Betrayed, Not Broken

Crimson Lies

~ Seraphina's POV ~

The bells tolled, deep and ominous, their echoes sweeping through the packhouse. These were not chimes of celebration but of judgment—of death.

A chill ran down my spine.

I moved to my window, my hands gripping the sill, so tightly my knuckles turned white. In the courtyard below, torches flickered in the night, casting eerie shadows over the gathered pack members. At the center of it all, bound in silver chains, was my father.

Alpha Logan. My father.

His hands were shackled, his broad shoulders rigid despite the weight of the chains biting into his flesh. There was confusion in his eyes, a silent demand for answers, but beneath that… there was something else. Defiance.

The pack elders stood before him, their expressions grave, their murmurs a low hum against the howling wind.

“You dared to collaborate with the rogues! You will pay for your crimes, Alpha Logan,” one of the elders declared, his voice devoid of mercy.

My breath hitched.

What?

Are they accusing him of treason?

This is a lie!

I stepped back from the window, my pulse pounding. This couldn’t be real. My father would never betray the pack—never. Why wasn’t anyone defending him? Where was Beta Nox? Why wasn’t anyone stopping this?

Regis. I need to find him.

My feet moved before I could think, carrying me down the empty corridor. The silence was eerie. Where was everyone? It felt like the whole pack had abandoned me.

Regis would fix this. He had to. He was the future Alpha—the man I loved, the one who promised to stand by my side. He wouldn't let this happen.

Something felt wrong. The packhouse was too quiet, the torches too bright, their shadows twisting as if hiding something I wasn't meant to see.

I reached his room, my fingers trembling as I pushed against the slightly open door.

Then I heard it.

A low murmur. A whispered moan.

My pulse stuttered.

The door creaked as I stepped inside, and what I saw made my world tilt beneath my feet.

Regis.

My soon-to-be mate.

Tangled in the sheets with Scarlett.

Their bodies pressed together in a heated embrace, his hands tracing the curves of her bare skin. His lips devoured hers, filled with a hunger I had never seen—not when he kissed me. Not when he held me.

My breath caught in my throat.

No. No, this wasn’t real. It had to be a mistake. I trusted him—I trusted them both. Scarlett was my best friend. My only friend.

How could they do this to me?

A raspy moan shattered whatever fragile hope remained.

“Harder, love… ahh.”

The words hit like a slap. My stomach twisted violently.

The sound of skin slapping against skin filled the room, each obscene noise drilling deeper into my skull.

“You like that, don’t you, Scarlett?” Regis’s voice was husky, dark with desire. “Spread your legs a little more—”

A sob caught in my throat, but I swallowed it down. Gritting my teeth, I tightened my grip on the doorknob and stepped forward, pushing it open.

Regis’s gaze snapped to mine.

For the first time in my life, I saw fear in his eyes. But not guilt. Not remorse.

Just fear.

“Tsk, did you forget to lock the door, Regis?” Scarlett sounded irritated, but the glint in her eyes… It was pure satisfaction.

She was proud of this.

Of destroying me.

I clenched my fists, my nails biting into my palms as I fought back the wave of nausea.

“You both… you’re disgusting.” My voice was a whisper, but every syllable trembled with raw betrayal.

Regis scoffed, running a hand through his disheveled hair. “Why? It’s not like we’re related by blood.”

I stared at him, unblinking.

Did he really think that was the issue? That his lack of shame, his arrogance, made this acceptable?

“I’m going to be the next Alpha,” he continued, his voice laced with condescension. “I’m allowed to have a lover.”

Something inside me cracked.

A slow, smoldering fury burned through my veins, replacing the numbness.

I spun around, ready to run—to find my father, to fix this—but before I could take a step, a strong hand seized my wrist, yanking me back.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Regis murmured, his breath hot against my skin. His grip tightened, possessive, unyielding. “Do you really think they’d believe the words of a traitor’s daughter?”

My body stiffened.

How does he know?

The elders had only just declared my father a traitor… but Regis had known.

Regis smirked, leaning in, his bare chest brushing against my arm. My stomach churned with revulsion.

This was planned.

By him.

By them.

“At least you’re not that stupid,” he murmured. “But as my soon-to-be Luna… you don’t need to know much.”

I shoved him away with all the strength I had, but his laughter followed me as I staggered back.

I stared at him, my lips parting, but no words came.

For the first time, his touch made my skin crawl.

“Don’t act so surprised, Seraphina,” Scarlett’s voice rang out behind me, sweet and venomous,. "Did you honestly believe you were the one meant for him? He has always chosen me. He always has.”

I turned, my breath shaky.

The lies. The manipulation.

I had been blind.

But I wasn’t anymore.

“I don’t have time to waste on the likes of you,” I spat, my voice cold, sharp as a blade. “You can sleep around like a b***h, Regis. I don’t give a fuck.”

I didn’t wait for a response. I turned and ran.

But I didn’t get far.

Regis’s hands seized me once more, yanking me back against him. His voice was a low growl.

