Chapter 3 – The Betrayer’s Blood
915 Words
The rogue—who still hadn’t given his name—grabbed Selina’s arm as the horn blew a third time. Louder. Closer.
“Move,” he growled.
She didn’t need to be told twice.
The two of them sprinted through the trees, leaping over roots and ducking beneath low branches. The scent of wolves—Kael’s wolves—burned in Selina’s nose like acid. They were coming fast, and they weren’t masking their presence.
They wanted her to know.
Wanted her afraid.
“They’re not here to capture me,” Selina panted. “They’re here to kill me.”
The rogue didn’t deny it.
“Your former Alpha knows if you live long enough to awaken your birthright, he’ll lose everything. You’re a threat now.”
“Then why didn’t he just kill me at the ceremony?” she asked, breathless.
He threw her a look. “Because he needed you to break first. To look weak. He let the rejection tear you apart so no one would question your death later.”
Fury burned through her chest like wildfire.
He had planned it all. Humiliated her. Manipulated the pack. Murdered her father. And now, he wanted her dead so no one would ever know the truth.
They burst out of the woods onto a rocky ledge where three warriors waited—guards from the Sanctuary. One of them was a tall, scarred woman with silver braids and a glowing spear.
“Ronan!” she called out.
So that was his name.
The rogue—Ronan—nodded. “They’re behind us. Ready the gate!”
Selina barely heard the rest as her vision swam. Blood loss. Exhaustion. Rage.
The guards opened a hidden stone passage in the mountain wall. Just as they slipped inside, a howl rang out from the trees behind them.
They were only seconds away.
The doors slammed shut, sealing them in darkness.
Torches flared to life, revealing a long tunnel descending into the earth.
Ronan helped steady her. “You’ll be safe here.”
She yanked her arm away. “Don’t touch me.”
He sighed. “Still don’t trust me?”
“Why would I? You know everything about me, and I know nothing about you.”
“Fair.” He motioned down the hall. “Come on. You’re about to learn everything.”
Selina followed, rage swirling in her chest.
She wouldn’t be a pawn. Not again.
At the tunnel’s end, they entered a wide stone chamber carved from the mountain’s heart. It was ancient, with a domed ceiling and glowing runes etched into the walls. A massive crest hung behind the central altar—two wolves, one bathed in shadow, one in light, circling a blood-red moon.
The woman with the silver braids approached. “You should rest.”
“I want answers,” Selina said. “Now.”
The woman glanced at Ronan, then nodded. “Then come.”
They led her to a side chamber where a massive mural was painted across the wall—battles, wolves with glowing eyes, a figure wrapped in moonlight at the center. Her mother’s face.
Selina’s breath caught. “That’s… her.”
“Yes,” said the woman. “Your mother, Seraphine. The last Moonborn before you. A direct descendant of the first Lunar Queen.”
Selina blinked. “Queen?”
The woman nodded. “Your bloodline was hidden to protect you. Seraphine fell in love with a warrior, your father. Gave up her claim to raise you in secret. But the blood still runs in your veins. That’s why your wolf didn’t die when the bond was severed.”
Selina swayed. “I don’t understand. Why now? Why me?”
Ronan stepped forward. “Because the Blood Moon rises again in seven days. And when it does, the Moonborn must rise—or darkness will.”
She stared at them. “What does that even mean?”
He hesitated. Then reached into his jacket and pulled out a leather journal.
Selina took it. Her fingers trembled as she opened the pages.
It was her father’s handwriting.
There were sketches of her as a baby, notes about her mother’s past, warnings about Kael. And one page near the center circled in red ink:
“The Betrayer’s Blood walks again.”
Her eyes widened. “What does this mean?”
Ronan looked grim. “The prophecy. It doesn’t just speak of the Moonborn’s return. It warns of a second bloodline—one born from betrayal. Hidden in plain sight. Destined to either save or destroy the Moonborn.”
Selina’s blood ran cold. “Who?”
Before anyone could answer, a guard burst through the door.
“We’ve caught someone sneaking past the eastern wall.”
Selina tensed. “Another one of Kael’s men?”
“No.” The guard hesitated. “He asked for Selina… by name.”
Her heart stuttered. “Who?”
The guard looked unsure. “He claims to be your brother.”
Selina froze.
“Impossible,” she whispered. “I don’t have a brother.”
Ronan’s jaw clenched.
The guard nodded. “He carries your father’s crest.”
Selina’s legs nearly gave out.
Her father had never spoken of another child. But if it were true…
Then what else had been kept from her?
--A stranger claiming to be Selina’s brother appears, carrying her father’s crest. Could he be the Betrayer’s Blood from the prophecy? Is he here to protect her—or destroy her?
- Writer
