Betrayal

Chapter Fifty-nine
Hunter’s POV
I stood by the window of my office, staring out at the horizon, where the forest and mountains loomed in the distance.
My hands clenched into fists at my sides, a familiar reflex action of mine, the weight of everything Faelen had told us pressing down on my chest.
Steeprock, backed by Belladonna. All part of Alpha Zodd’s plan to conquer all territories.
Of course. I should’ve seen it. All the signs were there, but I had been too wrapped up in my own pride and feelings to connect the dots.
Faelen had been playing me from the start, true, but now, knowing what she’d told me, the lines between truth and deceit were blurred.
Did she genuinely care about me, or was she just trying to save herself from being caught up in the destruction of our pack?
Caleb walked into the room, his face as grim as I felt inside. We hadn’t spoken much since we left the dungeons after seeing Faelen.
He trusted her enough to consider her warning, but I wasn’t so sure.
“Steeprock’s movements have been unusual lately,” Caleb said, pulling up a chair and sitting down heavily.
“What news?” I asked softly.
“I sent scouts to the border like you ordered. They reported increased activity… nothing huge, but there’s definitely something going on. Looks like Faelen was telling the truth.”
I let out a long breath, rubbing the back of my neck. “So, what do we do? We can’t go public with this, or Steeprock will know we’re onto them.”
Caleb nodded, leaning forward. “I’ve already spoken to a few of our most trusted officers. They’re discreet. They know to keep this quiet, but we’ve started prepping defenses. Quietly, of course.”
I appreciated Caleb’s thoroughness. If anyone knew how to keep secrets and handle delicate situations like this, it was him.
But the whole situation still weighed on me, knowing we were scrambling to prepare for an attack that could come any day, and worse, we had to rely on a spy’s information to guide us.
“I hate that we’re depending on her for this,” I muttered, pacing the length of the room. “I still don’t know if I can trust a single word she says.”
Caleb didn’t say anything for a moment, just watched me with that careful gaze of his.
He knew better than anyone how deeply Faelen’s betrayal had cut me, but he also knew me well enough to see the conflict I was wrestling with.
“She could have kept quiet,” Caleb said after a pause. “But she didn’t. She risked everything by telling you.”
I stopped pacing and turned to face him, my jaw tight. “And what if it’s just part of her plan? What if she’s still working for Belladonna? For Zodd?”
Caleb shrugged, standing up to face me. “That’s a possibility. But the scouts’ reports line up with what she said. Whether she’s playing us or not, the threat is real. We need to be ready.”
He was right. I couldn’t let my feelings for Faelen… whether they were feelings of betrayal, anger, or something else… cloud my judgment.
The pack was at risk, and I had a duty to protect it, no matter what.
“Fine,” I said, turning back toward the window. “We’ll proceed as planned. Keep it between you, me, and the officers you trust. No one else can know, not until we’re certain of what we’re up against.”
Caleb nodded and stood to leave. He paused at the door, glancing back at me. “And what about Faelen?”
I clenched my jaw, the mere mention of her name making my blood boil. “She stays in the dungeon until we know more. I’ll deal with her later.”
Caleb gave me a small nod before walking out, leaving me alone with my thoughts.
As soon as the door closed behind him, I leaned against the desk, staring down at the maps and notes scattered across the surface.
Every part of me wanted to storm down to the dungeon again and demand more answers from her. But I knew it was useless.
There was too much at stake, and Faelen… she was a distraction I couldn’t afford.
…
The next few days were a wind of preparations. Caleb had organized everything with the utmost care.
Only a few key people knew about the impending attack, and we made sure not to raise any suspicion among the rest of the pack.
It was hard, keeping everyone calm when we were preparing for a war we couldn’t openly acknowledge.
I found myself checking on Faelen more often than I wanted to admit.
I wasn’t sure why… maybe it was to see if she would crack, if she would say something that would finally give me the clarity I needed.
Or maybe, I was just torturing myself, staring at her through the iron bars, wondering if the girl I’d come to grow feelings for had ever been real.
Each time I visited, she looked worse. Pale, tired, but there was still that fire in her eyes, a determination.
She knew what was coming, and she still stood by her decision to warn us. But that still didn’t change the fact that she had been lying from the beginning.
Late one night, when I was reviewing the latest reports Caleb had gathered, I caught myself thinking about her again.
