Bound To The Billionaire Alpha

#4 - Lost One More Time

"Why must we watch over a stupid human?"

That annoying voice! The dream I'd finally escaped to was interrupted by someone whining in the distance, about me... again, plunging me right back into the bedroom and hybrid's world I was determined not to let hold me.

Whoever it was, I wanted nothing more than to slap their mouth shut, but that required strength in my limbs that I did not have and actually opening my eyes which felt like they were covered by something weighing tons. So I swallowed my frustration and waited. It was all I could do anyway. All I had done since Octavius' bite. Wait for an opportunity to escape Mystic Manor. My captor had made it plain impossible when he assigned a ridiculous number of guards to watch over his bedroom and maids to watch me and ensure I fed before his essence melted my pathetic human body into darkness. Faking unconsciousness had been my go to skill, to keep those maids from shoving food down my throat and making my body strong enough to bind with Octavius' essence.

"Oh shush, Vivianne! Do you want us to get scolded or worse, kicked out of the clan?" Someone whisper yelled, piquing my curiosity. Non-original clan members. I didn't expect that.

"Of course not, but just look at her, mother. She's so fragile and so... so very human. She's a waste of time. I wonder what Alpha Thornevale sees in her that he'd let her stay in this beautiful bed." Somewhere on my right, the bed dipped and I felt someone patting the space and inhaling shamelessly, but that was not what almost sent my eyes snapping open. Had Octavius been there? Sleeping next to me and for how long?

"Am I not more suited to be his queen? To spend my nights beside him? Fulfilling his every budding desire?"

Nights? How many nights had it been exactly? As far as I knew, it should have just been a few hours since I woke up in Octavius' bed and he'd bitten me, but judging by the bitter tone in the girl's voice, it sounded like she'd been forced to watch over me for way longer than that. Panic settled over me at the thought. If I'd been out for too long, my chances of escape would be practically zero because then Octavius would have had all the time in the world to prepare for every surprise. Damn it!

"Whom the alpha chooses to bring to his bed is none of our concern. Ours is to serve him because we owe our lives to his majesty and are forever in his debt."

"Oh, I can't wait for everything to change." The whining voice sneered. "One day everyone in this wretched clan will be kissing my feet once I'm queen. Her included." If I could roll my eyes at the girl's sneer, I would have. It seemed every pack had one of those, too many to count in the Nightshade Pack. The ones I had a long time ago decided were not worth my time.

This one too was not worth my time, I decided as I focused on the rest of my surroundings. Knowing that I may have been in and out of consciousness for longer than I thought, I needed a whole new strategy to make it out. If only I could get my head to work as usual.

My stomach growled, sounding my bodies need to eat, but I ignored it just as I had ignored every plea for me to eat. If Octavius thought I would live as his puppet, his to do what he wanted with me, he was gravely mistaken. He may have poisoned me with his essence, but there was no way I would bow to him.

I had stayed in the cold, surviving on nothing but warm memories of what I'd been able to protect, so this was nothing. I could do this, but even as I encouraged myself, I cursed at the mouth-watering aromas wafting up my nose. Someone was definitely playing dirty this time around.

"Wake up and eat, Natalia." My mother's gentle voice encouraged and I felt the last shreds of my will fading.

"Mother?" The weak raspy sound from my mouth was met with a gentle touch on my cheek, and I slowly opened my eyes to find her worried face hovering above mine. "How are you here?"

"She's waking mother!" Someone whispered excitedly. "The alpha will definitely elevate us for this!"

"Hush Vivianne!" My mother scolded before her smiling face settled back on me. "I need you to take this, okay? It will make you feel better." I wanted to protest, but it had been a long damned time since I'd been in my mother's arms. Anywhere that was not in my dreams, that is and I was hungry.

I opened my mouth and whatever she fed me exploded on my tongue and in every inch of my body, instantly energizing me. "What was that?"

"Your grandmother's favourite soup recipe, don't you remember?"

I froze as my brain finally came online. "You...we... never lived with grandmother." I pointed out and it was my mother's turn to freeze, or whoever I thought was my mother. "Who are you?" I scrambled out of the woman's arms and placed enough distance between us before shooting her a glare.

"You were wasting away, my lady, and I just wanted to help you." The woman retreated, almost as if she was afraid that her actions would land her in trouble. And not just with me. "I swear it was only to help you. Please don't tell Alpha Thornevale."

"Alpha Thornevale? He didn't ask you to do this?"

"Well, he did ask to watch over you and to feed you once you woke up, but that was all." She bit her lips nervously. Then what the hell had she done, if not just feeding me? That should have been my concern, but with all the strength now pulsating in my body, I knew that I'd lost one more time to Octavius. His damn essence was doing what it was meant to do and if I didn't leave now, there would be no way of escaping him when he was actually physically present.

"I won't tell if you won't." I shot up from the bed, ignoring the woman's surprised look as I went to peer through the windows. With how high I happened to find this bedroom to be, going through that way was definitely out of the question. "I heard someone here with you earlier, where are they?"

"It was my adopted daughter, Vivianne." The woman searched the room as if only realizing then that she was alone with me.

"She can't know." I demanded. God knew the wannabe queen would go blubbering about everything to Octavius the moment she knew of my plans.

"Know what exactly?"

"That you will help me get out of here in exchange for keeping my mouth shut." I wasn't one to blackmail anyone, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

"You want me to go against the alpha?" The woman's eyes went wide instantly, but only for a moment. "Why would you want to leave? A lot of people want Alpha Thornevale's protection, why wouldn't you?"

Her question stopped me in my tracks. I could admit that Thornevale's protection would be valuable, but that was not what he was offering me, was it? "I'm not everyone and last time I checked, a human among supernaturals wasn't safe either.

"You are safe. Around here or anywhere you choose to go." The woman assured.

"And you know this how?" I arched a brow at her.

She looked me over as an unwelcome feeling settled over me. "Alpha Thornevale's mark, it's all about you. Everyone will pick it and stay away." So he wasn't just binding me to him, but letting the whole world know about it too? How so very inconvenient for me!

"Or his enemies will gladly tear me apart when they find me. It certainly didn't stop you from doing God knows what spell on me."

"Well, there is that too." The woman flashed me an apologetic smile before gathering herself. She was leaving. I panicked at the prospect.

"But you will help me get out of here right? Right?"

"I'm sorry. Besides the fact that I believe you are safer here, I owe Octavius an awful lot to go against him."

"No, wait, damn it!" The door shut before I could even take more than two steps, leaving me all alone and...stuck. Damn that hybrid speed and her stupid loyalty!