A Betrayal Forged in Blood

(Ariana's POV) 

A Trap Sprung 

Cold… Frozen. That's how Ariana felt, both inside and out. Victor had betrayed her, and his icy smile sent shivers down her spine. She had trusted him. Foolish. So foolish. Now, she was surrounded by people who wore friendly masks but had their own agendas. 

Darius lay on the ground, silent. Kiera, her closest friend, stood nearby. Her eyes were empty, like polished silver. Thorne watched with a triumphant grin. And there was Victor, standing with Thorne, as if they were a team. A team against her. 

A sharp pain shot through Ariana. It wasn't just from her wounds. It was the deeper hurt of betrayal. Darius, Kiera, Victor… everyone she cared about was against her. She felt totally alone. 

A low growl rose in her chest. It was different, deeper than usual. It was the growl of her ancestors, the ones watching her now. They were waiting for her to embrace her true self, to join them. 

But Ariana wouldn't. She refused to give Thorne the satisfaction. She would fight back for all she had lost. For Darius. For Kiera. For the truth, no matter what darkness she had to face inside herself. 

Power coursed through her veins, hot and electric. It was the strength of her ancestors. It was dangerous, but she would control it. She would use it. 

Thorne stepped closer, his voice smooth. "It's time, Ariana. Join us." 

Ariana met his gaze with icy fury. "My destiny is to destroy you." 

She lunged at him, claws out and teeth bared. They clashed, shaking the ground beneath them. They fought like wild animals, their power echoing in the trees. The silver-eyed warriors watched, glowing with an eerie light. 

Suddenly, Kiera moved. She didn't go for Ariana. Instead, she charged at Thorne with a knife aiming for his throat. Thorne staggered back, shocked. 

"You betrayed me!" Kiera shouted, full of rage. "You used me!" 

Thorne chuckled darkly. "You were just a toy to me." 

Kiera's eyes sparked with determination as she turned to Ariana, regret showing on her face. 

"I'm sorry, Ariana," she whispered. "I didn't mean to…" 

Before she could finish, a silver-eyed warrior lunged at her. Kiera cried out and fell. 

Ariana screamed a raw sound that echoed through the woods. Kiera, her best friend. Dead. This time, it felt like her fault. She had been too focused on Thorne to see the danger. 

Grief and rage flooded Ariana. The power inside her swelled, raging out of control. Her vision blurred, and then she saw red. 

She became a whirlwind of fury, attacking the silver-eyed warriors. They fell before her, their glowing eyes dimming as they hit the ground. 

Thorne watched in fear. He had created a monster. 

Ariana turned to him, her eyes glowing just like the warriors. He stumbled back, pale. 

"You did this," she said, her voice cold. "You took everything. Now, it's your turn." 

She lunged for him, ready to strike. But then she heard a weak voice. 

"Ariana…" 

It was Darius. He was alive. His eyes were fixed on her, pleading. 

Ariana froze, her claws inches from Thorne. Darius needed her. She couldn't kill Thorne like this. Not now. Not out of rage. 

She stepped back from Thorne, anger still in her eyes, but now there was hope too. 

She turned to Darius. She would save him. 

But just as she reached for him, Victor stepped out from the shadows, a knife glinting in his hand. He lunged, not at her, but at Darius. 

Ariana's heart raced as she saw the blade heading for Darius. She screamed and threw herself forward, but it was too late. 

The knife plunged into Darius's chest. 

He gasped, eyes widening in shock. Ariana fell beside him, her hands trembling as blood soaked into her fur. She pressed against his wound, but it was hopeless. 

Victor stood over them, face blank, eyes emotionless. 

"Why?" Ariana whispered through her tears. "Why, Victor?" 

He didn't answer. He just walked away, back into the shadows. 

Ariana sobbed over Darius. His body was limp, and his blood-stained her hands. She was crushed by the weight of betrayal. The man she thought was her father had just killed him. 

The silver-eyed warriors stood still, watching her. They hadn't moved. They were waiting. Waiting for her to decide. 

Revenge or despair? Light or darkness? 

Then Ariana noticed Thorne smiling. Not just a smirk, but a real, chilling smile. He had planned this all along. 

At that moment, it all became clear. This wasn't just a fight for land. This was a fight for her soul. Thorne wanted her to break, to embrace the darkness inside her. 

But she wouldn't. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction. She would fight for Darius, for Kiera. She would fight to know the truth. She would find out why she was so important in this war. 

But first, she'd get her revenge. 

A low growl rumbled in her chest, echoing her inner power. It wasn't just a wolf's growl. It was a predator's growl. 

The silver-eyed figures moved back, wary now. They recognized her power. 

Thorne's smile faded. He had misjudged her. He thought he could break her, but he had created something stronger. 

Ariana stood, hands stained with Darius's blood. She looked at the silver-eyed figures, not feeling afraid anymore. 

"You took him from me," she said quietly, her voice carrying weight. "You took my friend. You took everything." 

She locked eyes with Thorne. "And now, I'm going to take everything from you." 

The ground shook beneath her. The wind swirled around her, ready for what would come next. 

Ariana closed her eyes, drawing on her dark power. It was dangerous, but it was hers. She embraced it, letting it transform her. 

When she opened her eyes, they glowed silver. But they weren't cold. They burned fiercely. 

She was one of them. But she was still Ariana. And she would make them pay. 

The silver-eyed figures attacked, but Ariana was ready. She knew their moves, their weaknesses. 

She fought like a storm, a wild force. It was about survival; it was about her future. 

The battle swirled around her, but Ariana was focused. She would not be broken. 

Suddenly, she saw Sebastian fighting toward her, ready to help. 

But before he could reach her, a figure stepped in front of him. It was Victor. 

He stood there, a silent wall between Ariana and Thorne. 

Thorne paused, surprise on his face. "What are you doing?" 

Victor didn't answer. He just stood still. 

Then he looked at Ariana, his eyes filled with something chilling. And then he smiled. 

Not a kind smile, but a cold one. And in that moment, Ariana knew. 

Victor wasn't protecting her. He was betraying her. 

A cold wave of truth crashed over Ariana. She was utterly alone. Darius was gone. Kiera was gone. And now, the man she thought would protect her had shown his true colors. 

The full weight of her situation crashed down on her. She was surrounded by those who wanted to use her, to control her, to break her. But she wouldn't let them. She wouldn't give them the satisfaction. She would fight.

She would fight for revenge. She would seek the truth of her past. 

The secrets that made her so valuable, so dangerous. She would find out why she was the center of this war, and she would use that knowledge to destroy those who sought to control her. But as she looked at Victor, at the cold, calculating smile on his face, she knew that this was just the beginning.

The true battle had yet to come. And she had a feeling that the price of victory would be higher than she could ever imagine.

As Thorne moved for the attack, a new figure appeared. He was tall, and powerful, and made Thorne seem small. 

His eyes glowed with a strange light, and the fighting stopped. Everyone froze, sensing his power. 

He looked at Ariana, sending chills down her spine. Something about him that tugged at her memory sprang up, she felt the familiarity. 

She couldn't place it, but she knew she had seen him before.

Then the hood fell back, revealing his face. Ariana gasped. It was him. The man from her dreams. The man who haunted her nightmares. The man she had seen in

her visions. The man who was supposed to be dead.

He was alive. And he was here, staring at her with eyes promising only death and destruction.