Chapter 3 Betrayal 2

Elena pov

The next morning, the air was colder than usual-as if even the wind knew I was being sent to my fate.

I stood at the border between our land and the rogue territory-two very different worlds divided by a single invisible line. Behind me was the life I'd bled for. Ahead... the unknown. A place whispered about in fear and disgust.

Two guards flanked me, their faces blank, cold, emotionless. Like statues carved from ice.

They weren't there to protect me.

They were there to ensure I didn't run.

Their presence was a silent reminder: I had no choice.

I had no freedom.

Not anymore.

Sofia stirred inside me, restless.

"We could take them," she whispered.

But I knew better. Not yet. Not here.

I swallowed the lump rising in my throat and kept my back straight. If I was going to walk into hell, I'd do it with my head held high.

Let them see what they think they've broken.

Let them think they've won.

Because they have no idea who I'm about to become.

As the journey continued, an eerie silence settled around us.

Not a word from the guards. Not even the wind dared to whisper through the trees.

Everything felt... wrong.

The forest grew thicker with every step, the trees standing tall and close like silent sentinels, their branches twisting above us, blocking out the light. Shadows crept along the path, wrapping around us like the arms of something waiting. Watching.

It felt less like a journey and more like I was being led into a trap.

And maybe I was.

But what choice did I have?

I was a rejected Luna with no power, no home, and a secret I had to protect at all costs.

Sofia, my wolf, remained quiet-but I could feel her unease. Her silence was heavier than her words ever could be.

I kept walking.

One foot in front of the other, toward the unknown. Toward the rogue who was now supposed to be my husband.

Toward whatever fate they had written for me.

But deep inside, beneath the pain and the fear, a fire was building.

Let them think they've caged me.

Because one day-I'll burn their world down.

Suddenly, the guards halted.

One of them spoke in a flat, emotionless tone.

"This is where we stop."

I blinked in disbelief, my footsteps faltering.

"What? You're leaving me here?" I asked, my voice rising with shock.

Neither of them looked at me. Cold. Unfeeling.

"The rogues will pick you up from here," the other muttered. "That was the agreement."

And just like that, they turned their backs on me.

No goodbye. No warning. No protection.

They vanished into the forest, swallowed by the trees, leaving me alone in the silence.

I stood there, frozen. The hairs on the back of my neck prickled, and Sofia stirred inside me.

"This is wrong," she growled. "Something's watching us."

I scanned the thick forest ahead. The air was heavier now. Denser. The silence was too loud.

I was no longer between two lands.

I was in theirs now.

And they were coming.

I froze at the sound of rustling in the bushes.

Something-or someone-was there.

My heart pounded against my ribs like a war drum as I slowly turned in every direction, eyes darting through the thick trees and tangled shadows.

"Who's there?" I called out, trying to keep my voice steady.

No answer. Just more movement.

"Show yourself!" I demanded, my voice sharper now, though fear coiled in my stomach.

A cold whisper floated from the shadows.

"Elena..."

My breath caught.

"Who are you?!" I snapped, turning toward the voice.

And then-I saw him.

He stepped out of the shadows like a ghost summoned from a nightmare.

Tall, powerful, cloaked in a quiet, dangerous energy.

Jet-black hair framed a chiseled face. His eyes-dark and unreadable-locked onto mine with an intensity that stole the air from my lungs.

And I knew.

I knew exactly who he was.

Jason.

The most feared rogue in existence.

The legend whispered through every pack.

The shadow that haunted the borders.

And now... the man I was supposed to marry.

He took a step closer, his presence overwhelming, the air shifting with his every move.

"So... you're the offering," he said, voice smooth like silk but laced with danger.

My body instinctively moved back, heart thundering in my chest.

"What do you want from me?" I asked, forcing the words past my lips.

A crooked smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"Want?" he echoed, eyes never leaving mine. "Nothing... yet."

He circled me slowly, like a predator studying its prey.

"But since we'll be spending some time together... let's at least have a little chat, hmm?"

There was something mocking in his tone, like he was playing a game only he understood.

I clenched my fists, trying to stand tall even though fear pulsed through every inch of me.

Sofia stirred restlessly inside.

"Don't trust him," she whispered.

But I already knew that.

Jason was no ordinary rogue.

He wasn't just a man-he was a warning wrapped in charm.

And now, I was his.

He leaned against a nearby tree with unsettling ease, arms crossed, a sly smirk playing on his lips.

"As you can see," he began, his voice low and taunting, "I've been looking forward to this little... discussion."

I narrowed my eyes, tension winding tighter in my chest.

"Discussion?" I scoffed. "About what, exactly?"

He pushed off the tree and slowly walked toward me, each step calculated.

"Your people, Elena. Your pack," he said, voice thick with venom.

"Do you still remember them?"

The name Elena rolled off his tongue like a threat, like he already knew the answer and was toying with me.

I gasped, breath catching in my throat.

"What about them?" I asked, trying to keep my voice from shaking.

Jason's eyes darkened, and something shifted in his expression-something dangerous.

"Let's just say... their hands aren't as clean as they pretend. And you, dear Elena, are caught in the middle of a very old betrayal."

The forest seemed to quiet around us.

My blood ran cold.

He knew something.

Something I wasn't ready for.