Chapter 18 Betrayal Runs Deep
DANIEL'S POV
I recognized Sophia's brothers the instant they stepped into the light, their faces triggering memories I'd spent years trying to suppress. Marcus and Julian—Viktor's biological sons, the ones he'd bragged about placing in positions of power across different packs. I'd watched them train with the rogues during my captivity, seen Viktor teaching them strategy and deception like other fathers taught their sons to ride bikes.
"You placed your own children in my pack?" Alpha Samuel's voice broke completely, the powerful Alpha reduced to a devastated father realizing he'd been played for decades. "We adopted Marcus when he was six months old. Julian came to us at two years old. We raised them as our own."
"And you did wonderfully," Sophia said with mock warmth. "They learned pack politics, gained your trust, and secured positions of authority. All while reporting directly to Viktor." She gestured at the warriors surrounding us. "Half of Silver Creek Pack answers to my family now. The other half will fall in line once they realize resistance is futile."
Luna Margot sobbed openly, her world shattering with each revelation. But there was no time for their crisis, no space for the grief of parents who had unknowingly raised their own destroyers. Twenty hostile wolves circled us, silver chains ready with their weapons drawn. Ryan pulled me close to his side, his body positioned to shield Lisa. Nathan had blood running down his face but he maintained his ground, dangerous despite his usual charm.
Sophia raised her hand, halting her warriors' advance. "One more chance, Lisa. Submit to the blood ritual willingly, let Viktor take what he needs, and everyone else walks free. Your father, Ryan, Daniel, Nathan, and even precious Emma—all safe. All you have to do is sacrifice yourself for them."
Lisa shifted back to her human form, her silver hair falling over bare shoulders. This was my sister, the girl they had tried to break, standing fearless before impossible odds. "I'll never submit to Viktor. Not for any price."
"Then you condemn them all to die with you."
The words were barely out of Sophia's mouth before the fight erupted. Marcus lunged first, and I met him with techniques Viktor had taught me during my decade of captivity—brutal, efficient, designed for survival rather than honor. I went for his throat, his knees, every vulnerable point drilled into me through years of fighting for scraps and status among rogues.
Ryan fought like the Beta he was born to be, his movements precise and controlled, every strike calculated to protect Lisa while keeping multiple opponents at bay. He'd been trained for pack defense, for leadership, and it showed in the way he commanded space and turned opponents' strength against them.
Nathan was one who surprised me the most. The charming young wolf who flirted and smiled his way through life transformed into someone deadly, his fighting style unconventional but effective. He fought dirty—eye strikes, groin kicks, pressure points, whatever worked to drop enemies fast.
Lisa and Emma remained in wolf form, their silver and gray bodies moving in instinctive coordination that shouldn't be possible for a newly shifted wolf. Emma fought with the desperation of someone discovering hidden strength, while Lisa fought with the grace of someone finally accepting what she'd always been meant to be. They covered each other's blind spots, communicated through growls and body language, two parts of the same protective whole.
I could see the bond between them strengthening with each coordinated attack, something unique and ancient that went beyond mere pack connection. Emma's inexperience was balanced by raw instinct, while Lisa's already accepted her power
But we were outnumbered four to one, and Sophia's warriors were well-trained, coordinated, ruthless. Silver chains wrapped around Nathan's legs, bringing him down hard. A warrior caught Ryan from behind, blade against his throat. I took a hit to my ribs that cracked a bone, pain exploding through my chest.
We were losing and we shouldn't allow it.
Then I heard the most beautiful sound in the world, it was howls echoing from outside the estate, dozens of voices raised in pack unity. Moonstone warriors crashed through windows and doors, Elder Catherine leading the charge with a ferocity that belied her age.
"No pack abandons its members in enemy territory," she shouted, her voice carrying over the chaos. "Whatever doubts I have about your leadership, Lisa Marcus, you are still Moonstone Pack!"
Warriors I recognized from training sessions and pack gatherings poured in behind her, their faces set with seriousness because this was real. Even those who had questioned Lisa's right to lead fought with loyalty now, and were now bound by something deeper than politics or bloodlines.
The tide turned instantly. Silver Creek warriors found themselves facing fresh opponents, the numerical advantage evaporating as Moonstone wolves flooded the basement. Sophia's face twisted with rage, her perfect plan crumbling as reinforcements she hadn't anticipated joined the battle.
I saw Viktor before anyone else did, he moved with the stealth that made him legendary among rogues. He flowed through the fighting like smoke, untouched by the violence swirling around him, his eyes locked on one target.
"Emma!" I screamed, trying to reach her through the crush of bodies.
But it was too late. Viktor's hand wrapped around Emma's gray wolf, silver chains materializing from his jacket to bind her before she could react. She screamed, pain and fear evident in the sound, her eyes finding Lisa across the room.
Lisa's wolf lunged, but Marcus blocked her path, his body a wall between my sister and Viktor's escape. By the time she fought past him, Viktor had disappeared through a hidden door in the basement wall, Emma's struggling form tucked under his arm like a prize he had just claimed.
The fighting stopped as everyone realized what had happened. Viktor's voice drifted back through the escape route, calm and amused and absolutely certain of his victory.
"Come to the old ruins at the border by dawn, alone, or the half-blood becomes my weapon."