A bite from an Alpha King

Chapter 9: Dinner

-Valerio-

“Your mate?”

Alpha Michael’s voice boomed through the large dining hall, causing the chandeliers to rattle slightly. I sat at the head of the table, watching him stand abruptly and slam his hands down, shaking the dining table.

His daughters and beta flinched, lowering their gazes as his alpha tone filled the room. I remained seated, rubbing my chin thoughtfully, meeting his furious eyes. His reaction didn’t surprise me—it was exactly what I expected.

“She won’t be a problem,” I said, folding my hands in front of me.

“She’s your mate! And she wears your mark, not to mention she’s the daughter of a traitor!” he yelled.

“I’m aware of that,” I replied evenly, “but she’s lived as a rogue for most of her life. She’s wild and uncontrollable. Marking her was the only way to calm her, short of killing her.”

“Why didn’t you just kill her?”

I narrowed my eyes at him, and he shifted slightly, clearly feeling the weight of my power as king. “You know as well as I do that if I had killed her, I wouldn’t be the same person sitting in front of you now.”

Alpha Michael shook his head, clearly aware of the truth in my words, but overwhelmed by the situation. He sighed heavily and sat back down, rubbing his forehead in frustration.

“I will still honor the promise,” I said, making him look up at me.

“You already have a mate,” he replied.

“We aren’t fully mated,” I clarified, taking a sip of the wine in front of me. My eyes briefly landed on Selene, who was watching me quietly. The moment our eyes met, she quickly looked away, her cheeks flushing.

I sighed inwardly. Goddess, this would have been so much easier if I hadn’t met Octavia. I set the glass back on the table and returned my eyes to Alpha Michael, who was deep in thought.

“It will hurt you if you mark someone else,” he said, studying me, waiting for my reaction.

“I’m aware, and I’m willing to endure that pain to honor the promise.”

“Your bond will never be as strong as the one you could’ve had with the traitor’s daughter, Octavia.”

I nodded. I knew this too. “I would rather have a weaker bond with someone trustworthy and good-hearted than a strong bond with a wild person and a traitor,” I reassured Alpha Michael.

He nodded slightly, accepting this. The fact that I was still willing to honor our agreement showed him how much I respected him and how grateful I was for his support over the years. Convincing him hadn’t been difficult. He still wanted his daughter to be queen, as it would solidify his power and make other alphas think twice before crossing him.

Yet we remained targets for the remaining council alphas, and I knew I had to locate them soon. The longer they stayed hidden, the more dangerous they became.

I thought back to the day I walked into one of the council meetings.

The large doors open, my body vibrating with what is to come. Behind me, my men follow, all ready to do what is necessary. Voices echo from within as the doors open, allowing the sound to flow to me. Everyone quickly turns quiet, though, all the older alphas staring at me in confusion.

“Who are you?” one of them asks, rising from his seat.

I smile, meeting his eyes, and noticing him flinch.

“Don’t you recognize me?” I mock.

They all glance at each other, looking more and more confused.

“Do I not resemble someone?”

None of them seem to understand what I mean.

“Just speak plainly, or we will have you escorted out,” another alpha says.

“That won’t happen.”

“No? Why?”

“All your warriors are dead.” I sense the shock ripple through the room.

“What?” someone whispers.

“They are dead, just like you all will be soon enough.”

“How dare you?” another exclaims, rising from his seat. “Who do you think you are?”

“Valerio, son of Gabriel, the former king of werewolves.”

It had been a bloodbath, and while I had taken care of most of them, three alphas had escaped that day.

“The mating ceremony will be held in three days,” Alpha Michael said, snapping me out of my dark memories of blood and horror.

I nodded, offering a brief smile. It was fine. The sooner we did this, the better.

“Then we’d better start preparing,” I said, raising my glass to him.

He smiled, lifting his glass in return. “To a great union.”

“To a great union,” I echoed.

-Octavia-

I tugged on the chains again and again, though I wasn’t entirely sure why. Deep down, I knew I wasn’t getting out of them. Maybe it was just something to pass the time, or perhaps the pain helped me focus and forget about the gnawing hunger in my stomach.

