The Alpha's Mistress

58

Word Count: 2542

~Sienna

I pace back and forth, wringing my hands anxiously.

I've had no time to admire the natural beauty of Alston's pack as we travelled through it earlier. I've been lost in the depths of my mind, anticipating seeing Onyx for the first time since I was taken away by my father.

There's a swarm of guards lining the wall of the grand hall, all heavily armed. Tensions are high, Alston standing with his shoulders squared back, facing the door.

He's tried to maintain his usual air of confidence, but I see it faltering.

He should be terrified of facing Onyx...

"He's going to kill you the moment he walks in," I note, wishing I could find amusement in the notion.

Alston's jaw tightens as he glances between me and the door. Onyx's transport has entered through his property gates, and at any moment he's going to burst through the doors with his mind set on hurting Alston.

"If he does, my guards will descend upon him without mercy." Alston sweeps his arms out at those standing at attention. "He is far smarter than that."

"He may not be reasonable right now..." I mutter under my breath.

As excited as I am to be reunited with my mate, I'm concerned he's driving himself insane having me in enemy hands. I'm sure someone has faced his wrath as a consequence.

"I'm doing this as a favour to both of you. I could claim you as my wife and take the power for myself," Alston notes as I pause my pacing, raising a soft brown eyebrow.

I level a look. "Do you want me to say thank you?"
 
"No. That wouldn't be the Sienna I like so much." He smirks, although it fades quickly. There isn't much to celebrate today, and we can already feel the weight of Onyx's presence before he's even entered the residence.

"Onyx is almost here. Maybe don't mention how much you like me," I warn tightly. Any hint that Alston is agreeing to marry for the sake of romance will send my mate over the edge.

Alston fake pouts, his dimples deepening. "That's no fun."

"Well, if he kills you it would help my situation." I fold my arms over my chest.

"Would it? Zion would marry you off to someone far less generous, and far less impressive in bed." He winks and my stomach turns.

"Ugh, you're-"

The door slams open violently, making me jump. Onyx strides in, flanked by two familiar guards. His gaze is trained on Alston as he stalks straight toward him.

My heart launches into my throat, my legs weakening. My body calls to him, willing me into his arms, but I force myself to stay still, not wanting to step between two powerful Alpha's.

He looks just as beautiful as always. I so desperately miss raking my hands through his dark silken hair, brushing my fingers against the sharp angles of his face. I want to kiss him, to rip his clothes off, but mostly I want to feel his arms around me again, want to see him under the old light of the barn.

Unfortunately his attention is solely on the man standing beside me, raw fury dug deep into his expression.

"Alston." His growl rips through me.

"The guest of honour has finally arrived." Alston stretches his arms out in greeting.

Onyx doesn't hesitate. The moment he is in reach of Alston he grabs him by the collar and punches him straight across the face.

I yelp, hopping back as blood sprays across the floor from Alston's mouth. His guards flinch, but they don't engage just yet, almost like they are too scared to face Onyx down.

Alston's head lulls for a moment before he pulls it straight, grinning at Onyx with bloody teeth. Onyx deals out another blow, this time knocking Alston down to his hands and knees.

"Onyx stop!"

He backs off a step, rolling his shoulders as he glances at me. He looks tired — no, exhausted. The hollowness in his eyes and the dark shadows beneath them make my heart ache.

"Sienna," he breathes softly, striding over to cradle my face with gentle hands that just forced an Alpha down to his knees. "Are you okay?"

I let his eyes search my body, his relief palpable when he finds my bare skin unmarred.

"I'm fine, I'm not hurt," I assure him, laying my hand over his.

"We're going home," he states decidedly, pulling away from me. He grabs my arm, intending to walk me out with him but I balk, my feet sliding against the polished stone floor.

"Wait...I can't."

Onyx frowns, his hand falling from mine. Alston stands, leaning over to spit blood onto the floor, his face stained with it.

"Nice greeting, asshole," he grumbles.

