The clearing was quiet, the only sound the vague rustle of leaves in the wind and the faint murmurs between Clara and Seth. The moon hung low, casting an almost ghost-like glow over the woods. We had barely escaped Eden’s forces, but the tension within our group was thick.

My gaze drifted back to Mascot, who still sat slumped against a tree. He had a look of fear and guilt that unsettled me. Something was wrong, and I couldn't ignore it any longer.

I pulled Mascot aside, away from Clara, Seth, and Ethan. Ethan’s return had been a surprise—an unexpected help in a moment of desperation. But now that the immediate danger had passed, there was something more pressing I needed to address.

“Mascot,” I said quietly, my voice trembling with a mix of worry and confusion. “What's going on? You've been acting strange ever since we left the cave.”

Mascot didn’t meet my gaze. His eyes were fixed on the ground, his hands trembling slightly as if the weight of what he was about to say was too much to bear. He was silent for a long moment, his face pale and drawn.

“There’s something I need to tell you, Tasha,” he whispered, his voice barely audible. I felt my heart drop into my stomach. Whatever he was about to confess, it was bad. I could feel it in the pit of my stomach.

“What is it?” I asked, taking a step closer, my eyes searching his face for answers. Mascot finally looked up at me, and the guilt in his eyes was unmistakable.

“I’m not who you think I am. I’ve been hiding something from you. From all of you. And I’m afraid... once you know the truth, you’ll never trust me again.” My heart pounded in my chest. I glanced back at the others, but they were too far to hear us, unless of course they wanted to listen.

“Just tell me,” I urged, my voice tight with anxiety. “Whatever it is, just say it.” Mascot took a deep breath, his hands clenched into fists.

“I’ve been working with Eden.”

The world seemed to stop. For a moment, I couldn't breathe. I stared at him, my mind struggling to process the words. Working with Eden? No, it couldn't be true. Not Mascot. Not the one who had saved me, who had fought beside me, who had sworn to protect me.

“You're lying,” I said, my voice barely a whisper. “This has to be some kind of sick joke.”

Mascot shook his head, his face twisted with guilt and pain. “I wish it were, Tasha. But it’s not. When I first came to you, I had no plans of really helping you. But then, I fell for you and Eden... he threatened to kill you if I didn’t help him. I had no choice.”

The ground felt like it was crumbling beneath my feet. Betrayal surged through me all over again, hot and cold all at once. My chest tightened, the air in my lungs suddenly too thick to breathe.

“You... you've been helping him this whole time?” I choked out, my voice breaking. “You’ve been betraying us?” This felt like the night of the fated all over again. How I was rejected by my mate and best friend. Mascot reached for my hand, but I pulled away, recoiling from his touch as if it burned me.

“I never wanted to betray you, at least not after I fell for you.” he said desperately. “Everything I did was to protect you. Eden was going to kill you, Tasha. He would have destroyed you and the others if I didn’t do what he asked.”

Tears blurred my vision as I backed away from him, my hands trembling with a mixture of anger and sorrow. “You should have told me,” I whispered. “You should have trusted me enough to tell me the truth.”

“I couldn't,” Mascot said, his voice filled with anguish. “He said if I told you, he'd kill you anyway. I was trying to keep you alive.”

“Alive?” I spat, my voice rising. “You think I want to be alive if it means being betrayed by the one person I trusted the most?”

Mascot flinched as if I had slapped him. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, his eyes filled with regret. “I’m so sorry, Tasha. But I was trying to save you. I was trying to save all of us.”

I shook my head, tears streaming down my face. “You didn’t save us, Mascot. You've only made things worse. So, don't try to paint your betrayal as act of favor because it isn't.”

Before I could say more, a sharp cry echoed through the clearing. I turned just in time to see a group of dark werewolves emerging from the trees, their red eyes glowing with malice. They found us again.

“Eden's forces,” Ethan growled, drawing his weapon. “We need to move.” But there was no time to run. The werewolves were upon us in seconds, snarling and snapping as they lunged at us with terrifying speed.

Clara and Seth barely had time to raise their weapons before the fight began. Mascot stood frozen, his face pale as he watched the disaster unfold around him.

“Mascot!” I shouted, my voice filled with anger and desperation. “Help us!” But he didn’t move. He just stood there, paralyzed by his guilt, his betrayal hanging over him like a dark cloud.

For a split second, I considered leaving him behind. But I couldn't. As the battle raged around us, the sound of a furious howl filled the air.

I turned just in time to see Sarah charging toward us, her face twisted with rage. She had been tracking us, waiting for the right moment to strike. Her eyes locked on Mascot, and without hesitation, she lunged at him. “You won't betray her again!” she screamed, her voice filled with fury as she stabbed him with a sword.

Mascot fell to the ground, his eyes wide with shock as he clutched his side where Sarah’s blade had pierced him. Blood pooled around him, staining the earth beneath him. I gasped, rushing toward him, but Sarah blocked my path, her eyes blazing with anger.

“He deserves this, Tasha,” she snarled. “After everything he’s done, he deserves to die.” I hesitated, torn between my loyalty to Mascot and the overwhelming sense of betrayal that still burned in my chest.

“Sarah, stop,” I whispered, my voice shaking. “He’s still one of us.”

“One of us?” Sarah spat, her eyes narrowing. “He's the reason we've been hunted, captured, and tortured. He's been working with Eden this whole time. How can you stand to defend him?” I glanced down at Mascot, who lay on the ground, his face twisted with pain and regret

“I’m not defending what he did,” I said quietly. “But killing him won’t solve anything.”

Sarah's grip on her weapon tightened, her knuckles white with the force of it. “You're too soft, Tasha,” she muttered. “That's always been your problem.” Before I could respond, a snarl erupted from behind us. Another group of dark werewolves charged toward us, their fangs bared and claws outstretched.

Sarah growled in frustration, turning to face the oncoming attack. “We'll deal with this later,” she said through gritted teeth. As the battle continued, I knelt beside Mascot, my heart aching with confusion and sorrow.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I whispered, tears falling onto his blood-soaked clothes. Mascot winced in pain, giving me a rueful look.

“I was afraid,” he whispered, his voice weak. “Afraid of losing you. Afraid of losing everything.”

I wiped my tears with the back of my hand, my heart heavy with the weight of his betrayal. “You already lost me, Mascot,” I whispered. “The moment you decided to lie to me, you lost me.” Mascot’s eyes closed, his body growing still.

For a moment, I thought he was gone, that Sarah's attack had been fatal. But then, slowly, his chest rose and fell with shallow breaths. He will heal.

As the fight raged on around us, I couldn't shake the feeling that this was only the beginning. Eden’s forces were almost unstoppable, and now, with Mascot’s betrayal out in the open, I didn’t know who I could trust anymore. The battle ended with the dark werewolves retreating once more into the shadows, but the damage had been done.

Our group was fractured, trust shattered. And as I looked down at Mascot's wounded body, I knew that things would never be the same.

“We can't stay here.” Sarah stated. “We need to keep moving or those things will be back, and we don't want that.”