The Traitor and her Hybrid Husband

Chapter 15~Ninazu ~

Gabe

I reached over to pull Octavia closer. I fumbled around, my weary mind taking a moment to realize she was gone. I laid back onto the pillows and frowned. Why was she gone? It was surreal being the one left alone in bed, the roles reversed. Last night was incredible.

I never expected so much passion or for her to be so vulnerable with me. My body feels light and stronger than ever. I wanted to know how she felt. I was filled with a crazy urge to see her. I hopped out of bed and quickly got dressed.

I checked in her room, then Raven’s. I searched all of the dining rooms, the library, and her office. I meandered through the halls without any sign of her. Where the hell did she go? Daunte’s lean form walked out of his room. I called to him, “Daunte, have you seen my wife?”

He raised an eyebrow, “Since when have you referred to her as your wife?”

I crossed my arms, instantly irritated. “Where is she?”

“She left early this morning to go shopping.”

“I guess she deserves to spend a little of my money.” I scoffed.

Daunte grimaced and checked my shoulder with a hard shove. “You’re a cold hearted bastard.” he growled.

I grabbed his arm, surprised at his outburst. “What the hell is your problem?”

He shrugged me off, his fists clenched tight. “How could you say something like that after spending the night with her, making it seem as if she only slept with you in order for you to fund her shopping spree?” I said nothing, making him angrier.

“You do realize that the maids have done nothing but talk about the mess the two of you made of your bedding. The whole house knows that you have finally consummated your marriage last night. And here you are, talking about your wife like she was some gold digging wh*re. We both know she isn’t that type of person, you just refuse to admit it yourself.

“Just once, have you tried to actually get to know her? Huh? Have you ever wondered why she’s clanless or how she ended up at Wisteria in the first place? You don’t know how hardworking or dedicated she is. You don’t recognize how intelligent and loyal she is. All you have to do is look at her, really look at her, to know this.”

He shook his head, “Men would literally kill to have such an unparalleled partner by their side, and if you weren’t my best friend I’d happily fight for her. You need to get your head out of your ass before she leaves you.” He walked away, “Oh and the shopping she’s doing is for supplies that Noctem is donating to an orphanage that she sponsors, you prick.”

I wandered back to my office and sat in a daze. Daunte has never spoken to me like that but I was more shocked by what he said. I hated that he was right. I haven’t tried to see her, I wanted to keep my distance. I had no idea she sponsored an orphanage or what she did on a daily basis for that matter. I don’t know her clan’s name or where she’s originally from. I honestly didn’t know anything.

I steepled my fingers together. I made assumptions about her based on the circumstances of the marriage. I didn’t see the need to dig deeper if we were going to be divorced shortly after. I didn’t anticipate any of this. Us being paired has complicated things.

I didn’t expect the bond that I now share with Raven. I see myself in him. I want to give him the childhood I never had. I wanted to support him and encourage him to be proud of who he is. I truly consider him as my son, a pleasant miscalculation. I need the marriage to be dissolved but I feel conflicted. I didn’t want to be married, but I also didn’t want her to leave.

If I had fully looked into her then I wouldn’t be fumbling around like I am now. I could’ve calculated better. Making up my mind, I headed to Abel’s office. He said he was an acquaintance of Octavia’s father. He should be able to answer some of my questions. I gently knocked on his door and waited for him to answer. “Come in.”

“Abuelo. I hope I’m not disturbing you.” I greeted him.

Abel shook his head and grinned. Goddess, his health has drastically improved. Now he looked younger than most vampires his age, the contract really was killing him. “Sit down, mijo. What’s on your mind?”

I sat down, unsure how to start. “It’s about Octavia. I want to know what happened to her clan.”

Abel pursued his lips and nodded, “I’ve been waiting for you to ask. As you know, our supernatural world has always had royal families. The Ninazu Clan were of noble blood whose sole purpose was to serve and protect the royal family.”

“Which one?’

“The family that has ruled over the vampire society since the beginning of our species, the Ceoslies Clan.”

I leaned forward, preparing myself.

“The Ninazu were taught to be the ultimate support. They assisted in every aspect of the royal’s life, including politics and war. Their intelligence was superior. Mastering multiple languages, becoming master craftspeople, scientists, engineers; If there was a skill the royals needed, the Ninazu would master it. They specialized in intelligence gathering and national security. They were the eyes and ears of every operation.

“Beyond the clan’s abilities, they were mainly known for their loyalty to the crown.” Abel sighed, “So you can imagine everyone’s surprise when they found out the Ninazu were responsible for assisting a rebellion. Octavia’s father was not only aiding the rebels but was leading them.

“When his scheme was discovered, he had forced his clan into a civil war between the royals. Thousands died in such a short period of time. The Ninazu were wiped out with few survivors. Those who were captured were sold into slavery as punishment.”

