A bite from an Alpha King

Chapter Nine

Octavia

Though I didn’t truly feel the cold in my cell, I knew it was there because my body was trembling. I laid curled up on the hard floor like a child, unmoving. I had stopped crying, though I couldn’t say when. Maybe it had been hours, or maybe only minutes. Time felt meaningless. My head felt light, but my heart weighed heavily in my chest. A whirlwind of thoughts raced through me, and my wolf’s voice was louder than ever before, making me break another promise to my father.

Do not let your instincts or your wolf control you, or it will lead to your doom.

But after the king bit me, it was as if she had broken free. And now she had so much to say.

You can’t kill him! Stop those thoughts now. He is our mate!

Her constant guilt-tripping was driving me insane. Eventually, I couldn’t take it anymore. I pressed my hands over my ears and screamed, trying to drown her out. But as the scream faded and my lungs emptied, her voice only grew stronger.

“Go away!” I snarled.

Inside, she merely rolled her eyes. You think you need no one in your life. You only listen to your father’s words, but he never loved you. He only taught you how to survive. How to do it without me. You need me. And you need our mate.

“SHUT UP!” I yelled, the sound echoing violently off the cold brick walls.

I hoped it would silence her, but before she could respond, the door to my cell swung open. The room filled with a strong musky scent mixed with the unmistakable smell of alcohol, bourbon, maybe. I shot to my feet so quickly that a wave of dizziness blurred my vision. For a moment, I thought I was imagining things. But as my sight cleared, there he stood, the king.

He looked tired. His short dark hair was slightly disheveled, and his black shirt was only half-buttoned, revealing the hard planes of his chest. He wore black pants, but despite his rumpled appearance, he radiated authority.

“What are you doing here?” I sneered, glaring at him.

“Am I not allowed to check on my mate?” he asked, his tone edged with sarcasm.

I crossed my arms and poured every ounce of hatred I could muster into my stare.

“We are not mates,” I growled. “We might as well reject each other now while we still can.”

His reaction was immediate. Rage flared in his eyes, and he strode toward me, catching me off guard. Instinctively, I stepped back, only for my retreat to be cut short by the cold stone wall behind me. Goosebumps rose along my arms. He leaned in, bracing one hand against the wall beside my head. His towering frame forced him to lower his head slightly to meet my eyes. His breath brushed hot against my skin.

“Don’t ever let me hear those words leave your lips again, my little mate,” he warned, his voice low and dangerous.

Valerio

I noticed something shift. The confidence in Octavia’s gaze had drained. She was different now. Even her eyes were slightly swollen, as if she had been crying. She didn’t strike me as someone who cried easily.

Had my mark truly affected her that deeply?

It had to have, I concluded.

But why? Was it her wolf? Perhaps that was how she had almost killed me. Maybe she has found a way to completely suppress her other half. Could that truly be done?

I hope you’re not thinking of doing that to me, my wolf growled.

Don’t worry. Your power is my power. Your soul, my soul.

And despite his questionable choice in a mate, I had no desire to lock him away. It would only weaken me.

But then how had she remained so strong?

I pushed the thought aside. There were more urgent matters. I couldn’t allow her to reject me, casting aside a gift from the Moon Goddess never went well. So I held her eyes, making it clear that if I ever heard her speak of rejection again, there would be consequences. A flicker of confusion crossed her expression.

“Why would we not reject each other? Wouldn’t that make this easier?”

“Why would I mark you only to reject you?” I challenged.

“Why would you mark me in the first place?”

“To live.”

She raised an eyebrow. “You need me to live?” Her confusion was clear.

“Clearly, you haven’t been taught what happens if you reject someone. Have you even been taught the words?”

Octavia glanced down, revealing the truth.

So that’s why she hasn’t used them against me.

“Perfect.”

She looked up, staring at me in shock. “Perfect?”

“Yes, perfect, because it gives me time to break you.”

I created some distance, while she crossed her arms defiantly and turned her head away with a huff.

“I will never submit,” she sneered. “You might have my wolf wrapped around your little finger, but I will never bow.”

“No?” I lured.

“No,” she hissed.

“Then you’ll never know the truth about yourself and your real family,” I replied, pulling one of the old brown journals from the back of my waistband.

Her eyes locked onto it instantly. Interest flared.

Good.

I had her attention.

“What is that?” she inquired, her voice tight.

“Oh, this?” I gestured lazily with the journal. “Just one of the many journals written by the man you considered your father.”

Her arms dropped. Her lips parted slightly as she stared at it as though it were oxygen.

“What do you mean, ‘considered’? My father is my family,” she snapped, attempting to regain composure. But the desperation in her gaze betrayed her.

“Come on, Octavia,” I said, noting how her eyes widened at the sound of her name. “You must have realized by now that the man you called ‘father’ was never truly your father.”

“He is my father!” she shouted, tears welling in her eyes. “And you took him from me when I was only thirteen!”

Pain rang clearly in her voice. I felt no guilt for killing him. But it unsettled me to know how long she had been alone. I had killed Xavier when I was nineteen, now I was twenty-five.

“You’re right. I killed him. And I took his crown,” I growled, watching her flinch. “But you forget it was mine first. He was never fit to be king. Even if he was a distant relative, he was insane.”

“Don’t you dare speak about my father that way!”

“But he wasn’t your father!” I snapped.

A tear slipped down her cheek. “He doesn’t need to share my blood to be family! He cared for me!”

I shook my head. Delusional.

“Cared?” I scoffed. “No. He needed you. He knew you carried power. You’re stronger than most. He used you to do his dirty work.”

“You’re lying!” she screamed. “Why would I be stronger than most?”

I lifted the journal. “The answers are in here,” I said. “But if you don’t believe me, I can give you a sample.”

She shook her head slowly, as if bracing herself.

I began to read, “Octavia is too kind. I see how deeply she feels for those around her. How she always tries to make everyone happy. She is only three. I cannot allow it to remain this way. She must be cold. Her emotions must be stripped away if she is to become a great leader. If she wishes to be my daughter, she must grow stronger or I will remove her without hesitation…”

Her tears fell freely now as I let the final words hang in the air like a suffocating weight. I had chosen one of the earliest entries… She collapsed to her knees, arms wrapping around herself as she trembled violently. It twisted something inside me to watch her unravel. But it was necessary.

“T-Tell me it’s a lie,” she sobbed, looking up at me with pleading eyes.

I said nothing. Instead, I dropped the journal to the floor.

“If you don’t believe me,” I said evenly, “read it yourself.”

She reached for it. Before her fingers could close around it, I pressed my boot down on the cover. Her eyes shot up to mine.

I crouched, gripping her chin firmly. “You will not read a single word until you submit to me now and forever,” I said, my voice low and unyielding.

Her eyes squeezed shut, more tears slipping free. But when she opened them again, the despair was gone. In its place: defiance. A wicked smirk curved her lips.

“Go f*ck yourself,” she whispered, shoving away from my hand.

She laughed softly. Anger surged through me. I snatched up the journal.

“Then I’ll have to get my hands dirty, little mate,” I said coldly. “Time to teach you where your loyalty should lie.”

I stepped toward her. She scrambled backward, but I grabbed her arm, hauled her up, and tossed her over my shoulder. Without hesitation, I carried her out of the cell.

“Let me go!”