The Traitor Within
683 Words
The council chamber had become a battlefield of fear and suspicion.
Nobody spoke.
Nobody moved.
Kael’s hand remained tightly wrapped around Darius’s throat while the rogue leader smiled like he was enjoying every second of the chaos.
“You already know the answer,” Darius repeated coldly.
Kael’s silver eyes burned with fury.
“Say the name.”
Darius chuckled weakly despite being pinned against the wall.
“What fun would that be?”
With a violent shove, Kael released him.
Darius crashed hard against the floor but still laughed darkly.
The sound echoed through the ruined chamber like poison.
Ava’s pulse raced painfully.
Someone inside the kingdom betrayed them.
Someone close enough to destroy Nightshade from within.
The realization terrified her more than the rogues outside.
Kael slowly turned toward the council.
His expression was lethal now.
“No one leaves this chamber.”
Several rulers immediately protested.
“You cannot imprison the council!”
Kael’s voice cut through the room sharply.
“Until I know who opened those gates, nobody is above suspicion.”
Silence followed instantly.
Even the council members looked uneasy now.
Because deep down…
They knew he was right.
Ava suddenly noticed Selene standing quietly near the broken windows.
Too quiet.
Her blue eyes briefly met Ava’s before quickly looking away.
Something felt wrong.
Before Ava could think further—
A loud explosion shook the castle again.
Dust rained from the ceiling.
Screams echoed somewhere below the chamber.
The battle was getting closer.
A guard rushed inside, blood running down his armor.
“My king! Rogue wolves breached the western tower!”
Kael cursed under his breath.
“How many?”
“At least fifty.”
Fear spread rapidly through the chamber again.
One council member stepped backward.
“They’re trying to reach the royal quarters.”
No.
Ava realized the horrifying truth immediately.
“They’re trying to reach me.”
The room fell silent.
Darius smiled slowly.
“Smart girl.”
Kael’s growl rumbled low inside his chest.
“You will never touch her.”
Darius looked almost amused.
“You still don’t understand.”
His silver eyes shifted toward Ava again.
“She belongs to the Blood Moon now.”
The words sent cold fear crawling through Ava’s body.
The whisper inside her mind suddenly returned.
He’s right.
A sharp pain exploded behind her eyes.
Ava stumbled slightly.
Kael reached her instantly.
“Ava.”
The moment he touched her, the pain eased again.
That terrifying connection between them was becoming stronger every second.
Too strong.
Ava could feel his emotions clearly now.
Protectiveness.
Rage.
Fear.
And beneath all of it…
An overwhelming need to keep her close.
Kael felt the connection too.
His expression darkened slightly as their eyes locked.
The tension between them became dangerously intimate despite the chaos surrounding them.
Selene noticed.
And the jealousy on her face became impossible to hide now.
“She’s distracting you,” Selene said coldly.
Kael barely looked at her.
“She’s the reason this kingdom still has a future.”
The words shocked the chamber into silence.
Even Ava stared at him.
Because for the first time…
Kael sounded emotionally attached.
Not just protective.
Attached.
Darius laughed again.
“The mighty Alpha King has already fallen.”
Kael ignored him completely.
His focus remained entirely on Ava.
“You’re staying beside me from now on.”
Ava swallowed hard.
“That sounds more like an order.”
“It is.”
Something dangerous flickered in his silver eyes.
Not anger.
Possession.
Before Ava could respond—
A scream suddenly echoed from the hallway outside the chamber.
Then another.
The doors burst open violently.
A wounded warrior stumbled inside before collapsing to the floor.
“The royal prison…”
Blood spilled from his mouth.
“He escaped.”
Kael’s expression instantly turned deadly.
“Who escaped?”
The warrior looked terrified.
Then whispered:
“The prisoner you captured three years ago…”
Fear spread across several council members’ faces.
Even Darius stopped smiling.
And for the first time since entering the chamber…
The rogue leader looked uneasy.
- Writer
