The Alpha's Mistress

60

Word Count: 1884

~Sienna

If I could sink between the cushions of this stiff couch, I would.

I'm not sure how Onyx is staying so composed right now, but I get the feeling it won't last long. If his patience was a piece of string, it would be pulled taut and so frayed, only a thread was keeping it together.

"My terms a perfectly reasonable," Alston says from the other side of the table, his copy of the agreement pressed beneath his palms.

Violent rage pulls at Onyx's handsome features. "Reasonable?"
 
"Have you lost your mind, Alston?" I ask, staring down at the agreement, hoping the words miraculously change before my eyes.

How could he ever think I would agree to carry his baby for him?

"It makes perfect sense. I need to know I have a claim to that land, that my bloodline does. It's the only way to keep my land safe. If you give birth to my child, I will have that," he determines, passing a look between Onyx and I.

I've noticed he's increased the number of guards in the room since yesterday. He wants to make it clear to Onyx that if he's attacked, he will be defended.

Bowing my head into my hands, I let out a deep breath. "No...this can't be happening."

"Or we marry, and Onyx loses his claim to you as his Luna forever." Alston leans back, a triumphant looks gracing his features.

A muscle in Onyx's jaw ticks. "I'm not letting you fuck her, the woman I love."

"It's just sex. It may only take a few times." His eyes soften as they meet mine. "I would make it good for you."

I can't seem to decide on whether I should focus on my repulsion or Onyx. I put my hand out, pinning him with a look as rage shifts in his eyes.

Any second now he's going to strike.

"Onyx, stay calm," I warn quietly before shifting my attention from him when I'm satisfied he isn't going to lash out. "Alston, you realise how insane this is."

"This is politics. Far more has been done for far less." He rubs the page of the agreement between his finger and thumb. "We both get what we want. Once you've had my child, we can negotiate peace between our packs, we all have a reasonable amount of control. The rest is history."

He says it like it's so easy, like there still isn't so much that I would need to give up — my own child being the principle issue.

"This isn't happening. I will not allow it," Onyx exclaims sternly, his voice giving no room for argument, although Alston clearly has no qualms pressing the matter.

"Then I marry her. You will retain an heir, you won't have to take another lover...your pack will be safe from certain demise, but you will lose your right to have her in your pack, to call upon her return at your will. You will be tied to when I can get her to this pack, get her away from Zion. It won't be often and it won't be easy."

Onyx and I exchange wary glances.

The problem is, Alston is making fair and reasonable arguments, were what has been put on the table not so life altering.

Sleeping with him, bearing his child and contributing to this fucked up situation is the last thing I want to do. The problem is, I'm scared he's right, and that we don't have another choice.

Onyx doesn't care about continuing his reign. He cares about having me, his mate with him in his own pack.

"If we marry now, I will be limited in seeing her regardless. At least until Zion is dead," Onyx brings up. "I could call upon the right to bring my wife back to my pack, but there is a chance Zion wages war against me and garners support by telling my enemies I stole his daughter from him. I'm willing to take that risk—"

"No, he's not. There will be no war," I cut in, staring him down.

I won't be the reason people die in a pointless war. They don't deserve to suffer because of a vendetta between two people, and I know Onyx shares the same view as me.

"Allow me my heir and I'll kill Zion myself," Alston promises.

His words cause the temperature of the room to plumet; even Onyx falls quiet. I scan Alston's face, looking for amusement, or perhaps a wariness that would suggest that he's saying anything to get us to agree. Strangely, I find a firm resolve, a determination that wasn't there yesterday.

"I need to think about this..." I dig my fingers into my hair, forcing air into my lungs.

"We must return today. Zion is expecting us," Alston states. "Either agree now, or we will have to reconvene in a month or so."

"A month?"

"I can't be away from Sienna that long," Onyx counters.

Alston rolls his eyes, the unseriousness I've always associated with him returning for the briefest moment.

"You can't possibly love her that much," he mutters.

I sigh through my nose. If we are going to make this work, then Alston needs to know the truth. He'll never understand why it's imperative Onyx and I see each other often if we don't fess up.

"He's my mate, Alston. If we are away for too long, we will get sick. I will weaken, I might die..." I admit cautiously, ignoring Onyx's burning stare into the side of my face.

"Mates? Are you fucking kidding me," he exasperates, throwing his hands up.