Wondering if she was cold, if she was hungry. I shook my head, disgusted with myself for even caring.
She was a spy, and I couldn’t let my personal feelings interfere with what had to be done. Still, the thought ate at me.
Maybe, just maybe, Faelen was telling the truth about more than just the attack. I thought.
But even if she was… how could I ever forgive her for what she’d done?
…
The days dragged on, each one flowing into the next. We worked tirelessly, fortifying our defenses and training the warriors for the inevitable attack.
Caleb and I communicated constantly, ensuring everyone involved understood the importance of secrecy.
But in the back of my mind, Faelen remained, her presence like a ghost haunting my every thought.
I had tried to avoid her, not wanting to show any weakness or give her the satisfaction of knowing I was still affected by her betrayal.
But there was no way I could shake the feeling that she was more than just a spy to me.
Despite everything, I had seen glimpses of something genuine in her… something worth fighting for.
On the third day of planning, I found myself standing in front of the dungeon door, my heart racing against my will.
I had come to check on Faelen again, but this time, it felt different. I hadn’t planned to confront her, but the impulse was too strong to resist.
I took a deep breath and pushed the heavy door open. The damp air hit me immediately, carrying the scent of stone and mold.
Faelen was sitting on the floor of her cell, her knees drawn up to her chest. Her hair, once vibrant, was disheveled, and her eyes, usually so bright, were dull with fatigue.
But there was a hint of alertness when she saw me, like a mixture of anticipation and nervousness.
“Hunter,” she said, her voice barely a whisper.
I could see the way her eyes shifted toward the guards who stood at the end of the corridor. They were keeping watch, their faces blank.
“Are you alright?” I asked, my voice softer than I intended. I didn’t want to sound like I cared, but the words slipped out before I could stop them.
“I’m fine,” she replied quickly, though the tremor in her voice betrayed her. “You didn’t come here to check on me, did you?”
I stepped closer to her cell, my fingers brushing against the cold bars. “I came to talk.”
“Talk?” she echoed, disbelief appearing on her face. “Isn’t that a bit ironic coming from the man who locked me away for warning him?”
I scowled at her tone, the sharpness of her words igniting the anger I had worked so hard to suppress. “You are a spy, Faelen. You put the pack at risk.”
“Yes, but I did what I thought was right,” she shot back, her defiance igniting a spark of respect in me, despite the circumstances. “And now, because of my warning, you have a chance to prepare. I just wish you would see that.”
I sighed, raking a hand through my hair. “You think it’s that easy? You betrayed my trust. How do I even know this isn’t another part of your plan with Alpha Zodd?”
Her expression softened, and for a moment, I saw the vulnerability beneath her projected toughness. “I’m not lying about the attack. You know that by now. I don’t want to see anyone hurt, especially not you.”
I crossed my arms, trying to keep my distance. The sincerity in her voice pulled at something deep within me, but I fought it back.
“How can I trust you? You’re playing both sides, Faelen.”
“I’m not playing both sides,” she insisted, her voice gaining strength. “I want to protect you and your pack. I thought I could do that without revealing who I was. But when I realized how serious and imminent the threat was, I had to tell you.”
I hesitated, feeling the weight of her words. “You could have done that without putting yourself at risk. Why didn’t you just leave?”
“Because I care about you, Hunter!” she exclaimed, her frustration boiling over. “I care about this pack, even if I’m not one of you. I had to make a choice, and I chose to stand with you. I risked everything for that.”
The admission hung in In the air between us, heavy with meaning. My mind played, and for a brief moment, I felt the walls I had built around my heart begin to crack.
“You don’t get to say that after what you’ve done.” I whispered.
“But I mean it!” she pleaded, her eyes locking onto mine. “You have to understand that this isn’t just about you or me. There’s a war coming, and I want to help you fight it.”
I stared at her, caught in the chaos of my own emotions. Everything in me screamed at me to push her away and protect myself from this chaos she represented.
But as I looked at her, I saw the fierce determination in her gaze, the vulnerability she was trying hard to hide, and also something else… like a spark of hope.
“How do you suppose I handle you then?” I asked, my voice low and rough.
“You have to let me help,” she said, her voice steady now. “I can be useful to you. You need me, Hunter.”
I felt a rush of frustration. Part of me wanted to accept her outright, to set her free, but I couldn’t just ignore the spy in her back and let her roam freely.
So I turned and walked away, not saying anything.