Wolves of Betrayal

Chapter : 28. Gathering at the border..

Amara’s breath caught in her throat, and she instinctively moved closer to Darius, feeling his protective presence beside her.

“Justice?” Darius echoed, his tone sharp. “What are you talking about?”

Killian stepped forward, his gaze never leaving Amara. There was a cold, calculating look in his eyes, and a cruel smile tugged at his lips. “It’s about your precious Luna, Darius,” he said, his voice dripping with venom. “It’s about the crime she committed against my pack… against my family.”

Darius’s eyes narrowed, his muscles tensing. “What are you accusing her of, Killian?”

Killian’s smile widened, and he looked around at the gathered Alphas, his voice rising to address them all. “I’m accusing Amara of murder,” he declared, his words cutting through the morning air like a knife. “She killed my brother, Marcus, in cold blood. And I demand justice.”

A stunned silence fell over the group. Amara felt the world tilt beneath her feet, her heart dropping like a stone. She had known this moment might come, but nothing could have prepared her for the way Killian’s words would feel, spoken so publicly, so cruelly.

Darius’s face went pale, his mouth opening and closing as if searching for words that wouldn’t come. He turned to Amara, his eyes wide with shock, and she could see the confusion and disbelief there. He hadn’t known. She hadn’t told him.

“Is this true?” Alpha Raymond of the Ironclaw Pack asked, his eyes narrowing as he looked at Amara. “Did you kill Marcus?”

Amara’s breath came in shallow gasps, her mind racing. She had to say something, had to defend herself. But the weight of all those eyes on her, the gravity of Killian’s accusation—it felt like a crushing weight on her chest.

“It wasn’t like that,” she managed to say, her voice trembling. “I… I was defending myself. Marcus attacked me. He wanted to—”

Killian cut her off, his voice booming. “Lies! My brother was loyal to the Blood Moon Pack. He would never have attacked a Luna, not without cause. She killed him, and now she hides behind Darius, hoping to escape her punishment.”

Amara felt a cold sweat break out on her skin. She could see the doubt beginning to spread among the Alphas, see the way they looked at her with suspicion. She knew how this looked—how her silence could be twisted into guilt.

Alpha Gregory of the Stone Ridge Pack, an older, stern man, spoke up, his voice firm. “If what Killian says is true, then Amara has committed a crime under werewolf law. Killing an Alpha’s kin is a grave offense. This cannot be ignored.”

Darius finally seemed to find his voice, his expression darkening as he turned to Killian. “And what exactly do you propose, Killian?” he demanded. “You think you can just waltz in here and demand her return? She is under my protection now.”

Killian’s smile turned into a sneer. “I propose that she be surrendered to me and taken back to the Blood Moon Pack to face justice,” he said, his eyes narrowing with a cold, menacing glint. “There, she will be tried and punished for her crime.”

Darius’s face twisted with anger, but for a moment, he seemed at a loss for words. Amara could see the conflict in his eyes—the shock of the sudden revelation, the struggle to process the accusations being thrown at her. She could feel his hesitation, his uncertainty, and it felt like a knife twisting in her gut.

“Amara has been with us for months,” Darius said finally, his voice hardening. “She is my mate, and I have seen no sign of deception or wrongdoing from her. She has told me she was mistreated and imprisoned in your pack. I will not hand her over to you based on your word alone.”

Killian’s gaze flicked to Amara, and his smile grew colder. “You think she has told you everything, Darius? You think you know her? Ask her again. Ask her what really happened that day.”

Amara’s heart pounded in her chest, her breath coming in rapid, shallow bursts. She felt trapped, cornered, and she didn’t know how to make them understand. “I didn’t mean to kill him,” she said, her voice trembling. “I was scared, and he—he came at me. I just… I just wanted him to stop.”

The gathered Alphas exchanged glances, their expressions a mix of skepticism and concern. Alpha Terrence spoke up again, his voice stern. “Regardless of her intentions, a life was lost. And we cannot ignore the laws that govern us all.”

Amara looked to Darius, hoping for his support, his defense. But he stood there, his face pale, his eyes still wide with shock. She could see the turmoil in him, the battle between his loyalty to her and the weight of the accusations.

“I… I need to think,” Darius said finally, his voice strained. “This is a lot to process. I need to talk to Amara alone.”

Killian’s smile widened, and he nodded, clearly pleased with the seeds of doubt he had sown. “Take your time, Alpha,” he said mockingly. “But remember, justice cannot be delayed forever. We will await your decision.”

As the Alphas began to murmur among themselves, Darius took Amara’s hand, his grip firm but trembling slightly. He led her away from the group, his face a mask of conflicted emotions. Amara’s heart ached as she looked at him, knowing she needed to tell him everything, knowing she had to make him understand.

But as they walked away from the border, the weight of what had just happened settled heavily on her shoulders. She had never felt more exposed, more vulnerable. She didn’t know if Darius could see past the accusations to the truth. She didn’t know if she could convince him—or herself—that they could face this together.

The morning was cold, the air heavy with the tension that had settled over the Nightshade Pack's border. The sun barely peeked over the horizon, casting long shadows that stretched across the ground like dark fingers. A gathering of Alphas from neighboring packs had arrived unannounced, and their presence was not a good omen. Darius and Amara stood apart from the group, tension crackling between them as they exchanged a look fraught with unspoken words and unvoiced fears. The accusations had come like a slap in the face, and Darius had pulled Amara aside, needing answers—needing the truth.

Darius's face was drawn tight, his eyes stormy with confusion and hurt. His usually calm, commanding demeanor was overshadowed by the turmoil raging inside him. Amara could feel the weight of his gaze pressing on her, demanding honesty, demanding explanations. She swallowed hard, her throat dry, her heart pounding. She had feared this moment, dreaded it with every fiber of her being. But now, with the truth laid bare before the gathered Alphas, there was no way to hide from it.

“Amara,” Darius said, his voice low and strained, barely holding back his frustration. “You need to tell me the truth. Did you… did you kill Marcus?”

Amara’s breath hitched, her eyes widening with fear and guilt. Tears welled up in her eyes as she nodded slowly, her voice breaking as she spoke. “Yes,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “I did, but it wasn’t like Killian said. It wasn’t murder, Darius. It was an accident.”

Darius’s eyes flared with shock, his face hardening. “Then explain,” he demanded, his voice sharp and rising with anger. “No more half-truths, Amara. I need to know everything. Now.”

Amara's tears spilled over as she tried to steady herself, her hands trembling as she began to speak. “It was the day of the Luna ceremony,” she began, her voice barely above a whisper. “The pack was divided. They didn’t want a wolfless omega as their Luna. Some of them thought I wasn’t worthy, that I was a disgrace. Marcus was one of them—he was furious about it.”

She paused, her breath shaky, her mind flashing back to that fateful day in the forest—the confrontation with Marcus, his face twisted with rage and hatred. “I went for a walk in the forest to clear my head, to get away from everything,” she continued, her voice trembling. “Marcus followed me. He confronted me, told me I didn’t deserve to be Luna, that I was a stain on the pack.”

Darius’s jaw clenched, his hands forming fists at his sides as he listened. “And then what?” he asked, his voice a low growl.