Swara's forceful push sent Kavita tumbling to the ground beside Adarsh. Both of them lay sprawled on the ground, utterly gobsmacked, their wide eyes glued to Sanskar and Swara. As the pair clasped hands, in the blink of an eye, all their wounds vanished like magic.

"Bet you didn't see that coming," Swara jeered with a sly grin.

Adarsh and Kavita exchanged bewildered looks before their eyes darted to the daggers in their hands. Their faces were a picture of sheer disbelief.

"Yes, those were just ordinary daggers, not the silver ones laced with wolfsbane that you so meticulously schemed to use against us," Swara said, her eyes burning with fury. "Guess what? You ended up with a squat," she sneered.

"It was you... You switched our daggers behind our backs," Adarsh growled, his jaw set in anger. "But how did you pull it off?" he demanded, his voice a blend of fury and bewilderment.

"Like I said, you’re not completely clueless—you figured it out." Swara's smirk turned into a teasing grin. "I was fully aware of your little scheme, so why would I drop my guard? The moment I stepped out of Rajat Shah's castle, I spotted the daggers with Kavita. Switching them was a walk in the park. Right, Kavita?"

Kavita recalled that, after their hard-fought victory, as they were making their way back to their territory, a sudden shove from behind had sent her crashing to the ground, daggers scattering. Her eyes had barely blinked before she swiftly hid the daggers again. She was stunned at how Swara had pulled off that trick in the blink of an eye.

"Recollecting now, are we?" Swara arched an eyebrow, staring sharply at Kavita. "You both are just a pair of cocky fools." Her voice was laced with venom, and her eyes flashed with steely determination as she faced her adversaries.

All the while, Sanskar remained silent, his gaze cold and unforgiving, yet his heart was broken.

"N... No, this can't be happening. My years-long plan can't fall apart like this...." Adarsh got up and yelled in frustration.

"It has happened already," Swara interjected. "And now, it's time for you both to face the consequences of your actions."

Kavita's eyes darted around nervously, realizing only now that they had fallen into Swara's carefully laid trap. "You... you planned this?" her voice trembling with rage and fear.

Adarsh's face contorted with fury. "You tricked us!" he spat, his fists clenching at his sides.

"Enough of your games," Swara retorted, her voice steely. "You both have already confessed to your crimes. The entire pack witnessed your betrayal."

At that moment, hidden high-ranking members of the pack, including Laksh, emerged from their concealed positions. Their expressions were a mix of disappointment and anger as they confronted Adarsh and Kavita.

"You've brought shame upon our pack," one of the elders growled, his voice dripping with disdain. "All this treachery for power?"

"You think you could get away with this?" Vikrant, one of the senior members, stepped forward. "We trusted you, and this is how you repay us?"

Another pack member, Rocky, spat on the ground near Adarsh and Kavita. "You were like a family to us, but you betrayed our trust."

"We respected you as beta, but you don't deserve it." Someone said.

The pack members began to close in, their anger palpable in the air. "You've brought nothing but shame upon Crescent Moon," someone shouted from the crowd.

"You spineless traitor!"

"Despicable cowards!"

The pack members, who had been watching in silent fury, couldn't contain their anger any longer. They surrounded Adarsh and Kavita, their voices rising in a chorus of condemnation.

Adarsh and Kavita, cornered and outnumbered, exchanged a desperate glance. Adarsh's usual confidence wavered for a moment as the gravity of their situation sank in.

Kavita glared defiantly at the pack members. "You fools don't understand. We did what was necessary to secure our future."

Laksh stepped forward, his gaze piercing. "You were my beta once, Adarsh. I never wanted to see this side of yours."

Adarsh remained silent, his face a mask of resentment and bitterness, when he turned to Swara. "Why didn't you expose us earlier, when you knew all this, Swara?" His voice was filled with accusation.

"To get concrete evidence in the face of confession," Swara replied ambiguously.

"What?"

Swara's gaze softened momentarily as she turned to the silent spectator, Sanskar. "I only confided in Sanskar after the first vampire attack at the hotel," she explained softly. "I needed him to trust me completely before we could act against both of you."

Sanskar nodded solemnly. "I promised Swara I would always believe in her," he admitted, his voice hoarse with emotion. "Even when it seemed impossible."