Maybe if you asked nicely, he might feed us, my wolf suggested.

I rolled my eyes. Feed us? Could this be more degrading? I wondered. I wasn’t some pet that needed feeding.

Suddenly, the doors opened, pulling my attention away from my thoughts. I had expected the king, but instead, two men entered. One of them I recognized—the king’s beta. The other man seemed vaguely familiar, perhaps from the night I tried to kill the king, but I wasn’t sure of his status.

“Octavia,” the beta said, flashing a charming smile.

I rolled my eyes, then looked at the man beside him. He had dark hair and green eyes, with an intimidating air. I wondered why he wasn’t the beta—he seemed more threatening than the one standing in front of me.

“And you are?” I asked in an arrogant tone.

The man narrowed his eyes at me, but didn’t respond. The beta chuckled lightly.

“Damian is too serious. Don’t bother trying to make small talk with him. Why not talk a little with me?” he said, his tone smooth and charming.

I shifted my attention back to the beta. I still didn’t know his name, but I didn’t care much for pleasantries. “Why are you here?”

The beta stepped closer, his tall, broad frame casting a shadow over me. He was nearly as tall as the king, towering over me with ease.

“You should speak in a nicer tone to us,” he teased. “You’re going to live here after you surrender, so you might want to start making some friends.”

“Ha! You think I’ll surrender? I won’t stop trying to kill your king. I’ll avenge my father.”

The beta sighed and stepped back. “But the man isn’t really your father, is he now?”

My eyes widened. What did he just say? Did everyone know this? Rage surged through me, my jaw clenched, and my hands balled into fists.

I am my father’s daughter. I am my father’s daughter. I am my father’s daughter. I repeated the words in my mind, trying to hold on to that belief.

You can keep telling yourself that, but the truth is right in front of you. If you would just submit, we wouldn’t have to suffer anymore. We could truly be free, my wolf whispered.

Free? The thought was wishful, almost laughable. Did my wolf really believe the king wouldn’t end my life after I submitted?

“If you’ve come here just to torment me, you’ll have to try harder. I’ve been through worse,” I said, flashing a mocking smile at the beta before shifting my eyes to Damian. H

“Actually, we came to feed you,” the beta said, drawing my attention back to him.

He smiled, clearly pleased by the flicker of interest in my eyes. I hated that he could see how badly I needed food, how desperate I must have seemed. I probably looked like a dog begging for scraps, and that infuriated me.

“No, thank you,” I said, turning my head away.

“No, thank you?” the beta repeated, raising an eyebrow.

“I. Am. Not. Hungry.”

But as soon as I said the words, my stomach betrayed me with a loud, growling demand. The beta laughed, and Damian shook his head at my stubbornness. I cursed my stomach for growling so loudly, but I hadn’t eaten in days, and the hunger was gnawing at me.

Just take the food, for Goddess’s sake! my wolf yelled.

“Why would you even feed me? Aren’t you trying to break me?” I inquired, narrowing my eyes at the beta.

“You’re already broken, Octavia,” he replied, flashing a cruel smile.

I stared at him, feeling confused. Broken? How? I was still standing tall, still fighting. I hadn’t given in.

“Now, do you want some food or not?” he asked, lifting a bag I hadn’t even noticed he was carrying.

My stomach growled again, and I bit my lower lip so hard I almost tasted blood. I wanted the food so badly, but an inner conflict raged within me.

If I wanted to defeat the king, I needed to eat and regain my strength. But if I accepted the food, it would feel like giving in, and I couldn’t allow that. I turned my head away, closing my eyes, silently telling them to leave me alone.

“Your choice,” the beta said.

I heard him place the bag down in front of me, and that’s when I realized I had underestimated him.

“I’ll just leave this here if you change your mind,” he whispered in my ear, sending a shiver down my spine.

I heard their footsteps retreat and then the door close behind them. My stomach rumbled again, and my eyes went to the bag in front of me. Even though the food was wrapped, its delicious scent filled the air, making my mouth water.

Just eat!

I shook my head. I can’t. I won’t. I bit my lip harder, drawing blood. The metallic taste on my tongue was better than nothing.