“What do you mean by that?”

I wrenched my arm free and met his gaze with all the hatred I could muster.

"Is your head just for decoration?" I sneered. "Can't you understand something so simple? Let me make it clear: I reject you. Don’t ever touch me with your filthy hands again."

Silence.

His cold, dark eyes bore into mine, but I refused to look away.

The truth is undeniable now.

Regis never loved me. He never cared. He only wanted power.

And Scarlett? She used me from the start.

Regis chuckled, low and cruel.

“Sadly, it’s not up to you.”

Before I could react, he yanked me forward.

“In just a few hours, you’ll be eighteen,” he murmured, his breath ghosting against my ear. “I’ve prepared the perfect gift for you.”

I struggled, but his grip was unyielding.

Then he dragged me downstairs.

And I was forced to watch as they tore my world apart.

Torches burned in the courtyard, casting shadows on the stone walls. The pack stood silently, their whispers a low murmur of judgment and anticipation.

At the center of it all, my father knelt.

Alpha Logan Valerius, bound in silver chains, forced to his knees before the very people he had protected for years.

I barely felt the cold night air. Numb and weak, I stumbled as Regis dragged me forward.

This isn’t real.

“Seraphina.”

My father’s hoarse but steady voice broke through the noise. His steel-gray eyes met mine, full of sorrow.

But not fear.

Never fear.

“Father,” I choked out, trying to step toward him, but Regis yanked me back.

"Stay right there," he whispered, his voice dripping with mockery. "We wouldn’t want you interfering, would we?"

The elders chuckled.

“She still doesn’t understand her place,” one sneered.

I turned to the council, my hands trembling. They were supposed to be my father’s allies. Now, they were his executioners.

“You’re making a mistake,” I forced out, my voice raw. "You know my father would never betray the pack! This is a setup!”

The head elder, a frail man with hollow eyes, shook his head in mock sympathy. "Spoken like a naive pup. You have no Idea about the crimes your father committed."

Lies.

“He didn’t betray anyone!” I screamed.

Regis sighed beside me, as if bored. “Seraphina, must you embarrass yourself?”

I snapped my head toward him, hatred burning in my veins. He did this.

"You orchestrated all of this," I breathed out, my words laced with fury.

His lips curled into a lazy smirk. “You were always slow to catch on.”

My heart pounded, but before I could lash out, my father’s voice rang out again.

“Seraphina.”

I looked at him—truly looked at him. Chains weighed down his powerful frame, silver burns marking his skin. Yet, even on his knees, stripped of his title, he held his head high. He was still my Alpha.

“Listen to me, pup,” he said softly. “You are stronger than you know. No matter what happens, you will survive.”

Tears welled in my eyes.

“Please, no,” I begged. “We can fight this! We can—”

“Enough.”

Scarlett. She stood beside the elders, lips twitching in amusement.

“Let’s get this over with,” she sighed, inspecting her nails. “We all know how this ends.”

Laughter rippled through the crowd.

Like my father’s life, it was a spectacle.

I wanted to rip the smirk off her face. I wanted to wipe away Regis’s arrogance.

I wanted to burn this place to the ground.

“Alpha Logan Valerius,” the head elder intoned. “You have been found guilty of treason against the Crimson Moon Pack. The sentence is death.”

“No... No,” I whispered.

The crowd cheered.

They cheered.

My father didn’t flinch. He merely closed his eyes, exhaling slowly before turning his gaze back to me.

“Seraphina,” he murmured. “I love you. I always have.”

Sobs clawed up my throat. “Don’t do this. Please—”

His gaze hardened. No longer just my father, but an Alpha.

“Never let anyone or anything break you,” he said.

And then the sword came down.

A wet, sickening crunch split the air, followed by a heavy thud.

A spray of crimson.

And my world shattered.

I screamed.

A raw, inhuman cry tore from my soul. My knees gave out, but Regis caught me, his arms like shackles.

My father’s head hit the ground.

“No!” I screamed again.

But the laughter—Regis’s laughter—was louder.

“Oh, come now, Seraphina. No need for theatrics.” he murmured, lips brushing my ear.

Scarlett giggled. “She looks like she’s about to faint. Poor thing.”

I thrashed against Regis’s hold, my vision blurring. This isn’t happening.

But the blood pooling around my father’s body was real.

The stench of iron in the air was real.

The smug, satisfied look in Regis’s eyes was real.

Hands grabbed me— my pack members flanked me on either side.

“Take her to the underground cells,” an elder ordered.

My eyes snapped up.

I kicked and clawed, but the grip on me only tightened, dragging me to the underground cells like a broken doll.

Regis let out a sigh, then, to my horror, patted my head like I was some obedient pet.

“There, there,” he murmured mockingly. “No need to fight, little one. Soon, you'll be my Luna. You belong to me now.”

I froze.

No.

I would never belong to him.

I opened my mouth to curse him—

But a sharp pain exploded in the back of my head.

The world tilted.

Darkness swallowed me whole.

And I fell.