Betrayal

Aira took the book and returned to her room to complete the book. She was determined to learn as much as she could about healing herbs and their medicinal properties.

Max's search team failed to find Aira. There was no clue of her whereabouts.

"Ria wanted to leave for the pack today. I cannot stall her anymore." Ralph said to Max

"Shall I torture her?" Ralph asked, a sinister smile creeping across his face.

" No," Max replied firmly, "we need to find another way to handle this situation."

"if she has Aira, then we need to be extremely careful in our approach." Max sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He knew that resorting to torture would only escalate the situation and potentially harm Aira. They needed to think strategically and gather more information before making any drastic moves. Max's mind raced as he considered all possible options, hoping for a breakthrough that would lead them to Aira and ensure her safety.

A small girl came running to THEM, "Alpha Max, this is for you" She dropped the pendrive in Max's hand and left them.

Max plugged it into his laptop, the pen drive contained the recording of Ria's phone calls, Max attentively listened to all the calls for an hour.

"She was behind the attacks, " Max thought to himself, realizing that Ria had been orchestrating the entire situation.

"Ralph, you can leave with Ria today. She was behind the attacks. Her team failed to capture the target." Max said, "I have sent you an audio clipping, make sure Alpha Luis listens to it." Max said with a sinister smile on his face. "I don't have enough time to deal with her. Once I find Aira, I will come hunting for Ria. "Max's sinister smile grew wider as he whispered, 'And this time, no one will be able to save her."

Ralph left with Ria leaving Thomas behind, telling her that he was hurt during the attack and required medical attention. Ria was in a hurry to leave the pack, ignored Thomas and left with her team to her pack.

"Arrest Lilly", Max declared with a chilling determination in his voice.

"Lilly will pay for what she did."

"Alvin, I'm going to kill you. Once I'm Luna of this pack, I will kick you and your witch mother out of the pack. You will Pay for this humiliation" Lilly threatened, her eyes burning with anger.

Alvin scoffed, unfazed by her words. "You may become Luna, but you'll never have the loyalty and respect of this pack. Your reign will be short-lived, Lilly."

"in your dreams, you will be our Luna. " Alvin retorted, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "You're nothing more than a power-hungry wolf with no true leadership qualities. Our pack deserves better than you."

"Alvin you are nothing a mere follower," Lilly shot back, her voice filled with determination. "I may be power-hungry, Mark my words, Alvin, I will make sure to kick you out of this pack." Lilly roared in anger, her voice was filled with conviction and her eyes burned with intensity.

"Who will kick out my Beta out of this pack?" Max's voice roared inside the dungeon. The other wolves fell silent, their eyes shifting nervously between Alvin and Lilly. Max's presence loomed over them, his authority unquestionable. "Enough!" he bellowed, his voice resonating through the dungeon.

"Lilly you have only one choice to make either come clean or die" The words hung heavy in the air, as Max's ultimatum left no room for negotiation.

"I have done nothing, Max. You need to believe me. Alvin is trying to frame me. Please Max look into my eyes. I'm your mate. You need to believe me" Lilly pleaded desperately, her voice trembling with fear and desperation. The tension in the dungeon grew thicker as Max's gaze hardened.

He then played an Audio, it was a conversation between Ria and Lilly

"You need that human," Lilly asked

"Yes, I need that bitch. I already killed her friend, she also needs to die in the same ruthless manner." Ria's voice was dripped with hatred and malice.

"I can help you, I will drop her at your room," Lilly said with a hint of desperation.

"No need, if it is that direct. Alpha Max will declare war for killing his pack member. He needs a reason to attack us. I don't have luxary for a war now." Ria's voice resonated with a chilling determination as she continued,

"We need to devise a plan that will not only eliminate her but also ensure Alpha Max doesn't suspect our involvement. We must be strategic and calculated in our actions." Lilly, realizing the gravity of the situation, nodded in agreement and replied,

"You're right. We can't afford any mistakes or unnecessary attention. What's your plan?" Lilly asked,

"I need the security plan of the pack." Ria said " I am planning for an Attack in that they will capture and kill her"

"I know about this pack back of my hands, I can guide you through the security loopholes and help you execute the plan smoothly," Lilly said Ria nodded appreciatively. "That would be incredibly helpful, Lilly."

"What's your problem with Aira?" Ria asked. Lilly hesitated for a moment before answering, "She is my mate's new plaything. I can't stand the thought of him being with someone else, especially a human. I need to protect him and our relationship." Ria nodded understandingly, realizing the depth of Lilly's feelings.

"Mate bond, " Ria gave a sarcastic smile "you are selling pack secrets for a plaything." Lilly's expression hardened as she retorted, "It's not just a plaything, Ria. Aira is a potential threat to my position. If she gets marked by my mate, it could put us all in danger. I'm doing what I can to protect everyone, including my mate." Ria sighed, realizing the complexity of the situation and the weight of Lilly's responsibility. "I understand your concerns, Lilly."

