The Traitor and her Hybrid Husband

Chapter 7~Contract~

Octavia

Raven squealed with laughter as his friends chased him around the trees. It really has been a peaceful five years since our arrival. I never would've thought I’d be a part of such a loving and caring place. The people of Wisteria were strange and everyone was odd in their own weird way. The pack was like its own collection of supernaturals. There were lycan hybrids, witches, elves and the occasional demon. Nalina said they came to be because of the relationships her grandparents had built. It was a true supernatural utopia.

I was truly blessed, but why did it feel like I didn’t fit in? I still feel uneasy about leaving the territory. I’m terrified of being caught. But I’m yearning to leave, to do something. I loved my home here but it wasn’t mine. I'm just a guest at Wisteria, not an actual member. I wanted a real home. I’ve been feeling so restless.

“Why are you brooding?” Nalina asked as she sat down next to me.

I smiled at my dear friend, “I’m not brooding. I’m just thinking.”

“About what?”

“Life. Do you ever think there’s more to it than this?” I gestured vaguely to the space in front of us.

Nalina tilted her head to the side,“What do you mean?”

“Do you ever think about the world beyond the territory?” I added. Nalina bit her lip, thinking hard about her reply.

“I do, on a regular basis. I often wonder what if I wasn't the Alpha. Where would I go or what would I do? There are days where I feel like something is missing.” she admitted.

“Do you mean your mate?” I asked quietly.

“I’m not sure. Maybe he is the thing that’s missing. Or, it could just be because I’m bored. I grew up with tales of adventures and wars. I want to find some trouble to get into as well. I want my own tale.” Nalina chuckled.

I patted her hand to console her. For wolves, finding your mate once you turned twenty one was supposed to be your happily ever after. Nalina would be thirty this year, making her the oldest person in her family without a mate. She must feel lonely.

“What about you? Do you want to find someone to share your life and an adventure or two with?” Nalina asked.

I quickly shook my head, “Oh, goddess no.” Nalina snorted with laughter.

“You’ll change your mind one day.” she threatened.

I scoffed, “As if.”

Lavender and Zinna joined our group, their interest piqued. “Do vampires have mates?” Zinnia asked.

I shook my head, “No, we have pairs.”

“Pairs?” the twins asked in unison.

“Yep.”

“How does it work, being paired?” Nalina’s eyes were wide with interest.

“Well, for wolves, the moon goddess hand selects the perfect person for you. You are automatically connected with your mate. They smell like your favorite thing, sparks fly when you touch-”

“Blah blah blah. We know that already, tell us about pairing!” Lavender grumbled.

“I was trying to say that with wolves, you find your mate, they accept you and then happily ever after. For vampires, it's not that easy.” The twins scooted closer, fully immersed in my story.

“For us, pairing is more chaotic than the mate bond. You're not attracted to your partner, you are attracted to their blood. The way it smells, the taste, the way their heart beats. It makes your mouth water and slowly drives you crazy until you get to taste it. But that’s when the chaos happens. One taste and you're addicted. You mark your partner like wolves mark theirs, but ours has another level of fear and intimacy.”

“What do you mean?” Zinnia demanded.

“When you become a pair and choose to mark each other, you drink each other’s blood and relive their life from their perspective. You feel their pain and their hardships. You experience their emotions and relive their worst fears.”

“Woah,” the twins exclaimed.

“If the experience is too intense or too dark, one partner can reject the other during the pairing. It’s terrifying because you’re completely vulnerable and at the mercy of your partner. Most vampire pairs choose not to mark each other because of that.” I finished my explanation with a shrug.

“Holy hell that’s insane!” Lavender shouted.

“I don’t know. It’s kinda romantic.” Nalina murmured. We stared at her in surprise. Nalina’s cheeks grew pink, “What?”

Zinnia pulled Lavender into her arms. “I want to be paired with you, baby.” she teased with a deep voice.

“Oh yes, that’s so romantic.” Lavender cooed. The twins teased their sister, making her blush harder. We erupted with giggles.

“Alright that’s enough.” Nalina growled in annoyance.

“Alpha Nalina, you have a guest.” an omega called out.

“Saved by the guest.” I joked to the twins. Nalina rolled her eyes and started walking back up to the packhouse.

“Ms. Octavia, they’re asking for your presence as well.” the omega said. My heart began to beat wildly. Impossible. No one was supposed to know I was here.

“Absolutely not. Who is this guest?” Nalina demanded. The omega handed over a red business card. “Damn it. We can’t turn them away and risk becoming their enemy.” Nalina expressed her dismay by ripping up the card.

“Who is it?” I asked, unable to hide my fear.

“It’s the leader of the Noctem clan.” Nalina answered.

I was in shock, “N-Noctem? Why would they ask for me?”

Nalina sighed heavily, “I don’t know, but if they know you’re here then there’s no sense in hiding.” How did they track me down? Why did they track me down? I have no affiliation with that clan. I started to panic. “Hey, it’s ok. I’ve got your back. No one can take you away from us.” She tried to reassure me. I think she underestimated how powerful Noctem was.

“Come on.” Lavender and Zinna said, both of them pulling me towards my doom.

