102- The Scent of Betrayal
POV Lunara Grimwald:
“He’ll never lay his hands on her,” he snarled through gritted teeth. “I’ll reduce everything he is, everything he owns, to ashes,” he vowed, and I felt the raw intensity and truth in every word he spoke.
A wave of heat coursed through me. I shifted in my chair, frowning.
“You two,” he said, pointing to his friends. “You’ll accompany Lunara wherever she goes when I’m not around. She won’t be left alone again, not for a single moment.”
I cleared my throat, tilting my head as my mouth went dry.
Goosebumps prickled across my skin, and a sharp pain tore through my lower abdomen. I rested my hands in my lap, pressing against the ache.
What the hell was happening to me?
“I was about to advise you to do exactly that,” Anton said. “I wouldn’t trust anyone else to keep an eye on Lunara—not until we find out who the traitor is.”
“And I won’t,” the Alpha replied. “He brought a syringe during the attack,” he snapped. “By the smell, it was a tranquilizer. He meant to knock Lunara out.”
Anton’s eyes widened.
“They know how to take her without the mating bond getting in their way.”
I breathed heavily, forcing air in and out as I tried to calm myself.
“What do you mean, take me without the bond?” My voice came out harsher than I intended. I felt Edric’s suspicious gaze on me but kept my focus on Anton.
“When you’re asleep, the bond goes dormant. That’s why Edric only felt you when he woke up,” he explained.
I pressed harder against my abdomen when another wave struck me.
It made perfect sense. Alessio hadn’t known I was mated until weeks ago. That’s why he sent his men to drag me back to him, unconcerned whether I was conscious or not.
“Someone told him,” I said, resolute. “Mating isn’t common among packs. He wouldn’t have known about it otherwise. Hell, I didn’t even know until now.”
Gods, the syringe must have been poisoned. That had to be what was causing these pains.
“Obviously, the traitor is keeping him well-informed,” Lyris sneered, rolling her eyes. “Whoever it is wants you gone from here—and wants Edric destroyed.”
Alessio would kill me. Maybe not right away, but eventually. Whoever was betraying us hated Edric enough to want him dead, and handing me over to the Eclipse leader was the easiest way to make that happen.
“What if it’s someone from another pack?” I asked. Edric shook his head.
“No one’s allowed to wander other territories. If it’s someone from another pack, it would have to be one of the leaders—and I highly doubt they’re capable of that.”
“Really?” I mocked. “One of them slaughters females like he’s at a carnival; another ordered a pup’s death, and God only knows what happened to the rest.”
Edric’s voice was firm when he answered, “The females Viktor killed—since you seem so well-informed,” he added, arching a brow and silently calling me a gossiping idiot, “were human.”
“What?”
“Viktor discovered on his own that humans can’t withstand our bite—the mark of mating. They die. They’re not compatible with us.”
“And that’s why he thought it’d be fun to mark several of them? Or was he just trying to turn his backyard into some kind of twisted graveyard décor?”
“I don’t know what he was thinking, and I don’t care. All I know is, they wouldn’t do this. Not because they care about me or my safety—except maybe Aldren—but because of the Elders. It would go against their orders, and no one defies them.”
“Not even the others? Konrad, Sullivan...?” I pressed. He turned to me, one brow raised.
“Why do you sound so interested in the Tharnak leaders?”
I laughed softly. “Are you jealous?”
“Just... curious.” He narrowed his eyes. I huffed, and he went on:
“Konrad wouldn’t. He’s nothing but a lovesick fool, always searching for his fated one. He’s the one who invited you to the Lust Festival—because he actually respects the bond of partnership. Aldren’s out of the question. Sullivan’s a bastard, but not a stupid one. He’d never go against the Elders. Same with Viktor—he doesn’t give a damn about anything, as long as it doesn’t concern him. So, little wolf, I don’t see how any of them could be behind this. It’s someone within my pack—someone who swore loyalty to me and is now breaking that oath.”
“I agree with Edric,” Anton declared. “They’d gain nothing from his death—nothing but a war with the Elders. They wouldn’t dare kill the Alphas; they adore them like their own offspring. But they’d lock them away for life for their crimes. None of them would risk that.”
“But there is someone—and we need to find out who,” Lyris snapped.
Edric nodded. “Now we know for certain that there’s a traitor. Spread out through the pack. Find out who spoke to the guards, who’s been seen near the forest at night, and who’s been going into the city.”
Another wave hit me so hard I gasped, slamming into the table. I shifted, pretending it was nothing, as if the movement hadn’t been involuntary.
“Are you going to tell the Council about this?” Andrei asked.
“No,” Edric said flatly. “The Elders are very clear about what happens to traitors. Death or imprisonment. And this isn’t just another border attack—they invaded my lands. This is my territory, and they have no say in it.”
Then it struck again. The next wave was so intense I couldn’t control myself. I twisted, pressing my thighs together, feeling like I was on fire.
“What the fuck is happening to you?” Edric asked, bewildered.
Acting on instinct, feeling molten heat spread through me, I slammed my palms against the table and bent over it.
“I think I’ve been poisoned,” I confessed, swallowing hard to wet my dry throat. “I don’t know what’s happening to me.”
A strong, sweet scent filled the air. Edric let out a guttural growl, his nostrils flaring, his pupils dilating until the gold in his eyes blazed.
“You’re in heat,” he hissed.
“That’s impossible,” I protested, biting my lips as a soft moan escaped. “I took my suppressant last month—and I still have two weeks before the next cycle.”
The scent grew stronger—unintentionally, uncontrollably.
“Yeah, she’s definitely in heat,” Andrei said, eyes wide. “She’s giving off a scent so...”
Edric shot him a death glare, his chest rumbling in warning.
“... so strong,” Andrei corrected quickly, smiling awkwardly.
“Wow, thank you, Andrei,” I gritted out.
“Don’t take it personally—I’m just trying to keep my head straight,” he said, throwing a quick glance at the Alpha.
Edric scrubbed a hand over his face and took a step back, putting distance between us. I turned toward him, incredulous. Was he really acting like I was carrying some contagious disease? Seriously?
“I can smell it too,” Anton muttered.
Another wave hit me, and I shuddered, slamming a fist on the table. My thighs pressed tightly together as another moan slipped through clenched teeth, releasing more pheromones into the air, completely beyond my control.
Anton and Andrei cleared their throats. I wanted to die—just dig a hole in the ground and disappear from sheer humiliation.
Edric looked... desperate. The veins along his neck bulged, his pupils huge, nostrils flaring.
Lyris burst out laughing, and everyone turned to her.
“Glad you’re amused by my misery,” I muttered, scowling.
She gestured dismissively, still laughing. “I know what’s happening...” She ran a long red-tipped nail across her lips. “Or at least, I’ve heard of something like it.”
“Then say it,” Andrei snapped.