A bite from an Alpha King

Chapter 7: Chains

-Octavia-

I struggled as hard as I could to break free from his grip as we moved through the castle, but nothing I did loosened his hold. When we reached two large doors, he flung them open forcefully, the loud bang echoing through the long hallways lined with a red carpet. I punched his back in desperation, but it was futile.

“Let me go!” I shouted, and to my surprise, he did.

He practically threw me onto the floor, and as I scrambled to get up, his glowing yellow eyes bore into me, sending a chill down my spine. I glanced around the room, searching for an escape.

It was large, with a king-sized bed on one side and a fireplace on the other. Leather sofas and chairs sat at the far end, near a collection of liquor bottles, and a balcony overlooked a dark blue sky. We had to be high up—too high for any escape that way.

I was trapped. My only option was to face the king, and I knew I stood no chance against him, especially in my exhausted state.

“What are you going to do to me?” I asked, staring up into his yellow eyes, refusing to submit.

He squatted down in front of me, and as I tried to pull my legs close, he grabbed my left leg and yanked me towards him in one swift motion. A small gasp escaped my lips as I found myself face to face with him. His strong hand gripped my chin, holding part of my jaw, making sure I couldn’t turn away.

“I will make you submit, Octavia. One way or another, you will bow to me and swear your loyalty,” he whispered.

I smiled, defiant. “Good luck,” I replied coldly, before spitting in his face.

His expression twisted with disgust as my saliva slid down his cheek, and I couldn’t help but let out a small laugh. For a fleeting moment, I felt a spark of power over him. But it vanished as quickly as it came. He wiped his face with his free hand, his eyes now burning with a deadly glare.

He released my chin and grabbed me by the neck, dragging me across the room. I was hunched over, gasping for breath as his grip tightened around my throat. My face contorted in pain, and I tried to fight back, but I was no match for his strength. Before I could process what was happening, he swung me around, slamming my back against a hard wall. The clanging sound of chains echoed in the room.

I felt cold iron snap around my wrist. I tried to react, but he was faster, locking my other wrist in place before I could stop him. Then he moved to my ankles, chaining them too. A low growl rumbled from my chest as he stood over me, towering like a predator.

Once again, I was bound like a wild animal, incapable of walking freely. I yanked at the chains, but they were specially made to hold werewolves. I had no chance of breaking them.

I shot him a deadly glare, but he only smiled confidently. Then he leaned closer, and instinctively, I backed away, turning my head to the side, bracing myself for whatever came next.

I heard the click of another lock. When I opened my eyes, the king stood a few steps away, looking satisfied with his work.

I glanced down at myself and, at first, saw nothing out of the ordinary. But as I leaned forward slightly, I felt cold metal press against my throat. He had put a collar on me! My blood boiled with rage. He was treating me like a dog. A fierce growl erupted from my chest, but the king’s smug smile didn’t waver.

Serves you right, my wolf’s voice echoed in my head. I closed my eyes, trying to block her out, but the words rang inside me, cutting deep. Even she thought I deserved this treatment. I shook my head, refusing to let it break me, though I could feel myself nearing my limit.

“What now?” I whispered, raising my head and looking at him, trying to maintain a façade of toughness.

He shrugged and stepped back until he reached the bed against the far wall. He sat down, his eyes still locked on me with that same satisfied expression as I stood chained by the fireplace. His gaze travelled slowly from my head to my toes, so intense it made me feel exposed.

I instinctively looked down at myself, checking to make sure I was still clothed. I was, though barely—my top clung tightly to my chest, with nothing underneath, and my shorts left little to the imagination. It wasn’t much, but wearing less made it easier to fight. He could tear it all off if he wanted to, but I tried to convince myself that he wasn’t interested in me in that way.

Yet the way he looked at me told a different story. There was hunger in his eyes, the kind that made my skin tingle. We were mates, and I knew the attraction was natural.

“What?” I growled, desperate to break his stare.

He just smiled, then stood up. “I’ve got work to do now,” he said casually, moving towards the door. Just as he reached the threshold, he turned back, raised a hand, and smirked. “You. Stay.” His words hung in the air as he left the room, the doors closing behind him.

