Chapter 4: The Betrayal
1746 Words
"Lina, what is it?" I asked with a fast speech as I tried to stifle the spasmodic panic rising in my throat.
"A dragon breath!"
"What?" I frowned and ran my palm on my neck, but I did not feel any rough patch. I quickly got out of the bathtub, pulled my bathrobe down from the hanger, and snuggled myself up. I ran out of the bathroom and walked swiftly towards my closet. My heart bounced as I sprinted towards the mirror.
I held up my wet hair and dropped it instantly. Tears streamed uncontrollably down my cheeks. I couldn't believe the clown marked me without my consent. Knowing that I couldn't go back and fight him made me so sad and I broke down in tears again.
Lina walked coldly towards me and lifted my hair again. Her hand was jerking as she dropped the hair back.
"Did… you… mate a dragon?" She asked. At this juncture, I felt lying would not help me. I needed to open up to her and see if she could help.
"Y…yes," I stammered, sobbing convulsively.
"Oh, my God! Your father is going to kill me! Dahlia, what happened? Where in god's name did you see the dragon?" Lina yelled at me.
"I went to the dragon pack to fight the Alpha of the pack, but he won against me."
"Are sure of what you are saying? Because I heard Jamal is now the Alpha of the Dragon pack and king of all wolves that are in Seavia. You and I know he is weak."
"Well, he is...stronger than me."
"Why did you go there to fight him in the first place!"
"He is behind my predicament!"
"How!" She kept yelling.
"I bleed anytime he is with a woman or I'm with a man! And he is a chronic philanderer! Jamal goes after anything that has a hole between its legs! If I don't stop him, I will bleed to death!"
"This is absolutely ridiculous! Who told you this?"
"Xiane!"
"What?"
Lina suddenly became quiet and cold. She knows Xiane doesn't lie. I looked at her and saw tears rolling down her cheeks too.
"When did she tell you this?"
"After my eighteenth birthday party."
"Oh, the night I told you to ask her the cause of the nosebleed?"
"Yes"
"Oh, honey, why did you hide what she told you from me? You should have told me and together we would have found the solution to the problem."
"There is no solution apart from killing Jamal."
"You should have killed the idîot!"
"I couldn't!"
"You are the strongest wolf in the whole State of Seavia! Does it mean Jamal is stronger than you now?"
"Lina, I don't know. I can't explain what happened."
"What are you going to tell Alan? He has always wanted to be your first."
"I'm so confused right now. I don't want to lose Alan and I'm a pure breed. I can't lie to him either. I'll lose some of my strength if I do."
"You have no choice, Dahlia. You must lie to him."
"Lina, Alan is a wind moon. His ability to detect a lie is quite remarkable. I won't even try to tell him lies."
"Tell him the truth, then. He will get angry and leave you, but he must come back to you because he has loved you since you were thirteen."
"You are wrong! As far as I'm concerned, Dahlia is infallible! I will never leave her," a voice said behind us and we quickly turned our heads.
I saw Alan, beckoning me with open arms. My pulse leaped suddenly. His overwhelming scent filled the room, however, I didn't find it intoxicating anymore.
I stood up slowly and moved towards him. Alan pulled me violently into his embrace and held me tight. The current I felt each time he touched me and the delightful shiver of wanting had also disappeared. Apparently, my fear drove them away. He sniffed and pushed me away. His eyes became darker instantly.
"Who is he?" Alan asked with a deep and incomprehensible voice. The colour of his eyes darkened more. I shivered and looked at Lina. She gave me an encouraging stare. I opened my mouth to speak, but I couldn't tell Alan who I mated. I was so ashamed because Alan was there when I stripped Jamal and chased him out of our pack. I was so ashamed to tell Alan that opened my legs for Jamal.
"Who is he?" Alan shouted at me and I jerked. I was afraid of losing him. Alan is everything I wanted in a man and out of all the Alphas who showed interest in me, I chose him as my mate.
"I'm sorry, I can't tell you who he is," I blubbered. Alan smirked devilishly and tilted his brows.
"What happened?" He asked with a flat tone.
"I was r...raped."
Alan sneered devilishly again with his hands on his waist.
"A man raped you? Really? You expect me to believe that a man raped the strongest wolf in the State of Seavia!"