"You deserve far worse, and you will get far worse in time," Onyx snaps at him.

"Onyx don't." I look between the two, noting how my mate's body is coiled with need to hit him again. "Just hear us out."

He physically flinches, hurt flashing across his features. I realise he's sensing a different dynamic between Alston and I, his confusion palpable.

"Us? There is no us between you two," he hisses, holding his hand out to me. "Come on Sienna, let me take you home. Let Zion wage war against me."

"No, I won't let that happen. Let me explain what is going on, and what our plan is. There is no need for unnecessary bloodshed," I insist.

Alston circles his face with his finger. "I agree."

Onyx sighs through his nose, visibly conflicted. Thankfully he relents, trusting me like he has done since we became friends.

"Fine," he grinds out.

Alston leads us deeper into his home, which dressed in eccentric artwork and strange furniture. It suits his personality well, although the especially graphic portraits of naked bodies force me to avert my eyes.

We wander into a formal sitting room that clearly doubles as a meeting room. Alston wipes his face with a cloth, muttering about how lucky Onyx is that he heals quicker than most.

I sit down stiffly on a couch. Alston attempts to sit next to me until Onyx shoves at his shoulder, sending him stumbling back a few steps.

"I don't think so." The warning weighs heavily in the air as Onyx sits next to me instead.

"I'm doing you a favour. You could try being nicer to me," Alston grumbles as he takes a seat opposite us, stretching his long legs out.

"You're marrying the woman I love. A woman I would cross any line for." Onyx rests a possessive hand on my thigh, squeezing gently. "I'm beyond being nice."

Despite knowing these two could launch into a fight at any moment, I feel my body start to relax. It seems to do that naturally in my mates presence, his warm and familiar scent flooding my senses.

I twist my body so I can look at Alston and Onyx in turn, ready to address this very serious situation.

"Zion wants me to produce an heir that can rule in his place," I explain slowly, so he doesn't miss a word. "He knows that he will likely not live long enough for my child to be ready to become Alpha, so he's forcing me to marry someone who can maintain temporary power once he passes, and produce a worthy heir."

"Which is me..." Alston adds tentatively.

Onyx looks over him, disgust tugging at his face. "You?"

"I'm an Alpha." Alston's expression hardens. "Don't look at me like that, we are the same age. I may not command such a large pack, but I rule nonetheless."

Onyx shakes his head, dismissing him with a single look toward me. He has never taken Alston seriously, and harbours a deep mistrust toward him due to his connection with Zion.

"So what, you combines packs?"
 
"That is the plan," Alston states.

"I cannot allow that to happen."

Onyx is very aware that by combining pack's with Zion, him and Alston will have the largest. Currently Onyx holds that title, but only barely due to land he claimed back in a small war a couple years ago.

"I will have equal power to him in this pack, remember?" I add quickly, trying to pull his focus to me so he remains calm. "We can do a lot with that power."

"Your power will be smothered." He looks to Alston. "You really think I'm going to allow you to marry Sienna?"

My mates grip on me tightens, the heat from his palm warming my skin. Now that we are together again, it's like he can't stand to not be touching me at all times.

"It's a necessary evil. I will make sure you see her as often as you desire," Alston barters softly, the tense lines in his forehead only deepening.

A muscle in Onyx's jaw ticks. "Sienna belongs in my pack, as my Luna. I will settle for nothing less."

"I wish I could come back to you, Onyx. I want nothing more than that." I reach out to brush my hand his face, remembering the look on his face right before he asked me to marry him. "But Zion has a legitimate claim to me, and Alston is my best option. At least he will let me see you."

"There has to be another way..."

"We could kill Zion," I bring up weakly.

"How?" Onyx asks.

"I don't know, but we are in his estate, right near him. It would be hard, and we would have to turn his guards against him first, but it can be done," I say, my hope rising with every word. "Alston and I lay claim to the land, but I live with you, in your pack. We can broker deals and treaties. It could work! We could be the strongest allies."

