The Female Alpha's Hostage

Chapter Eighteen

Hugo’s POV

I paced back and forth in my room for the remainder of the evening. When my legs eventually gave out, I made the decision to lie down on the bed. “Just breathe” I reminded myself. I tried to process what had happened in a span of a few hours.

Learning the demise of the Kaos Pack was a shock in itself. I suppose I would have felt more protected if Alpha Talia had been responsible for it. But it didn’t sit well with me to know that I wouldn’t be seeing her again. Despite escaping her mansion, I couldn’t believe this was how I felt.

Hollow.

My mind wandered back to Alpha Theodore’s words. “Mating Ceremony”. If this was what I had wanted for the past two years, why didn’t I feel happy about it? Why wasn’t I thrilled to know that Izzy loved me back and wanted a future with me? Maybe it was because I haven’t allowed myself to truly let Alpha Talia go.

Or maybe Izzy’s words during the full moon really did impact me. I was a coward, I still am. Hiding behind my feelings, attempting to appease everyone, and not prioritizing myself. I never imagined that as time went on, I would lose my ability to protect myself and become completely defenceless.

My heart leapt at the sound of a faint knock on the door. Morning had already begun when I glanced at the time. Time flew by when I wanted it to stop. I had long dreamed about this day, but right now all I could feel was pure dread. I approached the door and gently opened it.

“I know I’m not supposed to show you the dress but what do you think?” Izzy stood behind the door, wearing a vintage white dress and there couldn’t have been a happier bride within its seams. I was in awe as I gazed at her. I had fantasized about her wearing a white dress countless times.

“Izzy . . you look beautiful” I stated.

“I know right, I feel beautiful. Today is a day, history will be made.” She galloped into the room, spinning her dress around. She stared at her reflection through the mirror and continued “The beast would be finally put to rest as part of our ceremony to mark this very momentous day. We shall do it together.”

She turned to face me and encircled her arms around my neck. I was terrified that the day would conclude with the Shadow Pack finding Alpha Talia. And this union between me and Izzy, felt forced in order to accomplish that.

“Sure” I replied with my mind deep in thoughts.

“Sure? That’s all I get? Look, I understand if it’s still trauma you are experiencing as a result of being captured, but it has been a while now. The very least you could do is smile. It’s hard for me to admit it, but I kind of miss the needy Hugo.” Izzy unhooked me from her grip.

I felt horrible when I saw how disappointed she was. Maybe wanting something for so long and then having conflicting emotions about it, was normal. But I knew if I didn’t give it enough effort, I also wouldn’t know how I truly felt inside.

I sighed after taking one final look around the room. I cautiously walked towards Izzy while she continued to stare at the ground. I lifted her chin with my finger and gazed into her eyes.

“Don’t you dare” Wolfie contested.

I closed my eyes and c****d my head so my lips could crash into hers Izzy, who at first seemed surprised, gradually put her arm around my neck. She deepened the kiss and pushed me on the bed. She softly undid a button on my shirt with her fingertips.

“Hugo, what the actual f**k” Wolfie yelled.

“Hey hey, the ceremony is just a few hours away. Let’s wait till then?” I asked, breaking contact.

“I can wait, can you?” She asked teasingly.

“I .. uhh can. Let’s just wait” I replied. She pulled away from me. A little disappointed.

“Okay then, I’ll . . see you at the altar?” Izzy smiled.

“See you at the altar” I smiled back. As I looked around the room one last time, I realized I was truly on my own. Maybe I assumed the lights would flicker or spontaneously break. But I suppose I had been living in my own little world. At last, reality began to sink in.

I was no longer in captivity, so why did I yearn to be rescued?

While the rest of the pack assisted in the preparations, the fort was getting ready for the mating ceremony. Since I didn’t want to leave the room and face the music, I observed everything through the window. I paced the room as the time neared.

I answered the door after hearing a knock. Mathilda giggled as she walked away after lending me a black suit. I cautiously took the outfit in my hands and stared at it. Has my life been now set in stone? Has the ink dried entirely or was there enough time to rewrite it?

“You’re not seriously going through with this, are you?” Wolfie asked.

“What is happening to me?” After throwing the suit on the bed, I began to hyperventilate.

“Yeah, what the f**k is happening to you, you kissed Izzy!” Wolfie wailed.

“I HAD to!” I justified myself.

“No, you didn’t. You absolutely didn’t have to” Wolfie replied.

“I thought . . .she’d show herself if I did something reckless. But I guess she truly isn’t around anymore. Why . .why did I have to meet her?” I hid my face in my palms as I sat next to the suit on the bed.

“Wait, hold on.. are you . . wait . . are you talking about our mate?” Wolfie enquired enthusiastically.

“We don’t have a mate, Wolfie. I feel guilty for revealing her location to the Shadow Pack. And we don’t have enough time before they barge in her mansion and hunt her down. It’ll be all my fault if something happens to her.” I whispered under my breath.

“Yeah so for the billionth time, let’s go to our mate” Wolfie reasoned.

“I can’t! I have a mating ceremony to attend in less than an hour” I reminded him.

“No you don’t, as your Wolfie, I mean . . ‘wolf’, I DO NOT consent” Wolfie growled.

