The Wolf's Betrayal

***THREE YEARS AGO***

ZARA'S POV

It's been another long day at 'human' school, another hectic day to play human and face the bullies, but today was different. Today's bully got to its bream, and I don't want to talk about it with Mum.

I have noticed anytime I bring up this discussion with Mum, she always with the excuse of 'l'm not old enough' or 'I'm still a child.' The last time she said, 'I need to grow up.' For God's sake, how old do I need to get before knowing about my dad? Isn't 17 years old enough? I guess she just doesn't want me to know, but this time, I must get answers.

I sense my mum walked into the compound through the back door of granny's house. I could bet she saw me sitting on the fallen logs a few meters away, fingering my legs while thinking of how to start up this conversation again.

"Zaraa..I'm ho..me!!, I bought your favorite chips," she said while she settled, thinking I would rush to her on hearing of my favorite chips, which I usually do. But I willed my ground and ignored her, frantically making her obvious of my furious state. I need answers, not favorite chips.

I heard footsteps slowly walking towards me from behind, I knew it was she, and I was determined to let out my rage.

"Zara, my child, why do you look so sad?" she said in a low tone, gradually touching my shoulders.

"I'm fine, Mum," I lied. Obviously, I was not. I thrust my face to the other side, making her more curious.

"Did something happen at school today" she came again.

"Mum, I want to see my Dad, I want to know my Dad, I want to know if I even have a Dad," I cried out, barely holding up my tears.

"Nora, the neighbor's daughter called me a bastard today at school," I said with a shaky voice, but Mum was just quiet. "And I think she is correct," I said with a stronger voice, hoping to intimidate my mum.

The usual response from Mum is a heavy breath in and out and then tapping me twice on my shoulders. Then she will say, 'Don't worry, Zara, sooner or later, you will get the answers you want', and that was exactly what she said this time too.

"No Mum, I am not taking your 'sooner or later' response this time around." I persisted.

And my persistence yielded the answer I wanted.

***PRESENT DAY***

"Your father is the Alpha of the Eastern Coast and the king of the Eastern Region, You have a brother and his name is Damian, your father didn't know I was with child when he allowed my banishment, he didn't know he had a daughter".... Mother's words play in my memory as I hover through the dark wood forest with no idea of my whereabout, all I know is that I have to leave the Wyldblood clan. I can't afford to kill more people.

Mother said the gods, Afiri, gave us Gifts, and gifts are not for destructive purposes; gifts are given to help. I couldn't bear the idea of killing many people by just reeling through their minds. Something I would never opt for in my life.

I was shaken off my reverie by the shadow of a huge wolf figure hanging on a tree a few kilometers ahead of me. 'What is this again? Do I have to Face tribulations every time I go through this forest alone?'

"Yes, you have to darling" A sweet sound penetrated through the air from behind me, it was a very beautiful-skinned look lady, with a slim body and curly blonde hair, just like mine

"You could barely survive a day alone here" the voice came again.

Wait, was I too loud? I was talking to myself....in mind, how the hell did she...

"Of course, you're not too loud, and yes you are talking to yourself"

I turned abruptly and stopped, "Who are you, and what do you want?" boldly confronting her, ignoring the huge image which is now closer; I didn't want her to know that I admired her.

She simply raised her hands as if surrendering. "Hey.., hey.., they call you little wolf, right?" She said as if she'd gotten some information about me

"Listen I'm Emily and I mean no harm, I come in peace, please don't control my mind," she said mockingly

What, she knows about me, how did she know? Who is she?

"Yes I am coming to that, but first I want to thank you for admiring me, you said I look beautiful"

I was surprised. How did she know I said that? I kept a straight face. "Who are you for the last time? No jokes, or else," I threatened.

That was when I heard a huge landing from the tree, I turned and it was the huge figure but now in a human form. "What Kael!" I exclaimed in shock.

"You left without a farewell or at least a goodbye," he said with a sly smile on his face.

"How did you find me?"

"She did," he said, referring to Emily.

"See, Zara, I want you to calm down; I'm a friend," Emily cuts in before I can even speak.

"I Understand your insecurity, I've been there before so I know what it means, I understand you are not happy with the damage your powers can cause and you want to go away as far as possible or even get rid of it but listen, I want you to know it is normal, you have that power for a reason," she said calmly as if touching and blending the thoughts of my soul, but I kept a straight face as usual, so she won't know how soft she's gotten me.

"You know I have a gift too; that was why I could find you so easily; I could read your thoughts; I could hear them as if you are talking to me clearly," she continues with her soft tone, almost bringing me to lean at her and cry, but I remain indifferent.

