye to eye. And today, that belief has killed him."

The crowd gasped and heads turned to me. Mouths moved but I could not make out what they said.

Beta Blade continued. "It is with sorrow in our hearts that we are all gathered here to choose a new Alpha, a new leader. Someone to continue from where Alpha Owen had stopped. But before then, I have something to tell all of us. Something that would shake us to the bone, something that would shed light on a secret that was thought to be well hidden in the dark, something that you all would question but while you are questioning what I'm about to tell you, ask yourself this question; who stands to gain more from the death of the Alpha?'