I knew the shock on my face was probably priceless to him. My mouth hung open, and my eyes were wide with disbelief. I couldn’t believe what he had just said—he had ordered me like I was his dog, giving a direct command to stay in place.

Anger boiled inside me as the degrading feeling washed over me. I swore to myself that once I got out of these chains, I would make him pay for treating me like his pet.

Or maybe if you behaved, he wouldn’t have to treat you like his little dog.

“Urgh, why don’t you just shut up?” I growled into the empty room.

And she did. But the moment the silence hit, I regretted it. The quiet was oppressive, unlike anything I was used to. It felt like the calm before the storm. I looked around, unsettled by the stillness.

I had always slept in the forest, where there was always some sound—the wind, the rustling of leaves. This silence was overwhelming, almost eerie. My breathing grew heavier, and my heart pounded in my chest. What is happening to me?

I closed my eyes, leaning my head against the wall. I was too exhausted to try to make sense of this creeping fear. Was I becoming paranoid like my father? I had always thought he was brilliant, but it was no secret he had his moments of madness. He slept with a knife in his hand—if he ever slept, that is—and when he tried to relax, there was always a drink in his hand.

He would sometimes ramble to himself, speaking of people coming for him. I knew the pack had always been uneasy around him, but I had never been afraid.

I shook my head, sliding down the wall. The chains barely allowed me to sit, and the collar tugged tight around my neck, almost choking me. But I was too tired to stand. I closed my eyes, and soon, darkness enveloped me.

-Valerio-

My fingers tapped on the desk as I thought of Octavia chained in my room. I enjoyed seeing her that way—completely at my mercy, and we both knew it. The feeling of power overtook me, and I couldn’t help but savor it.

It was humiliating for her, and when I gave her that command like she was a dog, the shock on her face was priceless. A smile tugged at my lips at the memory. I knew it wouldn’t take long to break her now.

It was a serious blow to her ego—being treated like an animal would make anyone desperate to make it stop. However, I didn’t fully understand why the thought of her submitting felt so satisfying, but I couldn’t stop imagining it.

I licked my lower lip as I pictured her chained before me. It was the first time I’d actually taken the time to really look at her. When she was restrained, unable to escape, I could fully take in her figure. She was impressively built, especially considering she likely hadn’t been well-fed for a while.

Her body was all muscle, but not to the point of looking like a bodybuilder—just lean, strong, and powerful. Her long black raven hair, done up in a braid, was a bit messy, with strands coming loose. The short black shorts she wore fit perfectly, barely covering her round ass.

Her top, which was stretched too tight over her chest, strained to cover her large breasts, and her n*****s were visible through the thin fabric.

I had to admit—she was incredibly sexy. My wolf craved her, but she was like a rose: beautiful to admire, but full of thorns.

“Too bad,” I mumbled to myself.

But even if she hadn’t been my enemy, it would still only be a fantasy. I had a promise to fulfill, and tomorrow, Selene and her father were coming to my castle to discuss our mating ceremony.

I sighed at the thought of tomorrow’s dinner. I still had to explain Octavia’s presence and assure them she wouldn’t be a problem. It wasn’t going to be easy. A true bond was hard to deny, and I knew Alpha Michael would be aware of this. Still, I knew Michael wanted her to be my queen. The only good thing about this, though, was that Selene would be easy to control, and there was nothing wrong with having such a beautiful queen. Many males would be envious of me once she was officially mine.

Yet my mind was playing tricks on me. It wasn’t Selene with her golden hair and blue eyes that I saw—it was a female with strong raven-black hair and piercing silver eyes. I shook my head, trying to banish the image. Octavia was not going to control my thoughts. I had to ensure our bond didn’t lead to my downfall.

Perhaps the training I was about to put Octavia through was meant for both of us. I needed to learn to control the bond and resist the urge to mark her, while she needed to learn respect and let go of her absurd plan to kill me.

I knew it was best not to dwell on my thoughts any longer, so I turned my attention to the paperwork piled on my desk. I sighed, trying to summon the strength to tackle it, but my eyes landed on one of the dark brown journals with the name Xavier written on it.

