Bound To The Lycan King

CHAPTER 2:THE BETRAYAL

BELLA’S POV.

The joy and gratitude I felt were overwhelming. I couldn’t hold them back as I rose and thudded him with a hug that nearly threw him off balance. I must say I didn’t expect him to agree to help me.

And I couldn’t remember the last time I was this close to him, as our relationship was built on cold politeness and unspoken resentment.

“Thank you, uncle,” I said. “After everything that happened, I… I thought you hated me.”

“No…” he grimaced in disapproval, as if I’d uttered something unforgivable as he pulled away from the hug. He held my shoulders, rubbing them gently in reassurance. “You’re my only niece, my favourite niece. There is no way I’d hate you, not after I promised your father to protect and guide you.”

He paused and smiled softly. As I watched him, I could see the genuineness in his expression. A caring, affectionate side of him I never thought existed. “The only reason I was that way towards you was to toughen you up for the position. This place is crawling with sycophants and enemies in disguise, people who won’t hesitate to steal the throne from you and erase your father’s legacy. They think a shewolf isn’t capable of ruling the pack as an Alpha. I just wanted to clear the path for you. Even without you asking, I was going to step down eventually.”

A small smile spread across my face. My chest felt like a dead weight had been lifted from it, my heart finally finding rest as I listened to his words. I was glad we had resolved our differences.

The day of the Alpha Gathering came faster than I could blink. The grand hall was tastefully decorated with ribbons, fresh flowers, velvet banners of gold and crimson, and soft lights. Moments later, the Alphas began to arrive in their numbers, impeccably dressed in their regal attire, their Alpha aura filling the hall with an air of dominance.

I stayed on the side of the stage where I wouldn’t be seen, waiting for the time my uncle would introduce me.

After the Alphas were served refreshments and the important discussions were made, my uncle finally gestured for me to step into the lights, which I did confidently, a broad smile on my face.

It was an honour to be among such influential figures of the werewolf kingdoms.

“Honoured guests, I present Bella Northwing…” he said to the crowd, pausing for a beat as he gave me a look. “The slave of the pack, and today, we have her all dressed up for sale.”

The crowd murmured in amusement as if gearing up for a show.

“What?…” Shock drained the blood from my face as I stared at my uncle with wide eyes, my mouth hanging open.

“What are you doing?… This wasn’t what we talked about?…” I said with a low voice, thrown completely off balance while trying to convince myself this was probably one of his tricks.

If it were, then this one was way too expensive and unthinkable. And I wasn’t okay with it at all.

Little did I know it wasn’t.

“Oh, little niece,” his voice sounded sweet, but his gaze was cold and cruel as he cast a condescending glare. “How gullible you are. You’re the biggest fool on the entire planet if you think I’m going to step down for a cursed little shewolf like you to rule.”

His words struck me like a physical blow, knocking a breath right out of me. The worst part was that he said it out loud. Laughter rolled from every corner of the hall as the Alphas mocked me.

At that moment, I wished the ground would s***h open and swallow me in as I felt their stares in my skin—burning, branding, piercing, humiliating. My head spun, my knees threatening to give up underneath me as the weight of my uncle’s betrayal crashed down on me.

“Why…?” My voice quivered, almost reducing to a sob, no matter how firm and steady I tried to keep it. “How could you do this to me? I trusted you. I’m the only family you have left. For f**k’s sake, you swore to my father… You promised—”

“I have made hundreds of promises to many dying men, and guess what…? I’ve kept exactly none!” He let out a chuckle, dark and venomous, savouring every drop of the humiliation he was inflicting on me as if it were fine wine.

And the crowd only followed suit with their incessant laughter and whispers, feeding his ego.

Approaching in a predatory manner, he closed the gap between us and cradled my cheek, angling my face so I was staring directly into his dark eyes.

“You see, niece, when it comes to the game of thrones, even family means nothing. Power doesn’t come to those with sentiments. It belongs to those who are willing to bleed for it or make others bleed. All this time, you just can’t see it. Pathetic.” He let out a derisive snort.

“You’re so dumb at times, I can’t help but wonder if the Northwing blood truly runs in your veins. As long as I’m alive, I won’t live to watch you take that throne. It belongs to me… it always has! The only reason your father got to sit on it was because luck shone in his side!”

“Let go of me!” I furiously yanked his hands from my face. “I’m not a commodity to be traded.”

I kept a feisty expression and met his gaze fearlessly, unflinchingly. But deep down, I was breaking, crumbling, confused, wondering when it all came down to this.

I knew he didn’t like me very much, but after our encounter a week ago, when I asked for his help in introducing me to the Alphas gathered here and speaking in my favour, I thought otherwise. Now, he had finally shown his true colours.

No, he had always been showing them. I was just dumb enough not to notice.

Oh goodness… I really am a fool.

All this while, even while my father was alive, my uncle had been jealous of him because he happened to carry the Alpha blood, which was the mark of leadership, while he turned out to be the brother with the beta blood.

I thought family was all that mattered. I thought that blood was stronger than ambition, that a promise made to a dying brother meant something. But my uncle had just proven me wrong.

“Thank you, uncle, for making your true intentions known. Now I know I won’t hesitate when it comes to crushing you.”

But I didn't have the slightest idea how to do that. My uncle was superior to me in every way and had more influence in the council and pack. I had just signed my death warrant, but I must say it was liberatingly satisfying to finally spit venom back at him, to finally bare my teeth at him after all these years of living under his shadow and manipulations.

He smirked in amusement at my sudden spark of courage, which I had never exhibited before, and went ahead to mock me.

“And how exactly do you plan on doing that now that you’re the slave of the pack about to be traded off like the livestock that you are?”

The crowd laughed softly, some whispering, some smirking, all watching me break like it was a comedy show. I did what I never thought I could do, turning to them in anger.

“You can sit here and laugh all you want! But it’s in your best interest to know that I am my father’s daughter. The Alpha blood runs in my veins. I should be the one on that throne. Every one of you who knew and worked with my father knows that too well. Not this traitorous bastard!” I finished, nearly out of breath as my blazing eyes swept across every one of their faces, as if daring them to deny them.

However, the fire in me died the instant I saw how unresponsive they were.

Some of them stared at me sternly like I had violated a rule by speaking to them that way, while the others wore expressions as unreadable as stone, not saying a word, offering me no support, acknowledgement, or even pity.

“Beat it, little niece,” my uncle’s voice was rich with mockery, dark with delight. “You stand no chance against me.”

The pain of my uncle’s betrayal, my humiliation, and the Alphas’ ignorance became all too much for me to bear as reality flashed like death before me that I had lost the throne my father left for me.

Palming my mouth to hold back the sobs and tears threatening to spill, my feet moved swiftly as I turned away from them in an attempt to leave the stage—only to collide with a hard, towering muscular surface that halted my tracks.