Chapter 3: Betrayal

Nina

I pulled my knees to my chest in the dark cell, with the silence broken only by the sporadic drip of water reverberating throughout the dungeon.

I waited.

And waited.

I told myself Lisa would come. She had to. The mute gamma, Cesar, would have delivered my message. He must have. But the hours dragged on, and my hope frayed at the edges.

Maybe Cesar hadn’t heard me. Maybe he ignored me. Or maybe Lisa had chosen not to come.

The quiet consumed me, with every second slicing away fragments of my sanity. I gazed into the blackness until it appeared to change and flow, my imagination creating forms and silhouettes that didn't exist. My mind swirled, pursuing its own tail in infinite loops.

I regretted silencing the voice.

As unwelcome as it had been, it had kept me company. Now, without it, I was truly alone.

Why would that girl, that imposter, do this to me? Beth had died that night in the storm. I remembered it vividly. The chilly breeze, the booming surf beneath the cliff, Beth's cries. I attempted to rescue her, but the stones beneath the ocean consumed her entirely. She had no opportunity.

So why was this occurring at this moment? Who despised me sufficiently to warp my existence into this torment?

The questions spun around endlessly until fatigue took over me. My body yielded to the weight of despair, and I drifted into a restless slumber.

As I awoke, a faint light filtered through the tiny barred window, hardly illuminating the grimy, squalid walls of my imprisonment. I straightened up, my heart pounding as I heard footsteps approaching.

“Is that you, Lisa?” I shouted, my voice breaking with anticipation.

A shadow loomed outside the bars, and my breath caught. But it wasn’t Lisa.

Cesar stood there, his towering figure illuminated by the thin morning light. His face was as austere as ever, and his dark eyes revealed nothing.

“Where’s Lisa?” I blurted, scrambling to my feet. “Did you tell her? What did she say?”

He didn't respond. Rather, he put a finger to his lips as a mute signal for silence. I stood still, my heart racing, as he retrieved a ring of keys from his belt and opened the door. The squeaking of the old hinges gave me chills.

"No," I replied gently, nodding my head. "Liam cannot have decided to punish me already. "It is too soon."

Cesar did not respond. His enormous hand reached into the cell, seizing my arm and pulled me out without much effort. "Wait!" I cried, hysteria rising to the surface. "Please let me talk to Lisa! "I need to explain—"

He silenced me with a glare, his dark eyes narrowing dangerously.

I gulped, the rest of my plea dying in my throat. Cesar was terrifying up close, a wall of muscle and scars. Tattoos snaked across his arms and neck, adding to his aura of death. He wasn’t known for mercy.

I nodded quickly, promising with my eyes to stay quiet.

He let go of me and reached into his coat, pulling out a burlap sack. He held it up, then pointed at me.

My stomach dropped. “Oh, hell no,” I whispered, backing away.

Cesar’s expression didn’t change, but his patience visibly thinned. He stepped forward, producing a rope from his belt as he loomed over me.

“Wait! Please, I won’t run. Just… don’t do this,” I begged, my voice trembling.

He ignored me, grabbing my wrists and binding them tightly. The rough rope bit into my skin, and tears of humiliation burned in my eyes as he tied my ankles next.

“Please,” I wept, shaking my head. "I didn’t carry out any actions." Allow me—”

Cesar let out a sigh, clearly showing his irritation. He took out a fresh handkerchief and silenced me before forcing me into the bag.

The darkness was absolute. I felt his strong arms lift me effortlessly, the world tilting as he threw me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

I tried kicking, but a sharp smack to my rear stopped all resistance. My dignity was gone, crushed under the weight of my predicament.

This was it. My life was over.

---

I don’t know how long he carried me. The muffled sounds of voices occasionally broke the monotony, but no one intervened. I could hear curious pack members asking him questions, but whatever look Cesar gave them was enough to silence their curiosity.

Gradually, the noise diminished, giving way to the sound of leaves rustling and the far-off calls of birds.

Cesar placed me down, the bag hitting the ground with a soft thump. I flinched when he opened it, the bright light dazzling my eyes.

He dragged me out, severing the ropes and taking off the gag. I inhaled sharply, massaging my aching wrists while scanning the surroundings.

We were in the forest, just outside the pack boundaries. The tall trees stretched overhead, their shadows extended in the soft morning glow.

"Where are we located?" I inquired cautiously.

Cesar didn’t answer. Instead, he pointed toward the dense trees ahead.

I frowned, my heart sinking. “You want me to go?”

He nodded, his expression unyielding.

“But where?” I asked, my voice trembling. “I have nowhere to go!”

He pulled out his phone, his fingers moving quickly over the screen before shoving it toward me.

Leave before it’s too late.

Tears welled in my eyes. “No, I can’t. Lisa will help me. I just need to—”

His growl silenced me. It was deep and feral, his teeth elongating as his claws extended.

I stumbled back, my heart racing as the sheer force of his partial transformation sent a clear message: run.

Without another word, I turned and bolted into the woods, my feet crunching against the forest floor.

---

I didn’t stop running until the trees blurred together, my lungs burning and legs trembling. But I wasn’t going to die in the woods. Not by rogues or starvation.

Cesar had risked his life to help me escape, but I couldn’t leave. I had to clear my name.

When I was sure Cesar was gone, I doubled back, using every ounce of skill I’d learned in the orphanage to sneak past the pack’s defenses.

The pack house was quiet when I slipped inside, most of the members busy with lunch. I made my way to Lisa’s quarters, my heart hammering with anticipation.

As I raised my hand to knock, a voice from within froze me in place.

“You should’ve seen her face,” the girl said, her tone delighted. “Pleading with Liam to let her talk to you. Pathetic.”

I pressed my ear to the door, my breath catching.

Another voice replied, soft but unmistakable. “Poor girl. She should’ve listened to that faulty wolf of hers. Looks like she finally did the right thing and killed it for good.”

They laughed, the sound chilling me to my core.

I stumbled back, the world spinning around me.

Lisa.

She was in on it.