Avenging Luna
Chapter 64: The Traitor In Our Midst

Chapter 64: The Traitor In Our Midst

Drake’s POV:

After thoroughly fucking the hell out of my mate, I leaned back against the tree, catching my breath. Leila was still bent over, her body trembling slightly from the intensity of what we’d just done. The air around us was thick with the scent of sweat, sex, and satisfaction. I couldn’t help but feel an immense sense of pride in what I’d done to her—she was mine, completely and utterly, and that thought alone sent a shiver of possessiveness through me.

I tugged my shirt off and handed it to her. "Here," I said, grinning as I watched her put it on. It hung loosely around her petite frame, the fabric barely covering her hips.

Leila shot me a playful glare, knowing full well why I was smiling. I couldn’t help it. She looked like a mess—her hair wild and tangled, her cheeks flushed, and the way she walked, well, it was obvious. Anyone who saw her now would know exactly what had just happened. And I couldn’t be more proud of myself for it.

She straightened up and gave me a look that was both amused and annoyed. "You’re terrible, you know that?" she said, trying to fix her hair with her fingers.

I chuckled, pulling her close for a quick kiss. "You love it," I murmured against her lips. I could feel the lingering tension in her body begin to dissipate as she leaned into me, her head resting against my chest.

A part of me was tempted to drag her back into the woods for round two, but there were more pressing matters at hand. We’d just gotten answers out of Raphael, and now it was time to put that information to use.

As much as I relished the idea of Leila possibly carrying my child after what we’d just done, the situation with my pack weighed heavily on my mind. My uncle Raphael had betrayed us—betrayed me and my parents—and that was just the tip of the iceberg. There was a traitor in my pack, someone who had been working with him, someone who was feeding him information, waiting for the right moment to strike.

And I had a good idea who that person might be.

I helped Leila adjust her hair, trying not to smirk too much at her "funny walking style," as she put it. Despite everything, I couldn’t stop thinking about how perfect she looked right now, how she had handled Raphael, and how much strength she had inside her. She wasn’t that fragile girl from the past anymore, and I loved that about her.

As we walked back toward the packhouse, I made sure to keep Lucas on the case. He had been my most trusted Beta, and now, more than ever, I needed him to be vigilant. Raphael was locked away, but he was still valuable—if we played our cards right, we could use him as bait. The traitor would reveal themselves eventually. We just had to be patient.

Lucas was already on it, and I knew he wouldn’t disappoint. His loyalty to me was unwavering, and I trusted him to track down whoever was conspiring with Raphael. But something still didn’t sit right with me. The betrayal ran deeper than I initially thought, and the more I replayed Raphael’s words in my head, the more it all pointed to one person: Marcus.

I clenched my fists at the thought. Marcus had been a loyal member of the pack for years, ever since my father was Alpha. He had been there through everything, but recently, things had felt... off. He’d been distancing himself from me, avoiding eye contact, and making excuses whenever I asked him to join in on important pack matters. At first, I thought it was just stress, but now I wasn’t so sure.

The fact that Raphael was still alive—after what happened last time—was proof enough that someone had let him escape. And Marcus had been the one in charge of the security that night.

I growled under my breath, trying to suppress the anger rising in my chest. If Marcus really was the traitor, he had put all of us in danger. Leila, my pack, everyone. I wouldn’t let him get away with that.

Leila must have sensed the shift in my mood, because she gently squeezed my hand. "We’ll figure it out," she said softly, her voice bringing me back to the present. I glanced at her, the fierceness in her eyes reminding me why I loved her so damn much. She wasn’t just my mate—she was my equal, my partner in everything.

I nodded, kissing her forehead before we reached the entrance to the packhouse. "Yeah, we will," I agreed. But even as I said it, the weight of what was coming pressed heavily on my shoulders.

Once inside, I quickly made arrangements with Lucas to increase security around Raphael’s cell. We couldn’t afford any more slip-ups. Raphael’s life was in my hands now, and if anyone tried to get to him, they’d have to go through me first.

As Lucas headed off to oversee the preparations, I couldn’t stop thinking about Marcus. The more I thought about it, the more things started to fall into place. The strange absences, the excuses, the way he’d been pushing for more power within the pack. It all made sense now.

