Chapter 9: The Betrayer's Game

He entered the room, the air suddenly thick and choking, and I felt his eyes, gleaming with cruel amusement, on me like a bruise spreading its darkness. My heart beat loudly in my chest, a deafening cadence in the hush that filled the wake of his entry. The bond with Xander flared to life, warning of danger, but he wasn't here to protect me. Neither was Aiden.

I was alone.

Jaxon's cool smile spread as he silently shut the door behind him, the click it produced a ringing sound ominously in that small room. "You didn't expect me, did you?"

I swallowed, as everything in me screamed to run, yet my legs seemed nailed to the floor. "What are you doing here, Jaxon?"

One eyebrow went up, his eyes glinting with malice. "That's a kind of strange question, coming from someone who's been looking for me."

 "I wasn't looking for you," I said-my voice trying to sound firm, though it continued to shudder. "Xander and Aiden are.

His eyes darkened at their names, and for the merest second I saw something sinister appear behind his smile. "Xander," he jeered, his voice replete with derision. "The mighty Alpha. So smug in himself, always so convinced of his control of all that is happening around him."

My stomach writhed with anxiety, but I made myself straighten up. "You were his friend.

For a moment, Jaxon's smile faltered, and then it returned, sharper, crueler. "I was his Beta. His most trusted ally. But trust." He took another step closer, his voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. "Trust is for fools.

My breath caught as reality washed over me. **Jaxon had betrayed Xander.** He was the one who'd been feeding the rogues information, who set everything in motion. The rogue attack, the knowledge of the bond—he was behind all of it.

"Why?" I whispered low. "Why would you betray him? You've known him your whole life.

Jaxon's eyes were slitted now, his face contorting with the bitterness that had pooled inside him. "I've stood by Xander's side for years, waiting for him to realize that he wasn't invincible, waiting for him to see that this pack needed something more. But he was too blinded by his pride at being Alpha, too taken by his obsession with control. And then… " His gaze jerked back to me, a twisted smile curling on his lips. "Then you came along.

I stiffened, my stomach churning with dread.

Jaxon continued, his voice dripping with deprecation. "The moment you and Xander were bound by the mate bond, I knew it all would change. Xander was weak, vulnerable-the bond made him soft. And then I found out about Aiden." His low, mocking laugh forced its way from his lips. "Two mates? Do you even know how dangerous that is?

I balled my fists, willing the panic to stay contained. "The bond isn't a weakness."

He snorted, shaking his head. "That's where you're wrong, Lena. The bond makes you vulnerable. It ties you to them—**both** of them. And everyone can see it. The rogues knew the moment they found out about your bond with Xander and Aiden. They knew you were the key to unraveling everything."

My brain whirled, the desperate attempt to keep up. **I was the target**. Everything-what had happened in the rogue attack and the betrayal-had been about me. They'd wanted to use the bond to annihilate both packs.

I took a shaking breath, forcing myself to glance over at Jaxon. "So what now? You think you're going to take over Xander's pack?

The gleam in Jaxon's eyes turned dangerous. "I don't have to take over. Xander will fall on his own. It only takes one little push, and all he has built will come crashing down. The rogues will see to it."

I shook my head, my heart racing. "You're wrong. Xander isn't going to fall. He's stronger than you think.

The smile that was on Jaxon's lips turned cold. "You don't get it, do you? It's not about Xander. It is about power-the packs are weak, and the rogues know it. The minute they take you, they have leverage over both Xander and Aiden. And when the packs start fighting amongst themselves, the rogues will sweep in and take everything.

The blood drained from my face. **Take me?** The rogues wanted to use me as leverage, controlling Xander and Aiden through me, forcing chaos into the packs. My mind whipped back to the words of the rogue leader—**the bond makes her vulnerable**—and how serious this went.

Jaxon's eyes gleamed with dark humor as he watched realization dawn on my face. "You're the perfect tool, Lena. The perfect way to break them."

"I won't let that happen," I whispered, my voice shaking in defiance.

He laughed, cold and mirthless. "And how are you going to stop it? Xander isn't here to protect you. Aiden isn't either. You're alone, Lena. And the rogues are already on their way.

My heart was racing in my chest, and fear raged in my throat. I needed to get out of here. I needed to warn Xander and Aiden before it was too late. But Jaxon was blocking the door, his cold smile telling me he had no intention of letting me leave.

