Rejected by Blood, Chosen by the Alpha

Chapter 4: The Betrayal

I couldn't breathe.

The weight of the ancient prophecy pressed down on me like a mountain. My hands trembled as I traced the words—power, destruction, wolf. It was all connected to me. I didn’t know how or why, but I could feel it in my bones.

Then the door creaked behind me.

I spun around, my heart leaping into my throat. There stood my father, the Beta of the Silverclaw Pack, his face unreadable.

“I knew you’d find out,” he said, his voice cold and emotionless.

I froze, every muscle in my body locking up. Find out? My mind raced, but no words left my mouth.

“Your mother’s death,” he continued, stepping closer, “your wolf’s death… it was never an accident. It was planned.”

My blood turned to ice. I took a step back, almost tripping over the chair I’d been sitting in moments before. “What… what are you talking about?”

His expression hardened. “Your mother’s power was too great. She had the strength to rival the strongest of Alphas. And you—” he pointed directly at me, “you’re not weak. You never were.”

I shook my head, struggling to understand. “Then why… why did you—”

He cut me off. “I sold you, Liana. For power. For your place in the bloodline, for my rise. You were always meant to be a tool, a pawn in the bigger picture.”

I backed into the desk, the edge digging into my back, but I didn’t feel it. My whole body was numb, my mind spiraling into chaos. Did he sell me?

“How could you?” The words felt foreign on my tongue like I was someone else speaking. My heart was splintering. This was my father, the one who should have protected me, the one who should have cared.

“I didn’t have a choice,” he said, his voice colder than the winter wind. “The Bloodmoon Pack is stronger. You’re the key to it all. Your wolf’s power is ancient, Liana. I needed it for our survival.”

His betrayal stung more than the physical wounds I’d endured. My mind flashed to the countless times he had looked at me with indifference as if I wasn’t even his daughter. The harshness, the coldness… now it all made sense.

“Don’t you understand?” he sneered. “You were always a means to an end.”

I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out. My hands were shaking uncontrollably. I was nothing but a bargaining chip to him. A tool.

And just as the weight of his words sank in, the sound of heavy boots echoed behind me.

“Liana…” Draven’s voice was low and dangerous, sending a shiver down my spine.

I turned my head, but my father beat me to it, spinning around to face him. Draven stood there, his dark eyes glinting in the dim light of the study. His towering presence filled the room, commanding authority.

“Draven, stay out of this,” my father growled. “This is between me and her.”

Draven’s gaze flicked from my father to me, lingering on my face for a heartbeat longer than necessary. The silence stretched thin, suffocating us both. Finally, his voice cut through the tension, like a knife through butter.

“She’s not your pawn anymore.” The words were cold, final.

I couldn’t process what was happening. My father looked at Draven with disgust, his lips curling into a snarl. “You think you can protect her, Draven? Do you think she’s worthy of your attention? She’s nothing but a curse.”

“I don’t care what you think,” Draven replied, his voice unwavering. “Liana is mine. And I don’t answer to you, Beta.”

For the first time in my life, I saw my father falter. His eyes narrowed with hatred, but there was a flicker of fear in them too. It was fleeting, but I saw it.

“I don’t need your protection,” I blurted, finally finding my voice. Both men turned toward me, surprised. “I don’t need anyone to protect me. I’ve never needed anyone.”

Draven’s eyes softened, but there was no pity in them. “Then stop hiding behind your anger and face the truth, Liana.”

I opened my mouth, but my father cut in, his voice laced with venom. “She’s weak. She’ll never be able to control it. All of this—the prophecy, the power—it’s too much for her. She doesn’t even know what she is.”

“Enough,” Draven snapped, his voice sharp like a whip. “If you’ve come to destroy her, then get out. She’s under my protection now.”

My father’s eyes flared with fury, but he held his ground. “You’re making a mistake, Alpha. You think this weak girl can save you, can save your pack? You’re wrong.”

“I don’t need her to save me,” Draven’s voice was icy now, and his eyes never left my father’s. “But I need her to stand beside me, and you can’t take that away from her.”

The silence in the room grew heavier. I felt like I was trapped in a storm, torn between two worlds, neither of which felt like home.

My father’s voice dropped to a whisper. “You’ll regret this, Liana. You’ll regret trusting him.”

I didn’t know what to say. My mind was spinning, torn between the man I had called my father and the Alpha who claimed me as his mate.

Draven stepped closer to me, his presence swallowing the space between us. “Come with me, Liana. Now.”

I hesitated, my eyes flicking to my father, who stood with his arms crossed, the same cold mask on his face. For a moment, I wondered if I was making the right choice. But then I remembered everything that had happened to me—my mother’s death, my father’s indifference, the hatred in his eyes.

Without another word, I turned and followed Draven, every step heavy with the weight of my decision. As we reached the door, I heard my father’s voice one last time.

“This isn’t over, Liana,” he called out, his voice filled with malice.

I didn’t look back.

Draven led me out into the hall, his grip tight on my wrist. We walked in silence for a while, and the only sound was our footsteps echoing off the stone walls.

Finally, Draven spoke, his voice barely above a whisper. “You have to understand, Liana, what you’ve uncovered—it’s dangerous. Not just for you, but for all of us.”

“I know,” I whispered, my voice shaking. “I didn’t ask for this. None of this.”

“You’re not the only one caught in the middle,” he said, his voice rough. “The prophecy, your father’s betrayal—it all ties together, and it’s not something we can ignore. There’s a storm coming, Liana. And it’s going to change everything.”

My heart pounded in my chest. A storm? What did that mean?

Before I could respond, the sound of footsteps approached from behind us. Draven immediately pulled me closer, his arm wrapped around my waist, his eyes scanning the shadows.

“It’s not safe here,” he muttered, his tone tense.

Suddenly, the door behind us slammed open with a deafening crash.

“Draven,” a familiar voice called out, but it wasn’t his Beta—it was someone else. Someone far more dangerous.

Draven turned sharply, his expression hardening. "What are you doing here?"

A figure stepped into the light, revealing a man with a dangerous smirk and eyes full of malice.

“I think it’s time we settle things,” the stranger said, his voice dripping with menace.

And just as the tension hit its peak, the world around me went dark, and I heard Draven's voice, low and furious, through the haze:

“Get away from her.”