Chapter 185 Traitor's Judgment

Chapter 185 Traitor's Judgment
Kairos
 
After making sure Riley was safe with Talon, I stripped off my clothes and leapt from the terrace, shifting mid-air. My wolf, Kieran, surged forward with anticipation, eager to confront the traitor who had endangered our mate.
 
Finn caught up to me moments later, his wolf form joining mine as we raced through the trees toward where the patrol had cornered Ryder.
 
I can't wait to find out where they found him, Finn's voice came through our mind link, his wolf's excitement palpable.
 
I can't wait to see his face when he realizes we know what role he played in this whole thing, I replied. You know he thinks we don't know what he did.
 
What are you going to do with him? Finn asked, his tone serious despite our pace.
 
I haven't decided yet, I admitted, feeling Kieran's claws dig deeper into the earth as we ran.
 
Pain shot through my paws—the lingering burn of silver against Kieran's pads. The sensation reignited my rage toward Jett and his contamination of our lands. Ryder had helped him. The fucking traitor had helped poison our territory and kidnap my mate.
 
We reached the clearing where my patrol warriors had Ryder subdued. I shifted back to human form. Walking naked toward Ryder, who knelt before my warriors, I felt nothing but cold contempt.
 
"What the fuck is this?" Ryder snarled, though I could smell the fear beneath his bravado. My patrol hadn't been gentle with him—his face was bruised, and blood trickled from his nose. "I left. I wasn't bothering you. I rejected you and this pack, so why the fuck did you drag me back?"
 
I looked at Finn, who had shifted and dressed beside me. "Was he bothering you, Finn?"
 
"Very much so, Alpha," Finn replied with a cold smile.
 
I glanced at Troy. "Troy, did he bother you?"
 
"Absolutely, Alpha."
 
The rest of my pack members growled their agreement, the sound building into an ominous chorus around us.
 
"What the fuck is your problem?" Ryder shouted, straining against the warriors holding him.
 
I circled him slowly, letting each word drop like ice. "You betrayed your pack, and in doing so, you betrayed me, your Alpha. You conspired with Jett to kidnap my former Luna and my mate. You conspired to kidnap my pup, even if you might not have known she was pregnant."
 
I paused, seeing his eyes widen slightly at the mention of pregnancy. "But even if you didn't know that," I continued, "kidnapping Riley would have still meant kidnapping my pup, so you're responsible for that too."
 
"He protected his rapist brother," Finn added, his disgust evident.
 
"And by not respecting your fellow pack mate," I growled, leaning down to get in Ryder's face, "you disrespected me."
 
"I had nothing to do with Riley's kidnapping," Ryder protested, his voice rising with desperation.
 
Kieran surged forward, my hand transforming into a clawed paw that raked across Ryder's cheek. "Luna Riley to you," I snarled. "Show some fucking respect."
 
Ryder clutched his bleeding face. "I didn't do anything."
 
"Jett told us everything before I killed him," I said, watching his expression carefully. "Did you know he's dead? We found you skulking around Alpha Jett's pack territory," I added, turning to the tracker who'd found him.
 
"He was being sneaky, Alpha," the tracker confirmed. "Moving real careful-like near the packhouse."
 
I turned back to Ryder, a cold smile spreading across my face. "So you knew he was dead. And you, traitor, will pay for your part in kidnapping and attempting to murder my mate."
 
"Lucian wasn't planning to kill her!" Ryder shouted, then froze as he realized what he'd admitted.
 
I crouched down in front of him, fighting to control the rage threatening to explode through me. "What was Lucian planning to do to her?"
 
Ryder's mouth opened and closed, panic flashing in his eyes.
 
"We patrol there now," I said, watching Ryder's face crumple with the realization of how completely he'd been caught. "What should we do with you, Ryder? What's the penalty for betraying your pack? For betraying your Alpha? For endangering my mate and my pup?"
 
I gestured to the warriors to lift him to his feet. "Oh, I have an idea. Let's drag him through our silver-contaminated pack lands. You were so friendly with Jett who contaminated our land, so you must not mind silver, right, Ryder?"
 
Ryder struggled against the warriors' grip, true fear showing in his eyes. Finn stepped forward and drove his knee into Ryder's stomach, doubling him over.
 
"Drag him," I ordered the trackers.
 
We marched through the woods toward the packhouse, Ryder stumbling and whimpering as he was forced along. My warriors ran out to join us, excited howls and snarls building around us as they realized we had captured the traitor. I walked at the front, considering what should be done, the taste of justice already sweet on my tongue.
 
When we reached the terrace area, I saw Riley sitting with Talon, my father-in-law Ethan standing nearby with Grace. The pack was growing rowdy, approaching mob mentality as they surrounded us, unified in their anger at the traitor who had taken their Luna.
 
I met Riley's eyes, feeling her sense my rage and bloodlust toward Ryder. I walked to her, wrapping her in my arms.
 
"I'm here," she whispered against my chest. "Your pup and I are safe."
 
"You will always be safe," I growled, tightening my hold on her.
 
"Of course I will," she replied. "I have the biggest, baddest, strongest Alpha in the world as my mate."
 
I looked down at my mate, wanting her input on Ryder's fate. "I want him to suffer," I admitted. "But if you want me to give him a quick death, I will."
 
Riley's eyes widened in surprise, and she looked over my shoulder at Ryder, whose legs and knees were bleeding from being dragged across the ground.
 
"In my pack," Ethan spoke up, "when someone betrayed us, I let the pack handle it." He looked at me meaningfully. "He didn't just betray you and Riley. He betrayed the entire pack."
 
I considered this, then looked down at Riley. "What do you think? Can you handle that?"
 
I watched her struggle with the decision, feeling her wolf's anger through our bond—anger at Ryder for endangering their pup.
 
"Yes," she finally said, her voice steady. "I can handle that."
 
Ryder screamed "No!" but his voice was drowned out by the excited howls of the pack.
 
"Grace suggested we go to the hospital for an ultrasound," I said quietly to Riley, wanting to get her away from what was about to happen.
 
Make sure they don't start until we're gone, I told Finn through our mind link.
 
Yes, Alpha, he replied.
 
"Everyone clean your paws or hands after dealing with any silver," Luna Grace announced loudly to the pack.
 
I carried Riley toward the medical center, her body warm against my chest. Just as we reached the hospital doors, excited howls, snarls, and barks erupted from behind the packhouse.