The Alpha's Betrayal, I Married My Family's Killer - Chapter 17: Chapter 17

The house was eerily quiet, but the tension was so thick you could choke on it. Every shadow seemed to lurk with danger. Every passing second screamed that we were out of time. We had to get out—now.
I shoved clothes into a bag, my hands shaking. Damon moved like lightning beside me, securing weapons, checking Ethan's gear. We'd done this before—packing up, running, disappearing. But this time? This time, it felt like the clock had already run out.
Amara burst into the room, her face like stone. "Stop packing."
I froze. "What?"
She shut the door behind her, voice dropping to a whisper. "Someone's feeding Ivan intel."
Damon went rigid. "The hell are you talking about?"
Amara's eyes burned with urgency. "I found coded messages—someone inside has been leaking our location. That's how he keeps finding us."
The air turned to ice. My mind reeled. That couldn't be right. It was just us—our most trusted. No one else. Unless—
I swallowed hard, my voice barely a whisper. "Who?"
Amara hesitated. "I don't know yet. But I've got a spell that'll expose the traitor."
Damon's fists clenched. "Then do it. Now."
We gathered in the main hall—Damon, Amara, me, Marcus, and Ethan. The tension was suffocating.
Marcus stood beside Damon, arms crossed. "This is insane."
Amara ignored him. She pulled out a vial of dark liquid, murmuring an incantation under her breath. The air grew thick, heavy.
Then the liquid glowed.
A sharp gasp tore from my throat as Marcus jerked violently, his skin burning where the liquid touched him. A mark seared into his flesh—Ivan's brand.
Damon moved like a storm.
His hand locked around Marcus's throat, slamming him into the wall. "You sold us out?!"
Marcus choked, eyes wide with panic. "Damon—I swear, I didn't—"
"Liar." Damon's voice was pure fury.
My lungs refused to work. Marcus. Damon's most trusted. The man who'd helped us escape.
It had been him all along.
Ethan's small voice cut through the chaos. "Why?"
Marcus's face twisted with guilt. "I had no choice," he rasped. "Ivan… he found my mate. My son. He said he'd kill them if I didn't cooperate."
A sickening silence. Damon's grip faltered—just for a second.
That was all Marcus needed.
He drove his fist into Damon's ribs, sending him stumbling back.
I lunged for a weapon, but before I could move, Marcus was charging straight at Ethan. My heart stopped.
"ETHAN!" I screamed.
Then—something happened.
The second Marcus reached for him, Ethan let out a scream.
And the world exploded.
A shockwave of raw energy blasted from Ethan's small body, hurling Marcus across the room.
Marcus hit the wall with a sickening crack, his body crumpling. The room fell dead silent.
I stood frozen, my pulse roaring in my ears. My hands shook as I turned to my son.
Ethan was panting, his fingers still glowing faintly.
"What—" My voice failed me. "What was that?"
Damon's breath came hard, his eyes locked on Ethan. "That wasn't normal."
Ethan clenched his fists, confusion etched on his face. "I—I don't know what happened."
Marcus groaned from the floor, his breathing ragged. "You think… you can hide him from Ivan now?" He coughed. "He already knows."
A knife of fear twisted in my gut.
Marcus hadn't just been giving away our location. He'd been telling Ivan about Ethan.
Damon cursed under his breath, his hands trembling. "We need to leave. Now."
Then the first explosion hit.
The blast rocked the house, dust and debris raining from the ceiling.
A second explosion followed—closer. Too close.
They were here. Ivan's forces had arrived.
Damon grabbed my arm. "Cynthia—get Ethan out of here!"
But I couldn't move. Couldn't breathe. Because this was happening too fast.
Damon yanked me behind him, his eyes wild. "Move, Cynthia!"
I snapped out of it. Grabbing Ethan's wrist, I forced my legs to run. "Come on, baby!"
Ethan's voice trembled. "Mama, what's happening?"
My chest ached, but I couldn't stop. We had to run.
The front door burst open. Ivan's men poured in—armed to the teeth, lethal.
Damon didn't hesitate. He shifted. His massive black wolf tore through the first soldier, sending him flying.
Amara's hands flared as she threw up a barrier, stopping the next wave. "GO! I'll hold them off!"
I dragged Ethan toward the back exit, my mind racing. We had a plan. A way out. We just had to—
A voice froze me in my tracks.
"Running again, my love?"
Ivan.
I turned slowly.
He stood in the doorway, calm amid the chaos. His golden eyes gleamed in the firelight, a cruel smirk playing on his lips. My stomach twisted with terror. Ethan tensed beside me.
Ivan's gaze slid to my son, and his smile widened. "There he is."
The room spun. My grip tightened on Ethan.
Damon shifted back, stepping between us and Ivan, his voice a lethal growl. "You're not touching him."
Ivan sighed, mocking. "Damon, Damon, Damon. Haven't you learned? You can't protect what's mine."
Rage erupted inside me. "He's NOT yours!"
Ivan's eyes snapped to me, and for the first time, his smirk vanished.
Something in the air shifted. A heartbeat of silence. Then—
Ivan's hand shot forward. I had a split second to react.
I shoved Ethan behind me. "RUN!"
Ethan stumbled back, eyes wide. "Mama—"
Damon moved at the same time. He lunged at Ivan.
Ivan dodged, his claws slicing through Damon's shoulder. Blood splattered across the floor.
Damon didn't stop.
He tackled Ivan, sending them both crashing through the front door.
"Go!" Amara shouted.
But I couldn't leave. Because outside, in the darkness—
Damon and Ivan were about to fight to the death.