The Alpha's Betrayal, I Married My Family's Killer - Chapter 7: Chapter 7
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The forest choked me. Towering trees cast jagged shadows under the pale moonlight, their twisted branches clawing at the sky like skeletal hands. My pulse hammered in my throat as I crashed through the underbrush, each step a frantic, hopeless attempt to outrun fate.
Damon had been caught.
The sight of the guards dragging him away had shattered me. I'd been stupid to think we could slip past Ivan's grasp. He was too powerful, too ruthless. And now Damon—my last ally, my only hope—was at his mercy.
A sickening dread coiled in my gut. Ivan would kill him. Slowly. Painfully. Just to prove a point.
And it would be my fault.
Behind me, heavy footsteps crunched over dead leaves. The air thickened with the scent of dark spice and raw dominance. Ivan.
He stepped from the shadows, golden eyes glinting with cruel amusement. "You've been busy, haven't you, my love?"
I clenched my fists, forcing my voice steady. "Where is he?"
Ivan chuckled. "Damon? He's alive. For now."
My heart lurched. "Let him go."
He tilted his head, smirking. "You're in no position to make demands, Cynthia."
I swallowed hard. "Please."
Ivan closed the distance between us, fingers gripping my chin. "Begging suits you."
I wrenched away, my skin crawling.
He sighed, shaking his head. "You disappoint me. After everything I've given you, you still betray me?"
"Given me?" My voice cracked. "You took everything! My pack, my parents—"
"And now I'll take your lover," he said coldly. "Unless..."
I stiffened. "Unless what?"
Ivan leaned in, his breath hot against my ear. "You surrender."
A knife twisted in my gut. "What do you mean?"
"Stop fighting me. Stop plotting. Accept your place as my Luna." His fingers traced my jaw. "In return, I let Damon live."
The ground swayed beneath me. The forest pressed in, stealing the air from my lungs. This was it—my choice.
Fight. Risk Damon's life. Risk my child's life.
Or surrender. Stay trapped. Endure Ivan's cruelty to keep them safe.
My hands trembled as I pressed them to my stomach, shielding the life inside me.
A sudden rustle cut through the silence. Guards emerged from the trees, dragging a battered, bloodied Damon into the clearing. My breath caught.
Alive. Barely.
Ivan grinned. "Thought you might need some motivation."
Damon's gaze locked onto mine, burning with pain and fury. "Cynthia, don't."
Tears blurred my vision. "I don't have a choice."
"Yes, you do." His voice was rough, desperate. "Think about the baby. If you surrender, Ivan will own you. He'll own your child."
My stomach twisted. I knew that. But the alternative—Damon's death—
Ivan sighed. "I don't have all night, Cynthia. Choose."
I looked at Damon—his bruised face, his shattered defiance. Then at Ivan, smug, victorious.
My heart splintered. "I'm sorry."
Damon's eyes widened. "No—"
I turned to Ivan, forcing the words out. "I'll stay."
A slow, triumphant smirk curled Ivan's lips. "Good girl."
Damon thrashed against the guards. "Cynthia, listen to me—"
"Take him away," Ivan ordered.
I lunged forward, but Ivan caught my wrist, yanking me back. "No more of that."
Damon fought, his voice raw. "You're stronger than this!"
His words cut deeper than any blade, but I couldn't break. Not now. I locked my emotions away, watching as they dragged him into the darkness.
The forest swallowed him whole.
Ivan turned to me, satisfaction gleaming in his eyes. "That wasn't so hard, was it?"
I couldn't speak. Couldn't breathe.
I'd just signed my own fate.
And worse—I'd doomed Damon.
As Ivan's fingers traced possessively down my arm, one truth burned in my chest:
I'd made the biggest mistake of my life.
The ride back to the mansion was silent. Trees blurred past, but my mind stayed trapped in that clearing, replaying Damon's face, his plea. I hugged my stomach, the weight of my choice crushing me.
Ivan's voice sliced through the quiet. "You'll see, Cynthia. This was the only way."
I turned away, refusing to let him see my tears.
The car slowed as the mansion loomed ahead—a gilded prison. The moment we stopped, Ivan reached for my hand, squeezing it like we were something sweet, something normal.
I jerked free. "Don't touch me."
His smirk held, but something darker flickered in his gaze. "You'll learn to obey. You made your choice. Now live with it."
