The Alpha's Mistress

82

Word Count: 1966

~Onyx

Sienna sits before me, stricken.

I've taken her back upstairs to our room, wanting to avoid drawing the attention of intoxicated wedding guests. Now, she is sitting on the bed in front of me, drawing in deep breaths as she attempts to avoid falling into a total panic.

"It's not possible, Sienna." I shake my head, unable to fathom how any of this could be possible. "He can't have killed her."

Christian will do anything to get a rise out of my mate. This has to be another trick....

I watched Sienna's mother fall sick right before my eyes. It was gradual and painful to witness. Although it could have been poison, I refuse to believe someone could do that without any of us knowing.

"He might as well have said it right to my face." She wraps her around herself, squeezing her eyes shut.

"She was sick...sick for a while," I murmur. "Sure, the death itself was sudden, but for weeks before she was ailing."

Her lower lip trembles, her dark eyes having spilt enough tears earlier that they are almost completely dry now. She has gone from grieving to determined to have this make sense in her mind.

"He must have been poisoning her with something," she insists, choking on the words.

"I mean, that's possible, but why wait until now to bring everything together?" I question. "I get the feeling that he is trying to disarm you, to make you panic."

There is too much about Christian's past that my own recognisance hasn't been able to reconcile. He could have been anywhere...he could have been working under my room under a different name, and during the chaos of Sienna's mothers sickness, none of us noticed him.
 
"I don't know, but he's planning something big. I can feel it." She shudders at the thought, her gaze lifting to my face, searching for answers I'm not sure I have.

I told like that Christian is a wild card. I don't like that I can't anticipate his next move.

"I'm going to protect you, okay," I vow, rubbing her arm tenderly. "Then we kill him."

"If he truly killed my mother...I don't think I can handle the thought." She grimaces, sucking in a shaky breath as I pull her against me.

She is still in her wedding dress, the fabric soft and silken against me as I hold her. After everything she has been through, I desperately wanted to give her a day of peace, and her brother has come in and stolen it from her.

"He's looking to unnerve you. I'm sure he wasn't responsible for her death," I murmur into her hair, which smells like sea salt and perfume.

Despite my assurances, a claw of doubt hooks into my skin. I may not be entirely certain, but I can't let my mate spiral into a pool of endless possibilities.

I'll get the truth out of him soon. I know I will.

"If he's willing to murder innocent girls to send a message, then what would stop him from killing my mother?" She questions as she pulls away, swiping a tear from her cheek with the back of her hand.

"That was years ago, and he would have been a lot younger."

"Not so young that he couldn't poison her." She buries her face in her hands. "He's pure evil, Onyx. He's just like my father."

I can't bear to think about Zion right now. Not when I can't tell if Christian is working with him or not. This could all be a part of a larger plan, and that is what terrifies me the most.

I need to be able to protect Sienna. She is my priority.

"The only person who knows whether he is lying or not is him," I remind her tentatively.

Her cheeks are flushed as she looks back up at me. "It just hurts so much to think she could have been taken from me too soon, before nature intended it."

"I know." I brush her hair from her face, being gentle with the stray pieces that cling to her tear soaked cheeks. "I'm so sorry, Sienna. You don't deserve this, especially not today."

"No, this day has been perfect up until now. Nothing can take from the fact that you and I are married." She tries to muster a smile, but it quickly collapses. "Even if this news devastates me."

I look beyond the balcony doors, listening to the sound of music from the beach below.

"Let us return tomorrow and visit your mother's grave. You haven't done since you've been gone," I prompt.

Sienna always returns from visiting her mother with a burden lifted from her shoulders. It will be hard for her to reconcile her possible early death, but once she sees her gravestone and speaks her feelings into the wind, I know she will feel a bit better.

And in the meantime, I can hunt for a way to rid Christian from this earth without putting Sienna or Alex at risk.

She smiles again, and this time it remains for more than a few beats. "I like that idea. Thank you."

"Also, I'm going to have Alex sent away for a bit," I say decidedly. "It will be sudden and overnight, but I need to put distance between her and Christian."

"Where could she possibly go that's safe?"

"I have a place in mind," I muse. "It will be best you don't know about it, in case something happens."

