Betrayed By Her Fated Mate

Kaida’s POV   I had just turned eighteen, and there I was, staring at my parents’ dead bodies.   Sitting on the cold floor of the Pack’s hall, my hair tangled and my green eyes darker than the night before, the horror of last night still clung to me. The Fireflies Pack had attacked mercilessly, silencing innocent cubs just to reach my father. He could have stayed silent to save himself, but the cries of those cubs tore through his heart. Knowing he might not survive, he risked everything to stop the m******e. And my mother? She refused to let him face it alone.   “Mom, please! Trust Father to handle this,” I had begged. But she only kissed my forehead as her response before disappearing into the chaos.   Now, I had lost them both.   “Rose you shouldn’t be standing there like that. Help me get Kaida to her room,” Beta Andrew muttered, calling my best friend.   I was numb, my silence deeper than the ocean, but inside, a storm raged. Tears streamed down my face as they carried me away, but all I could see were my parents’ bodies. Rose led me to my room and helped me settle on my mattress.   “Kaida, the pack needs you now more than ever. Please don’t break,” Rose’s voice echoed faintly before fading into silence.   I slept for hours and woke to Ryker, my mate-to-be, standing over me. Overwhelmed, I threw myself into his arms, screaming and crying, desperate to wash away the pain.   “I’m here, Kaida. I promise I’ll never leave you. I’ll be everything you need to survive,” he whispered.   But with my eyes closed and tears flowing, all I saw were my parents; breathless, bloodied, and lying on the cold floor.   “Dad promised he’d never leave me. Mom said she’d always be here. Now I’m alone. How do I protect this pack from the Fireflies? I’m only eighteen,” I whispered, choking on my tears.   I was still trying to understand what my pack had done to deserve this kind of loss. The Alpha of the Fireflies Pack was an elderly man of my late father’s age and in the past few years, he and my father had shared a good relationship.   The door slammed open. Beta Andrew stormed in. “Alpha Ryker, you can’t be here. Leave!” he spat.   Ryker didn’t argue. He kissed my forehead, promised me again, then left.   Andrew saw my pain and softened. “You won’t lose me. But Ryker… I don’t trust him. He promised to have his Pack fight with the Shadow Pack last night against the Fireflies, but guess what? I watched his beta fight against us last night. Kaida, I’m thirty four years old, and I have served your parents for twenty years. I was born to protect this pack’s royalty and though I lost your parents, I refuse to lose you too.”   A tear slipped from his eye causing me to wipe mine away. I’d never seen Beta Andrew cry before, and I hoped never to again. He was the only strength I had left.   “You’re not losing me. And as for Ryker, maybe it’s just a misunderstanding. Our mating ceremony is next month, remember?” I reminded him, hugging him briefly.   “That’s not the point, Kaida,” he said, but I wasn’t listening.   “Let’s focus on laying my parents to rest. We’ll deal with everything else after, especially the Fireflies,” I ordered.   He bowed and left.   I wondered if Ryker would really leave. I rushed to the terrace just in time and saw him driving away from the palace.   He must have felt insulted, I thought, taking a deep breath with my long and curly green hair dancing in the air.   Hours later, Alphas and Lunas from neighboring packs gathered at the palace to honor my parents. Together with the pack and our priestess, we stood in uniform, waiting for the coffins to arrive for the blessings and last respect. But after two hours, there was still no sign of them.   “For the first time in this pack’s history, everything’s falling apart. Will we even survive?” someone spat, and unease rippled through the crowd.   “The Alpha and Luna are gone. Shadow Pack is finished. Kaida’s too young to lead, and a woman like her shouldn’t rule,” another voice sneered, sparking murmurs.   Rose, standing behind me, was losing her composure. I squeezed her hand, trying to calm her and myself. I was the target of their scorn. I should be the one breaking.   Suddenly, Beta Andrew rushed up and grabbed my arm. Angry, I shoved him away. “What’s going on? My parents need to be laid to rest today. Why is everything delayed.”   “There’s a problem, Kaida,” he muttered, eyes downcast and heavy with guilt, a look I’d rarely seen.   My heart pounded.   “What is it?” I demanded.   “It’s your parents’ bodies… they’re missing,” he reported bitterly.