Chapter 137 The Betrayal

Chapter 137 The Betrayal
Ophelia POV

I knew exactly who he was. Thoran, Alpha of the Ironridge Pack. One of the strongest, most respected leaders in the alliance. Just two months ago, he had sat at our council table, looked us all in the eye, and sworn a blood oath to fight the First Light alongside us. Kai had trusted him implicitly, trusted him enough to share our guard rotations, our supply lines, our deepest battle plans.

Now, he was standing protectively at the base of the plane's steps, positioning his massive frame like a personal bodyguard for the Architect.

My stomach dropped so violently I felt physically sick. The raw wound in my flank throbbed in brutal sync with my racing heartbeat.

Thoran? Kais's voice vibrated through the air, low, cold, and laced with disbelief. What the hell is this?

Thoran didn't flinch. He didn't look guilty, or ashamed, or even remotely conflicted. He just watched our battered, bleeding group with calm, almost bored eyes.

I served the First Light long before any of you were even born, Thoran said. His voice was entirely steady. No hesitation. Your little rebellion was a suicide mission from the start. I chose the side that lasts.

The words hit me like a physical slap. A furious, burning heat rushed to my cheeks.

Kai took a heavy step forward, the dirt crunching beneath his boots. Vai was pressing so close to the surface I could practically feel the waves of heat rolling off his skin. You sat at my table, Thoran. You ate my food. You looked my people in the eye and lied to every single one of us.

I did what was necessary to survive, Thoran replied smoothly. The Mother's vision is vastly bigger than your pride, Kai.

Seraphina limped up to my right side, her hand still pressed hard against her ribs. Dark blood was already soaking through the fresh mud and the makeshift bandage. Her voice was very cold with anger. You sold us out to a monster.

I positioned myself, Thoran corrected, adjusting his stance. There’s a distinct difference.

There is no difference! I snapped. My hands were shaking so hard I had to ball them into fists. You sat with us. You listened to our strategies. You smiled to our faces while you planned exactly where to bury us.

Thoran’s gaze finally shifted to me, his expression patronizing. You are being emotional, Ophelia. It’s understandable. You've had a very difficult few days.

That was the breaking point.

I didnt wait for another word. I didnt care that my body was entirely wrecked from the mountain, or that the previous fight had left me running on empty. Right now, pure rage was a better fuel than blood.

I charged, shifting mid-run. Bones cracked and reshaped. Fur ripped through my skin. The moment my golden wolf emerged, the wound in my side screamed as the transformation violently pulled at the torn flesh. I ignored it, throwing all my weight into Thoran. The impact knocked him clean off the plane stairs, and we rolled hard across the cracked concrete. The suffocating scent of old jet fuel and dust kicked up into my nose.

Thoran snarled, his heavy claws raking down my flank. He caught the exact spot Damien had stabbed me earlier, forcefully ripping the wound wide open.

Pain exploded in a white-hot flash behind my eyes. Warm, thick blood instantly flooded my fur, but I refused to back down. I pinned his shoulders and snapped my jaws, going straight for his throat.

Seraphina was right behind me. The air instantly filled with the sharp scent of metallic and burnt fur as electricity crackled violently around her hands. Thoran was strong infuriatingly strong, fueled by whatever the First Light had given him but he was fighting two of us while trying to guard his ribs.

Ophelia, left! Seraphina shouted.

I twisted my upper body. Thoran’s jaws snapped shut on empty air, so close I felt the wind of his teeth missing my ear. In the same breath, Seraphina drove a lightning-charged fist directly into his side. The impact made a sickening, wet crunch.

Thoran staggered backward, a low groan tearing from his chest as faint smoke rose from his singed fur.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught flashes of Kai. He had bypassed the wolf fight entirely and was dealing with the Architect, his massive frame blocking the plane stairs. He lunged, his hand locking onto the Architect's wrist, trying to wrench away the metal canister.

Give it to me, Kai snarls, his voice a low growl.

You're too late, the Architect answered, his voice terrifyingly cheerful.

Before I could see more, Thoran recovered with unnatural speed. He slammed his full weight back into me, throwing me to the ground. My head cracked hard against the concrete airstrip. Stars burst across my vision, and the entire world tilted on its axis. He pinned me down, his massive jaws inches from my face. I could smell his breath a foul mix of blood and that synthetic, chemical serum.

Then Seraphina slammed into his back. She drove both hands into his spine and let the absolute ceiling of her coastal power rip.

Thoran’s entire body violently seized. His eyes went wide, the pupils dilating in agony as a raw, strangled scream tore out of his throat.

He froze under the electric current, and I took the opening. I lunged upward, burying my claws deep into his throat, and tore outward.

Hot, metallic blood sprayed across my muzzle. Thoran’s massive body went completely limp, collapsing heavily on top of me. His blood soaked rapidly into my golden fur and pooled across the cracked concrete beneath us.

Gasping for air, I shoved his heavy corpse off me and forced my body back into its human form. Every single inch of me screamed in agony. The wound in my side was bleeding freely now, a steady, warm stream running down my hip and pooling in my boot. My hands shook so violently I could barely push myself up into a sitting position.

Thoran was choking on his own blood, his life rapidly fading. Yet, he slowly turned his head toward me. A dark line of crimson spilled from the corner of his mouth, but when he spoke, his voice was terrifyingly clear.

You think the Mother... is your only enemy? He rasped, a sickening grin touching his bloody lips. Ask your mate what really happened the night his mother died.

The words hit me like a bucket of ice water.

I froze, the air caught in my throat. My heart slammed against my ribs so hard it felt like it would break.

Thoran's eyes went entirely pale. The Alpha was dead.

Slowly, my head snapped up, and I looked at Kai.

He was still standing by the plane. One of his large hands was locked around the Architect's wrist, the other tightly gripping the silver canister he had just ripped away. His face was a mask of unreadable stone. But as Thoran's final words echoed across the empty airstrip, something in Kai’s eyes flickered—a sharp, fleeting shadow.

Something that looked a horrifying lot like guilt.

The Architect looked between us, and then, he started to laugh.

It was a soft, high-pitched, unpleasant sound that crawled straight under my skin. He didnt even try to pull away from Kai's grip anymore. He just stood there on the stairs, looking thoroughly entertained by the wreckage around him.

Oh, this is absolutely perfect, the Architect purred, his eyes locked onto me. You went through all this hell... for a secondary sample. Morwen already has what she needs. She has been waiting for you specifically, Ophelia. The real prize was never the child’s blood.

His smile widened, sharp and entirely hollow.

It was always you.