Chapter 39 THE TRAITOR REVEALED

Chapter 39 THE TRAITOR REVEALED
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

The army arrived at Blood Moon before sunrise. A cold fog hung over the territory, creeping between the trees like ghostly fingers. The camp was already awake, no one had slept.

Warriors sharpened blades around dying campfires. Scouts moved rapidly between defensive positions. Mothers gathered children into reinforced shelters beneath the eastern cliffs.

The entire pack waited and somewhere beyond the northern mountains… Draven was coming.

Anna stood beside Chris at the main watchtower, her cloak fluttering in the wind. Neither had spoken since her vision.

Draven isn't trying to become stronger. He's trying to become immortal.

The realization haunted her, immortality wasn't something normal wolves sought.

It wasn't natural. It wasn't part of the Moon Goddess's design.

Which meant whatever Draven was chasing… It was far darker than anyone imagined.

A horn suddenly sounded from below. One long blast, then another. Chris immediately turned.

Steve was climbing the tower stairs two at a time. His expression was grim. "Alpha."

Chris straightened. "What happened?"

Steve handed him a folded piece of parchment. "Our trap worked."

The words immediately erased every other thought.

The traitor.

Chris unfolded the paper. Anna watched his expression carefully. The moment he began reading, his eyes narrowed.

Then darkened. A knot formed in Anna's stomach as she watched him.

"What is it?"

Chris handed the parchment to Steve. The Beta read it, his face immediately lost color. "No."

The response came instantly. A hunt of disbelief wavered in his voice.

Anna took the note next, her pulse quickened. The message was simple.

A scout stationed on the western ridge had reported seeing enemy wolves moving toward a location that only one person had been given.

The trap had identified the leak and the name written at the bottom made Anna's heart sink.

Elder Marcus.

Heavy silence. Marcus wasn't just any elder.

He was one of the most respected wolves in Blood Moon. He had served under Chris's father and helped raise Chris after his parents died. He was family.

Which somehow made the betrayal worse. Steve swore under his breath. "That can't be right."

Chris looked away, Anna could feel it through the bond. The painful certainty.

"It is."

His voice sounded hollow. Steve shook his head. "No."

The denial came from emotion rather than logic. Chris understood that because he felt it too.

Marcus wasn't supposed to be the traitor. Anyone but Marcus.

A younger warrior appeared at the tower entrance. "Alpha?"

Chris's expression instantly hardened. "Bring him to the council hall."

The warrior nodded and hurried away. The hunt was over. Now the truth finally surfaces.

\~~~

The council hall got filled quickly. Word had spread faster than wildfire. By the time Marcus arrived, nearly every senior member of Blood Moon had gathered.

The old elder entered calmly. Almost too calmly. His silver hair was neatly combed, his clothes immaculate and his expression composed.

The sight unsettled Anna immediately because guilty people usually looked nervous. Marcus didn't.

Chris stood at the center of the room. The atmosphere crackled with tension.

"Do you know why you're here?"

Marcus studied him for a moment. Then nodded.

"I imagine I do."

Murmurs spread through the hall. The admission shocked everyone. Even Steve.

Chris's jaw tightened. "Then can you explain."

Marcus sighed heavily, suddenly looking much older than before. "You already know."

The room erupted with angry voices

Chris raised a hand and silence returned immediately.

"You've been feeding information to Draven."

Marcus met his gaze. "Yes."

The word hit like a physical blow. Several wolves cursed aloud, others looked heartbroken.

Anna felt sick, Marcus wasn't denying it. He wasn't making excuses. He was simply telling the truth.

Chris looked devastated. "Why?"

The question came out quieter than expected. Not angry but deeply hurt.

Marcus closed his eyes briefly, then answered.

"Because I thought I was saving us."

The confusion that followed was immediate.

Steve frowned. "Saving us?"

Marcus nodded. "Draven cannot be stopped." The statement caused outrage.

"He destroyed Gray Ridge."

"He destroyed Silver Hollow."

"He destroyed Ash Valley." His voice remained steady.

"Every pack that resisted was annihilated."

Silence settled over the room because no one could deny it.

Marcus continued. "I watched friends die."

His eyes shifted toward Chris. "I watched your father die."

The room grew quiet. "He spent years preparing for this."

The elder laughed bitterly. "And it still wasn't enough."

Chris remained motionless. Marcus looked exhausted, like a man carrying a burden for too long.

"When I realized Draven was coming for Blood Moon..."

He swallowed. "I panicked."

The confession seemed to drain something from him. "I thought cooperation might save lives."

Steve stared. "You betrayed us."

Marcus lowered his head. "Yes I did." The single word shattered whatever sympathy remained.

Because regardless of motive… He had betrayed them and people had died because of it.

Anna looked around the room. At the wounded faces, the broken trust. Marcus had been a respected elder. Now he was a traitor.

The transformation felt almost unreal.

Then Chris asked the question everyone wanted answered. "What did you tell him?"

Marcus hesitated, for the first time fear appeared in his eyes. Fear of Draven and that terrified Anna.

If Marcus was afraid… What had he seen?

Finally he whispered, "Everything."

The room froze immediately. Chris's entire body went rigid.

Marcus continued. "Patrol routes."

"Defense plans."

"Supply locations."

Each word felt like a knife.

Then came the worst one. "And the Luna."

Anna felt her stomach drop. Marcus looked at her, shame filling his eyes.

"I told him about the visions."

The room exploded, steve lunged forward. Several warriors had to restrain him.

"You fool!"

Marcus didn't defend himself. He didn't fight back. He simply stood there accepting every accusation.

Every hateful stare, every ounce of blame.

Because deep down… He knew he deserved it.

Then suddenly, the council hall doors burst open. A scout stumbled inside covered in blood. The entire room turned toward him. Fear flashed across the scout's face. Pure terror.

"Alpha!"

Chris immediately stepped forward. "What happened?"

The scout struggled to catch his breath. "The northern wall… " His voice broke.
Then he shouted the words everyone dreaded. "THEY'RE HERE!"

The room erupted into motion. Warriors rushed for weapons. Orders were shouted.

Draven's army had arrived. Chris turned toward Steve. "Get everyone into position."

Already moving, Steve nodded. "On it."

"Tyler, reinforce the eastern flank." The young wolf sprinted away.

"Maya stays in the shelters."

Maya opened her mouth to protest but one look from Chris silenced her.

Then his gaze found Anna. For a brief moment, the chaos disappeared, only the two of them remained. The bond between them pulsed. Fear, love. He stepped closer, pressed his forehead against hers. A gesture so intimate it made her chest ache.

"I need you safe."

Anna swallowed. "You need me fighting."

A faint smile appeared on his lips. "You're impossible."

"So I've been told." Anna whispered

Chris kissed her forehead, then pulled away.

The Alpha mask returned instantly, cold and dangerous.

Outside, horns echoed through the territory, one after another.

The call to battle, somewhere beyond the trees… A deep, mocking howl split the air.

That was Draven. He had arrived and Blood Moon's first battle was about to begin