I still had much to sift through, as the man had documented every important moment of his adult life. It was fascinating to delve into his mind. Xavier had lived an eventful life and had been incredibly intelligent, as I’d gathered from the journals I’d already read. He had played a key role in building the council and leading the rebellion against the royal family. But those weren’t the only notable events in his life.

He also wrote about his early years:

The ground is cold, hard, and unforgiving, just like these woods, but I won’t let it break me. My uncle might have exiled me after my father lost his title of alpha to him, but I’m not going to give up. I won’t let the rogues break me. I won’t let this no-man’s land destroy me. If I have to keep running, so be it. It won’t stop me.

Even from a young age, Xavier had been clever:

I was on the run from rogues today, yet again, but they have nothing but dirt in their brains. It was easy to lead them into a trap, like a rabbit, catching their ankles and making them my prey instead of the other way around.

He often wrote about how he kept himself busy to avoid losing his mind to loneliness:

The worst part is the loneliness, but I have gotten this far, and I won’t let it stop me. I make sure to stay busy, not just moving from place to place, but having something to build, traps to check, areas to scout. I won’t let this be what destroys me. I will avenge my father. His death will not go unpunished, and once I get back the title of alpha, nothing will ever take it away from me. My uncle will suffer… suffer!

I hadn’t yet reached the part of his story where he killed his uncle, but that only fueled my desire to continue reading. I wanted to understand him better—to know how he accomplished everything, and how he met Zane’s mother, who was rarely mentioned by anyone.

It was as if she had been insignificant. I was sure she was in the journals somewhere, but finding her account was difficult. Xavier hadn’t numbered the journals, so I found myself jumping back and forth between entries, piecing things together.

But as I already knew, the more recent journals were unreadable, filled with repeated words and meaningless scribbles. They revealed just how far he had fallen into madness. I couldn’t pinpoint exactly what had driven him to that state, though his paranoia was clearly a major factor—and ultimately, his downfall. There was still one person loyal to him in this world.

“Octavia,” I murmured.

She had been more loyal to him than his own blood, and even after his death, she remained his devoted daughter. I wondered how long that loyalty would last. I might be able to make her bow to me, but breaking her undying loyalty to the only father she had ever known could be harder than I anticipated.

The Silver Howlers weren’t around anymore either, so I couldn’t even offer her the chance to meet her real father, even if I somehow found him.

I rubbed my chin, contemplating this. Or maybe there were still some Silver Howlers out there. I mind-linked Evan. If anyone could uncover a clue about them, it was him.

It didn’t take long before he knocked on my office door, and I told him to enter. He stepped into the center of the room, a few paces from my desk, his hands clasped behind his back, bowing his head slightly. He always did this when it was just the two of us—a sign of true loyalty.

“Alpha,” he said respectfully.

Only those closest to me were allowed to call me “alpha” when we were alone. It suited me fine. No need for excessive formalities in private, and it reminded me that I wasn’t just a king, but also the alpha of a pack.

“I need you to locate something for me,” I said.

Evan lifted his eyes to meet mine and nodded.

“Find anything you can on the Silver Howlers. Their family tree, the last time they were seen alive, every alpha and luna ever mentioned, every battle they’ve won—everything!” I instructed.

Evan’s expression briefly showed confusion, as if he thought I was playing some sort of prank. But I was dead serious.

“Alpha, they’re all dead,” he said, as if that alone should explain why my request seemed strange.

“I’m aware,” I replied, not wanting to explain further. “Will that be a problem?” I asked, folding my hands in front of me.

Evan quickly shook his head, clearly not wanting to disrespect me by questioning the task any further.

“Good. Then you’d better get to work,” I said, dismissing him with a wave.

He nodded, turned, and left the office. I leaned back in my chair, wondering what Evan might uncover. What if he really found something? Would that mean a new threat? Could the Silver Howlers be rebuilding themselves somehow? The thought made me uneasy. If they were trying to regain power, how many of them were out there? And if they found out about Octavia, would they come for her?

A low growl escaped me at the idea of someone taking her away, but I quickly forced it down. Feeling possessive over her was a clear sign of the mate bond taking hold.

“I can’t let this happen,” I whispered.