Chapter 18: The Betrayal

Ethan’s POV

The weight of the night settled heavy on my shoulders as I watched Lila and Nathan disappear into the shadows of the forest, my heart beating out a primal rhythm that urged me to go after them, to make sure they were truly safe. But Dominic was still here, standing in the half-lit cabin, his smirk as sharp as a blade. There was no walking away, not until this was over.

He chuckled, low and mocking, his eyes shining with that disturbing gleam that hinted at all the twisted thoughts lurking behind them. “Sending her off without you, Blackwood? Don’t tell me you’re getting soft.”

“You crossed a line, Dominic. Threatening her is going to cost you,” I spat back, feeling the heat rise in my chest, my muscles tensed and ready. This man had taken so much already—my father’s life, the safety of my pack. He wouldn’t get Lila, too.

Dominic’s grin only widened, amused as he took a slow step closer. “She doesn’t even know half of what you’ve done to put her at risk, does she?”

I wasn’t falling for his mind games, not tonight. With a quick twist, I launched forward, slamming into him with enough force to send us both crashing into the table. The wood splintered, scattering dust into the stale air. He grunted as he staggered back, and I barely had a second to catch my breath before he launched a counter-attack, fists connecting with brutal precision.

Dominic might be dangerous, but he wasn’t invincible. I matched him blow for blow, each strike drawing out years of pent-up anger, the kind I’d held back for the sake of peace, for the sake of the pack. My instincts, my wolf, urged me to go harder, to make him feel the pain he’d caused. 

Just as I drove him back against the wall, a figure shifted in the corner of the cabin—a subtle movement that shouldn’t have caught my eye but did. I glanced over, heart pounding as I recognized the familiar face.

“Marcus?” I faltered, the briefest hesitation letting Dominic slip from my grip.

“What are you doing here?” My voice was low, sharper than intended, but I didn’t care. Seeing Marcus after all we’d been through was like a punch to the gut. We’d shared years of loyalty, camaraderie, and now… now I couldn’t shake the feeling that something dark had brewed between us.

Marcus just stared back, his expression unreadable as his eyes flicked over my bruised face. There was a coldness there that I didn’t recognize, a detachment that twisted my stomach into knots.

“I had to see for myself,” he said calmly, almost as if we were back in the pack lodge, discussing strategies over a drink. But his tone carried an edge, and I tensed, unsure of his intentions. “To see what, exactly?” I asked, forcing myself to hold his gaze. 

He scoffed, folding his arms. “To see if Dominic was right. To see if you’ve let your obsession with that girl weaken you, make you vulnerable. And I think he might be right.” His words cut deeper than I cared to admit, and I clenched my fists, fighting to keep my composure.

“Lila has nothing to do with this. I haven’t forgotten who I am, Marcus,” I replied, steady but seething. “But it sounds like you have.”

A smirk tugged at his lips. “You know, Ethan, sometimes I wonder if you even remember where you came from. Who you were meant to be.” His eyes gleamed with something I couldn’t place, a strange mix of contempt and pity.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I demanded, stepping forward. But Marcus didn’t flinch.

“It means,” he said, drawing out each word, “that maybe you’re not the leader you think you are. Maybe you’re nothing but a lost little boy clinging to ideals that died years ago.”

The words hit like a blow to the chest. I opened my mouth to respond, but he cut me off, his voice sharper, more dangerous.

“I knew you would fall for her,” he continued, shaking his head in mock disappointment. “That’s the difference between you and me, Ethan. I don’t let emotions cloud my judgment. You think your connection with her is special, some grand destiny. But you’re wrong. You’re just another fool who let his guard down.”

My blood boiled, but I forced myself to breathe, to keep calm. “What the hell happened to you, Marcus? She is my fated mate you and i know that and We were brothers once.”

“Brothers,” he repeated, voice dripping with disdain. “Brothers bound by a past you’ve conveniently chosen to forget.” His gaze darkened, and a hint of satisfaction flashed in his eyes. “Did you ever wonder why you were chosen as the pack’s leader, why you were spared when others weren’t?”

My pulse quickened, but I kept my voice steady. “Get to the point.”

“Your father,” he said, smirking, “made a choice that saved you, Ethan. A choice that condemned the rest of us. He sold out half of his own people just to save his precious heir.”