Swara continued, her voice steady despite the turmoil within her. "I planned everything to expose Adarsh's deep-seated hatred and betrayal. I wanted Sanskar to see the truth for himself."

Adarsh and Kavita were still trying to wrap their heads around the fact that their entire scheme—every move they made to advance their fight against the vampires—had been completely under Swara’s radar. It dawned on them that they had unwittingly played right into her hands while she merely pretended to keep Sanskar out of the fray. Their disputes and arguments had been nothing but smoke and mirrors.

Sanskar's expression grew grim as he wrestled once more with the enormity of his brother's betrayal. "Adarsh, I’m still struggling to understand why," he whispered, his voice heavy with pain.

Adarsh sneered with a bitter edge. "I told you already; I was green with envy," he said coldly. "I hated that you were picked as alpha because of your powers. I wanted what I thought was rightfully mine."

"If you had just asked, I would have stepped aside," Sanskar replied, his eyes filled with sorrow. "We were brothers..."

"Brothers?" Adarsh chuckled harshly, cutting off Sanskar. "You were always the golden child, the one picked by fate. I never stood a chance against that. Your supposed sacrifice is a farce when your powers outshine mine. No one in the community would ever let me claim this role while you're still breathing."

"You didn't have to betray us," Sanskar said in a soft yet hoarse voice. "We could have found a way..."

Adarsh's expression darkened. "There was never a way. Not for me. Crescent Moon was never mine to inherit."

"So you were well aware of your shortcomings, but you let envy eat you alive," Swara said, her voice brimming with irritation. "You turned against your own pack, your own family."

The pack members murmured in agreement, their disapproval palpable.

"Enough talk," Adarsh's arrogance returning, sneered defiantly. "You think you've won? You're delusional. Crescent Moon will crumble under the weight of its own naivety."

Kavita's voice, laced with venom, added, "We've only just begun. You can't stop what's coming."

Adarsh and Kavita shared a covert glance, then quickly drew concealed weapons and lunged at Sanskar. But before they could escalate their attack, Laksh signaled to the guards. Two large werewolves, who had been lurking in the shadows, emerged and swiftly subdued Adarsh and Kavita, their immense strength overwhelming.

"You've lost," Laksh said calmly, darting hard glares. "Your treachery ends here."

Adarsh struggled against his captors, but it was futile. "Swara," he growled, filled with malice. "You, bitch, you can't get away with this... I promise...."

He was shouting in frustration, unleashing a stream of curses at Swara, when Sanskar stepped forward. Sanskar raised a piercing glance enough for Adarsh to snap his mouth shut.

He held it cold. “Adarsh, I never wanted any of this,” he said, his voice thick with emotion.

Adarsh remained silent, his fiery, resentful glare meeting Sanskar’s chilly, unforgiving stare for a moment before he begrudgingly looked down.

"This is truly dreadful," someone in the group remarked.

"The betrayal was beyond belief, yet Adarsh shows no remorse," an elder pack member commented.

"Who cares if he repents? He needs to pay the piper," another pack member said fiercely.

“No, both of them need to face justice from Alpha Sanskar,” someone else insisted.

As the pack members continued to grumble, Swara stepped up, her voice slicing through the discord. "We’ll convene a pack council. Adarsh and Kavita will stand trial for their crimes. But know this—we will emerge stronger from this betrayal. Crescent Moon will endure."

All the pack members fixed their gazes on Sanskar, eager for his response.

Sanskar, steadying himself amid his emotional turmoil, spoke to the pack with a mix of anguish and resolve. "We’ll tackle this betrayal head-on, heal our rifts, and come out stronger. Adarsh and Kavita will face justice for their crimes."

With that declaration, the guards started ushering Adarsh and Kavita away, followed by pack members who trudged with their heads bowed in disgrace as they were led to Alpha Sanskar’s coldest, most unwelcoming cell.

The forest resonated with the distant, mournful howls of wolves, a haunting melody of both loss and strength. Sanskar and Swara stood side by side, their eyes meeting in a mutual recognition of the trials that lay ahead.

"Can you handle this, or should I take the lead?" Swara raised her eyebrows, aware of Sanskar's inner struggle.

"I've done my part as a younger brother," Sanskar said firmly. "Now it's time for me to step up as the alpha of Crescent Moon and deliver justice for my pack. I need to set an example of what true justice looks like."