The Alpha's Mistress

56

Word Count: 2141

~Sienna

I am in utter disbelief.

Of all people to be standing in my childhood bedroom, Alston would never have been on my list at all let alone on the top of it.

I'm so stunned, I rub my eyes, sure I'm hallucinating. But there he is with fluffy brown hair, glittering blue eyes and a smirk that holds a myriad of dark and dangerous secrets.

"What are you doing here?" I hiss, stalking closer to him.

"Shh, keep it down would you." He looks over my shoulder, grimacing.  "We're not supposed to interact until tomorrow."

Tomorrow?

I blink, trying to make sense of his words, until what Zion said comes back to me —  tomorrow I'm to meet the man he intends for me to marry.

Taking a long step back, I press my hands to the side of my face. "Oh no...no, no...shit!"

"What?"

"You're him, aren't you? The one I'm supposed to marry." I shake my head in utter disbelief.

I can't be marrying Alston. I've only met him once at the Meeting of the Alpha's and he was nothing but insufferable. He pinned me against a wall, whispered in my ear about how badly he wanted me and paid the price of flirting with Onyx's mistress.

And yet, Onyx always told me Alston was allies with Zion...why wouldn't he be chosen to marry me?

It takes all my effort not to keel over. This feels like a cruel joke, one Alston is participating in just to take pleasure in my mortification.

He rubs the back of his neck. "So he told you already, huh?"

"You need to leave right now...seriously, go," I snap, gesturing frantically to the door. I'd grab for him and drag him out myself were he not absurdly tall, broad and holding back more strength than ten of me could muster.

He looks at me strangely. "Back to my room?"
 
"No idiot. Go home! I don't want to marry you," I exasperate, digging my fingertips into my skull.

This can't be happening.

Alston sighs, an uncharacteristically stoic look forming on his face. Since I've met him I've never been able to imagine him commanding a pack as an Alpha, but in this moment, I see it. I see the capability to wield power as efficiently as Onyx.

"Alright, calm down," he instructs gently. "Let me explain."

I fold my arms across my chest, pinning him with a look. "This better be the best explanation of your life."

"I understand this is shocking for you, but I'm not doing this maliciously," he insists earnestly. "Your father came to me only a few days ago and made me this offer."

Exhaling slowly, I resist the urge to collapse back onto the bed. The only thing keeping me standing is that I want to push off having to touch anything in this room.

"And you didn't think to warn me? To ask me what the fuck was going on?" I question wildly.

I don't expect Alston to have any allegiance toward me or Onyx. Him and Onyx have had strained relations due to Zion, and consequently, my mates desire to withhold trade from him.

And yet, he's standing before me with the urge to explain himself, to justify his actions...

I'm choosing to believe he will be capable of freeing me from this.

"I sent correspondence to Onyx's estate but I received nothing back." He rubs his jaw.

"Well shit, Alston...Onyx has been visiting Imogen. Of course hasn't gotten to his correspondence yet," I exclaim, neglecting to mention that he has also been hunting me down after I ran from him.

If only I had stayed put, waited for him instead of panicking...this could have all been avoided.

"I didn't know that, okay?" He sighs roughly. "Zion came to me and I didn't believe him at first. When he told me you were his daughter, I was doubtful, then I remembered the illustration I had seen of you when you were younger, and the resemblance was uncanny."

I wrap my arms around myself. "You shouldn't have even known I existed. You wouldn't have if you weren't in Zion's pocket."

He steps forward, a flash of anger streaking through those perfectly blue eyes, startling me for a moment.

"My pack is tiny compared to Zion and Onyx's, alright? All I've ever done as Alpha is to protect what little I have." He rests his hand against his chest, where all his pride resides. "Onyx has never trusted me. He made it clear any political arrangement we ever had would always be strained and muddled with distrust. Zion was clear about our alliance."

"Zion is a monster!"

I realise quickly I'm yelling, and one of Zion's cronies will surely report this interaction to Zion if they overhear. I'm just so wound up with anger and confusion...

The toll of being away from Onyx is starting to catch up with me. It's been days since I saw him, since he got on one knee and promised his life to me.

And now I'm standing in my childhood room, facing down another Alpha entirely who Zion is going to force me to marry.

"We're all monsters, okay? Even your precious Alpha," he snaps distastefully.

"Why are you here then? Why am I marrying you?" I look over him, narrowing my eyes.

"Zion came to me and made me the offer," he says slowly. "I produce an heir with his bloodline in exchange for merging our pack's together. When he passes, I'll have control."

My eyes widen. They are going to be merging packs? Fuck...this is worse than I thought.

I twist around, starting to pace. "You've got to be fucking kidding me."

Alston's pack is small, but combined with Zion's would make it the largest in the land. Onyx would be ousted from such an honour, and would be at dire risk of facing a losing war. Zion would have stronger allies, armies and resource allocation.