I'm going to have Alex sent to the same sleepy cottage I found Sienna in when she ran away. It took some investigating to track down the first time, is distant enough that Christian won't have any reason to suspect she is there, and is so remote he will never have the resources to follow her.

"Good idea." She breathes in deeply, and when she exhales, her shoulders relax a touch. "Shall we enjoy this last night together."

I draw her close to me again, engulfing her in a tight embrace. "I say we draw a bath, relax together, and share our favourite memories of your mothers. It's been a while since we've done that."

She sighs contently against my chest. "That sounds perfect."

***

~Sienna

The day is cool and blustery. I miss the warmth of our holiday home already.

Onyx and I walk hand and hand down the winding river. It's a familiar walk. Our footprints over the years have worn a path into the grass.

My mother's grave is perched toward the bottom of the hill, but up from the river. It's an isolated spot, but it is where she would take us for picnic right after we escaped from Zion.

"Tread carefully, there's been rain," Onyx murmurs, keeping a tight grip on my hand as he leads me up the hill and to where the intricately crafted headstone stands proudly.

"I love this spot so much," I breathe, looking out at the churning river. It's fat from the rain, the water licking up the hill.

"I'll let you have some time with her." Onyx sets the flowers down, resting them against the headstone. "Lunch will be waiting for you when you're back."

I smile warmly at him. "Thank you, Onyx. I love you."

"I love you too." He kisses my cheek, giving my arm a squeeze before he departs.

For a while, I watch him go before I lay down my usual blanket, and take my usual spot facing the headstone. My mother's name is engraved beautifully, my heart clenching at the sight.

"Well, as you can see there is much to go over," I breathe, shaking my head hopelessly.

Of course, there is no response. I'm not even sure I believe in any kind of afterlife, much less the ability for my mother to be here in spirit. Still, I've always spoken to her like she is here, choosing to believe she listens to every word.

"So, I'm married." I laugh a little, twisting the ring on my finger. "You probably already know that. Alex told me Onyx came down here while I was away to ask for your permission. Not that you can give it back...but I like that he thought about it. You still mean so much to him."

I swallow past the lump in my throat, trying to reign back a spill of emotions.

"You were right, about him. Even when you were sick you maintained he was special, and I should have listened." I smile wistfully. "You would have loved watching us fall in love."

She would have told us to get out of our own heads and realise we loved each other long before we figured it out for ourselves.

"I'm so happy to married to him, and he's my mate, if you can believe it."

I'm sure she would have nodded and told me, "I knew it all along.'

"My life would be perfect, if you were here and Zion was gone." I pull my knees up to my chest, hugging my legs. "You should have been at the wedding. You used to tell me stories of warm climates and lush beaches. I married the love of my life on one, and nothing could have made me happier other than you being there to see it."

I wipe a stray tear that falls, clearing my throat.

"I'm sure you did though. I have faith you saw it all, and that you're sitting here with me now."

A gust of wind pulls my hair back over my shoulders. I look up at the darkened clouds, noting a single ray of sunlight forcing its way through.

"Anyway, I've been away, as I'm sure you've noticed." I frown. "Zion...it's bad. I have a half-brother, which I'm sure you knew nothing about, and there's a chance..."

I break off, not wanting to think about how Christian could have killed my mother.

If there is a chance there is an afterlife, and she is listening, I don't want her to know she could have been poisoned, if it's possible. Even now, I want to protect her from the evil still occurring in the world she left behind.

"What I mean to say, is that I'm in danger. Christian is a threat to everyone I love, and I'm waiting hopelessly for him to make the first move. That terrifies me." I shiver.

"But I'm less scared of Zion than I was. He's dying, I'm certain of it." He was so wary when I saw him, so desperate for an heir. "I hope you don't see him wherever you are. I hope he is sent somewhere dark and soulless like he is. I hope he is tormented for what he did to us, what he did you and Onyx's dad."

The wind curls in around me, chilling my skin.

It's going to rain again soon, and in case there is a storm, I don't want to be out here for long. But I can't bear to part from her. Not yet.

"I miss you, anyway. A lot," I breathe.

Laying down on the blanket, I look up toward the sky, just as rain starts to dot my skin.

I'm going to kill Christian. And once he's dead, my father is going with him.

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