Falling In Love With The King Of Beasts

Chapter 428: Betrayer - Part 2

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*****

LERRIN

Everyone held their breath, staring at the Second, in submission—in the dirt—before their Alpha.

"I declare my allegiance to the King!" she cried so all in the camp would hear. Lerrin felt them tense, eyeing him, unaware of why he had taken issue with his Second. "I do not defy him—"

Cheap words! Lerrin sent to the pack mind. Cheap words from a self-serving, liar and traitor!

Asta hesitated, but swallowed and went on. "There are those who would call me traitor, but I declare for the Alpha! I do not defy him!"

Murmurs rose in the crowd around them and Lerrin growled.

"All I have done has been for the Pack!" she cried, her voice hoarse and desperate. "To further our reach, to lift the wolves to their proper place—"

Lerrin had heard enough. As Alpha it was his right—his duty—to keep his people in line, and to punish those who stepped out of it. With anyone else he would not even have engaged in conversation. But Asta was his oldest friend and Second.

But this… this showing she made, this attempt to garner the support of the people… he would not stand for it.

Before she could say another word, he leaped on her, closing his jaws on her throat hard enough to break skin and to squeeze the air from her.

She clawed at him, scrabbling uselessly at his fur as he closed his jaws tighter and tighter.

Lerrin, please!

You were my closest friend and you lied. You supported my enemies. You cannot be trusted. Goodbye, Asta.

But—!

He snapped his jaws closed, and Asta twitched for a moment, her fingers clawing at him, but her strength already gone.

Within seconds, her body slumped and Lerrin's beast dropped her, whining against the restriction he held. It would not eat Asta. He would give her that much.

Then, his stomach sick and cold, he shifted back to his human form again and turned to regard the shocked wolves all standing, staring, wide-eyed.

"My second betrayed me," he snarled. "Mark me now: You may stand beside me, or behind me. You may aim for the same goal and we will live in harmony. But if you lie to me. If you hide from me. If you attempt to thwart me behind my back, I will. Kill. You."

Ignoring the bloody body behind him, he began to walk the line of fighters, fist leaders, and councilmen that had stopped to watch the conflict.

"This is your Alpha, Lupines! See me! Know that I will not take mercy on any that would attempt to harm me, or you! I refuse to give our pack over to the darkness! We are being eaten from within by a cancer, and I will kill it. I will root it out and remove it so we can return to strength and honor."

Someone began to howl, but Lerrin whirled on them. "Not yet!" he snarled.

He paced, seemingly naturally around the circle of those watching, but in truth he was bringing himself near those who had just arrived from the camp.

"The cancer among us remains!" he growled. "Those who would choose their own purposes, and lead our people into darkness. I will not stand for it. We enter war with those who have retained their honor, while we stab each other in the backs and strategize to kill our own?"

A sharp intake of breath rushed across the field as the wolves heard their Alpha condemn his own, while lifting the Cat. Wolves shifted on their feet and murmured in the pack mind and each other's ears. But he would not take it back.

Instead, he strode to where Craye stood alongside some of the fist leaders, his eyes glinting in the moonlight.

Lerrin let himself smile then as Craye's eyes caught on his and locked.

"There is a cancer among us," he called, deep and loud. "And another tumor I will remove tonight!" Then he turned to face the crowd.

"In the coming hours we face war. I intend to bring the wolves into the Tree City, back to our home, back to the resources and comfort we have deserved. But we will do it by the light of the Creator. We will do it in truth and honor. You can follow me—or you can die!"

A cheer rose then, and Lerrin caught sight of Nhox, pushing to the fore, his face wide and beaming.

He could feel Suhle behind him and reached for her, not sending words, but only the sense of his resolve. His intention for truth. In return, she sent back her own feelings—shock and sadness about Asta, but she was also full of hope as she poured love toward him through the mind link.

Lerrin washed her in gratitude, then turned his mind back to the people. "If you want to see the wolves return to the place we deserve. If you want to see us thrive. Then stand with me as I cut out the cancer at its root and bring our tribe one step closer to honor!"

The cheer rose again, many barks and howls.

Then Lerrin turned, his eyes locking with Craye, who stared at him in apparent fascination.

"Do you want to kill the cancer, Craye?" he growled, knowing that those who were not close enough to hear would receive it from those in the mind link.

"Of course, Sire. Tell me where you see it and I will send my best fighters—"

"That won't be necessary," Lerrin snapped. "Did you do as I asked and pull your wolves from the West? Out from among the Bears?"

"You gave the order, and I followed it," Craye said with no noticeable change to his expression.

But Lerrin could smell the deceit in him.

Liar! He sent, so forcefully that Craye blinked. Then smiled.

"Sire, it is not a simple thing—"

"Actually, Craye, removing cancer is proving to be far easier than I ever would have thought," Lerrin snarled, then shifted into his beast and leapt for the spymaster.

*****

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