"If I weaken, Zion could have me easily killed," Onyx adds tentatively, seeming reluctant to bring that up, since he'll be wakened to everyone, including Alston.

"Well this complicates matters." Alston rubs his face. "Sienna will need her strength to carry my heir to full term."

Onyx shakes his head, remarkably restrained. Hopefully he is satisfied by his internal fantasies, because I'm sure he's imagining killing Alston in various brutal ways in his head right now.

"Want to rewrite the terms then?" He says after a few moments of silence.
 
"I can agree on once every two weeks. I'll make it work, but it will be for only a couple of hours. Enough to satisfy the bond," Alston mutters reluctantly.

Onyx pushes the agreement away from him. "I can't agree to this. I refuse make my mate a mere object to you. She does not exist just to carry either of our children for political advantage."

Alston turns his attention to me. There's something chilling about the way he appraises me.

"We all have to make sacrifices," he murmurs.

"Don't forget that Alston is doing this for our benefit. He doesn't need to make this agreement," I say to Onyx, offering a weak smile. As disturbing as this is, it's easy to forget that Alston is only doing this to be kind.

Everyone in this room knows how easy it would be to marry me and force me to carry his heir.

"We will take the month. Ensure you can give us a night together in thirty days, and we will have made up my mind," Onyx says finally, reaching over to take my hand. "Sienna...I'll see you in two weeks and we can discuss which option we want to take, if any."

I nod numbly. The thought of being away from him for another two weeks hurts so bad my stomach feels as though it's turning in on itself. But doing it this way is far better than losing Onyx completely.

He's here, fighting for me...I can't let it be for nothing.

"What about Zion's plan to have Alston and I married?" I bring up.

"Put it off, do something," Onyx instructs, the early morning light from the window dousing his skin with warmth. "Get sick, or pretend to need to negotiate. Make it a month."

"I can do that," Alston relents. "It is time to go, Sienna."

Every muscle aches, protests as I force myself to stand. We wander out into the foyer, all the emotion I've been fighting off catching up with me.

At least I had last night with my mate. At least there has been these few fleeting moments.

We turn to each other, so many unspent emotion passing over Onyx's face as he looks over me. His grip on my hands tightens before he pulls me in close.

"I love you Onyx. I hate being apart from you." I wrap my arms around him, unable to feel close enough to him.

"We will be together soon, I promise. I won't stop until this has all be resolved." He nuzzles into my neck, pressing a kiss to my skin. "I love you."

"Yeah, yeah, alright. Come on Sienna," Alston tugs at my arm as I pull away from Onyx.

I don't take my eyes from him, my throat burning, eyes clouding with tears as he walks away. The moment he's out of my sight, I bow my head, a sob forcing itself from my throat.

"Hey," Alston murmurs softly. "You don't need to cry."

"He's my mate, Alston." I swipe at the tears streaming down my cheeks, but they are quickly replaced by fresh ones.

This situation is hopeless. I'm back living with a man who abused me and my mother for the better part of our lives, I may either have to marry a man I don't know or carry his child.

And to make matters worse, the man I've wanted my entire adult life and can finally have has been taken from me.

"My parents are mates. They hate each other," Alston admits with a shrug. "Just because the universe has deemed you compatible, doesn't mean you can make it work."
 
"I don't hate Onyx," I snap, scowling at him. "He was my friend before my lover."

Alston only sighs. "Lucky you."

"Why are you so bitter? You didn't have to say goodbye to someone you love." I wrap my arms around myself, wishing they were replaced by Onyx's instead.

"Mmm."

"I'm sorry." I rub my fingers against my temples. "Thank you for doing this. Thank you for making an agreement instead of being evil. Most people would in your position."

His gentle blue eyes soften. "I don't want to be cruel."

I believe him. He could be, and he's not. Most Alpha's in his position would, lured into darkness by the promise of power. Alston has so much on the line too, and yet he's still choosing to be fair.

"Will you really kill Zion?" I ask him tentatively.

He takes a moment to respond before he nods slowly.

"I would, Sienna," he promises. "I will."

I smile, wiping the last tear from under my eye. "I believe you."

💗••💗

Thank you to everyone who has subscribed to this story over on Inkitt! Over there, you can read 15 chapters ahead!

If you would like to read more of The Alpha's Mistress, you can read over 10 chapters ahead on Radish!

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thank you for reading (:

I would love if you could check out my new story A GOD AMONGST WOLVES out now on Wattpad!

~Midika 💜🐼