I took a step back as my mind began to race. Think, Lena. You have to get out of here. Before I could make a move, Jaxon lunged forward, his hand clamping down on my arm in a painful grasp. I gasped, attempting to pull away from him, but his hold was too strong.

"You are not going anywhere," he spat. His voice was very low, quite dead. "The rogues will be here soon. And once they do, you're going to be taking a little trip with them."

Panic swelled inside me, but I fought the rise. I couldn't give in. I couldn't let him win. I couldn't let him turn me over to those rogues. My wolf stirred inside me, restless, wanting to fight, but I knew I couldn't take Jaxon on my own. He was stronger, faster-and he had the element of surprise.

But I wasn't going to give up.

In one tidal wave of desperation, I wriggled in his hold, cocking my elbow with all my might into his chest. Jaxon grunted in surprise. His hold loosened for just a moment. That was my chance. I stumbled backward, my heart racing while trying to get some space between us. But Jaxon recovered quickly, his eyes flashing with anger.

You shouldn't have done that, he growled; the menace was dripping off his voice like acid.

I didn't even see him move before he was at me again. His hands closed over my throat once more, and I flew backward, this time slamming into a wall with a burst of pain. I gasped for air, trying to fight against his clamped, unyielding fingers.

"You think you can fight me?" Jaxon snarled, his face inches from mine. "You think Xander or Aiden will save you in time?"

I scratched at his hand, trying to get free, but he squeezed too hard. My vision blurred through the struggle of not breathing, my mind racing in panic. I was losing. I was going to lose.

But just as the darkness began to close in around me, the door to the room burst open with a deafening crash.

---

**The Rescue**

Jaxon's grip loosened in shock as Xander's wolf barreled into the room-a savage snarl ripping from his throat. His dark fur bristled with fury, his eyes glowing with a deadly intent that sent a wave of both relief and terror through me.

Xander had slammed into Jaxon, wrenching him from me with a bone-crushing force that had left Jaxon hitting the floor hard. A low groan had escaped his lips as he struggled to catch his breath.

I gasped for air, my throat burning from the force of Jaxon's grip, but I didn't have time to think. Xander's wolf stood protectively in front of me, his body vibrating with fury as he growled low in his throat at Jaxon, his teeth bared in a lethal warning.

But Jaxon wasn't done.

He growled, too, the sound turning into a snarl as he shifted to his wolf form and leaped at Xander in a feral burst of aggression. Their bodies clashed in a furry heap of teeth and tussling limbs; they growled with heavy, panting breaths, battering one another mercilessly.

I stumbled backward, my heart racing in my chest as I watched them fight. Xander was bigger, stronger, but Jaxon was faster, his attacks swift and precise. Blood sprayed across the floor as they slashed at each other, their snarls loud in my ears.

Moments later, Aiden burst into the room. His wolf skidded to a stop and took in the scene in front of him. Launching himself into the fight, his wolf moved in a flurry of speed, leaping to join Xander and attack Jaxon.

Two against one, but Jaxon fought like a wolf possessed. His teeth snapped at Xander's throat, his claws raking across Aiden's side, yet the two wolves were relentless. They moved together with deadly precision, driving Jaxon back, wearing him down.

With a last, savage snarl, Xander's jaws closed around Jaxon's neck and the room went still.

Jaxon whimpered, his body going limp in Xander's grip. Blood dripped from Xander

s jaws but didn't let go. His gaze was fixed on Jaxon's, full of anger and hurt.

"Finish it," Aiden snarled, his voice low and deadly, filled with his wolf's determination.

For a moment, Xander's eyes went dark; he looked down at his ex-Beta, the man who had been his friend-turned-traitor. Then, growling once more, he loosened his grip on Jaxon's neck and his wolf stepped back. Defeated but alive, Jaxon fell to the floor as the others in the pack made way for him to move away, leaving him shunned.

"Let the judgment of the pack be his fate," Xander said in a low voice that was full of venom. "He doesn't deserve to have it over with in an instant.".

As I watched Jaxon's broken, bloody body slump to the floor, a wave of relief finally washed over me. The danger was over for the time being. Yet, the rogue threat still hung in the balance, and the chaos of the packs teetered precariously like a see-saw.

Xander and Aiden had saved me, but the war was far from over.

And deep down, I knew this next fight that was to come would be even more dangerous.