The Traitor and her Hybrid Husband

Chapter 4~Raven~

Octavia

I stirred to the sounds of quiet but animated bickering. Who was talking? The footsteps of the voices moved about my resting place. The voices died to the sounds of the door opening and closing. I peeled my eyes open to scan the room I was in. It was well decorated with polished cherry wood furniture, plum purple walls and it smelled of clean linen. My eyes landed on the crib that was pushed back into the corner.

I groggily pushed myself out of the bed, forcing my feet towards the crib. Tears filled my eyes as I looked down on my sleeping son. His warm dark skin glowed against the white blanket he was wrapped in. I couldn’t help the trembling of my hands as I reached down and picked him up. Goddess my baby was beautiful. From his tiny black curls to his adorable button nose.

How could something so precious be so feared and hated? I wanted to leap for joy and scream out of anger. I was grateful that we survived, but what happens now? Two soft knocks sounded off, making me tense. I had forgotten I was a prisoner now. I held my son tightly as I watched the woman from the woods enter the room.

She gracefully sat down on the corner of my bed, her eyes alert as she smiled at me. Now that we were in the light, I could fully see the woman’s features. Her lips were plump and the dimple was nestled deep into her cheek. Her eyes were honestly the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen. One eye was hazel while the other was a strange mix of silver and hazel. She was small but her body radiated with power. Everything about this woman screamed lethal.

“Good morning, miss?” the woman asked with a raised brow.

“Octavia.” I murmured.

The woman nodded her head, “Octavia.”

“Where am I? What will you do with us?” my heart thundered in my chest.

The woman’s smile deepened, “This is the Wisteria Forest pack and I don’t intend to do anything with you.” Her calmness was making me sweat. Wisteria? Why did that sound so familiar?

“Wisteria Forest, like the royal pack?” I squeaked.

The woman let out an angelic laugh. “That’s the one.” she giggled.

My mind began to race. Wisteria was the original pack of wolves that had vanished over fifty years ago when the pack was slaughtered. It was recently reestablished by descendant survivors about twenty years later, reclaiming its place as the world’s greatest werewolf royal powerhouse. Why would such a powerful pack want to keep me as a prisoner?

“Let’s get going, Octavia. The pack is dying to meet you.” the woman stated. She jumped off the bed and opened the door. I took a hesitant step forward.

“Who are you?” I asked.

“The name’s Nalina. I’m the Alpha.” she smirked before sauntering down the hall. She led me down the hall and pointed out rooms. Then she showed me the dining hall, the kitchen and several rec rooms. Her tour of the pack house ended in the massive living room.

Nalina walked up to a group of pack members and cleared her throat. Everyone stared at us as she introduced me. The group shared similar appearances to Nalina; all with caramel skin, kind eyes and mischievous smiles.

“These are my siblings. My little brother Ren, my twin sisters Lavender and Zinna. And my baby brother Reed.” Nalina cooed. I mumbled my greetings as her family swarmed me. All of them talked at once, their chaotic voices making me and my child uneasy.

Nalina shooed them back with a flick of her wrist. The one named Lavender held out her hands with an expectant look. My grip on my son tightened. Nalina sensed my weariness and gently patted my back.

“It’s ok. Lavender is the reason why I was able to help you with your birth,” she said.

Lavender gave me a wide smile. She was also blessed with that dimple. I cautiously reached out my hands, letting her hold my child. Lavender cooed quietly as she bounced him around.

“This is my cousin and my Beta, Dahlia, her brother Aciano is over there.” Nalina continued. Dahlia smiled sweetly while her brother nodded from a distance. “The ladies over there are my mom and Aunt. My dad and uncle are currently out, but you’ll meet them later.” She pointed to the laughing duo in the corner. I can definitely tell where she got her looks from.

“You have a large family,” I stated dumbly.

Nalina giggled, “This is only a third of us. My uncle August has three kids; Sirius, Orion and Estella.”

Lavender nodded, “And don’t forget that uncle Dimitir has nine kids, with one the way! Their names are-”

“We don’t want to overwhelm her! I’m sure she will meet our cousins when the Underworld court session is over,” Zinnia stated.

I struggled to keep the surprise off my face. This pack was powerful enough to have ties with the Royals of the Underworld?! I shook my head trying to get a grip. Why was she introducing me to her family?

“Alpha Nalina, will I be serving a member of the royal family?” I questioned her.

Nalina raised an elegant eyebrow, “No.”

I frowned, not understanding the reason for introductions. “Am I to serve you directly then? I deserve to know my fate.” I demanded quietly. The group grew quiet as Alpha Nalina examined me.

“Your fate is yours to decide,” she replied. What the hell did that mean?

The atmosphere around the room became charged with an intensity I'd never felt before. A woman dressed in all black entered the room, her long white dreads dragging behind her. My chest tightened with fear as I watched her sit down with the Alpha's mother. My entire body was screaming to run.

Alpha Nalina caught me staring. “That's Calypso.” she offered with a coy smile.

I began to tremble. Calypso the Collector; everyone knew that name. She was the most terrifying and most powerful being on Midhaven.

“But we call her Mama So.” Lavender chuckled. I must've looked confused because Ren started to laugh.

“She raised our dad and Uncle. She's kind of like our grandma.” he explained. Calypso watched me with a penetrating gaze, a strange smirk on her face.

“She warned me you were coming,” Nalina admitted. I shivered at the thought. “She told me trouble would find me with a precious raven in hand.” My tense body stiffened further. How could she know his name? I only decided a few minutes ago!

“How did you know?” my voice was barely above a whisper. Nalina’s smile deepened as she took baby Raven from Lavender.

“Because, Mama So knows all. A cottage is being prepared for you. It's stocked with everything a new vampire mother should need.” Nalina announced, pushing Raven back into my arms.

“I-I don't understand,” I stammered.

“Welcome to Wisteria, Octavia.” Nalina chuckled before walking towards her mother. The group welcomed me as well, then dispersed. A pack member came up to me saying they would take me to my new home and ushered me towards the door. I looked back to see the Collector still looking at me. I couldn’t shake the sense of unease.

If I was being offered a home, did that mean I wasn't a prisoner? My child and I were provided with shelter and food. I also guess I had protection. This was a good thing, right? My mind was cloudy. I knew one thing for sure; nothing and no one was more dangerous than this pack of wolves and their strange allies.