I sat back, shell shocked. “So what happened to Octavia after that?”

“She spent the rest of her childhood and a majority of her adolescence on the run. She was caught right after she turned eighteen then was quickly sold off to the highest bidder at an underground auction.”

I shook my head in disbelief. The more I asked, the worse the tale got. “If she was bought by a clan, then how’d she end up in a royal wolf pack?”

Abel sighed, “Her new clan tried to kill her and her unborn child in order to keep one of their own as heir. She was saved by the wolves of Wisteria.”

There was a moment of silence as I sorted the information. I never would've guessed that Octavia had lived such a hard life. She carried herself with such confidence and grace. I’ve been married to her for close to five months, not knowing she was carrying around so much pain. “Now I understand why she jumped at your offer.”

Abel raised his eyebrows, “It wasn’t really an offer, more of a negotiation.” I must've looked as confused as I felt because he let out a gentle laugh. “What? Didn’t you read the revised version of the contract?”

“What?”

Abel got up and shuffled papers around his desk until he found what he needed. He handed over the document with a grunt. “How was she able to revise the contract?” I asked, looking for the changes.

“As long as the primary agreement and consequences stay the same and both contract holders agree to the change, it can be revised. You signed it. Why didn’t you read it? She just added a stipulation that didn’t affect the overall contract. See, right there.” he pointed.

I didn’t bother to read it because I had it memorized. Apparently, Octavia changed the clause for her dowry. It states that she was only accepting it on a loan basis and that she’d repay it. “She wanted to borrow the money instead?”

“Ah, what a clever girl she is. When she paid back the money in a matter of months, I was beside myself.” he chuckled.

“Wait, she's already paid it off? How?!”

Abel frowned, “With her business.” He tossed me a brochure about a sports and gaming center. “It was rough going at the start but she had a few powerful cards supporting her. She added Kain as a partner too, since he helped with most of the project. She’s making seven figures and now she manufactures her own gaming equipment with places for supernaturals to enjoy any sport of their choosing.

“I personally enjoyed the bowling alley she installed last week. The pins don't explode from the force of the ball and the lanes aren’t cracked or dented. It’s very good exercise.”

It was like it was caught in some type of joke. How could I not notice a whole bowling alley being built, let alone that my wife was a millionaire? “What about the monthly allowance? Is she still receiving them?”

“Yes, but she doesn’t keep the money for herself.” Abel dug around for a bank statement and handed it over. “She divides the money into separate accounts. One is for Raven, another for any future children you may have and the rest to an orphanage, which is for vampire children who lost their parents or clan.”

I sat in silence, completely blindsided. It was never about our money. She just wanted a home and stability. And I had promised to take it away from her. The weight of my guilt came crashing down on me.

“Why do you look so surprised, mijo? Don’t you know what your wife’s been up to?”

I stood up slowly, “Thank you Abuelo. I need to go.” I need to talk to Octavia. I miscalculated everything. If I had known any of this, I would’ve approached her differently. We could’ve found a way to secure her needs and had the marriage annulled another way. My chest tightened at the thought of her leaving. I needed to speak to her. We needed to figure this out.

I waited all day and she still wasn’t home. I stayed in the main lounge area so I could keep an eye on the door. One of our nurses came in with a cart that had needles and vials. “What’s this?” I asked.

“I was told by Mrs. Noctem to drop these off.” she motioned to vials that were filled with blood. “She said it’s to help with the sickness. She also requested that you prepare a few vials for her.”

I stared down at the vials in annoyance. It was as if Octavia was telling me to stay away from her.

“Señor?” the nurse called, holding up her supplies. I rolled up my sleeve and offered my arm. She completed her task, “That should be good, Señor.”

“Wait, when is Octavia returning?”

“I believe later tonight. She is at her charity event.” I nodded my thanks and sent her off. I waited until three in the morning, my annoyance turning into anger. Where the hell is she?! I walked outside to see if her car had returned. I saw Elliot walking back to the house. “Elliot, where is my wife?”

“She should be inside, señor. I brought her home two hours ago.”

She must've gone in through the back. I growled as I ran up the stairs. I knocked on her door then barged in only to find her bed empty. I silently cursed then creaked open Raven’s door. She was cuddled up with him, happily snoring away. I closed the door, my jaw clenched. It’s fine. She had a long day. I’ll talk to her when she wakes up.

My alarm went off five hours later. I jumped out of bed and rushed to her dining room. Raven was munching on his breakfast. Abel, who was reading his newspaper, looked up with concern, “What’s wrong, mijo?”

“Why are you here instead of Octavia?”

“She didn’t tell you? She’s going to be gone for the next few days for business in Europe. She took the jet an hour ago.” Abel went back to his reading. I stumbled out of the room. I tried to call her, but she didn’t answer. I texted her. No reply. She was definitely telling me to stay away from her.