"This offer can't be passed up." Alston watches me pace incessantly back and forth warily. "Food insecurity is a serious problem in my pack, as well as access to fresh water. We may have valuable minerals we mine and export, but all it takes is Zion cutting us off from his grain to kill my entire pack!"

"Well— "

"Merging packs would make us the largest. Everyone would fear us, but most importantly, it would save my people," he insists desperately.

I pause, eyeing him carefully.

It's all a mask, I realise. That arrogant smirk, flirtatious way about him...it's hiding a deep insecurity. That desperation etched into his features is painfully real, his burden becoming apparent.

Alston is in more danger than I realise. He doesn't side with Zion because he wishes to spite Onyx, or because he's inherently evil like my father — he sides with him because he has no other choice.

Regardless, I cannot sit idly by while he makes a decision that takes everything from me.

"Am I supposed to believe this is purely altruistic? That this isn't just about power and control?" I challenge.

He bows his head back, the light tracing the sharp line of his jaw. His eyes flutter shut and I see the extent of the dark stains under his eyes.

"It's part of it. Everything in politics is a mind game, it's about who can maintain the upper hand," he admits. "Onyx wouldn't be a threat to me anymore. I like the idea."

"You expect me to rule this pack in conflict with Onyx's?"

"I'm hoping by having you as my wife, Onyx will politically submit to me," he states carefully, taking a step back from me as if he expect physical retaliation.

I stiffen. "Is that a threat?"

By taking me as his wife, Onyx won't be the only one forced to submit. I'll live my life in service to a man I hardly know, who isn't my mate and isn't the one I love.

And Onyx...he'll do anything to keep me safe, even if that means bending to Alston's desires. And unfortunately, Alston knows that.
 
"No...no. Forcing you isn't ideal, but I'm hoping you see how perfect this arrangement is for the both of us." His face brightens.

My brow crinkles. "I'm missing how I benefit?"
 
"You'll be the Luna of a much larger pack eventually. Zion will restrain our power until he is dead, but eventually we will have more land then we know what to do with." A smile curves at his lips. "Then, our union can inspire peace between our pack and Onyx's."

"What makes you think this betrayal won't just enrage Onyx more?" I question, drawing in a shallow breath.

I can't even imagine what Onyx is going through right now. He'll be torturing himself, considering war and many other horrible options that I can only pray he holds off on.

What is important is that no one knows him and I are mates. If they did, they would use me against him in cruel and violent ways.
 
"I'm not a fool. He's deeply in love with you, Sienna," Alston murmurs.

I sigh, finally shifting to sit on the bed. I give Alston a hard look, warning him against joining me. I clutch the soft plushness of the duvet and attempt to ground myself.

There has to be a way out of this.

"There's a massive flaw in your plan," I start, gazing up at him.

"What's that?"

"I want to rule beside Onyx. I want to be the Luna of his pack, not this one. I love him," I say coldly, levelling a look.

Alston swallows thickly, and I swear a douse of hurt or something similar flickers across his face. It's gone in an instance, but it leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.

He can't possibly like me in any capacity. He hardly knows me.

"That's fine," he grinds out. "You two can continue to love each other. You can spend time between here and his pack."

I snort. "Zion won't allow that."

He'd much rather carve a hole in my heart and make Onyx watch then let me into his arms again. If I weren't worth something to him, I'd be a pawn in a very demented game.

"Why don't we discuss this with Onyx. I'll make an excuse for needing to return home, and I'll have you accompany me," he offers. "Onyx may join and we can all discuss this."

I scratch under my ear. "I don't know..."

Alston is risking a lot by offering this. If Zion found out the deal would be over and by offering Onyx a visit to his pack, he's risking getting his neck snapped.

"What's your other option? I pull out of this arrangement and you fall into cruel hands? Or we forget this agreement and we are forced to marry anyway. Then, it's either hope you fall in love with me, or live your life alone."

His reminder is cold but it's realistic. He's right. He doesn't have to be gracious in offering me benefits from this agreement, but for some unspoken reason, he is.

"Fine. We go with your plan. For now," I breathe out.

His face softens with relief. It's strange seeing him step beyond the role of the seductive Alpha. Whoever this man is standing before me is a complete stranger, and one I much prefer to the alternative.

"I like you, Sienna. There's something about you that...I don't know, I like." He appraises me thoroughly, his gaze making my skin prickle with unease. "I want this arrangement to work for the both of us, okay?"

I look down at my hands on my lap. "Yeah okay..."

"Act surprised tomorrow when I request for you to return home with me for a few days before the wedding? I'll try have to ceremony drawn back until we can figure something out with Onyx." He slides his hands into his pockets.

"Alright," I mumble.

He gives me a long look, seeming to want to say more. Maybe he seems how dejected I am, how broken, because he withholds his words.

"Goodnight, Sienna."

"Night."

I watch him slip from my room, the door closing firmly behind him. Curling into the soft embrace of the bed, I give in to the shiver in my jaw and cry.

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