I dragged my feet, not wanting to enter Nalina’s office. She gave me an encouraging smile, “It’s gonna be ok.” She opened the door to her office and walked in. It felt like I was walking in slow motion. The designer-clad men who were seated stood and waited for us to take our seats. They were elderly vampires who shared a familial resemblance. Nalina’s creepy grandmother So was also waiting. Goddess, Calypso gave me the chills. She was always watching me with her ‘see all’ eyes. I kept my head down low and let Nalina handle her business.

“Gentlemen, welcome to Wisteria. How can I help you?” Nalina’s voice was sweet but her eyes were cold.

“Thank you for accepting us on such short notice, Alpha Summons. My name is Caleb Noctem and this is our clan leader, Abel Noctem.” the shorter one stated.

“Yes, I‘ve heard of your clan. How can I assist you?” Nalina’s voice made me shiver. I shifted uncomfortably in the quiet.

The one named Abel examined me closely. “Octavia Sullivan, heir to Ninazu, the clan of traitors.” I flinched, his words reverberating in my chest. Nalina growled a low warning.

“Stop, child.” Calypso chided, her African accent thick. Nalina stopped growling, her body still alert.

“How long do you plan to run away? How long do you intend to abuse your friend's hospitality?” Abel demanded. I turned my head, unable to look at him. “Did you know that it was rather easy to track you down? We know a lot of things about you, Señora Sullivan. We’ve known that you’ve been here for the past five years.

“We know that you’ve had a successful birth to your boy, Raven. The two of you live in a modest two bedroom cottage that’s a fifteen minute walk from the pack house. It is only a matter of time before your friends from Archeon locate you. You cannot hide here forever, Señora Sullivan.” His words stung like a whip. I knew that.

I took a deep breath, trying to keep my anger in check. “Your existence is only putting the people of Wisteria in danger,” he remarked.

I knew that! I knew my presence here was only temporary. My control on my temper slipped. “I had no choice! Should I have allowed my child and I to be murdered?! Huh?! What would you have done!?” I glared at the man, hating him for judging me.

Abel chuckled as if my outburst was funny. “Oh, mija. I’m not saying you were wrong. If I were in that position I too would’ve hid and licked my wounds.” I felt some tension ease at his words. “But I wouldn’t have cowered for this long.

“No, I would’ve done everything to become powerful so that I wouldn’t have to rely on someone else. I would’ve become wiser and grew stronger. I would’ve seized every opportunity to make the people who betrayed me suffer a fate worse than death.” The way he said it gave me goosebumps. He sounded as if he had done it before.

Caleb cleared his throat then offered me an envelope. “What is this?” I asked, cautiously taking it from him.

“An opportunity for you to seize power.” Abel answered. I pulled out the papers and read.

“A marriage contract?” I was confused.

“A blood contract. You are betrothed to my grandson. Your father and I agreed to it when you were a mere four days old.”

I reread the documents, not understanding. I frowned, “How will marriage help me seize power?”

“For starters, you will be given a dowry of ten million dollars and a monthly allowance of fifteen thousand. My family name will protect you from all other clans, including Archeon. I will give you safety, a home and a chance to start living a real life.” Abel’s silk voice tempted.

“Ten million dollars?!” Nalina squeaked.

“A real life?” I repeated.

“I’m also willing to offer a mutual aid and peace treaty for the Wisteria Forest pack for having taken care of you for so long.” he continued.

Caleb handed over a second envelope to Nalina. She took her time to read the documents while I thought about my future. “Holy hell. It’s legit.” Nalina exclaimed.

“All it needs is your signature.” Abel sounded satisfied as he placed two pens on the desk.

“And Raven? Will my son be protected as well?” I needed to know.

“He would become my great grandson. He would be treated as such.”

Nalina grabbed my shoulder and gave me a hard shake. “Wait, you seriously can’t be thinking of accepting his offer?!” she yelled, her eyes filled with concern.

My gut twisted with guilt. “I am. This could be my only chance to stop living in fear.” I confessed.

“You don’t have to do this, Octavia. You owe these people nothing.” Nalina tried to persuade me.

As I saw it, I have nothing to lose. I gain my freedom and secure a safe future for Raven. I could even pay back some of my thanks with the peace treaty. All I have to do is get married, maybe have a kid or two. I’ve done that before. I would seize my power. “I’ll do it.” I heard myself say.

“Octavia.” Nalina whined.

“I don’t want to keep hiding. I’m tired of running. I’m tired of feeling like a burden. I am so grateful for all of the things that you have done these past few years. But it’s time for me to take control.” I admitted. She looked over at Calypso for assistance. When none came, Nalina began to pout.

“A wise choice.” Abel chuckled, pushing the pens closer to us.

I picked mine up and stared at the signature line. “Before I sign this, I have a few requests. Will you honor them?”

“If they are within means and do not alter any main parts of the original agreement, then I’d be happy to oblige.” Abel chuckled. I nodded my head then signed my contract.

“This is insane.” Nalina muttered, signing her part.

“When is the wedding?” I asked.

“Eight days. Welcome to the familia, mija.” Abel grinned.