I needed to confront him, but I couldn’t let him know I was onto him just yet. We had to be smart about this. If he was working with Raphael, there was no telling how far their conspiracy went, or who else might be involved. One wrong move, and everything could come crashing down.

Leila watched me carefully, her eyes searching mine as I paced back and forth in the room. "You think it’s Marcus, don’t you?" she asked, her voice calm but laced with concern.

I stopped, meeting her gaze. "Yeah," I admitted. "I do."

She frowned, her lips pressing into a thin line. "He’s been acting strange for a while now... I didn’t want to say anything, but I noticed it too."

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "I should’ve seen it sooner," I said bitterly. "I trusted him. My parents trusted him. And now..."

Leila stepped forward, placing her hands on my shoulders. "This isn’t your fault, Drake. He made his choice. We’ll deal with him, but we have to be careful."

I nodded, knowing she was right. But the anger in me still simmered, threatening to boil over. Marcus had betrayed not just me, but everything my family had built. And I wasn’t going to let him get away with it.

We spent the rest of the day making preparations, ensuring that Raphael couldn’t escape again and tightening security around the pack. I knew it was only a matter of time before Marcus made his move, and when he did, I’d be ready.

As the sun began to set, I couldn’t shake the tension in my chest. I needed to be close to Leila, to remind myself of what I was fighting for. She had been through so much, and yet she still stood by my side, stronger than ever. I couldn’t afford to lose her—not now, not ever.

I found her sitting by the window, staring out at the fading light. Her beauty never ceased to amaze me, even after everything we had been through. Quietly, I walked up behind her, wrapping my arms around her waist and pulling her close. She leaned back into me, her body fitting perfectly against mine.

"I’m proud of you," I whispered into her ear, pressing a soft kiss to her neck. "For everything."

She smiled, resting her hands on top of mine. "I’m proud of you too," she murmured. "We’ve come so far, Drake. Together."

I closed my eyes, breathing in her scent, letting her presence calm the storm inside me. But even as I held her, my mind was still racing, still thinking about Marcus and what we needed to do next.

A part of me couldn’t wait to confront him, to see the look on his face when he realized we were onto him. But another part of me was wary. This wasn’t just about revenge or betrayal—this was about the future of our pack, our family, everything we’d fought for.

And I wasn’t going to let anyone take that away from us.

As the night deepened and the moon hung high in the sky, my thoughts continued to spiral around Marcus. The looming confrontation weighed heavily on me, filling my mind with images of what could go wrong. I wanted to protect Leila from the fallout, to shield her from any chaos that might ensue. But I knew she wouldn’t let me face this alone; she was too fierce, too loyal.

"Are you thinking about Marcus?" she asked softly, breaking the silence.

I nodded, unwilling to sugarcoat my thoughts. "Yeah. I can’t shake the feeling that he’s been playing us this whole time. I trusted him, Leila. I trusted him with everything."

Leila turned to face me, her expression serious. "We’ll figure it out, Drake. You’re not alone in this. I won’t let you carry this burden by yourself."

Her unwavering support ignited a fire inside me. I needed that reminder—that we were in this together. "You’re right," I said, pulling her close again, letting her warmth seep into me. "I just don’t want to put you in danger. He’s dangerous, and I don’t know what he’s capable of."

She met my gaze, her eyes fierce. "Neither do I. But I know you. You’re strong enough to handle this, and I’ll be right beside you. We’ll face him together."

Her confidence filled me with resolve. I tightened my grip on her waist, resting my chin on her shoulder. "I don’t deserve you," I murmured, my voice thick with emotion.

"You deserve everything and more, Drake. We’ll get through this, just like we always have." She lifted her head slightly, meeting my eyes. "Together."

I felt a surge of gratitude for her presence in my life. Just being close to her made the weight of my worries feel a little lighter. But I also knew that the calm before the storm was sometimes the most deceptive.

As the moonlight streamed through the window, I couldn’t help but let my mind wander to the future I wanted—one where Leila and I could build a life together, free from the shadows of our past. A place where we wouldn’t have to constantly look over our shoulders.

But I couldn’t ignore the reality of our situation. I had a traitor to confront, and I needed to prepare myself. With a deep breath, I stepped back, releasing her from my embrace. "Let’s make a plan. We need to be strategic about this."