She dipped her hand into the back pocket of her tight jean pants and brought out a chain necklace. "You forgot this," she said, handing it over to me.

"How did you get this?" I said, snatching it off her hand, still willing to my zero-emotion face.

"Kael gave it to me," she said.

I flashed a piercing gaze at Kael demanding answers.

"This was what I used to trace you" she continues

"If I could get something of importance to the person then I could read its thoughts, and if I could read its thoughts, I can find the person, that's it" She pauses for a while, frantically pulling me off my still shield

"I've been following you right from the moment you start recalling your mom's words to you about your father"

"What do you want, Kael!" I said almost crying out.

"All we want is for you to come back; come back, and I will teach you how to control your powers. It's not safe out here alone, Zara; remember what happened to you a few days ago while you were alone..."

"How do you know much about me besides, I haven't seen you among the pack since my stay" I asked curiously

"Keal told me everything; I was away for some time, and I had to prepare for the supermoon," she chuckles."... I flashed a gaze to Kael, and for the first time, Kael released a soft smile, truly showing how handsome he was.

As if sensing something, he quickly froze, tightening his countenance and hovering his gaze around the slightly dark forest.

And then, a figure emerged from the shadows.

"Kael," the figure whispered, its voice barely audible.

Kael's heart skipped a beat as he recognized the voice.

"Ren?" he whispered back, his eyes locked on the figure. "Is that you?"

But before Ren could respond, a loud growl echoed through the forest, and within a split second, it disappeared into thin air, leaving Ren almost dead.

***SEVEN DAYS AGO***

"Lost, little wolf?" said he, his voice all a cruel mockery.

A low growl emanated from behind her, wrenching Zara into startling fear. With her heart racing, bronze eyes widened, and she turned, only to stop cold at the sight of glowing, yellow eyes gazing back at her. The shadow looming was that of a massive rogue wolf, snarling, fanged teeth laid bare, eyes fastened upon her.

Though her heart raced loudly, Zara willed herself to stand her ground. "I'm just passing through."

"Oh, I don't think so," the rogue replied, advancing on her. "Wander too far away from your little pack, and you will soon be a snack."

Fists clenched and anticipation rising as muscles stiffened into coiled springs, Zara readied herself for battle.

It was obvious that the odds were against her, she was outnumbered. She was no match for them but would not take it lying down.

She sprang forth, claws a flash as she swiped at his side, surprise etched on his face. Pain snarled out of him, but before she could go on, two more wolves slipped from the shadows, circling her.

With a rush of panic cursing through her veins, invisibly she was encircled, and there remained no escape. Gathering herself for the inevitable blow, her gaze bore across the rogues while they drew closer.

As one of the wolves lunged for her, a dark blur took to the air and smashed hard into the rogue, sending him crashing to the ground. A fearsome figure of a wolf appeared with a presence demanding respect. His piercing gaze bore through her, in icy blue.

The rogue wolves froze, eyes wide in recognition of the newcomer. The one who'd taunted her let loose a low snarl, though mirth with a slight glimmer of uneasiness flickered, wreathed in fear at what he saw.

"Kael," he hissed, taking a step back. "This isn't your territory," he said angrily

In a low, dangerous voice, Kael made it clear. "I am to decide my boundaries, not you"

Feeling defeated, without uttering a word, the rogue wolves turned their tail and melted into the blackness, leaving Zara and Kael in the silence of the quiet wood.

She stared at him, her breath coming in short gasps as the terror and adrenaline took their toll. It was a stare that took the man's breath away.

He was taller than anyone else in their pack, intimidating but magnetic. With his physique all magnificent, the gazes collided between Kael and herself for a brief moment, and Zara felt as though he could easily look through her heart.

"What are you doing here?" he snapped, his voice frigid.

Zara lifted her chin, vowing not to let him see her fear. "I could ask you the same thing." She said trying to be bold.

Kael's lips curved into a faint and humorless smile. "You're all by yourself out here, little wolf. Did they send you spying on us?"

"Spying?"

"I'm not spying on anyone. I left on my own." Zara bristled

The expression that flickered over his features was brilliant, one that perhaps suggested interest. "You left your pack?"

"Not that it is within your purview," she replied, crossing her arms. "But yes, I did"

He scrutinized her for a while as if assessing if he should believe her. "And now you're alone in the woods full of wolves who would not think twice before tearing you apart."

"I can take care of myself," Zara retorted, though the words felt false as she had barely escaped the rogue wolves. Had Kael not come...

Kael's eyebrows were already raised in an unimpressed fashion. "You can barely stand."

Zara gritted her teeth, refusing to acknowledge her weakness. She straightened herself, but a wave passed through her mind. She stumbled, and Kael's hand firmly held her upright in a surprisingly gentle way.

