A bite from an Alpha King

Chapter 3: Yellow eyes

-Valerio-

“What do you mean you’re not going to execute her? She has to die!” Damian shouted, his voice echoing through the office.

I sat behind my desk, watching each of my men. They all nodded in agreement with Damian’s outburst—even Garrett, though his silence was more telling than the others. His eyes were darker than I’d ever seen them.

It had been a few days since my mate had stabbed me with a silver knife, the very one now lying in front of me as evidence. I had come dangerously close to death. If it weren’t for the antidote I’d had made a few years ago, I wouldn’t be sitting here now. Fortunately, I had skilled people around me.

I shifted uncomfortably in my chair. The law was clear—she had committed high treason, and the punishment was death. But how could I be the one to rip her heart out? Just thinking about it caused a sharp pain inside me.

I groaned in frustration, rubbing the bridge of my nose. So this was what it meant to have a mate? I couldn’t bring myself to harm her, yet how could she have stabbed me? She knew exactly what it meant to end me. I shook my head, still troubled by the decision I had to make.

“Someone gave her this knife,” I said, drawing the attention of every man in the room. “Someone who likely knew what it was meant for. That means there’s someone behind her—maybe even more than one.” I saw the unease ripple through them as they absorbed my words. “Her execution could easily serve as a catalyst for rebellion. She could become a martyr.”

“But she has to die—”

I raised my hand, cutting Damian off. “I know,” I replied coldly. “But it’s not that simple.”

“So what do you suggest, my king?”

“A fair fight. One on one. To the death.”

My men were visibly displeased with my response, their murmured conversations betraying their doubts. I sighed.

“My king, you realize if she wins, she’ll claim your title and everything you own, right?” Garrett asked.

“Of course I do!” I snapped. “So I won’t let her win, will I?”

Despite my confidence, the unease lingered among them. I was their king, and they knew the female was fast. I had to admit, she had a small chance of victory, but when it came to raw strength, I far surpassed her.

Still, the thought of what lay ahead weighed heavily on me. I would have to kill her—my own mate. It was far from what I had ever imagined or wanted. My heart ached at the image of her lifeless heart in my hand. How could I possibly do it?

Just thinking about it filled me with pain. My hand instinctively moved to the spot where she had stabbed me.

“Hmmm... what does she have against me?” I muttered to myself.

“She wants revenge,” came an unexpected voice.

I looked up to see Zane standing in front of my desk, arms crossed. I frowned as I met his eyes. “What do you mean?”

“Her name is Octavia,” he said, deepening my frown. How did he know her name? “She’s my sister.”

“What?” I roared, the walls of the castle seeming to tremble with my fury. I shot up from my chair, slamming my hands on the desk. My men lowered their heads, submitting to my anger. “You failed to mention that before!” I growled at him.

“She’s not related to me by blood,” Zane explained, eyes still fixed on the ground. “My father found her in the woods. She’s nothing more than a rogue’s child. He took her in and trained her to be a killer from the moment she could walk.”

I narrowed my eyes as I studied Zane, listening closely to his heartbeat to detect any sign of deceit. It remained steady. “Why?” I asked.

“My father was a paranoid man. He always believed someone was coming for him. He likely saw Octavia as his last ace up his sleeve—someone who could avenge him if the time ever came. He wanted to have the final laugh.”

I leaned back in my chair, rubbing my chin thoughtfully. Zane’s father had been a formidable opponent—skilled, cunning, and suspicious of everyone.

It was no surprise he had one last trick planned, and without the antidote, I would have been dead by now. I had to admire his strategy, though I doubted he anticipated that his ‘ace’ would end up being my mate. It seemed, in the end, the Goddess had the final laugh.

“The fight will proceed, but this little piece of information might be useful,” I remarked, a smile tugging at my lips.

-Octavia-

Chains were wrapped around my ankles, wrists, and neck, locked to the floor and stretched tight. I was forced into a cramped position that made every limb ache. Sweat dripped down my face, and after days like this, the pain had become unbearable.

My body longed to collapse onto the cold floor, but the chains prevented it. If I let myself fall, the chain around my neck would choke me. So, I stayed in this agonizing half-standing, half-sitting posture, bent forward to keep the chain from cutting into my skin.

I was panting, my eyes heavy with exhaustion, but the thought of the king buried deep underground gave me strength. I couldn’t wait to see my father’s proud face when I joined him in the afterlife. The mere thought brought a faint smile to my lips.

Suddenly, the metal door in front of me swung open, wiping the smile from my face. I braced myself, expecting a guard to tell me it was time for my execution. But what stepped through the door was someone I hadn’t anticipated.

“Hello, sister.”

His voice had changed—deeper now, with a nasty edge to it. Or maybe that was just my perception, considering I thought he was nothing more than a weasel and a coward.

“Traitor,” I spat.

“Yes, I imagine you think I am,” he whispered.

I laughed, bitterly. “You took part in killing our father,” I snarled, staring him dead in the eyes, unafraid of what he might do.

“Not our father. My father,” he growled back.

My eyes widened in shock. What was he talking about? He moved closer, squatting down in front of me so we were eye to eye.

“You may not know this, but our father was never your father,” he said, locking eyes with me. “He found you in the woods, nothing but a rogue child left to die. An unwanted child he decided to take in, just in case he needed you for revenge one day if someone ever killed him.”

My breath caught, and my head spun. This can’t be true! It isn’t true! I was my father’s daughter—I knew that. He had to be lying.

“You’re lying!” I snarled, trying to act like his words didn’t affect me.

“No, I’m not. Why do you think your eyes aren’t yellow?” he replied, pointing to his own yellow eye. “If you were truly my sister, you’d have eyes like mine.”

His voice was low and menacing. His eyes, while not entirely yellow like our father’s, were a mark of their distant royal bloodline. My brother, being an even more distant relative, only had one yellow eye.

“I—” I stammered, unable to come up with anything to say. I had never questioned my eyes as a sign I wasn’t my father’s daughter. He had always cared for me, taught me to fend for myself.

“The king has no claim!” I shouted, deflecting, as I struggled to process the revelation.

“That’s where you’re wrong. The king has more claim to the throne than anyone else,” my brother said, shocking me yet again. “Haven’t you seen his eyes? They’re yellow. He’s a direct descendant of the royal family.”

For a moment, I felt like I was going to be sick. I had seen his eyes when I attacked him but hadn’t given them much thought at the time. If what my brother was saying was true, then was I related to him? Was my mate also my relative? The nausea surged again.

“Our father is the traitor here,” my brother continued. “He and the other alphas took down the royal family and placed our father on the throne just because his blood was a little stronger than the rest.”

I felt dizzy, overwhelmed by everything I was hearing. I didn’t just want to throw up—I wanted to pass out, to escape this nightmare.

“Oh, and the king wants a fair fight this time,” my brother added as he stood and began walking away. “One without any of you poisoning each other with silver.”

“Wait!” I shouted, stopping him just as he was about to leave the room. “Are you saying the king is still alive?” I asked, my voice trembling.

He didn’t answer. Instead, he gave me a wicked smile before walking out and locking the door behind him, leaving me alone in the small, dark cell.