The Alpha's Betrayal, I Married My Family's Killer - Chapter 18: Chapter 18
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The halls of Ivan's stronghold were unnervingly silent—the kind of silence that pressed against your skin like a warning.
My fingers tightened around the dagger, my breath steady despite the storm inside me. Ethan was here. I could feel it in my bones. Every instinct screamed at me to run, to tear this place apart until I found him.
Damon moved beside me, his steps deliberate, lethal. We cut through the guards, Amara weaving her magic to disable the sentries. But we all knew—this was a trap.
And yet, I'd walk straight into hell if it meant bringing my son home.
Damon's hand clamped onto my arm, forcing me to pause. His voice was barely a whisper. "Cynthia, no matter what—we don't leave without him."
I gave a sharp nod, my throat too tight for words. Failure wasn't an option.
Amara's voice drifted from behind us. "The door at the end of the hall." Her hands flickered with magic, sensing the energy beyond it. "He's there."
My heart hammered against my ribs. Ethan.
I sucked in a breath and pushed the door open.
The sight nearly brought me to my knees.
Ethan stood by the window, his small frame bathed in silver moonlight. His curls had grown wild, untamed. His eyes—hazel, just like mine—widened when he saw me.
I exhaled sharply, stepping forward. "Ethan—"
He didn't move. My stomach twisted. Something was wrong.
Then, from the shadows, Ivan emerged. The air turned to ice.
He moved like a predator who'd already won. "Well," he mused, golden eyes gleaming. "You certainly took your time, my love."
Damon snarled beside me, stepping forward, but I threw out an arm to stop him. This wasn't his fight. It was mine.
I turned to Ethan, desperate. "Baby, come here."
He hesitated.
Ivan's smirk deepened. "You see, Cynthia, our son has been… confused."
My blood ran cold.
Ethan's small hands clenched into fists. "You lied to me," he whispered, his voice raw with betrayal.
I took a shaky breath. "Ethan—"
"You told me Damon was my father." His voice cracked. "But he's not."
I froze. Ivan had told him. I glanced at Damon. His face was unreadable, but his hands were fists at his sides.
Ivan rested a hand on Ethan's shoulder, and rage exploded inside me.
"He deserves the truth," Ivan murmured. "And the truth is, you stole him from me."
"No," I snapped, my voice lethal. "I saved him from you."
Ethan flinched. Tears burned behind my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. I couldn't break. Not now.
"Ethan," I pleaded, softer now. "I love you. Everything I did was to keep you safe."
For a second—just a second—he wavered.
Then Ivan sighed dramatically. "Enough." His golden eyes sharpened. "You want him? Then make a deal."
Damon tensed beside me, sensing the shift in Ivan's stance.
"Leave Ethan here," Ivan said, "and I let you and your mate walk away."
Damon growled. "Not happening."
Ivan's expression darkened. "Then here's my final offer." His voice dripped with cruelty. "You stay, Cynthia. You come back to me—where you belong. And I let Ethan go."
The air left my lungs.
The room spun.
"No," Damon snarled. "That's not a choice."
Ivan ignored him. "Decide, Cynthia." His smile was slow, vicious. "Your freedom—or your son's."
I felt Ethan's gaze on me. He didn't understand the weight of my silence, but he knew something was wrong.
I was cracking. I'd always sworn I'd do anything for Ethan. But this?
Could I really trade my life for his?
Damon's voice shook with rage. "Cynthia, don't—"
But before I could speak, Ivan moved. Faster than I could react, he struck.
A flash of steel. A blur of movement. I braced for pain—but it never came.
Instead—Amara stepped in front of me.
A sickening crack.
Ivan's dagger buried itself in her chest.
My mind shattered.
"NO!"
Amara staggered, blood spilling from her lips. She turned her head toward me, her dark eyes filled with something I couldn't bear to see—goodbye.
Her knees buckled. I caught her before she hit the ground.
Her fingers gripped my arm weakly. "End this, Cynthia."
Then her body went limp.
A scream tore from my throat. And something inside me snapped.
I turned to Ivan, my entire body trembling with rage.
He'd taken everything from me.
I was done running. I stood slowly, feeling power surge through me—raw, untamed, new.
Ivan saw the shift in my stance. He smirked. "Finally ready to stop pretending, my love?"
Damon stepped beside me, bloodied but unbroken. "Cynthia," he murmured. "End him."
I locked eyes with Ivan, fear gone.
For ten years, I'd lived in fear. For ten years, I'd run.
But now?
Now, I was going to kill him.
I tightened my grip on the dagger, my voice low, steady, deadly.
