Broken trust
1116 Words
Chapter Four
Broken Trust
Raven had never truly understood what betrayal felt like—until now.
It wasn’t just anger or disappointment.
It was cold. A sharp, cutting thing that settled deep in her chest, making it hard to breathe.
Lena, her Beta, one of the wolves she had trusted the most, had just admitted to warning the enemy.
And now, standing in the dimly lit courtyard, with Killian’s cold gaze burning into her and Lena trembling before her, Raven had a choice to make.
One that would define her leadership.
One that could change everything.
---
The Confrontation
“Tell me you didn’t mean it,” Raven said, her voice dangerously calm. “Tell me I misheard you, Lena.”
Lena’s lips parted, but no sound came out.
Killian took a slow step forward, his presence a silent threat. “She knew,” he said, his voice smooth as steel. “She’s been feeding information to someone. The question is—who?”
Lena flinched, her wide eyes flickering between them. “It’s not what you think,” she whispered.
Raven’s hands clenched into fists. “Then tell me what the hell it is. Because right now, it looks like you just led me straight into a trap.”
Lena swallowed hard. “I—I was trying to protect you.”
Raven let out a sharp, bitter laugh. “Protect me?”
Lena nodded quickly. “You don’t understand. There’s someone inside the pack—someone powerful. They wanted—”
“Names,” Killian cut in, his voice sharp. “Now.”
Lena hesitated.
Too long.
And that hesitation told Raven everything she needed to know.
Her voice dropped into something lethal. “You’re lying.”
Lena’s breath hitched.
And then, she ran.
Raven’s body moved on instinct, her wolf roaring as she launched forward, tackling Lena to the ground.
They hit the dirt hard, a tangle of limbs and fury.
Lena struggled, but Raven was stronger.
She pinned her down, gripping the front of her shirt. “You don’t get to run from this,” she snarled.
“Please,” Lena gasped. “I didn’t mean to—”
Raven slammed her against the ground, shaking with rage. “Who are you working with?”
But before Lena could answer, Killian was there.
He yanked Raven back with a firm grip on her shoulder.
“That’s enough,” he said. “We need her alive.”
Raven’s breathing was ragged, her muscles coiled tight.
She wanted answers. She wanted to tear them out of Lena if she had to.
But Killian was right.
For now.
She exhaled sharply and let go.
Lena slumped to the ground, coughing.
Killian crouched beside her, his icy blue eyes unreadable. “If you’re telling the truth, prove it,” he said. “Tell us who you’ve been meeting.”
Lena hesitated again, her gaze darting toward Raven.
And in that moment, Raven knew.
She wasn’t going to talk.
Because she was more afraid of whoever she was protecting than she was of them.
And that meant whoever was behind this?
They were dangerous.
---
The Fallout
Lena was locked in the east wing under constant guard.
Raven didn’t speak as she and Killian made their way back inside the estate.
She was too busy trying to keep herself from breaking something.
The hallways were dimly lit, the scent of burning wood lingering in the air.
Only when they reached her office did she finally snap.
She turned on Killian, her jaw tight. “You think this was her plan all along?”
He leaned against the desk, watching her carefully. “I think she’s covering for someone. Someone with power.”
Raven exhaled through her nose, pacing. “We need to find out who.”
“We will,” he said easily. “But first, we need to decide what to do with her.”
She stopped pacing. “She’s my Beta. She’s my responsibility.”
Killian’s eyes darkened. “She’s a traitor.”
The word made Raven flinch.
She had known Lena since they were kids. She had trusted her.
And now…
Her stomach twisted.
“I need time to think,” she muttered.
Killian studied her for a long moment before nodding. “Fine. But don’t take too long. Because the longer we wait, the more time the real enemy has to move.”
Then he turned and left, the door clicking shut behind him.
Raven sank into her chair, running a hand through her hair.
She had always known being Alpha meant making hard choices.
But she never thought one of those choices would be this.
---
A Silent Threat
Hours later, Raven stood by the window, staring at the moonlit courtyard below.
Her thoughts were tangled.
Killian was right—Lena wasn’t working alone.
And if there was someone else inside her pack, feeding the enemy information, then it was only a matter of time before they struck again.
A chill ran down her spine.
A knock at the door made her tense.
“Come in.”
The door opened, and her Beta—her former Beta—was shoved inside.
A guard stood behind her, looking uncertain. “She says she wants to talk.”
Raven’s heart pounded.
She nodded at the guard. “Leave us.”
The door shut, leaving them alone.
Lena’s wrists were bound, her eyes rimmed red.
Raven crossed her arms. “Start talking.”
Lena swallowed hard. “I was meeting someone. But not because I was betraying you.”
Raven arched a brow. “Really? Because it sure as hell looks like you were.”
Lena exhaled shakily. “It’s someone inside the Elders’ circle. Someone who knows things about this… about your marriage.”
Raven stilled.
Lena’s voice dropped. “This wasn’t just about stopping the rogues. This marriage—it was never about peace.”
Ice slid down Raven’s spine. “What are you talking about?”
Lena licked her lips. “The Elders set this up, Raven. Not to unite you and Killian. But to draw someone out.”
Raven’s pulse hammered.
“Who?” she demanded.
Lena hesitated. “Killian’s brother.”
The air was sucked out of the room.
Raven’s fingers curled into fists.
“Killian’s brother is dead.”
Lena’s expression was unreadable. “That’s what they wanted you to believe.”
Raven’s stomach twisted.
If what Lena was saying was true…
Then everything—the war, the arranged marriage, the attacks—
It was all part of something bigger.
Something she and Killian were only just beginning to uncover.
And someone had been pulling the strings all along.
- Writer