My breath caught. I’d heard stories, rumors, whispers about my father’s dealings during the war. But no one had ever confirmed them, not like this, not with such venom.

“You’re lying,” I said, barely recognizing my own voice.

Marcus laughed, a bitter, hollow sound. “Believe what you want, but I was there. I watched him hand over those who trusted him, those who thought he’d protect them. He sacrificed them for you. And here you are, pretending you’re better, pretending you’re different.”

The words sliced through me, and I stumbled back a step, my mind reeling. “You don’t know what you’re talking about,” I muttered, but the conviction was gone, replaced by a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.

“Oh, I know more than you’d like to admit, Ethan,” he said, his tone softening, as if he enjoyed watching the shock settle on my face. “Dominic’s been waiting for you to slip up, for you to make a mistake. And now you have.”

“What does Dominic want?” I asked, the question slipping out before I could stop myself.

Marcus’s smirk faded, replaced by a look of dark satisfaction. “Dominic wants what was taken from him—what your father stole. Power, respect, and vengeance.”

“Is that why you betrayed us? For power?” My voice cracked, but I didn’t care.

He let out a bitter laugh. “I didn’t betray anyone. I saw the truth for what it was, Ethan. You’re just too blind to see it. Your leadership, your ‘values’—they’re based on lies. Everything you’ve built is a foundation of false promises and broken loyalties.”

I shook my head, the weight of his words sinking in, too much to process all at once. But I couldn’t let him poison me, twist the truth to suit his narrative.

“You don’t know me,” I said firmly. “And you sure as hell don’t know Lila. She has nothing to do with your twisted version of events.”

“Oh, but she has everything to do with it,” Marcus replied, taking a step closer. “And I’ll enjoy watching it all come crashing down around you.”

Without warning, he lunged forward, catching me off guard. I stumbled, but recovered quickly, sidestepping his attack and countering with a sharp elbow to his ribs. He grunted, but didn’t relent, his movements fast and precise. We were both trained fighters, but something about Marcus’s aggression was feral, wild—like he was fighting with something far darker driving him.

“You’re weak, Ethan,” he hissed, his face twisted in a snarl as he aimed a brutal punch at my jaw. I blocked it, pushing back with all the force I had.

“And you’re a traitor,” I spat, landing a hit to his shoulder. “Is this what you wanted? To fight me? To ruin the pack?”

Marcus sneered, dodging my next blow. “I’m not the traitor here. I’m the one trying to survive. And you’re too naïve to understand what it takes.”

His words burned, but I refused to let him get to me. I focused on the fight, blocking and countering, dodging his strikes, feeling each blow resonate through my bones. But the battle wasn’t just physical—it was mental, a test of resolve, of who we were and what we stood for.

Finally, I managed to knock him off balance, pinning him against a tree. For a brief moment, we stared each other down, breaths ragged and heavy, eyes locked.

“Give up, Marcus,” I growled. “You don’t have to keep fighting. You don’t have to be Dominic’s pawn.”

He laughed, but it was a hollow sound. “You really believe that, don’t you? That you’re the hero, the one who’ll save everyone.” He leaned in close, his voice a low, venomous whisper. “But mark my words, Ethan: your past will come back to haunt you. And when it does, Lila will be the one to suffer.”

The threat hit me harder than any punch, and for a split second, I faltered. In that moment, Marcus slipped free, pushing me back and disappearing into the shadows before I could recover. I shouted his name, but the only response was the echo of his footsteps fading into the night.

I stood there, heart pounding, fists clenched as his words replayed in my mind. The truth he’d hinted at, the accusations he’d thrown at my family—they lingered, unsettling, tainting everything I thought I knew.

I took a deep breath, steadying myself. Whatever Marcus thought he knew, whatever lies he’d believed, it didn’t change who I was or what I stood for. But I couldn’t deny the unease, the small seed of doubt he’d planted.

Dominic was just there watching and smiling without saying anything. 

Turning back toward the direction of the pack lodge, I knew one thing for certain: if there was even a sliver of truth to what Marcus had said, I had to find out. Because if my past was a threat to Lila, to my pack… then I would do whatever it took to protect them. Even if it meant confronting the darkest secrets of my own family.