The Alpha's Seeress

Chapter 19

Olivia Isla

"I told you, I went to find food. I... I'm hungry," I stammered, my excuse sounding weak even to my own ears. It was a terrible lie, but I couldn't think of anything better in the moment.

This was a disaster. It had been reckless to even attempt such a plan, and now Dion had caught me. My thoughts drifted back to the unconscious Marcella lying in my room. I was in deep trouble, and if Dion found out what I'd done, I would be as good as dead.

"There are servants meant for that. Why did you leave your room unattended? And what did you do to Marcella?" his voice was cold as he ran the edge of a blade across my neck.

I was tied up, my hands and feet bound, unable to move. All I could do was squirm helplessly, like a worm caught by its predator.

"Look... I just wanted to do it on my own," I blurted.

But who was I kidding? The lie was pathetic, and even I could feel how stupid it sounded. I was wearing Marcella’s clothes, after all, acting like one of the servants. Dion wasn’t stupid. He wasn’t going to fall for such a ridiculous excuse. His eyes narrowed as he pressed the blade a little harder against my throat.

"Do you take me for a fool, Olivia?" he growled.

I flinched, feeling the blade's sharp edge against my skin. He hadn’t cut me—yet—but the threat was there. He wasn’t messing around.

"You think I wouldn’t notice the little games you’ve been playing?" His eyes flashed with dangerous intent.

My heart pounded in my chest, while my mind raced as I tried to stay calm. I had to think of a way out of this, but I was running out of options. "I didn’t hurt Marcella," I lied. "She’s just... resting."

His smirk told me he wasn’t buying a word of it. "Resting? In your room? Wearing her clothes?" He leaned in closer, the blade sliding down from my neck to my collarbone. "You think you can talk your way out of this?"

I swallowed, as I tried to come up with an escape. But deep down, I knew there was no easy way out. Not when I was tied up and at his mercy.

"What were you planning?"

The last thing I'd do is admit I was sneaking around to do research. I wasn’t even sure if I could find the answers I needed in their library, but there was nowhere else to search. I knew there had to be something—an anecdote, a document, anything from the past that could help me piece this puzzle together.

"I'm not planning anything. If anyone’s scheming, it’s probably not me, but you," I said, trying to flip the situation with some reverse psychology. "It’s your family who’s after me, who needs me for the prophecy."

I could feel the words hanging awkwardly in the air, knowing they didn’t exactly fit the current conversation. It didn’t even make sense. But I was desperate to throw him off. If I could pull his focus away from what really mattered, maybe he’d forget why he had me tied up in the first place.

Dion’s expression hardened. "You think you can twist this around, Olivia?" he said. "My family has done nothing wrong. We haven’t harmed you or plotted against you. It’s your fate. You are the one meant to fulfill the prophecy, not us."

His words hit a nerve, mostly because he wasn’t wrong. Deep down, I knew this prophecy had always been hanging over me. But that didn’t mean I had to accept it, or that they had the right to push me into it. I had to keep pushing back, to make him doubt.

"Hypocrite! You’ve hurt me, you're using me," I retorted. "You and your family are manipulating the prophecy for your own gain, and you know it!"

For a moment, I saw something flicker in Dion’s eyes, a brief uncertainty. He seemed to hesitate, as though my words had struck a chord. I thought, for a second, that I had him. Maybe I could manipulate him, make him question his own motives.

But then his gaze sharpened, and I knew I’d miscalculated.

His lips curled into a cruel smile, the blade glinting in the dim light as he raised it once more. "You almost had me there, but I’m not that easy to fool."

Before I could react, he slashed the blade across my side. It wasn’t deep, but the pain hit instantly, sharp and burning. I gasped, my body jerking instinctively away from the blade.

"Consider that a warning," he sneered. "Don’t test me again. You’re not as clever as you think."

I was sent back to my room after Dion sliced me with his blade. He even had the audacity to ask an omega to tend to my wound, as if it wasn’t him who caused it in the first place. Worse, they posted a guard at my door now, meaning my movements would be even more restricted.

"Do you know Leonora?"

For almost an hour, I had been talking, trying to annoy the guard into answering me, hoping he’d slip up and give me something—anything. But he was as cold and silent as a statue, utterly unbothered by my persistent questioning. Not a flinch, not a word. He just stood there, rigid, frozen in place.

I was losing my mind. My room didn’t look like a prison, but it sure felt like one. Days were slipping by, and Monday was approaching faster than I’d like. The thought of going through what happened last Monday made my skin crawl. But how could I avoid it? I knew there was no escape.

Being a seer wasn't helping me at all. Sure, I could see glimpses of the future, but what use was it if I couldn't control or use it to defend myself? This so-called gift was useless, a burden more than a blessing. Nanna Sienna was wrong when she told me I was blessed. It felt like a curse, weighing me down rather than setting me free.

I paced the room. There was nothing to do but wait, and every second felt like it stretched into eternity. I needed a way out, a plan, anything to stop this nightmare from repeating itself. But how am I supposed to do that?

Days passed in a blur, and before I knew it, Monday had arrived—the day I feared most. Two men dressed in red cloaks entered my room without a word. They grabbed me like I was nothing more than a sack of rice.

"Where are you taking me?" I protested, squirming and trying to break free, but they were too strong. I had a pretty good idea where they were taking me, but I fought back anyway.

I kept struggling as they carried me down the hallway, my legs kicking and arms flailing. It didn’t matter how much I moved—they didn’t even seem to notice.

After what felt like forever, we entered a large hall. Without warning, they let go of me, and I fell face-first to the ground. My nose hit the floor so hard, I could feel the sting, followed by the warmth of blood trickling down. But I didn’t care. When I looked up, I realized where I was—right in the center again.

Witches surrounded me, just like before. The candles flickered, and the room felt colder. This time, I had no idea what they were planning, but I knew it wasn’t good.

They began to hold hands, forming a circle around me. Since I wasn’t chained this time, I quickly stood up and tried to push past them. Just as I was about to escape, the leader of the witches, with her piercing violet eyes, glared at me and began to chant.

"Velox sibilum, cordis nexum,

Corpora fixa in aeternum!"

Suddenly, it felt like invisible chains wrapped around me, freezing me in place. I couldn't move a muscle. My body refused to respond, no matter how much I tried.

"f**k you all!" I shouted in frustration.

At that moment, the door to our left creaked open. I turned my head as much as I could, and there they were—Dion and the King, watching.

The King’s cold gaze swept over me, then he spoke in a low, commanding voice. "This is not a game, Olivia. If you refuse to cooperate... your defiance will cost you dearly."

Dion, standing beside him, smirked. "We’ve been lenient so far, but that ends today. If you don’t follow the prophecy, we will kill Riley... and wipe Starfall from the realm. No trace of your pack will remain."

The King took one step closer. "Make your choice."