"Alan….," Lina called and was interrupted.
"Would you stay… out… of this, idîot?"
"I'm sorry," Lina apologized.
"Leave this room this minute!" he yelled at Lina
Lina bowed and ran out of the room.
"Where and how did the rape happen?"
"I went to the Alpha's pack to kill him, but he overpowered me."
"Why did you go there to kill him?"
"The wicked Alpha is behind my predicament."
"The Alpha is behind your predicament or he wants his power back?"
"What did you say?" I frowned because I did not understand what Alan meant by 'he wants his power back'.
"Alpha Grenold, I guess. He is the only Alpha that challenges you in battle, but you can't kill him because he is immoral. Aside from him, no other Alpha is strong enough to pin you down!"
"It's not Alpha Grenold."
"Who is he?"
"I'm sorry, I can't tell you who he is."
Alan smirked devilishly again and moved closer to me.
"I will join forces with Alpha Grenold and destroy your pack if you don't tell me who defiled you. I swear to God, I will make your life miserable! You must tell me who overpowered you!"
"You know you can't, right!" I said.
"I give you seven days to reveal the identity of the Alpha that threw you down," Alan yelled and left the room.
I fell to the floor and began to cry. I was not crying because Alan threatened to destroy my pack and make my life miserable, but I was crying because I had just lost the only man that has all the qualities I desire in a man. Lina came back when he drifted out and held me as we cried together.
A scream wafted up to my room. We stood up quickly and looked through the window. I saw a strange wolf attacking pups that were playing on the field. I shifted abruptly and ran out of my room.
The strange wolf moved back, strengthened, and charged at me strongly. For the first time since I began to shift, I saw myself being overthrown by a common rogue. Lina saw what was happening and shifted too. She joined forces with me and drove the rogue out of our pack. I shamefully ran back to my room and hid in my closet. I couldn't believe I just lost all my strength because of a silly misstep.
"Dahlia," Lina called with a quiet tone. I slowly turned my head in her direction.
"What... happened?" she murmured.
"I have told you what happened."
"No, I... mean, you are no longer the dreaded black beast, wolves are afraid of. You are now a white she-wolf."
"What?" I shouted and stood up. I haven't paid attention to my color. My body began to tremble.
My door opened again after some minutes, and I slowly turned my head. I stared at Alan who stood behind the door, smiling mischievously at me. I knew the smile was not friendly, but a mocking smile. I kept staring at him, waiting for him to speak as tears kept flowing down my cheeks.
"A rumour went around all the packs that are in Seavia when you began to manifest extraordinary strength at the age of thirteen that an Alpha transferred his strength to you. Only he whose strength you manifest can defeat you. I moved closer to you to know who he was, but you refuted the rumor.
When I hugged you a while ago, I didn't feel your energy anymore and I suspected the generous Alpha had taken back his strength.
I sent the rogue to test your strength and I was right. Everything about you has changed, including your color.
If you don't tell me who he is after seven days, I'm going to make your life a living hell! I'm going to destroy your pack!" Alan yelled.
I wiped my tears and became instantly awake. Alan never loved me. He was just into me to find out the source of my extraordinary strength and how come I didn't see that?
I recalled when the rumour went around all the packs that are in Seavia. My father summoned all the Alphas and addressed them. He told them that my strength was a gift from the Moon Goddess and no one transferred any strength to me. I never knew they still held onto that rumour until now.
I stood up and walked slowly towards Alan, narrowing my eyes unbelievably.
"It was just a rumour!"
Alan threw his head back and gave out a great bellow of laughter. He moved closer to me and ran his fingers on my cheek.
"We know what happened. Dahlia, an extraordinary gift, attracts jealousy. All the Alphas in this country were jealous and afraid of you. Including the almighty and immortal Alpha Grenold! We did a little research and found out what happened. Now, I'm going to send words to all the Alphas and tell them that the mighty has finally fallen," he grinned excitedly. "They are going to attack you and kill you! But...I might save you if you tell me who the Alpha is."
"You are evil!" I yelled and spat at him. Alan wiped the spit slowly and lifted his gaze.
"You will pay dearly for this! I swear! Seven days!!" He squealed and ran out of the room.
- Writer
