Chapter 70 A Betrayal Overhead
Kael moved briskly through the dense forest, the cool night air brushing against his skin. He wasn’t expecting trouble tonight; his purpose was simple. Kevin had been silent for days, and Kael was tired of waiting. He needed to know what the next step was. It wasn’t unusual for him to show up at Kevin’s hideout unannounced. They were allies, after all—or so Kael believed.
Reaching the secluded hideout, Kael instinctively slowed his pace. The flickering light of torches cast long shadows on the rough stone walls of the underground entrance. He knew this place well. It was where Kevin gathered his most trusted conspirators, planning moves that would shake the werewolf world to its core.
Kael didn’t bother announcing himself. Kevin had always encouraged a sense of informality between them, but tonight felt different. Something in the air made Kael’s senses tingle. The muffled sound of voices reached his ears as he descended the narrow stone staircase. He paused. The tone wasn’t one of casual conversation—it was sharp, serious.
“…the plague is spreading just as planned,” a deep, voice said. Kael recognized it as belonging to one of Kevin’s elders. “How much longer until we unleash the final phase?”
Kevin’s smug laugh followed. “Patience, Elder Grant. These things take time. We’ve already planted the seeds. The Moonstone pack is distracted with rogue sightings. They’ll never see this coming.”
Kael’s brow furrowed as he leaned in closer, careful to stay hidden in the shadows.
“...and the new strain is ready,” a gruff voice said, one Kael recognized as Dr. Hallard’s, one of Kevin's doctor . “This time, it won’t just weaken them. It’ll spread faster, targeting every bloodline. “It’s more effective than the first. This plague was engineered to weaken their defenses, both physically and mentally. Their wolves will be too weak to fight back, and their Alphas too sick to lead.
Kael’s breath caught. What was this about a new strain? His heart pounded as he moved closer, staying hidden in the shadows.
“Good,” came Kevin’s familiar voice, cold and commanding. “This has to cripple them completely. No survivors, no chance for recovery. With Dr. South out of the picture, there’s no one to stop it.”
Kael’s brows furrowed. Dr. South? The name rang a bell—he was a brilliant healer who’d been aiding packs against the plague. But Kael had heard rumors that the doctor had gone missing. He hadn’t thought much of it at the time.
“Won’t they suspect something when the plague suddenly mutates?” Elder Grant’s voice carried a hint of concern.
Kevin scoffed. “Let them. By the time they figure it out, it’ll be too late. Besides, this isn’t just about the plague. We’ll hit them from all sides. The Moonstone pack will crumble, and the others will follow suit.”
Kael’s fists clenched. He leaned closer, his heart pounding. He needed to hear more.
“And what about Kael?” Grant asked, his tone lowering conspiratorially.” How does he fit into all of this?”
Kael stiffened at the mention of his name.
Kevin laughed, a sound that sent a chill down Kael’s spine. “Kael? He’s useful, for now. His anger made him easy to manipulate. All I had to do was nudge him into believing that Derek and the Moonstone pack were the cause of his downfall. He was so blinded by his own rage, he didn’t even question it.”
Kael’s heart sank, a cold pit forming in his stomach.
“You mean he doesn’t know the truth?” Grant asked.
Kevin scoffed. “Of course not. Why would I tell him that my own pack and the council conspired against him?
“Honestly, it wasn’t hard. Everyone wanted Kael gone—the council, rival alphas, even his own pack feared his strength. They all conspired to destroy him.They were only too happy to make Alpha Crown the scapegoat. Made sure Alpha Crown delivered the verdict to banish him. Kael's hatred for the moonstone pack started since then and I used that well to my advantage. It worked perfectly. Kael’s pride blinded him, and now he’s doing exactly what I want.
“And when you’re done with Kael?” Grant pressed.
Kevin’s tone turned icy. “When he’s served his purpose, I’ll discard him like the broken weapon he is.”
Kevin continued, his voice dripping with arrogance. “Do you know why Derek accepted him into his pack?”
The elder sounded intrigued. “Why?”
“Because Derek admires him,” Kevin said with a sneer. “Even after Kael’s banishment, Derek vouched for him in the Council. The Moonstone pack admired Kael’s strength and loyalty. But none of that mattered because we orchestrated his fall perfectly and there was little or nothing Alpha Crown could do.”
Kael’s vision blurred with rage. His breathing grew heavy as Kevin’s words sank in. Everything he had believed—everything he had fought for—was a lie. The Moonstone pack hadn’t betrayed him; it had been Kevin and his allies all along. Worse, he had turned his anger on the one pack that had respected him, even when the council forced their hand.
Kael’s mind raced as the conversation shifted back to the plague.
Hallard’s voice was confident. “The new strain will spread faster, and the symptoms will be harder to detect at first. By the time they realize what’s happening, it’ll already be too late.”
“And the Moonstone pack?” Kevin asked, his tone dripping with malice.
“They’ll fall first,” Hallard assured him. “Without Dr. South, there’s no one to stop it. We’ll start with the water supply, then move to the livestock. It’ll look like a natural escalation.”
Kevin’s voice was tinged with satisfaction. “Excellent. This will destroy their morale. No allies, no resources. Just chaos.”
Kael clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms. He had heard enough. Quietly, he backed away from the staircase, his mind filled with anger and resolve.
As Kael moved through the forest, his thoughts were a whirlwind. Kevin had used him, twisted his anger into a weapon aimed at the wrong target. Derek nor the moonstone pack hadn’t betrayed him—the council and the other alphas had. Kevin had manipulated everything, and Kael had fallen for it.
But not anymore.
Kael’s jaw tightened as he made his decision. He would pretend he hadn’t overheard Kevin’s betrayal. He would play along with Kevin’s game, pretending to be his loyal ally while feeding information to Derek and the Moonstone pack. He would help them stay one step ahead of Kevin’s schemes and ensure the plague never reached them. And when the time came, he would destroy Kevin and everything he stood for.
Kael stopped in a clearing, taking a deep breath. The cold night air did little to cool the fire burning in his chest.
“I’ll make this right,” he muttered to himself.
But as he crossed into the moonstone pack’s land, a figure stepped out of the shadows, blocking his path. Kael froze, his heart pounding as he met the cold, suspicious gaze of Alpha Derek.
“What are you doing out here, Kael?” Derek’s voice was calm, but the tension in his tone was unmistakable.
Kael swallowed hard, knowing this was the moment that would determine everything.
Derek’s expression didn’t change, but the tension in the air thickened. “You’d better start talking,” he said, his voice low and dangerous.
Kael exhaled slowly. This was going to be harder than he thought.