"Careful," he said, his voice softening as if to offer comfort.

That touch sent a strange electric thrill down her spine, and for just a moment, their eyes locked. She was inexplicably attracted to him, a bond she could not define. But just as suddenly, he withdrew his hand; his gaze became an iron stare again.

"Sick and tired of saying this," he traced, his voice failed to ventilate anything but coldness, "you shouldn't be here. Get back to your pack before you get yourself killed."

Zara raised her chin defiantly. "I won't go back"

"and you can leave if you won't help me." She blotted

Kael sighed, not even trying to hide the irritation in his voice. "How stubborn!"

She crossed her arms, defiant. "That's not your business."

For a moment, Kael strayed closer to the woods, staring at the woods for any remnants; with her tension crackling in the air, Zara wondered how a lone wolf's strength could scare a whole dangerous pack away.

She sensed that there was more behind Kael than his dark exterior, but only he knew he hid it, as Zara herself did know.

"Fine," Kael said finally. "You can stay tonight. But come morning, you are going."

"What!, just a night? Do you....!" Zara tried to protest, But something in his gaze rendered her silent.

With a reluctant nod, she consented, but not in the least for the reason of leaving in the morning. She needed answers, and she was not stopping until she got them.

As Kael led her deeper into his territory, she caught glimpses of his pack in the shadows-wolves with piercing eyes and wary expressions. She could feel their distrust, and yet she held her head up high and refused to show fear.

They arrived at a small clearing where Kael motioned for her to sit. She complied with hundreds of questions bubbling up in the back of her mind: who was Kael? Why had he rescued her?

But before she could think more about it, Zara, using her powers, sensed Kael watching her with an intensity that sent a shiver down her spine. His expression was guarded as though he were weighing a decision.

"Sleep," he said, his voice leaving no room for disagreement. "You will need your strength."

"Need my strength?", Zara wonders within herself

With no small reluctance, Zara closed her eyes, with curiosity taking a whole part of her.

Although sleep was so very far away with him so close beside her.

But the words following that come up, quite easily, few murmurs might be heard, following those murmurs before sleep overtakes them.

Zara, drifting into sleep, overhears one of Kael's pack members converse in hushed tones.

"Does she know who he is?"

"Does she even know she has been saved by the banished alpha?".

The murmurs in her dream baffle her as she hopes it is just a dream.

***SIX DAYS AGO***

ZARA'S POV

I woke suddenly to the sound of whispers just on the border of waking. My eyes fluttered open, adjusting to the faint rays of sunshine filtering through the trees. The clearing was still and quiet, darkened by the dense backdrop of canopy high above. I sat up slowly, still attempting to shimmy the tightness in my muscles from the night past.

Two wolves stood a few feet away, whispering in low tones, oblivious to the fact that I had woken.

"Do you think she even knows?" cried one, doubt twinkling in his dark eyes. "I mean, the alpha brought her here himself, I bet she doesn't know"

"Doubt it," said the other, throwing a glance my way. "It's not like he would've told her. And anyway, she's outside; maybe she was rejected by the PACK" I tensed, keeping as still as I could.

They were talking about me; for that reason, I would not show any sign of having overheard their words. "She'll figure it out soon enough," the first wolf said. "No one has managed to stay here long without learning the truth about the Alpha."

"What truth?" I almost shouted but bit my tongue, my heart racing.

Everyone became quiet as Kael's entrance turned the discussion into silence. He looked at me with a strange expression in his eyes, cold, but curious, at best. "Get up," he said flatly. "It's time for you to go." I bristled, fighting back the pang in annoyance.

"Go? I didn't agree to it." Kael's glare was icy as he took slow measured steps toward me. "I never needed you to, that was not an order." I met his stare unwaveringly and defied him. "Really? Why save me at all if you planned to throw me out?" For the briefest moment, as if recalling an incident, regret was visible in his eyes before it was hidden again behind a cold mask of indifference.

"Because you were about to get yourself a nice death, and that would have been... inconvenient." "Inconvenient?" I barely held back a grin in sheer disbelief. "You did not save me out of goodwill?!" Amused by the conversation, everyone strictly maintained a distance, while some watched from the shades of the tree. Kael smiled a cold smile without amusement. "I have no heart left in this life that is cruelly draining me of it, cub." Maybe it was because of the way he had said it, but I felt a shiver run down my spine. I fought to regain the same stand, round, and confidence.

I would show him I was no ship an anchor could moor. "I'm not leaving," I said, crossing my arms. "So you might as well get used to me." Kael decided for a moment to drone his eyes into mine, as though weighing an option. His jaw clenched, and the tension I felt in his shoulders warned me he was angling for a ghost of reason within himself. "Stubborn," he muttered under his breath. "Then fine. Stay for now.