"Max will change the security measures after the attack so there is nothing to worry about the pack secrets being leaked. I trust in Max's ability to handle the situation and prioritize the safety of our pack." Lilly said with a smile.

"Eliminate that human and our problem is solved," Lilly said with a determined tone. Ria raised an eyebrow, surprised by Lilly's straightforward approach.

"Okay, send me the details of the pack and I'll assess the situation accordingly."

"on it," Lilly said.

The recording ended there.

"You betrayed the pack, Lilly" Max's voice was filled with rage. His eyes were filled with murderous intent.

"No Max, that's not my voice. It is fabricated. Please believe me" Lilly pleaded, her voice trembling with desperation "Max, let's not jump to conclusions. We need to investigate further before making any judgments. Someone is trying to frame me"

A bucket of cold water hit her face with full force making her unable to breathe. "tell the truth or you see how we will torture our prisoners," Max threatened, his voice dripping with malice. Lilly gasped for air, her heart pounding in her chest.

A female warrior pulled her hand and hammered a nail into her palm and table. Lilly cried out in pain, her body trembling uncontrollably. The excruciating agony made it difficult for her to form coherent thoughts. She desperately pleaded with Max, "Please, I'm innocent! I swear, someone is setting me up. We have to find the truth before it's too late."

They started pulling out her nails for her other hand, the pain was unbearable. Tears streamed down Lilly's face as she begged for mercy, her pleas falling on deaf ears. The realization sank in that Max and his accomplices were determined to break her, no matter the cost.

"Yes, it was me. I will confess to whatever you want," Lilly whispered, her voice barely audible through the pain. "Just please, make it stop," Max smirked, satisfied with the outcome he had achieved.

"I approached Ria when I got to know that she had some bad blood with Aira. I wanted to eliminate Aira but she was under your protection. I couldn't lay a finger on her. But then I saw an opportunity when I digged her background and I reached out to Ria, desperate for help. I knew Ria would do anything to get back at Aira, so I manipulated her into doing my dirty work. I convinced her that eliminating Aira would be the ultimate revenge, and she fell right into my trap." Lilly said after a pause a worrier hit a hammer on the table telling her to continue.

"I shared with her the pack security details, shifts of worriers and the location of pack safehouses and hideouts. I thought they would capture Aira, but she left the pack before the attack. She was nowhere to be found. Ria's men failed to capture her. "

Lilly's plan to manipulate Ria into seeking revenge on Aira had backfired. Despite providing Ria with crucial information about the pack's security details, shifts of warriors, and the location of safehouses and hideouts, Aira managed to escape before the attack. Ria's men were unsuccessful in capturing her, leaving Lilly feeling frustrated and defeated.

"Max, I'm sorry. I love you max, please accept me back. Your acceptance is all I need. Accept me as your mate. I will stay loyal to you. You can have any woman as mistress, I will be yours, Luna. Please, Max. " Lilly pleaded desperately, tears streaming down her face. She knew that her betrayal had caused irreparable damage to their relationship, but she couldn't bear the thought of losing Max forever. "I promise to make it up to you, Max. I'll do whatever it takes to regain your trust and prove my love for you," she added, her voice trembling with sincerity.

"Who attacked me in the forest during the pack run?" Max's voice was filled with coldness. Thinking of telling the truth can save her from Max's wrath " I don't know max. I was too scared to see who it was," she replied, her voice filled with fear.

"When you were attacked, I was behind you. I was scared they would kill me if I came near you, so I ran away from there. Archers shot an arrow towards me; it had a message. The messenger said, "Beware, they're coming for you. Reject your mate; you will live."I waited for two weeks for you to wake up. Then I understood that if you die, I will die with heartbreak, so I rejected you before the day of the full moon. I was alone, and the fear of death followed me, but I had no other choice." her voice cracked as she recalled the painful decision she had made. Tears welled up in her eyes as she continued, "I knew that by rejecting you, I was sacrificing our love for the sake of survival. It was the hardest thing I've ever done, but I had to protect both of us from the imminent danger."

"Skin her alive and hang her on the parade ground. Her body will stay there till we find Aira" Max said coldly, his anger palpable. Lilly's heart sank as she realized the depth of Max's hurt and resentment towards her.

"No" Lilly cried, tears streaming down her face. "I understand your anger and pain, Max, but violence won't solve anything. I'm truly sorry for what I've done and I'm willing to do whatever it takes to earn back your trust and forgiveness."

Before she could finish warriors dragged her away, their grip tight and unyielding. Max's face remained hardened, his eyes filled with a mixture of betrayal and disbelief. As Lilly was forcibly taken from his sight, he couldn't help but wonder if forgiveness would ever be possible.

Lilly was hanged at the highest pole on the parade grounds, crowd gathered around to see her gruesome death. Once she was a mate of Alpha, even she was not spared from punishment.

"You could see the terror in her eyes as she took her last breath,". Jane said as she tapped Max's shoulder, her voice filled with sorrow and disbelief.