Chapter 239: Chapter 239 Beta Turns Traitor
Phoebe’s POV
I had no clue how to find the pack house, but fortunately, my tiny furry companion knew the way. The small pup guided me forward.
It struck me as incredible that this little creature understood how to lead me to safety. I followed my gut feeling that the pup would bring me back to its family.
But what I discovered was the pack house.
"You’re incredible!" I exclaimed with joy, scooping up the pup and pressing kisses to its face. I held it close against my chest and hurried toward the pack house.
Luckily, I avoided any encounters with Valerium warriors, though I did run into some of Wallace’s men.
"My queen!?" Three of them rushed toward me immediately, but I stayed on high alert. Knowing there was a betrayer among Wallace’s warriors, I couldn’t afford to trust them blindly.
"My queen, there’s no need for fear. We’re loyal to you."
One warrior attempted to get closer, but I refused to let my guard down.
"Where is the king?" I demanded, maintaining distance between us. Each time they stepped forward, I retreated several paces, forcing them to hold their position.
"The king is inside," they explained. "He’s been frantic about your disappearance. Please, come with us. We’ll bring you to him. He’s been crushed learning about your kidnapping."
I remained silent for quite some time, uncertain about my next move. It would be devastating if I got captured after fighting so hard to escape.
Eventually though...
"Take me to the king. You go first."
The three warriors visibly relaxed at my decision. They began leading the way toward the pack house, but I refused to close the gap between us.
I kept a significant distance from the warriors. This positioning would help if I needed to flee.
Noticing how extremely wary I was of their presence, the three warriors wisely understood and gave me space. They moved closer to the pack house and encountered other warriors on patrol duty.
"That’s the queen!" All of them appeared relieved to see me, but when they started approaching, the three warriors cautioned them to back off and maintain distance too.
Fortunately, they grasped why I was behaving this way and continued escorting me back.
The truth about the king having left to meet with the Valerium wasn’t common knowledge among the other warriors. Only a select few important individuals knew that the king wasn’t at the pack house.
So when I requested to see Perry, they immediately brought me inside, assuming the king was still there.
Because of this, I believed I hadn’t arrived too late. I would finally see Perry again. How much time had passed since I last laid eyes on him?
However, before I could locate Perry, we encountered Wallace’s beta, Marco.
"My queen, you’re here? They actually found you?"
He looked stunned, his eyes wide with surprise. He then moved toward me.
In this situation, the other warriors couldn’t caution the beta since he outranked them. Besides, I wasn’t as frightened of him as I had been with them.
I didn’t retreat when Marco approached. I felt relieved because I figured there was no possibility the beta would betray his alpha.
It made sense if regular warriors turned traitor - it happened frequently - but someone with higher rank wasn’t as easily corrupted.
At least, that’s what I believed. Also, I had witnessed the dynamic between Wallace and Marco. The two seemed quite close, and this beta hadn’t displayed any behavior that made me doubt him.
"My queen, how did you manage to escape?" Marco examined me, relief washing over his face when he saw I was unharmed. I looked perfectly fine.
"Where is Perry?" I still couldn’t feel entirely secure until I saw him. The little pup in my arms squirmed, whimpering softly.
I stroked the little one to soothe it.
"Come here. I’ll bring you to the king. The king is in the middle of crucial discussions to rescue you. He got a message to come retrieve you from the enemy."
Marco dismissed the other warriors, sending them away. Now only the two of us walked toward the war room where the king, the alpha, and the elders were meeting.
On my end, I felt relieved that I wasn’t too late. Elder Augustus must have informed Perry about my kidnapping, even though the enemy never actually had me.
"Is Elder Augustus there?" I asked Marco, who walked beside me. He dismissed any warriors we encountered, instructing them to go to the gates and stand guard there.
"Yes, he’s there," Marco answered, but then he frowned. "What’s wrong, my queen? You seem troubled."
I thought about this for a moment, then decided to tell him. "Elder Augustus is a traitor. He’s working with the Valerium warriors! He planned to make them believe they had kidnapped me."
Marco stopped walking. "Please, say that again slowly. I don’t understand." He struggled to read my lips.
Since I was too worked up, I had forgotten that not everyone could read lips as quickly as Perry could. I repeated my words more slowly, though I grew impatient with our delay. I desperately wanted to see Perry immediately.
"So Elder Augustus is the traitor? He’s collaborating with the Valerium?"
I nodded, tugging his sleeve impatiently to signal him to keep walking. Instead, Marco seized my hand and shoved me into an empty bedroom behind him.
The little pup tumbled from my arms to the floor, letting out a pitiful whimper. My back slammed against the wall, pain shooting through me instantly. Marco then wrapped his fingers around my throat, choking me.
