Truth

As Betty entered the room, I closed the door from behind and walked slowly by the window. Looking outside towards the edge of the lake, I blew hot breath into my fist.

As I closed the window, turning towards Betty I said, "You have an additional job to perform alongside brainwashed Sam."

Betty looked a little tired.

"What?" she said, confused.

"Tail Jake for his every movement with Sam." I said with a deep voice.

"What?! Why? Are you out of your mind?"

Betty lost her cool as she heard that but it was expected. She is a very best friend of Jake and believes him truly. Asked to tail someone whom you believe the most will also take us aback angry.

"Ned! You can come in." I called for Ned.

He was waiting behind the closet.

"What's going on?" She asked, confused.

"It's that which is necessary for the pack which you love the most. Or do you not care if the Fire Blood pack stays or not?" Ned put her in no spot of argument.

It was necessary too. Otherwise she would revolt and not understand the depth of the situation.

"My loyalty to pack. huh?! How can you not regard how much I care for? Or are you blind?" Betty yelled when her loyalty was put on the bet.

"Just like that can you guarantee that Jake feels and thinks the same." Ned said in a calm and deep voice.

"Jake! W-what about him? What's going on, tell me clearly?" Betty said as she tried to control her mind from going out of hand.

Her every word spoken carefully not to put her in the corner made me smile out of admiration. I would have gone blind by such provocation before but when Ned explained, everything became clear.

"He has been colluding with vampires all this time. Especially, vampire count Drake." Ned said.

"Alene! Is she the cause?" Betty asked.

Her doubts were clear with her words.

"No! He had been doing that for six months already. He even sold out many pack secrets to them." Ned added.

"No. It can't be. We need to talk to Jake. Where is he?" Betty became impatient as she could not believe this news.

She tried to go out but Ned stopped her.

"It's not necessary. Sam already told us about that." Ned said.

"Sam. How can you believe him? He could be lying to us." Betty refused to believe the words of Jake's betrayal.

"So, you are saying that your brainwashing was not strong. Are you that weak."

"No!"

Holding her head, she fell to the ground. She lost her reasoning. She clearly knew how her brainwashing worked and every information Sam told us can't be false.

"What do you want me to do?" Calming herself down, she said.

Her face was still showing disbelief in thinking Jake is a traitor.

"You already know. But do not let him find that we know his actions. Drive him to false information. So that we can trap vampires." I said.

"When did you suspect him of doing that?" Betty asked.

"It's when our secret mission got ambushed by vampire count Drake's right hand Vlad. I sent a spy to their territory and watched over them. Spy brought the news with Jake being mentioned in their conversation. We tried to test that information and Sam confirmed it at last for us." Ned said.

"Won't Jake find out about it and alert vampires?" Betty asked.

"Why do you think we let him be with us and even chased vampires to the forest last time?" Ned said.

Betty's face color changed and she understood what he meant.

We knew he was colluding with vampires all along and only waited for the perfect opportunity to strike. Everything was calculated and precise.

"Ned! Please proceed with the next step." I ordered him as I turned towards the window slowly.

"Sunset is always not necessarily the end of the day, but also preparation for the next beautiful day." I quoted.

"Okay! I will do as you planned." Betty said.

Still confused and shocked, Betty returned with a lot of surprises and broken expectations.

But I do believe she will find her way out of this situation and bring her usual self quickly.

As she stepped outside and the door closed, Ned came near me.

"Was that necessary?" He whispered.

"It is." I said with a heavy heart.

"Then the next step is almost ready. We will begin by the mid winter." Ned said, explaining the plan ahead.

"Yes! That will be fine. And the lunar festival will be approaching soon by that time." I said.

"Martha also informed me that Alene's stomach is growing large very fast."

"Oh! Is there anything concerning?"

"No, just a reminder that her delivery will be before winter hits us."

Her rate of growing babies inside is still abnormal. Normally werewolf also have faster delivery but Alene is having a fast one.

"We will be very busy by that time, no?" I said.

"'Absolutely." Ned nodded.

"Frank! Ned!"

Martha called us from the living room.

"I think dinner is ready. Let's go." I walked out as I said to Ned rubbing my hands.

"Right?"

Ned followed behind.

At the dinner table, Betty and Douard have almost finished their meal.

"Oh! Look how hungry they are. They even finished before we could come here." I said.

"Yeah! They are almost the same but have different attitudes and opinions." Martha said.

Her grin made Betty uncomfortable. After what she knew about Jake, everything looked prickly to her.

"We are not the same. He is a half-ling you know, A goddamn Half-ling!" Betty raised her voice as she finished her plate. She stood up and went to the basin, dunked the plate and left.

"Did you see her just now? Just the Douard's opposite." Martha said laughing.

A small blush and glow sparkled in Douard's face. 'Does it mean he likes Betty?' I thought.

I shook my head and finished my meal. After the meal, I went to the basement.

Slowly opening the door of the basement, I approached Sam, who was shaking in the cold.

"Eat!" I placed a plate of steak in front of him.

As he saw meat, he hastily gobbled it. He choked his throat.

"Here!" I gave him a bottle of water.

As I squatted down, I grabbed his hair and asked,

"you know what you need to do, right?"

"Yes! my master. And for the punishment of breaching the pack rules, I will be spying on Mortham Citadel and find out their secret and plans."

With a shaky and scared voice he spoke.

"Good!" I groaned.

'Betty did a great job.' I thought.

Closing the basement's door, I left for my room.