Chapter 3
1106 Words
Alara's POV
Victor's words had struck too deep. If there was even a hint of truth to what he said, I had to know, to confirm.
The house loomed ahead, its stone walls bathed in shadow. Voices murmured from inside, low and secretive, and I pressed myself against the cold wall just beneath an open window. Slowly, I crouched down, careful to keep out of sight as I strained to hear.
“…It’s done. She’s given up her powers,” a voice I recognized all too well—Cal—spoke, his tone cold and businesslike. I froze, my heart seizing in my chest.
“What about the coronation?” a gruff voice asked. It was one of the elders, part of the Council.
Cal’s response sent an icy chill down my spine. “It won’t be necessary. Once her powers are completely gone, the pack won’t need to worry about her anymore. She’ll be easy to deal with.”
I bit my lip to keep from gasping aloud. "What… what did he mean by ‘deal with’?"
“I’ll make sure the ceremony happens quietly. Isla will be crowned as my mate. The Council agrees she’s a better fit—pure werewolf blood, none of this witch nonsense,” Cal continued, his voice dripping with venom.
Isla. My step-sister. I had always sensed her envy, but this… she was going to marry Cal? The man I thought I loved? The man who had promised me a future?
The truth crashed into me like a wave, suffocating, tearing me apart from the inside. Cal had never loved me. It had all been a lie, a facade to keep me close until he could strip me of my powers, leaving me defenseless. And I had willingly given them up for him, blindly trusting the man I thought was my salvation.
“She’s too dangerous with those witch powers,” another voice chipped in, one of the older Council members. “If the pack ever found out she was planning to unite the witches and wolves, it’d be chaos. Cal, you did well to manipulate her.”
Rage boiled under my skin, hotter than anything I had ever felt before. My fists clenched at my sides, my nails digging into my palms until they drew blood.
They used me.
“And once she’s out of the way?” another voice asked, someone I couldn’t quite place.
Cal’s voice was firm, devoid of any emotion. “She’ll be taken care of. The pack will ensure she doesn’t get in the way again. She’s no longer useful without her powers.”
My blood ran cold.
Taken care of? They were planning to kill me. The pack—the same people I had fought for, sacrificed for—wanted me dead. And Cal, the man I had loved with every piece of my heart, was orchestrating it all.
I wanted to scream, to burst into the room and tear them apart for their treachery. But instead, I stayed frozen, my breath shallow and my mind racing.
I gave up everything for him... and now I’m nothing.
“Good. The pack will celebrate your union with Isla. She’s more suited to lead beside you,” another elder chimed in, approval laced in his tone. “A new Alpha couple to ensure the future of Silvermoon.”
I could barely process the words. Isla. My sister. She had known, all along. I thought back to the smug looks she always gave me, the mocking comments, and suddenly, it all made sense. She had been part of this from the start.
“I’ll marry Isla in two weeks’ time,” Cal said smoothly. “By then, Alara will be nothing more than a memory.”
My breath hitched. Two weeks? They were planning to have me dead by then. The bile rose in my throat, and I had to bite down hard to keep myself from making a sound. But the agony inside me was unlike anything I had ever felt. I had trusted him—loved him—and he had played me like a fool.
Suddenly, the door creaked open behind me, the sound slicing through the thick air like a blade. My heart dropped into my stomach as I turned, only to lock eyes with a group of stunned faces staring back at me from inside the room.
For a moment, there was silence—shock flashing across a few faces—but it quickly faded. The indifference in their eyes chilled me to my core. Even Cal’s gaze, as it met mine, was devoid of any remorse, any regret. He looked at me like I was nothing, a mere obstacle to be removed.
Isla stood at his side, her lips curled into a smug, victorious smile.
I swallowed hard, my throat dry as my pulse thundered in my ears. Every emotion I had felt in the last few moments—the betrayal, the anger, the heartbreak—seemed to swirl together into a storm, threatening to break loose.
But Cal’s eyes remained cold. Calculating.
He didn’t care.
No one in that room cared.
They had all known. And now, they were staring at me like I was already dead.
The door clicked shut behind me, trapping me in the room with my enemies.
I turned sharply, my heart plummeting to my stomach and then I saw their faces – wide with shock – looking back at me from within the room.
A stunned murmur ran through the viewers for a mere second, and then it disappeared altogether. Only emptiness … and coldness! I suddenly shivered hearing those words in their voice. Not even when he looked at me did I see any hint of guilt, any sorrow, in his eyes.
Isla was standing next to him with her lips curved into what could only be described as a triumphant grin.
I felt my heartbeat pounding in my head as I looked steadily at Cal and tried to swallow, but my throat was so parched. All those feelings that welled up in me over the last couple of minutes – betrayal, anger, and heartache – rose up like a storm ready to unleash itself.
But the cold stunning eyes of Cal were veiled. Calculating.
He didn’t care.
No one in that room cared.
They had all known. And now, they were staring at me as if I were no more alive than the covered corpse at the end of a frightening horror movie.
The door closed and I was a prisoner in the vicinity of my enemies.
I had been trapped.
- Writer
