Chapter 238
SONIA’S POV
The moment Gade’s lips moved, my heart clenched. I leaned closer, barely daring to breathe, as his voice rasped a single name that sent a chill down my spine.
“Daniel
And then he was gone, slipping into unconsciousness, his body slack and pale against the bloodied sheets.
“No,” I whispered, my voice trembling as 1 gripped his hand. “No, Cade, stay with me. Don’t you dare-
sa” Ivy interrupted, her voice soft but urgent. “The healers need to work.”
“Sonia,
I looked up to see the healer standing beside me, her hands already moving to assess Cade’s worsening condition. She gave me a reassuring nod. though her face betrayed the weight of the situation.
“I’ll do everything I can,” she promised.
is the we
weight of what I’d just
Reluctantly, 1 let go of Cade’s hand and stepped back, my chest tight with panic. Ivy caught my arm, steadying me as heard settled over me like a shroud.
Daniel
The name hung in the air, a sharp, cutting reminder of betrayal My thoughts spiraled, my mind racing back to the ambush, the trap we had set that had turned against us. Daniel had been there I had seen him signal the rogues.
And now Cade was fighting for his life because of him.
If anything happens to my brother, if anything happens to Cade, I’ll make sure to wipe out his entire existence from the world.
The hallway outside Cade’s room felt too quiet, the stillness a cruel contrast to the storm raging inside me. I paced back and forth, my clenched at my sides, replaying everything in my mind,
“How long?” I muttered under my breath. “How long has he been working against us? How much has he told her?”
fists
Ivy stood nearby, her expression grim as she watched me. “We don’t know the full story yet,” she said cautiously. “We don’t know why he did it.”
“Does it matter?” I snapped, stopping to glare at her. “He betrayed us, Ivy. He betrayed Cade. How can you defend him?”
“I’m not defending him,” she replied, her tone calm but firm. T’m saying we need to understand the why before we act. What if Lorena forced him into this? What if he didn’t have a choice?”
“There’s always a choice,” I said bitterly, my voice cracking. “He could have come to me. To us. But instead, he turned his back on this pack.”
y hesitated, her eyes searching mine. “You’re right,” she said softly. “Hut if we go after him with nothing but anger, we might miss the bigger picture. If he’s working with Lorena, he’s not the only one.”
Her words hat me like a blow, and I sank into the nearest chair, the weight of it all pressing down on me. She was right. Daniel couldn’t have done
this alone
Then we start with him,” I said, my voice low but resolute. “We hand him, and we
The search for Daniel felt like a cruel game of cat and mouse. Every lead we followed turned cold, every trail seemed to
a vanish into nothing as if he had disappeared into thin air.
I stood in the war mam, staring at the map pinned to the wall. My fingers traced the lines of the northern border, my
“He knows our territory too well.” I said aloud, iny frustration bubbling over. “He’s using it against us.”
my mind racing
ing with questions.
Ivy stepped braide me, her brow furrowed. “If he’s running, it means he’s scared. He knows what’s waiting for him if we catch him.”
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11:03 AM c c ·
Chapter 238
That’s not good enough.” I said, slamming my fist against the table. “He shouldn’t have been able to run at all. He should never have been in a position to betray us in the first place.”
Ivy didn’t reply, and the silence stretched between us, heavy with unspoken truths,
fury and
When we finally got word of Daniel’s location, I didn’t wait. I didn’t hesitate. I led the team myself, my heart pounding with a mix of fur determination.
The cabin was small and unassuming, nestled deep in the forest near the northern border. It was the kind of place someone could disappear into, the kind of place where secrets were kept
I motioned for the warriors to surround the cabin, then stepped forward, my dagger in hand. The air was cold, biting against my skin, but I barely
felt in
“Daniel,” I called out, my voice sharp and commanding “Come out.
Now
For a moment, there was nothing. Then the door creaked open, and Daniel stepped out, his hands raised in surrender.
He i
looked thinner than I remembered, his face gaunt and lined with exhaustion. But his eyes were still sharp, still defiant.
“Sonia,” he said, his voice calm despite the situation. “I was wondering when you’d find me.”
My grip on the dagger tightened as I stepped closer. “You betrayed us,” I said, my voice trembling with anger. “You betrayed Ramon, you betrayed Cade. Because of you because of you. Cade…Cade is fighting for his life. how dare you…Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”
“I know exactly what I’ve done,” he replied, his tone even. “And I’ll take full responsibility. But first, you need to listen to me. He was trying to stay calm, he was trying to hide his fears.
I froze, my chest tightening. “Why should I listen to anything you have to say?”
“Because you don’t know the full story,” he said, his eyes locking onto mine. “And if you kill me now, you’ll never know.”
The cabin was cold and dimly lit, the air thick with tension as Daniel sat across from me. His hands were bound, and two warriors stood guard by
the door.
“Start talking.” I said, my voice icy.
Daniel took a deep breath, his shoulders sagging. “It wasn’t supposed to be like this,” he said
quietly. “I didn’t want to hurt anyone.
“Save it.” I snapped. “Tell me why you
cou did u
He hesitated, his gaze flickering to the floor. “Lorena found me,” he said finally. “She, she knew things about me. Things I thought no one
“What things I demanded.
knew.”
He looked up, his eyes filled with shame. “I stole from the pack,” he admitted “Years ago. I had debts. And I thought I could fix it before anyone noticed. But she found out. She threatened to expose me unless I helped her.
– I stared at him, i
my mind
reeling. “You betrayed us because you were afraid of being caught?”
“I didn’t have a choice,” he said, lais voice breaking “She would have destroyed me, Sonia. And then she started making bigger demands. She said if I didn’t cooperate, she’d come after my family. My pups” I said, touching my stomach.
His wordchat me like a punch to the gut, and for a moment, I couldn’t speak.
*ho you thought betraying us was the better option?” I said fually, my voice cold.
“I thought I could control it,” he said, his voice desperate. “I thought I could keep her at bay. But I was wrong. And now…” He looked down, his shoulders slumping “Now Cade’s paying the price for my mistakes. And….And I don’t even know how to face Alpha Ramon or to explain my
t to make him
My hands trembled as Estaird at him, the weight of his confession pressing down on me. Part of me wanted to scream, to lash out, to feel the pain he lui caused. Hot anaher part of me, our i didn’t want to acknowledge, felt something che,
Pity.
As I stood outside the cabin later that night, the cold air bating at my skin, Ivy stepped beside me.
“What now?” she asked, her voice soft
I didn’t answer right away, my gaze fixed on the trees beyond. “We keep him alive.” I said finally. “For now. I need to inform Ramon about it, to let him know what his seen to be weak Omega has done. If he’s telling the truth, we can use him to get to Lorena. But if he lies…”
I didn’t finish the sentence, but the weight of it hung in the air.
“I hope you’re right,” Ivy said quietly.
“So do I. I whispered, though my heart felt anything but certain
As the moon rose high above the forest. I made a silent vow. I would stop Lorena, no matter the cost. And if Daniel proved to be another casualty along the way, so be it