"This ends now."
My fingers tightened around the dagger, my breath steady despite the storm inside me. Ethan was here. I could feel it in my bones. Every instinct screamed at me to run, to tear this place apart until I found him.
Damon moved beside me, his steps deliberate, lethal. We cut through the guards, Amara weaving her magic to disable the sentries. But we all knew—this was a trap.
And yet, I'd walk straight into hell if it meant bringing my son home.
Damon's hand clamped onto my arm, forcing me to pause. His voice was barely a whisper. "Cynthia, no matter what—we don't leave without him."
I gave a sharp nod, my throat too tight for words. Failure wasn't an option.
Amara's voice drifted from behind us. "The door at the end of the hall." Her hands flickered with magic, sensing the energy beyond it. "He's there."
My heart hammered against my ribs. Ethan.
I sucked in a breath and pushed the door open.
The sight nearly brought me to my knees.
Ethan stood by the window, his small frame bathed in silver moonlight. His curls had grown wild, untamed. His eyes—hazel, just like mine—widened when he saw me.
I exhaled sharply, stepping forward. "Ethan—"
He didn't move. My stomach twisted. Something was wrong.
Then, from the shadows, Ivan emerged. The air turned to ice.
He moved like a predator who'd already won. "Well," he mused, golden eyes gleaming. "You certainly took your time, my love."
Damon snarled beside me, stepping forward, but I threw out an arm to stop him. This wasn't his fight. It was mine.
I turned to Ethan, desperate. "Baby, come here."
He hesitated.
Ivan's smirk deepened. "You see, Cynthia, our son has been… confused."
My blood ran cold.
Ethan's small hands clenched into fists. "You lied to me," he whispered, his voice raw with betrayal.
I took a shaky breath. "Ethan—"
"You told me Damon was my father." His voice cracked. "But he's not."
I froze. Ivan had told him. I glanced at Damon. His face was unreadable, but his hands were fists at his sides.
Ivan rested a hand on Ethan's shoulder, and rage exploded inside me.
"He deserves the truth," Ivan murmured. "And the truth is, you stole him from me."
"No," I snapped, my voice lethal. "I saved him from you."
Ethan flinched. Tears burned behind my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. I couldn't break. Not now.
"Ethan," I pleaded, softer now. "I love you. Everything I did was to keep you safe."
For a second—just a second—he wavered.
Then Ivan sighed dramatically. "Enough." His golden eyes sharpened. "You want him? Then make a deal."
Damon tensed beside me, sensing the shift in Ivan's stance.
"Leave Ethan here," Ivan said, "and I let you and your mate walk away."
Damon growled. "Not happening."
Ivan's expression darkened. "Then here's my final offer." His voice dripped with cruelty. "You stay, Cynthia. You come back to me—where you belong. And I let Ethan go."
The air left my lungs.
The room spun.
"No," Damon snarled. "That's not a choice."
Ivan ignored him. "Decide, Cynthia." His smile was slow, vicious. "Your freedom—or your son's."
I felt Ethan's gaze on me. He didn't understand the weight of my silence, but he knew something was wrong.
I was cracking. I'd always sworn I'd do anything for Ethan. But this?
Could I really trade my life for his?
Damon's voice shook with rage. "Cynthia, don't—"
But before I could speak, Ivan moved. Faster than I could react, he struck.
A flash of steel. A blur of movement. I braced for pain—but it never came.
Instead—Amara stepped in front of me.
A sickening crack.
Ivan's dagger buried itself in her chest.
My mind shattered.
"NO!"
Amara staggered, blood spilling from her lips. She turned her head toward me, her dark eyes filled with something I couldn't bear to see—goodbye.
Her knees buckled. I caught her before she hit the ground.
Her fingers gripped my arm weakly. "End this, Cynthia."
Then her body went limp.
A scream tore from my throat. And something inside me snapped.
I turned to Ivan, my entire body trembling with rage.
He'd taken everything from me.
I was done running. I stood slowly, feeling power surge through me—raw, untamed, new.
Ivan saw the shift in my stance. He smirked. "Finally ready to stop pretending, my love?"
Damon stepped beside me, bloodied but unbroken. "Cynthia," he murmured. "End him."
I locked eyes with Ivan, fear gone.
For ten years, I'd lived in fear. For ten years, I'd run.
But now?
Now, I was going to kill him.
I tightened my grip on the dagger, my voice low, steady, deadly.
"This ends now."
End of The Alpha's Betrayal, I Married My Family's Killer Chapter 18. Continue reading Chapter 19 or return to The Alpha's Betrayal, I Married My Family's Killer book page.