The Traitor
967 Words
We prepared for war.
Wolves trained day and night. Weapons were forged. Strategies were planned. The entire kingdom mobilized for the coming battle.
But something was wrong.
The Alliance knew our movements. Every time we planned an attack, they were ready. Every time we moved our troops, they were waiting.
"Someone is feeding them information," Silas said one night.
We were in the war room, maps spread across the table. My mother, Lila, Gideon, and a few trusted generals were gathered around.
"Who?" I asked.
"I don't know yet." Silas's jaw tightened. "But I'll find out."
"Make it a priority." I looked at the maps. "If we can't trust our own people, we can't win this war."
---
The next few days were tense.
Everyone was suspicious. Everyone was watching everyone else. Trust had become a luxury we couldn't afford.
And then the Alliance attacked.
---
They came at dawn.
Hundreds of wolves descending on our eastern outpost. Our scouts were caught off guard. By the time reinforcements arrived, the outpost was destroyed.
Twenty wolves dead.
I stood in the ruins, staring at the bodies. Wolves who had trusted me. Wolves who had followed me.
"Who did this?" I asked quietly.
"We don't know yet," Silas said. "But they knew exactly where to strike. They knew our defenses were weak there."
"The traitor."
"Yes."
I turned to him. "Find them. Now."
---
We gathered in the throne room.
I paced back and forth, my mind racing. Who could it be? Who would betray us?
"Your Majesty."
I looked up. One of the generals was approaching, his face grim.
"We found something," he said. "In the eastern outpost. A letter, dropped by one of the Alliance scouts."
He handed it to me.
I opened it.
And my blood went cold.
To the Alliance Commander,
The queen's forces are weak on the eastern flank. Attack at dawn. I will ensure the watch is distracted.
Signed,
A Loyal Wolf
I stared at the signature.
It was Lila's.
---
"No," I whispered. "No, it can't be."
"Your Majesty—"
"It can't be Lila." I crumpled the letter. "She's my best friend. She's been with me since the beginning."
"Perhaps that's exactly why she's the traitor," the general said. "She knows everything. Your plans, your weaknesses, your fears."
"She wouldn't. She couldn't."
But even as I said it, doubt crept in.
Lila had been acting strange lately. Distant. Secretive. She'd been spending time alone, away from the others.
I thought she was just tired.
What if it was something else?
"Bring her to me," I said. "Now."
---
Lila was brought to my private chambers.
She looked nervous, fidgeting with her hands. "Raven? What's wrong?"
I held up the letter. "Do you know what this is?"
She read it. Her face went pale.
"Raven, I can explain—"
"Explain what? That you've been selling me out to the Alliance?" My voice shook. "That you've been betraying everything we've built?"
"Raven, please—"
"You lied to me. You've been lying this entire time." Tears burned my eyes. "You were the one person I trusted completely. And you betrayed me."
"I didn't do it on purpose!" she cried. "They threatened my family! My pack! They said if I didn't help them, they'd kill everyone I loved!"
"Everyone you loved?" I stared at her. "What about me? Did you love me?"
"Raven—"
"ANSWER ME."
"YES!" She broke down. "Yes, I love you. You're my best friend. You're my sister. That's why I'm telling you this now. Please. Forgive me. I was trying to protect my family."
I looked at her. This girl who had been with me through everything. Who had stood by me when I was nothing. Who had fought beside me when I was nobody.
"Lila," I said slowly. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because I was afraid. Afraid you'd hate me. Afraid you'd send me away."
I was quiet for a long moment.
Then I said: "I'm not going to send you away."
She looked up, her eyes wide. "What?"
"You made a mistake. A terrible mistake. But you're still my best friend." I stepped closer. "You're going to make it right."
"How?"
"You're going to help me win this war. You're going to give me everything you told the Alliance. Every plan, every weakness, every secret." I met her eyes. "And then you're going to fight beside me. When the battle comes, you're going to prove your loyalty."
Tears streamed down her face. "I will. I swear, I will."
I hugged her.
"I trust you, Lila," I whispered. "Please don't make me regret it."
"I won't," she sobbed. "I won't."
---
That night, I stood on the balcony, staring at the moon.
Silas appeared beside me.
"You did the right thing," he said.
"Did I? She betrayed us. Wolves died because of her."
"People make mistakes. And she chose to make it right." He put his arm around me. "That's all any of us can do."
I leaned into him. "What if I'm making the wrong choice?"
"You're not. Because you're choosing love." He kissed my head. "That's what makes you a good queen."
I smiled weakly. "You always know what to say."
"Because I know you." He tilted my chin up. "And I know you're going to win this war. Not because of a prophecy. Not because of your bloodline. Because you are the bravest, strongest, most stubborn wolf I've ever met."
"Stubborn?"
"Very stubborn." He grinned. "And I wouldn't have you any other way."
I laughed.
"Raven?"
"Yes?"
"I love you."
I looked into his gray eyes. "I love you too."
We kissed under the moonlight.
And for a moment, I forgot about the war. The betrayal. The prophecy.
It was just us.
---
- Writer
