My Alpha’s Betrayal: Burning In The Flames Of His Vengeance

88. Awakening YILEYNA | awoke with a gasp, my entire body felt heavy. My eyes flew open, my heart thundering with confusion as | looked around the room.

Where was I? What happened? | felt delirious and confused, jolting upright in bed. Where am 1? | looked around, trying to focus, and it tooka moment to realise | was in the guest room at the Alpha’s quarters... How did | get here? It looked to be mid-afternoon outside, but from the howling wind, I could tell the weather was rough. The cold was obvious in the room too, the huge log fire was lit ablaze. | placed a hand to my head just as everything crushing back. Theon... The Obsidian Shadow Pack... The truth... My heart pounded, and | pushed the blanket off, stumbling out of the bed. | needed to tell someone! Suddenly the door opened, and my heart leapt seeing Charlene standing there, with a few towels and a bucket in her arms.

“Yileyna! Goddess! Yileyna's awake!” She shouted in relief as she ran to me, dropping the bucket of water and catchingbefore | fell to the ground as the warm water splashed over our legs. | couldn't even feel my legs... | heard footsteps before Theon appeared at the door. My heart thumped in fear as | stared at him. He pushed me..

His look of surprise changed to a deep frown as he cover quickly, takingfrom Charlene.

| opened my mouth to talk but no sound cout, it felt like | had swallowed handfuls of sand. Only a weak croak left my mouth. “Bring her water!” Theon growled, carryingto the bed as my chest heaved, staring up at him.

“Yes!” Charlene nodded, her eyes full of tears of happiness as she rushed from the room.

“So, you're awake...” Theon said quietly, running his fingers through my hair.

Looking into his eyes for a moment, | almost thought | saw concern and worry, but it was just my imagination.

I.... I needed to tell someone... Do | pretend | forgot that night? “What happened to me?” | asked, feinting a look of confusion, He smirked slightly, tilting his head.

“You don’t remember?” “No... | don’t remember anything.” | said rubbing my head, Calm down, Yileyna..

His eyes glinted as he leaned closer, tilting my chin up before he pressed his lips to mine. A ripple of pleasure rushed throughdespite the fear that was consuming me.

“Lies...” He whispered, makinggasp as | jerked away. “You remember it all...” “Dad! Yileyna has awoken!” | heard Charlene say.

| needed to tell the King...

“Let’s keep that night between us, we wouldn't want anyone to lose their pretty head of ginger hair now, would we?” Theon asked softly, brushing his thumb over my lips.

Charlene...

“You wouldn't.” | croaked out hoarsely.

He ran his fingers through my hair, raising an eyebrow, his face as emotionless as ever.

“We both know I would.” | stared at him, the man beforewas unrecognisable but | knew what he was capable of... he was the reason my parents were dead... he had pushedfrom the top floor... he would kill Charlene if | opened my mouth.

“Yileyna!” For the first tin my life, | was relieved to see the King, feeling safer with his presence around than with Theon. When he embraced me, | held on tight, | needed to give him a message...

How? The hug didn’t last long enough forto cup with an idea, and Theon was right there sitting on the bed.

“Here, my angel.” Charlene said, passingthe glass of water as she sat besideon the bed. | leaned into her, my heart pounding as she placed the glass to my lips, helpingdrink. “Thank the goddess you are awake, after that attack | was worried.” “Attack?” | asked, looking at Theon.

He nodded.

“That night, when | left you to go to the bathroom, | heard the sound of a scuffle, and all | saw was the figure push you off the balcony. | caught you just before you hit the ground, however, he seemed to have used ssort of poison or spell on you so that you were unable to be awoken at all.” Theon said emotionlessly. 3 So that’s the story he fed everyone? “Oh. Well, | hope he’s caught and castrated.” | spat, my chest heaving with irritation. “Careful, Little Storm, we don’t want anyone getting hurt, you should rest.” “Theon'’s right, you have been out for a few weeks.” “A few weeks?” | asked sharply, looking at Charlene. “It's the full moon tonight, Leyna.” She replied with a gentle smile.

| had been unconscious for that long? “But it’s fine, you are awake now. Somehow the culprit got away, but we are still looking.” The King said seriously. “I have matters to attend, | will be going, Theon enjoy the evening with your fiancé.” Charlene looked at me, about to get up but something made her change her mind and she smiled, holdingtighter. “I will stay too.” She said. “There’s much I need to tell Yileyna.” “Of course.” | said, holding her hand tightly.

If | was able to give her a signal... | would.

But Theon was right here... He was sitting opposite us, his hand on my thigh as he leaned back on his elbow as emotionless and calm as ever.

“What have | missed?” | asked her, dragging my eyes from Theon.

“Well... Mom's in the cells... For treason, and no one is allowed to see her.” She said quietly.” The Obsidian Shadow pack have been sighted moving closer... We fear there will be an attack before the end of winter.” “| see...” | said, looking at Theon.

If he had wanted to... he could have killed me... He wantedto choose him. Maybe | could talk ssense into him...

Charlene continued, telling how two sirens were seen right up the coast last week.

“It was strange, like they were looking for something or someone.” She shivered. 1 “Were they killed?” | asked. “I killed one, one got away.” Theon added quietly. | nodded before Charlene smiled.