Leila nodded, her expression turning serious. "What do you have in mind?"

"I want to gather the most loyal members of the pack—those I can trust completely. We can set a trap for Marcus and catch him in the act. If he’s been working with Raphael, we need to expose him before he can do any more damage."

She considered my words, her brow furrowed in thought. "That makes sense. We need to be careful, though. If he realizes we’re onto him, he might act out of desperation."

"Exactly," I replied. "I want to play it smart. If we can corner him, we can find out who else might be involved and cut off the head of this snake before it grows any bigger."

As we discussed our plan, a sense of urgency filled the air. The more we spoke, the more I realized just how deep the roots of this betrayal ran. It wasn’t just Marcus; it was potentially anyone who had access to information about our pack.

Once we finalized our strategy, I couldn’t help but pull Leila back into my arms. "Thank you for being my rock. I don’t know what I’d do without you."

She smiled softly, leaning into me. "You’re never going to find out, because I’m not going anywhere."

With that reassurance, I felt a renewed sense of determination. We could do this. Together.

The night passed quickly, filled with planning and preparing for the storm that awaited us. As dawn began to break, casting a golden glow across the horizon, I knew we had to act fast. We couldn’t give Marcus any time to regroup or think of a way to manipulate the situation in his favor.

After a quick breakfast, I gathered Lucas and a few trusted pack members in the training room. The atmosphere was tense, everyone aware of the stakes involved. "Listen up," I began, looking each of them in the eye. "We have a serious problem, and we need to act quickly. There’s a traitor among us—someone who has been feeding information to Raphael."

Murmurs erupted in the room, but I raised my hand for silence. "I suspect Marcus is the one behind it, but we need proof. We’re going to set a trap for him. Lucas, I want you to coordinate with the other Betas. Make sure they’re on high alert, but don’t let anyone know why. We need to catch him off guard."

Lucas nodded, his expression serious. "Understood. What’s the plan?"

I outlined our strategy, ensuring that everyone was on the same page. We’d position ourselves at key points, ready to confront Marcus the moment he stepped out of line. The tension in the room was palpable as everyone absorbed the gravity of what we were about to do.

Leila stood by my side, her presence steadying me as I spoke. "We’ll also need to ensure Raphael stays secure," I added. "If Marcus is working with him, he might try to spring him free. We can’t let that happen."

Once we had the plan in place, I felt a mixture of adrenaline and anticipation. I could almost taste the confrontation, the moment when we would finally bring Marcus to justice.

As the sun climbed higher in the sky, I made my way back to my room, where Leila was waiting. She looked up at me, her expression calm but curious. "What’s next?"

"Now we wait," I replied, pacing the room. "We need to be vigilant and ready for anything. If Marcus is the traitor, he’ll make a move soon. I can feel it."

Leila stepped closer, wrapping her arms around my waist. "We’ll face it together, remember? I trust you."

Those words settled over me like a warm blanket. I pulled her close, taking a moment to let the reality of our situation sink in. But just as I felt a sense of calm wash over me, a knock on the door interrupted us.

"Drake, it’s Lucas," he called from the other side. "We need to talk. It’s urgent."

I exchanged a quick glance with Leila before heading to the door. Opening it, I found Lucas standing there, his expression grave. "What’s going on?" I asked, my heart racing.

"Marcus has been spotted near the edge of the pack territory. He’s acting strange, and I think he’s meeting someone."

"Let’s go," I said, adrenaline surging through me. "This is our chance."

Leila followed closely behind me as we moved through the packhouse, gathering the others as we went. The atmosphere shifted from tense anticipation to focused determination.

As we made our way toward the edge of the territory, I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. This was it. We were about to confront the traitor who had been hiding in plain sight.

We reached the treeline, and I motioned for everyone to spread out, preparing for the confrontation. My eyes scanned the area, looking for any sign of Marcus. Just as I was about to give the signal to move forward, I spotted him—a familiar figure in the distance, speaking to someone shrouded in shadows.

"Stay alert," I whispered to Leila, my gaze fixed on Marcus. "This could get messy."

I stepped forward, ready to confront him, but just as I was about to call out his name, I noticed the figure beside him—the one shrouded in darkness—and my stomach dropped.