Chapter 8: Shadows of Betrayal

The battle was over, but the weight of its aftermath hung over us like a dark cloud. My mind teetered and swirled upon words said by the rogue leader that the bond makes her vulnerable, and this feeling of dread lingered and would not let me be. I couldn't help but feel that something so much greater was going on here, something so much greater than rogue wolves trying to shake the packs.

Xander and Aiden had shifted back into their human forms, both of them standing on either side of me like silent sentinels, their gazes fixed on the spot where the rogues had disappeared into the forest. Clearly, though, their minds were elsewhere. We were all stretched taut, our nerves strained from the happenings of the night.

I stood between them, my body still shaking with the adrenaline of the fight. My arms pulsed with a deep ache where the rogue had slashed me, but that pain was nothing compared to the heft of everything else. The bond between Xander and Aiden tugged at me from both sides now, but more like a curse than a blessing. The rogue leader was right. The bond made me vulnerable. It made us all vulnerable.

"We need to find out who betrayed us," Xander said; his voice was tight with anger, barely restrained. He hadn't taken his eyes off the forest, his jaw clenched, muscles tense. "Someone told the rogues about Lena, about the bond. And whoever it was—

"We'll find them," Aiden interrupted, his voice low but resolute. Stepping closer to me, his hand brushed against my arm in a protecting gesture. "But first we need to get you somewhere safe."

I'm not going anywhere until we figure this out," I said, shaking but set. "Whoever betrayed us is out there, and if they told the rogues about the bond, they'll come after me again. I'm not going to sit around waiting for them to strike.

Aiden's eyes softened, but the worry was engraved on his face. "Lena, you almost died tonight. We need to pull back, plan our next move."

I shook my head. "I'm not going to hide. I need to know who's behind this."

Xander finally turned, his eyes dark and unreadable. "We'll find them, but you're not getting involved in the hunt.

"I have to," I said, my tone rising with irritation. "This is my life, Xander. I need to know who's targeting me."

His face hardened, the Alpha in him flared. "I won't let you put yourself in more danger."

And I won't be a pawn in someone else's game," I returned, the tension between us growing thicker by the second. I could literally feel the mate bond tugging at me, urging me to bend to Xander's protectiveness, but I fought it. I need answers. I need control.

Aiden stepped between us, his gaze darting back and forth between me and Xander. "We all want the same thing here. But Lena's right. We can't just sit around and wait. The rogues knew too much. Whoever gave them that information… it's someone close."

His words dropped on us like a lead blanket, heavy and threatening. Someone close. Someone on either the **Silver Ridge Pack** or the **Shadow Moon Pack** had betrayed us, handed over to the rogues knowledge of my dual mate bond. But who? And why?

Xander let out a low growl; clearly, frustration was growing. "It could be anyone. But I have my suspicions."

"Who?" I asked, my heart pounding.

Xander's eyes had darkened, and his jaw was clenched. "Jaxon."

I blinked-just the shock of his words was like a blow. **Jaxon**, Xander's Beta, his best friend. The one that had stood by his side through every battle, every fight. The thought of him betraying Xander seemed impossible, but something in Xander's eyes told me he wasn't throwing accusations out lightly.

Why do you think it's Jaxon?" Aiden asked, brow furrowed.

Xander's voice was tight, controlled, but I could hear the edge of anger lurking beneath. "Jaxon has been acting strange lately. Questioning my decisions, pushing back in ways he never has before. He knows more about the mate bond than anyone else in the pack.

I swallowed hard as the weight of that reality settled in. If Jaxon had betrayed Xander, then this wasn't just a rogue issue; it was a possible civil war within Xander's pack. The wolves of the Shadow Moon Pack respected-often even feared-Jaxon. If he were to turn against Xander, it could bring down the whole pack.

"And if it's not Jaxon?" Aiden asked. His voice was cautious. "We can't rush into this. If you accuse him and you're wrong—"

"I'm not wrong," Xander snarled, flashing his eyes. "I know Jaxon. I've known him my whole life. Something's changed."

"But why would he do this?" I breathed, my voice barely audible. "Why would he betray you?"