For a moment there is silence. I'm not sure why, but I expected celebration. Killing Zion would eliminate the largest problem before us.

Onyx's voice is grave. "There's a problem with your plan, Sienna."

"What?"
 
"Alston isn't going to kill Zion."

I turn my attention to the man, whose head is bowed, perfectly sculpted curls draping over his forehead.

"What? Of course he would. Right, Alston?"

"He won't because Zion is his only true ally. If this goes wrong, Alston will lose everything, won't you?" Onyx pins him with a stare that a lesser male would shrink under.

"It won't go wrong. We will plan it, make sure nothing can go wrong," I insist.

"I'll think about it." He sounds reluctant, unsure.

So far Alston has been merciful, giving me more free reign to make decisions then I wouldn't otherwise have in this situation. I got so caught up in his good will that I forgot he is also acting in his own self-interest, and him being charitable only extends so far.

"Lying to her already?" Onyx murmurs.

"Give me time to think. Everything I am doing is for both your benefits," he snaps, his eyes darkening. "Do you know how easy it would be to marry her regardless of her wants? How easy it would be to seduce her, to fill her with an heir and have that land for myself—"

Onyx stands swiftly, but I'm already up and standing between them, pinning them both with furious stares in turn.

"That is exactly why we need to be reasonable, Onyx," I remind him slowly, pressing my hand against his chest so he can't advance. "Let Alston think about it. Zion is having us married in a week, so we go through with that then reconvene. A marriage can be broken, so it's not irreversible."

"That is the case in my pack, but marriages are permeant in Zion's pack. Especially between heirs to the throne," Onyx states bitterly, still glaring at Alston.

I falter. "Wait, what?"

Alston holds his hands up defensively. "I didn't know that."

"Shit..." My head collapses into my hands as I sink back down onto the couch.

Onyx crouches down in front of me, taking my hands into his. As nice as it is to fee his touch, I hate knowing my ring isn't on my finger upon Zion's instruction. Instead it's hidden safely where he can't destroy it.

"Marry me instead, while I'm here." He smiles weakly, but it drops the moment he looks at Alston. "If you let me marry her, you can go through the ceremony in front of Zion but it will have no political meaning."

"If she marries you, you can bring her back to your pack. You will have more of a claim to her than Zion," Alston reminds him. "That doesn't benefit me on the slightest."

Onyx sighs, straightening. "I won't call upon that privilege. No one will know, not even my own pack."

"How am I supposed to trust that?"

"Make a contract, a treaty. Allow it to bar me from ever announcing war against you, make it in your favour, I don't care. It will force me to keep my word," he offers tightly.

If he intwines himself in a complex agreement with Alston, who knows what could happen. We've already spiraled deep enough into this mess, and escape from it seems so far away.

"Onyx, it's not worth it..."

"It's more than worth it. If we are married, I know that if Zion turns against you, I can keep you safe. It is all I need to sate me for now," he assures me.

Alston rubs his jaw thoughtfully. "If you marry her, I have no political claim to Zion's pack."

"Draft an agreement for me. I'll sign in favour of giving you power equal to mine within the pack. No one in Zion's pack will know our marriage to be false, so you will have public support," I offer him. "If I breach the agreement, I'll...well, you name the terms."

Now it's Onyx's turn to appear concerned. "Sienna..."

"It's okay. We have to sacrifice something if we want this to work."

It's not the most romantic circumstance to marry my mate and the man I've loved for my entire adult life, but I'll take anything right now. All I know is that I want to be married to him, and not Alston.

"I'll consider those agreements," Alston concedes, loosening a breath. "If I agree, we do the ceremony secretly. I'll draft the contracts tonight, and it will be done tomorrow."

"Thank you Alston." I offer a smile and nothing more, not wanting to incur Onyx's wrath toward him anymore.

He sighs, a dejected slump to his shoulders as he points above him.

"There is a room for you to share upstairs," he tells us. "The staff will guide you."

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