CHAPTER 26

The Betrayal

"You feel that?" Rhea's voice was a whisper, barely carried over the quiet hum of the forest.

Flora tightened her grip on her rifle. Yeah, she felt it. That gnawing sensation in her gut, the one that always meant something was about to go wrong. The mission was too quiet. Too smooth. And that never lasted.

"Stay sharp," she muttered, glancing at Adrian, who was moving up ahead.

His face was unreadable, but she knew him well enough to recognize the tension in his jaw. He felt it, too.

Their team was creeping toward the stronghold's perimeter, the towering structure barely visible through the thick trees. The plan was simple-get in, retrieve the stolen intel, get out before the enemy knew they were there. But when had anything ever gone according to plan?

The earpiece in Flora's ear crackled. "All units in position," a low voice murmured.

Adrian gave a curt signal, and the team forged ahead, melting between the shadows. Ghosts in the dark, silent and efficient. Two steps behind Adrian, it happened.

There was the ringing of a shot.

Flora went low, her instincts kicking in. "Cover!"

The team scrambled as bodies disappeared behind rocks and fallen trees while the echo of more gunfire boomed from the stronghold.

"Where the hell did that come from?" Rhea hissed.

Adrian's eyes were scanning the treeline. Something wasn't right. This wasn't random enemy fire—this was a setup.

And then Flora saw him.

A figure emerged from the shadows, weapon drawn, standing between them and the entrance. Flora's stomach turned to ice.

Adrian stiffened. "No." His voice was barely a breath.

The man smirked, stepping forward. "It's been a long time, Adrian."

Flora's blood ran cold.

Adrian's fingers curled over his gun; his knuckles white. "Elias."

Traitor.

The world narrowed around them; the sounds of shots fired melting away.

Elias cocked his head to the side. His smirk widened. "Didn't think I'd let you get this far, did you?

Flora’s mind raced. Elias. A former member of Adrian’s pack. She’d heard the name before, but the way Adrian looked at him now—like the ground had been ripped out from under him—this wasn’t just a betrayal. This was personal.

“You’re working with them?” Adrian’s voice was sharp, edged with something Flora couldn’t quite place.

Elias shrugged. “You left me no choice.”

Adrian edged forward; gun lowered but ready. "You had every damn choice, and you picked this?"

Elias's smirk faltered for a second. "Funny thing about choices. Sometimes they're made for you."

Flora's patience snapped. "Cute speech. Mind explaining why you sold us out before I put a bullet between your eyes?

Elias barely spared her a glance. "Ah, you must be Flora. The infamous soldier who somehow got tangled up with our dear Adrian."

Adrian's jaw ticked. "Leave her out of this."

"Why?" Elias mused, tilting his head. "She's already in it."

Flora didn't have time for this. The mission was falling apart, and every second wasted was a second closer to failure. She shifted her stance, inching her finger toward the trigger.

Elias caught the movement.

"Tsk, tsk. I wouldn't do that." He snapped his fingers.

Like clockwork, more enemies appeared from the treeline, weapons raised.

Flora's stomach dropped.

Adrian exhaled sharply. "You planned this."

Elias grinned. "Of course I did. And now you have two options." He pointed his gun at Adrian. "Surrender, or watch your team die."

Silence.

Then—

Adrian moved.

Fast.

One second, he was standing still, the next his knife was slicing through the air.

The moment the blade left his hand, chaos erupted.

Flora dove, rolling behind cover as bullets tore through the clearing. The knife hit its mark—Elias staggered back, cursing, but he wasn’t down.

Rhea’s voice crackled through the comms. “We’re outnumbered!”

No kidding.

Flora fired, dropping one of Elias’s men before ducking back down. Adrian was already on the move, weaving through the trees like a shadow.

He was going for Elias.

Flora's heart pounded. It wasn't just about the mission anymore.

It was personal.

She gritted her teeth, pushing forward into the ringing of gunfire. Glimpses of Adrian and Elias clashed in her vision: fists, knives, raw fury. Adrian's face twisted around something deeper than anger.

It was betrayal. Betrayal cut deeper than any blade.

Flora hardly had time for that before another soldier lunged at her.

She reacted on instinct, slamming her elbow into his throat before driving her knee into his stomach. He crumpled, and she grabbed his weapon, flipping it around in one smooth motion.

Rhea was at her side, breathless. "We need to fall back."

Flora hesitated, glancing toward Adrian.

He wasn't backing down.

Damn it.

She turned back to Rhea. "Cover me."

Then she ran.

Elias was fast, but Adrian was faster.

They smashed into the ground, rolling through the dirt in a brutal tangle of limbs and weapons. Adrian's knife slashed, just missing. Elias twisted, kicking Adrian off him before lunging with his own blade.

Flora barely breathed as she raised her rifle, finger hovering over the trigger.

Then Elias spoke.

"You think they'll ever forgive you?"

Adrian froze.

Elias smirked, using the moment to drive his knee into Adrian's ribs, sending him sprawling.

"You always wanted to believe you were different. That you could fix everything," Elias jeered, daubing blood from his lip. "But you never saw the truth, did you?"

Flora steadied her aim. "Shut up."

Elias chuckled, barely looking her way. "You don't know, do you? The things he's done?"

Something dark flickered in Adrian's eyes.

Elias grinned. "Ah. Guess you haven't told her."

Flora's stomach twisted. "Told me what?

Adrian's gaze flashed to hers, and for an instant, something raw and unspoken flashed across his features.

"Flora, don't-"

Elias laughed. "Oh, this is priceless."

Flora's hold on her dagger tightened. "I swear, if you don't shut up-"

Elias took a step closer, blood dripping from his knuckles. "You really think you know him?" His voice dropped, eyes on hers. "Ask him about the massacre."

Flora's breathing quickened.

Adrian's face blackened. "Enough."

Elias merely smirked.

Then he tossed something-a small metal device-onto the ground.

Smoke exploded around them.

Flora coughed, her vision blurring.

Footfalls-retreating ones.

By the time the smoke was gone, Elias was long gone.

And in his wake was Adrian. His fists clenched; his eyes ablaze.

Flora swallowed, still staring at him.

"What did he mean?"

Adrian said nothing.

The silence spoke far louder than any gunfire.

And it seemed a hell of a lot deadlier.