BETRAYAL'S BOND

like wildfire. Some spoke in excitement, others in fear, but all were uneasy. The Alpha's an

sent a chill through the room. Rumors about his power, his ruthlessness, and his history with their pack had been circulating for months, but nothing co

scent of the forest's fresh morning air. The forest quietness so comforting for her before now feels suffocating. Every step she took felt like it was dragg

s of Gabriel's laughter, his smile, and how he glows whenever they are discuss

long now seemed louder, clearer, and too loud to ignore. The mystery surrounding Gabriel's death, Elder Thorne

and precise. A small part of her envied their clarity, how they could focus on the task at hand and shut out everything else. But she c

She turned to see her father, the Beta, app

, forcing a smile.

're struggling with all that's happening recently. The gathering is important, yes, but you

e pack first above all else. But now, everything seems blurry. Everything had changed; she believed so much in

said, though her voice di

in grief, but this is not the time to think about the past. The pack's futur

his uncertain time. But how could she do that when everything she had known felt like a lie? What if the truth about Gab

ing in her mind. He had always been the reasonable one, focused on the reality of their world. But she couldn't help but feel

to her quarters, hoping for a moment of peace. But the quiet in her room only seemed to increase the disturbance inside

the desk, hidden under a pile of training notes. She walked over and picked it up, her mind was b

r, her heart kept racing. The letter was short,

s. They want us divided, weakened. Don't trust everything you're told. You need to see through the lies, no matter how difficult it is. Remember wha

eft you,

to make sense of them. Gabriel hadn't left her, what did that mean? Was he ali

e letter confirmed what she had already suspected, that there was somethin

unded. She took the letter immediately hid it in the drawer and stood up, she o

he said quietly w

d, her voice steady despite al

. "I've been thinking about everything that's happened

een waiting for. She arranged herself for whatever he was about t

iding hers. "There are things I haven't told you. Things I

isper. "The rival pack's Alpha wants to meet with you tomorrow. There's more at stake