MY ENEMY, MY WEAKNESS

BETRAYAL

ELARA

What! My eyes darted at him. I gritted my teeth and, in defiance, proceeded to stand, but the next thing I knew, I was sprawled back on the floor as his feet came forth and matched the chain on my wrist, destroying my balance.

A low growl bobbed in my throat.

"She needs to be punished, brother!" The same voice from before sizzled in the air. I flipped my gaze in her direction. She was a black-haired beauty around my age. If anything, the square chin and stubborn sunset-brown eyes, gave off her resemblance to the beast beside me. And even more so, their similar wicked behavior. To show her perceived present supremacy over me, she matched my gaze, hers more heated. Suddenly, I growled at her.

"Enough!" Her brother hissed beside me, the sovereignty in his voice causing me to shrink back like I was struck. This often happened when a wolf was under the protection of an external authority.

"She needs to be put in her place, brother," the girl stood, her lethal gaze pinned on me like a thunderbolt. "She still thinks herself high and mighty, can't you see that?"

"Selene—"

"I thought it was a rumor when the Omegas said she looked you in the eyes and talked back at you; she has proven so by challenging me before everyone."

"Sit down, Selene," a woman said, and when I looked at her, she was a spitting image of the beast. Their mother. "Show some respect to the dead."

"Mo—"

"You heard your mother, Selene!" A louder bomb detonated farther down the table. This man had gray hair but didn't conceal how handsome he looked. Looking at him deeply, I could peek out the remnant of his youthful attraction and instantly recognized where the beast got all his physical charms from.

The girl sat down brashly, muttering words I couldn't make out in my distraction. Their Alpha was the last to sit with a loud sigh.

Everyone resumed eating as if nothing happened or I wasn't kneeling at the feet of their stupid Alpha.

Fury coiled in my guts, a hot serpent threatening to strike. My vision blurred as tears welled up, but I blinked them back fiercely. My eyes were on the floor, pinned so hard any minute, I feared it might cave. I shifted my gaze to the beautiful black dress I wore. Why go to such lengths to make me wear such a nice dress if I was going to be rolling in the mud the next minute?

"Have you had breakfast?" I heard the beast ask. I looked up at him, wondering if my ears were deceiving me. Lo and behold, he was staring at me. Was he seriously pretending to care about me when I was literally at his feet like his dog? What kind of man is this? I gasped and looked away.

A few minutes later, their father stood and left the room abruptly without a glance at his wife.

"Fitzgerald_"

"Mother, not now," he grunted, cutting off his mother from whatever she was about to say. So, the beast had a name? Fitzgerald. A beautiful name for a monster.

He stood up suddenly, I feared he might have read my thoughts. I was contemplating it when he bent and grasped the chain on my wrist. "Up," he commanded with a yank, and I obeyed, refusing to be disgraced any further. All eyes were back on us. I wobbled forward, directly into him, as blood drained from my legs from being in one position for so long. I bit my lip in embarrassment and cleared my throat.

"What now?" I asked with a sarcastic smile.

To my bewilderment, he smiled back. My stomach flipped. "Now, slave," he said, "we go for a funeral." And he turned and started walking, pulling me along. My cheeks glowed red with shame. He just called me a slave before these people. I felt like the ground should open and swallow me alive.

"Walk faster, woman, I do not have the time to dawdle." He increased his step, causing me to literally run after him. It wasn't easy, most as my legs were bound, and my hands were forward as he kept pulling the chain, and his movement was thrice mine.

Luckily for me, the place the funeral was taking place happened to be within the packhouse vicinity. A tall ancient building that looked like a church stood in the middle of the grounds. When we entered, the hall was brewing with wolves of different breeds. Immediately they sensed us, they all fell to their knees with their heads touching the ground to show their allegiance.

"You may sit," the beast said, walking to the front. I hurried after, my head to the ground. He climbed the podium where a boy ran forth to position something that looked like a bible in front of him. It was the Scroll of the Dead. This scroll contained the history of the dead and was normally read by the Alpha of the pack at a funeral as the last respect paid to the dead, after which the scroll is burnt alongside them, and their ashes buried beside them.

Once the Alpha was by the podium, everyone sat down, and everywhere became very quiet.

"Kneel on the floor," he said to me, his eyes not leaving the scroll.

"Excuse me..."

"The last thing you need is to show your defiance in front of my people, Ginger," he kept saying, leafing through the scroll. "My gammas are here and won't hesitate to shred you to pieces if they perceive your defiance towards their incoming King. So, if you care to live long enough to perhaps kill me someday, you might as well... obey me." The last words ended with his hypnotizing smile and glance. I swallowed and fell on my knees at once.

The bastard! How did he know of my plan?

Amara.

It had to be her. I knew her kindness was too good to be true. There was no other way he could have known unless he was reading my thoughts, which was very impossible seeing as I was an Alpha. The only way they could get past my Alpha barrier was if they took advantage of my present vulnerability from the wolfbane to get into my head. I doubt that. It had to be her.

"...He will forever be remembered." I heard him conclude as I recovered from my drift.

Once more, silence was lost in the room as everyone stood up and began moving forward to look at the dead for the final time.

"Up," the beast said, took my chain, and jerked it. "I want you to meet someone."

I followed without a word, careful of what I said or did around here. As he said, I had a goal and intended to achieve it. If he thought I would be frightened because I have been caught off-guard at my moment of relapse, then he must be very mistaken. I stumbled down the podium after him towards a group of men standing by the corner, whispering amongst themselves.

"Gentlemen," the beast greeted as we approached, and in unison, they all turned to face us. My face fell, goosebumps breaking out all over my body at the familiar faces of the men before me, especially the eldest.

"Uncle Bernard," the words left my lips.

…