As the mansion doors swung open, I knew there was no going back.
Not until I fixed the mess I'd made.
Damon had been caught.
The sight of the guards dragging him away had shattered me. I'd been stupid to think we could slip past Ivan's grasp. He was too powerful, too ruthless. And now Damon—my last ally, my only hope—was at his mercy.
A sickening dread coiled in my gut. Ivan would kill him. Slowly. Painfully. Just to prove a point.
And it would be my fault.
Behind me, heavy footsteps crunched over dead leaves. The air thickened with the scent of dark spice and raw dominance. Ivan.
He stepped from the shadows, golden eyes glinting with cruel amusement. "You've been busy, haven't you, my love?"
I clenched my fists, forcing my voice steady. "Where is he?"
Ivan chuckled. "Damon? He's alive. For now."
My heart lurched. "Let him go."
He tilted his head, smirking. "You're in no position to make demands, Cynthia."
I swallowed hard. "Please."
Ivan closed the distance between us, fingers gripping my chin. "Begging suits you."
I wrenched away, my skin crawling.
He sighed, shaking his head. "You disappoint me. After everything I've given you, you still betray me?"
"Given me?" My voice cracked. "You took everything! My pack, my parents—"
"And now I'll take your lover," he said coldly. "Unless..."
I stiffened. "Unless what?"
Ivan leaned in, his breath hot against my ear. "You surrender."
A knife twisted in my gut. "What do you mean?"
"Stop fighting me. Stop plotting. Accept your place as my Luna." His fingers traced my jaw. "In return, I let Damon live."
The ground swayed beneath me. The forest pressed in, stealing the air from my lungs. This was it—my choice.
Fight. Risk Damon's life. Risk my child's life.
Or surrender. Stay trapped. Endure Ivan's cruelty to keep them safe.
My hands trembled as I pressed them to my stomach, shielding the life inside me.
A sudden rustle cut through the silence. Guards emerged from the trees, dragging a battered, bloodied Damon into the clearing. My breath caught.
Alive. Barely.
Ivan grinned. "Thought you might need some motivation."
Damon's gaze locked onto mine, burning with pain and fury. "Cynthia, don't."
Tears blurred my vision. "I don't have a choice."
"Yes, you do." His voice was rough, desperate. "Think about the baby. If you surrender, Ivan will own you. He'll own your child."
My stomach twisted. I knew that. But the alternative—Damon's death—
Ivan sighed. "I don't have all night, Cynthia. Choose."
I looked at Damon—his bruised face, his shattered defiance. Then at Ivan, smug, victorious.
My heart splintered. "I'm sorry."
Damon's eyes widened. "No—"
I turned to Ivan, forcing the words out. "I'll stay."
A slow, triumphant smirk curled Ivan's lips. "Good girl."
Damon thrashed against the guards. "Cynthia, listen to me—"
"Take him away," Ivan ordered.
I lunged forward, but Ivan caught my wrist, yanking me back. "No more of that."
Damon fought, his voice raw. "You're stronger than this!"
His words cut deeper than any blade, but I couldn't break. Not now. I locked my emotions away, watching as they dragged him into the darkness.
The forest swallowed him whole.
Ivan turned to me, satisfaction gleaming in his eyes. "That wasn't so hard, was it?"
I couldn't speak. Couldn't breathe.
I'd just signed my own fate.
And worse—I'd doomed Damon.
As Ivan's fingers traced possessively down my arm, one truth burned in my chest:
I'd made the biggest mistake of my life.
The ride back to the mansion was silent. Trees blurred past, but my mind stayed trapped in that clearing, replaying Damon's face, his plea. I hugged my stomach, the weight of my choice crushing me.
Ivan's voice sliced through the quiet. "You'll see, Cynthia. This was the only way."
I turned away, refusing to let him see my tears.
The car slowed as the mansion loomed ahead—a gilded prison. The moment we stopped, Ivan reached for my hand, squeezing it like we were something sweet, something normal.
I jerked free. "Don't touch me."
His smirk held, but something darker flickered in his gaze. "You'll learn to obey. You made your choice. Now live with it."
As the mansion doors swung open, I knew there was no going back.
Not until I fixed the mess I'd made.
End of The Alpha's Betrayal, I Married My Family's Killer Chapter 7. Continue reading Chapter 8 or return to The Alpha's Betrayal, I Married My Family's Killer book page.