“Yeah, Neither do. . I” The realization fully sunk in as the words escaped my lips so quickly. I didn’t want this ceremony to happen. Not even a bit, not even at all. I began to realize that I was still being forced to stay with the Shadow Pack. I doubt they would let me leave even if I wanted to. So which was the real prison? The mansion or the cabin?

I traversed the cabin drawers and ripped a page from an old notebook. Personally, I would have preferred to do this in person, but I was aware that I was running out of time.

Memories of the preceding two years came to mind as I scribbled on the note. I fell in love with someone who had absolutely no regards for my feelings. In my imagination, she represented the sun, whereas I saw myself as the dirt. Even in her brutally honest rejection, I realized she had always seen me as the dirt, worthless in comparison. I always thought she deserved better than me. But after all this time, I’ve come to accept that maybe I deserved better than her.

I felt as though a tremendous weight had been lifted off of my shoulders as I glanced at the note that I had placed on top of the suit.

Peeking through the windows, I catch a glimpse of three of the Shadow Pack’s wolves scurrying around with boxes. However, as soon as someone shouted “Perimeter check,” everyone dispersed to various parts of the jungle. I used this opportunity to leave the cabin covertly.

I approached the bush while walking extremely cautiously, beckoning Wolfie to take charge.

“Finally! Let’s go to our mate” Wolfie whispered in my head as I embrace my wolf form.

“We don’t have a mate” I reminded him. Ironically leaving the cabin, felt more liberating than escaping the mansion. However, I was wary of the fact that I had a finite amount of time to locate Alpha Talia and warn her before the Shadow Pack became aware of my absence and followed my scent.

“We won’t get one with that attitude” Wolfie replied, halting my thoughts.

Trying to track down her scent was difficult as it was so mild, but it was still embed into my soul. Wolfie has never run this fast before. As my claws clung to the woodland, the pine cones that littered the forest soared into the air. After darting through the woods in a flash, he pounced in the direction of the oak tree. He hesitated to continue and stopped at the isolated site. I urged him to move toward it despite the mystical essence that pervaded the area. He moved with such speed but was blocked by an invisible barrier, sending him tumbling to the ground. Wolfie whimpered from the brute force as he converted back and I moaned in agony on the ground.

The mansion was surrounded by some sort of imperceptible wall and I doubt any human much less a supernatural being could breach through it. Wiping off the blood that ran through my nose and ignoring the bruises on my skin, I became fully alert by the rustling of the bushes as someone emerged from it.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?!” Frieda shouted.

“Frieda . . listen you have to let me in. I have something to tell Alpha Talia. She’s in danger” I muttered as I made an effort to stand up. I began to question whether Frieda was an essential asset to Alpha Talia once seeing her unscathed after helping me in escaping the mansion.

“Let’s discuss this in a safer space” With one motion of her palm, we instantly teleported into the garden. Even at the mere sight of magic, I could never fully comprehend it.

“Now tell me why are you back?” Frieda folded her arms awaiting an explanation.

“Where.. where is she?” I tried to catch my breath as my eyes panned towards the mansion door, hoping to see her.

“She’s not here” Frieda replied.

“What?”

“She’s at the summit. She’ll be back any second now.” Frieda spoke.

“You don’t understand, there’s an army of . .” Frieda extended her hand to silence me as I started to speak.

“Hold that thought, there’s someone else here” Before I could react, she vanished from sight. I gripped my ribcage as I moaned in pain once more. Boy, that barrier is strongly built.

“Look who I found, lurking in the shadows” Frieda said with a smug grin as she appeared in front of me with someone else by her side. Her hands clasped at the nook of Izzy’s hair. I let out a gasp unable to comprehend what was happening around me. Seeing Izzy here, brought me anxiety that was engulfed in confusion.

“Let me go, you hag!” She hissed at Frieda. Frieda gave her a smirk before dropping her on the ground. I swiftly ran to Izzy and helped her up.

“Izzy what are u doing here?” I murmured.

“I .. read your note and I followed your scent when you ran out. I.. don’t understand where we are? What is this place?” She retorted while carefully observing her surroundings. I couldn’t help but look at Frieda, who shrugged her shoulders. Yes, this was on me. I shouldn’t have let Izzy come here. I should not have disclosed this location to the Shadow Pack. But how was I going to fix this without someone getting hurt?

“You need to go back.” I replied firmly whilst turning to Izzy.

“I’m not leaving here without you, Hugo. Now either you tell me why you’re here or I’ll howl so loud, my entire pack will arrive and make you tell me” Izzy shouted. Threats she made were insignificant in light of the retribution she would face when Alpha Talia shows up.

But before that could happen, I needed her to leave.

“You can howl all you want, but nothing will pass the cloak surrounding this place” Frieda stated. Frieda’s words set Izzy off.

“Hugo, what the f**k is going on!!” Izzy wailed shoving my shoulders. Between the ever growing pain in my ribcage and the bloodied nose, I succumbed to the ground in agony.

A loud roar echoed through the garden. Just then a beast with crimson eyes suddenly emerged from the bushes and lunges directly at Izzy, bringing everyone to a complete stop.