“I'll have someone bring you food, you two could use a moment alone.” She winked atbefore pulling free.

My heart thudded as | watched her leave, shutting the door behind herself.

“What are you planning to do?” | asked him. “Nothing at all, you weren't supposed to wake up for at least another week... | was told that the enchantment was strong enough to keep an Alpha out for a month.” He replied, frowning coldly. “Last chance Yileyna, think this over... We both know Andres is not the best king-" 1 “I don’t care! Deceit, lies, and framing my parents? You are worse than him.” | shot back resentfully. His eyes darkened as he looked at his wrist. “As you wish.” He said, glancing out at the sky. “Do you know what tonight is, Yileyna?” “The Full Moon, Charlene just told me.” | spat. | didn’t want to talk to him. It hurt far too much.

“The last Full Moon of winter. Tonight will be a cold night, | guess we will have to keep the fires burning...” He didn’t explain what he meant as | watched him stare at the tattoo on his wrist, massaging it slowly with his thumb.

| didn’t reply, not knowing what to say to someone who had betrayed and played me.

Theon had toldthe Obsidian Shadow Pack will attack soon... | needed to warn the King about Theon, somehow.

Night had fallen and Theon had left, tellingCharlene would die if | so much as tried anything. | didn’t see her after that, and | felt worried. | had showered and eaten, but I still felt exhausted. Where was Charlene? | needed her safe... It tooka while to realise that not even a servant was left to attend to me. | was entirely alone. How strange.

| left my bedroom, finding it odd that no one was around. The entire Alpha quarters were empty... Perhaps everyone was busy with something or other. | left the wing, the guards at the door were missing too. The castle felt too silent...

My heart skipped a beat as | looked down the dark halls.

Something was wrong.

| broke into a run. The castle always had someone walking around. Surely I'd bump into someone. | kept running, but I didn’t run into anyone. The entire castle was as silent as death itself.

Chariene, where was she?! The kitchens! There's always someone in the kitchens! | ran down the steps, my bare feet padding on the cold stone as | took them two at a time. | neared the kitchens, slowing down, but | didn’t hear the hustle and bustle that usually fills these lower halls. | inched closer, | felt like | was stuck in a nightmare.

| pushed open the kitchen door, the door creaking horrifyingly loudly, makingclose my eves before | peered into the darkness. Empty.

What on Kaeladia...

“Attack! There's an attack!” The faint shouting made my stomach sink. | ran to the doors that led outside just as the night sky was suddenly lit ablaze with fire. Then the ground shook violently, throwingoff my feet.

| got up, my heart pounding as | made to rush out, when suddenly someone grabbedby my arm. | turned with a gasp to see Theon standing there, he was dressed all in black, right down to the cloak that was draped around him.

“You really need to learn to stay put.” Theon growled, draggingback inside.

“Theon! We are under attack! Letgo! It’s them isn’t it?!” He didn’t respond, pullingdown towards the dungeons. My eyes widened as | stared at the cells as we passed them. Each one was full of guards and the castle staff. “You... Charlene!” | gasped, spotting her red hair lying in the pile on the ground of one of the cells, but he pulledaway to the far end.

“Be grateful | didn’t kill them.” He said coldly, pulling open the door and pushinginside. | spun around, lunging at the door, but he slammed it shut, locking it before | could reach it.

“No, Theon... don’t do this.” | pleaded, grabbing the silver bars and shaking them violently. Barely noticing the slight sting of the silver. “We can stop this war. Together.” The sound echoed off the walls, but Theon didn’t seem to care that | was making noise.

“War is already here and we can’t stop it, this is far bigger than us.” He said quietly, walking toward me. An emotion | couldn't comprehend in his eyes. “I never wanted you caught up in this but... The thas come... Two years of waiting for this moment...” He turned his head, glancing towards the small windows at the top of the cells.

The full moon shone through the window as Theon closed his eyes, pressing his wrist and whispering a word. A brilliant amber glow surrounded him, intense green runes weaved through the amber. | felt an immense surge of energy roll off him and | realised he was breaking a seal, a seal that had been suppressing his alpha aura. An aura so vast that it made my heart pound as | backed away from the bars.

His eyes blazed gold as he flexed his hands, as if relishing in the power that he had suppressed for so long “Goddess...” | whispered, fear and worry growing within me.

He tilted his head as he looked atand our eyes met.

| realised in that moment that it was no longer Theon of Westerfell who was standing before me, not the man who used to get angry at our pranks, not the one who used to scold and mock us or protect us... but Theon Hale of the Obsidian Shadow Pack. A man who seemed to hold no emotion at all.

A man that | truly did not know...

“One final tYileyna, stand by my side and | will protect you.” | shook my head.

“I will never... never stand by the Obsidian Shadow Pack.” | said, my heart heaving as | glared at him. “Please don’t do this Theon, we don’t have to do this...” “I'm afraid | do... the tfor vengeance is here... This will be goodbye.” He said quietly, our eyes met, and confusion flitted through me. 1 Goodbye? But with a sudden cold awakening | realised what he meant. His gaze beccolder, his eyes blazing with hatred and vengeance. 1 | was losing the Theon | knew. 1 Forever. 7