But you follow my rules, and there is no strange wandering off on your part!" "Just as you wandered off your other pack," he mutters in his. I couldn't hold my anger. "I didn't wander off my pack! I'm on a quest! I bet you won't understand what that means." "That's your business." Kael's expression hardened but was controlled immediately.

You must mind the way you talk if you want to stay longer ."Your stay here is limited," he said with a note of finality. Kael's countenance softened, at least for a heartbeat, before he turned away. "Ren, show her around," he ordered one of the wolves. "And keep an eye on her. I don't want any more surprises."

Ren, a wiry wolf with sharp eyes and messy brown hair--I guessed was his name--stepped forward with a hurried nod toward me, looking at me with equal parts curiosity and suspicion, meticulously scrutinizing me. "Come on, follow me... if that's what you want." I nodded and fell in step beside him, back. Kael followed me with his gaze as I walked away, and for a moment, I felt a strange pang of... regret. As if I'd wanted him to keep arguing, wanted him to continue to express something behind that impenetrable coldness of his.

But he was already walking in another direction, mooning into the trees with his shoulders set in a manner that told me he wasn't in the mood for small talk--or perhaps for conversation, ever.

Ren led me around the camp, pointing out the central areas--a gathered place around a stone fire pit, a small shelter where they kept their food, and a few huts scattered, all made from rough timber and leaves.

It wasn't much, but they were enough to provide shelter and warmth. "Not exactly homey," I remarked under my breath as I surveyed the modest setup. "But I guess it works so far." Ren shrugged, his eyes draped nonchalantly over to me in sort of an amused manner. "We make a life. You learn to live with less around here." I could tell from the tone of his voice that this was not merely a camp for him. This was home, a refuge for those too troublesome to find a proper place.

And judging by the scars on his face and the tormented look in his eyes, he had probably been through more than I could imagine. "So... what is the deal with that Kael?" I made an effort to keep my tone casual.

"I mean, I get that he's the alpha, but I feel like there's something deeper within than he being an alpha." Ren shifted his eyes around to check sinister listening ears before bringing his voice even lower.

"You don't know, do you?" I shook my head, my curiosity intensifying.

"No. But I'd like to." He hesitated, finally weighing the odds of telling me, and then sighed heartily.

"Kael used to be one of the stronger alphas in our kind. Respected, trusted... until he was banished by his council " "What?" I whispered, hardly able to process the shock. "What are you saying?" "Years ago," Ren explained, his voice tight with anger, "Kael's half-brother conspired with the council and accused Kael of treason.

Allegedly, he had conspired with rogues to overthrow the pack leaders. But it was a setup way to get him out because they were really afraid of him." "Afraid?" I echoed as my mind raced. "What could make them scared of him?"

"Because he was too damn strong and independent," Ren retorted with bitterness. "The council wanted a puppet they could control. And Kael...is not that type. "Really," I asked, surprisingly. Well, let's just say he doesn't come under orders very easily," I said, trying to be confidential. My mind reeled.

Kael, betrayed by his people? I was having a hard time believing it, but it now made sense; the coldness in his eyes, the distance between him and anyone else, it was the same as my moms'.

Inside him, there were wounds deeper than those which could be seen. There was more from Ren, with a low murmur. "After his banishment, some followed him. Because we believed in him, knew he was innocent. So we became exiles, too. This is our home now, even if it's rough." I stared at Ren, a strange mix of anger towards Kael and admiration. He had built something here, taken in wolves that had nowhere else to go. And he'd done it while carrying the burden of betrayal across his shoulders. "Why didn't he tell me that?" I inquired, my voice a little above a whisper. "Kael doesn't easily trust," Ren said with a sigh. "And can you blame him? After all, he's been through..." I kept my eyes cast down, guilt wracking my bones.

I had judged Kael without knowing his story. I had not given thought to what he had endured. And now that I did... I didn't know what to think.

So Ren and I walked back toward the middle of camp, and I could see Kael watching us from a distance, the expression on his face unreadable. I was unable to shake off the thought that there were more secrets he kept, things that he was not ready to share yet.

One thing I knew for sure: I would not leave. Not yet. Not until I knew who Kael was and why I was feeling such a strange, unexpected pull toward him. I turned around to reply to Ren but noticed a silhouette moving between the trees behind him, a figure watching from the depths of the darkness. I squinted, trying to recognize who the person was but before I could speak, the figure faded into blackness, leaving me feeling uneasy. What other eyes did watch us in these woods? What did they want?