Xander's face set, his jaw clenching tight. "Power. He thinks I'm distracted, weak because of the bond. He sees it as an opportunity."

The pain was readable in his eyes, the sting buried under the anger. Jaxon wasn't just his Beta, his friend, his brother-in-arms. The idea that he could turn against him wasn't just a betrayal of the pack-it was personal.

"I'll go to him," Xander said, his voice like steel. "I'll confront him. And if he's behind this, I'll end it."

Aiden shook his head. "You can't go in alone. If Jaxon is plotting against you, he won't be alone. He'll have wolves loyal to him."

"I don't need anyone else," Xander said, coldly and determinedly.

You'll take me with you," Aiden said firmly. "If things go sideways, you'll need backup. We can't afford to lose the Alpha of the Shadow Moon Pack."

Xander's eyes narrowed at the suggestion that he needed help, but after a long, tense moment, he nodded. "Fine. We move fast, though. I'm not letting him get a head start to prepare.

I stepped closer, breaching the distance between us, my heart racing with adrenaline. "I'm going with you."

"No," they chimed in unison, equal fates attached to their voices alike.

I bridled under the balm of instant negation. "You can't just shut me out from this. I'm involved too."

"This isn't a debate, Lena," Xander said, the finale of his voice. "You're staying here. I won't risk your life again.

"And what happens if you're wrong?" I blustered back, frustration sloshing inside me. "What if Jaxon isn't the one doing this? You'll be walking into a fight without knowing the full truth."

"That's a risk I'm willing to take," Xander snarled, his eyes burning with intensity.

I balled my fists as anger boiled through my stomach. "I'm not some fragile thing you need to protect, Xander. I deserve to be part of this."

Aiden said calmly but firmly, "Lena, you need to trust us. We'll get this dealt with. Your safety is number one.

I wanted to argue, wanted to scream that this was my fight too, that I didn't need to be coddled and protected. But then I saw the determination in their eyes, the resolute glint that would not be budged. They would not take me with them. They would not make me face this danger.

I bit my frustration back and nodded reluctantly. "Fine. But promise me you'll be careful.

Aiden's eyes gentled, and he reached out, his fingers delicately cupping my cheek. "I'll always be careful. I won't let anything happen to you."

Xander's gaze darted to Aiden, his jaw clenching, but he said nothing. He turned then and headed for the door, shoulders stiff, his mind already churning with what was to come.

"I'll come back with answers," he said in that low voice of his that sounded deadly.

And with that, they were gone.

---

**In the Silence**

The silence after they were gone was almost unbearable. I stood in that empty room, my heart racing, my mind running with all the possible worst-case scenarios. The thought of Xander facing Jaxon alone-outside of me, outside of anyone-made my chest tighten up with anxiety. And Aiden… Aiden was putting his life on the line, too. I hated the fact that they were walking right into danger, and I was here, helpless, waiting.

I paced the room, feeling the walls closing in on me. I hated this. I hated the feeling of a liability, a person who needed shielding from danger. But then again, I understood very well why they had insisted to leave me behind. This bond made me a target, and they just couldn't afford a distraction when betrayal might be in the middle of all this.

But that didn't make it any easier.

The minutes ticked on, each passing second an eternity in its own right. My head replayed every single moment of that fight with the rogues, every word that leader of the rogues had spoken. **The bond makes her vulnerable.** I'd never felt so open, so unsure of my place amidst all this. How was I to protect myself-let alone those I cared about-if the very thing that made me special was also my very weakness?

I didn't have the time to answer that question.

Because the door to the room creaked

 open, and in walked someone I wasn't expecting.

**Jaxon.**

His eyes cold, calculating, as he stepped into the room, his presence filling the space with an uncomfortable energy. My heart stopped.

He smiled, but there was no warmth in it. "You've been looking for me, haven't you, Lena?"

I took a step back, my pulse racing. **He knows.**

The tension in the room grew even thicker as Jaxon's gaze finally turned cold upon mine. He took another step, his smile growing menacing.

"You've been playing the game, Lena," he said softly, the menace in his voice low, even. "But now… it's my move."

At that moment, I knew I wasn't just a fly on the wall anymore.

I was trapped right in the middle of a war.