The Alpha’s Prisoner

Three

I fall into my bed and cry into my pillows. I think about how to escape my fate. Then I think about how life can be like with the barbarians. If I marry their king, I was going to be touched by him. I was going to be f****d by him. Like an animal.

My thoughts shift to the Alpha wolf in prison. I wasn’t able to tell father what I’d discovered, not that it didn’t matter anymore but it could put me in trouble especially now that my step mother had him wrapped around her fingers.

I need to do something about it. So I wipe my tears, put on more makeup and head out like I didn’t just receive the most disastrous news of my life.

I head to the library and stack books all carrying information about werewolves. Perhaps I might find something regarding their power. Regarding how he was able to get in my head so easily. Why he made me feel the things I felt.

I’d known a lot about werewolves. They were faster than us humans, they had sharper senses, they could transform into wolves and run on all fours. They worship a different god called the moon goddess and they were unreasonable, violent and evil. There was nothing good about them.

Hours passed.

The first book I read was about a girl who was bitten by a wolf and became one of them. It was the first time I’d heard of that possibility. I couldn’t imagine that happening to me. I’d rather die.

As for the second book, I’d thought it was what I was looking for especially since it started by highlighting what kind of powers werewolves possessed. Unfortunately, they didn’t mention anything about them being able to get into a person’s head., but instead went to talk about how a queen was coming to save them.

Total bullshit. I drop the book with a frustrating groan and the door opened just then.

I turn my head to see my teacher, Sylus, walking inside the library.

He takes a pause when he sees me, a bit surprised.

“It’s strange to see you in a library of all places, Irina.”

“Is it that strange?” I ask as I stand. “I just had something to check.”

Sylus gives me a suspicious look. He glance at the closed door once before he starts to come closer to me as he whispers. “Does it have to do with our Alpha prisoner?”

“What?” I step back, a bit startled. “I don’t care about him.” I try to make my voice sound as nonchallant as I can manage. I can’t have Sylus knowing I felt this way about the prisoner. That I felt… I felt like protecting him.

“Are you sure?” Sylus leans closer. “The guards told me you were there yesterday.”

“I was there to see how much he was suffering after the torture father put him through.”

Sylus looks like he doesn’t believe a word I say but he leans back and doesn’t look like he is going to pursue it. His face is schooled to look expressionless as he walks forward and tries to reach for a book.

“I heard the King of the north asked for your hand.”

My blood runs cold and my fingers digs into the book I am holding. “So what?”

“Do you want to marry him?”

He was the first person who actually asked if I was willing to. Probably the only one who cared enough to ask. And not force it upon me for the good of the kingdom.

“It’s not like I have a choice.” I said and move my gaze to a corner behind him. “There’s a ladder over there. You can use it.”

“Thanks, princess.” He went to get the ladder and returned to get the book he’d been reaching for.

Though half of the front page of the book was torn, I could still see the title.

The blood of a wolf.

Perhaps it was for one of his experiments.

“Let’s go.” Sylus looks at me and I give him a puzzled look.

“Didn’t you say you wanted to be in charge of the experiment on the Alpha wolf. Well, here is your chance.”

My mouth curves into a grin. I’d say that and I’m sure as hell not backing out.

I pick up Sylus’s equipment stashed in a black bag and Sylus begins to read the book from the library as we walk to the dungeon.

The guards didn’t give us any trouble and I knew that was because Sylus already had a pass. Sylus was about twice my age. Intelligent, a scientist.

Mother had wanted me to learn from him since I was a kid. I’ve never taken this work seriously though. Most of the time I find it sick.

I’d watch as he takes apart an animal and record their reactions to whatever sick things he’d thought of doing to them. I could never be like him.

But I do respect him.

We climb several stairs and finally arrive at the Alpha cell. For some reason, my heart starts to thump wildly as my gaze falls on the blood covered body in front of us.

The Alpha’s eyes were closed. His chest, rising and falling in a rhythmic beat. I saw the place I’d stabbed him at the shoulder. It was almost fully healed.

In fact, it almost looked like nothing had happened.

Sylus also noticed that and frowned. “That is fast.”

“Is it unusual?” I ask.

“A normal werewolf can heal from a silver stab but it’d take several days. Five at least. For a powerful Alpha like him, perhaps three. But to have healed overnight— I have never heard of it.”

There’s more he didn’t know. He could also get in my head. I wondered if I should tell him that and how much trouble it is going to put me in. At the end, I shut my mouth and watch as Sylus opens the cell and steps in.

The Alpha’s eyes flies open. He seems weak yet his eyes shine with brilliance the moment they open and lock with mine immediately.

“Little lamb.” He smiles a smile that makes me feel shivers run down my spine. “Came with company today.”

“You’re almost fully healed.” Sylus points out, eyes roaming over the Alpha’s body. He was tortured a lot yesterday yet all those injuries, all those cuts and burns were healing quickly. “Did a healer visit you or what?”

“No. Only a very curious lamb.” The Alpha’s eyes were fixed on me the whole time and I notice how Sylus drags his gaze to my face. I shift uncomfortably, afraid he’d find out what I’d discovered yesterday.

“Shut up.” I say nervously and turn to my teacher. “What do you need from him? I can help.”

“Blood.” Sylus calls and I freeze. “But I can get it myself. You don’t have to worry.”

I bit my lips as Sylus readied a dagger. I notice how it is specially made from silver. So it’d hurt more.

Dread fills me. I want to stop him from doing it. From hurting him. And I know it’s insane to feel that because that is how I know he is in my head again.

“Let the girl do it.” The Alpha calls, making me go as stil as a statue. He shares a challenging glare with Sylus and at the end, Sylus hands me the dagger.

“Make sure you cut in deep.” He whispers to me and steps out of the cell as he picks up that strange book and starts to look through it as if he was looking for a specific information.

I swallow hard and step closer to the alpha. The smell of dried blood hit me first and I scrunch my nose.

“Stay still.” I command and see him roll his eyes.

“I’m chained up like an animal. It’s not like I can move if I wanted to.”

“You’re chained up because you’re an animal. Don’t act like a victim.”

“Is that why you’re afraid of coming closer, little lamb?” He whispers, a grin forming at the corner of his lips. “Afraid I might bite you after last night?”

I will myself to not answer to his provocations, but I find myself stepping closer. As if to prove a point.

He grins a devilish grin and whispers. “Won’t you like to continue our conversation from last night? I can see you have a lot of questions for me. I can ahh—“

I cut into his arms with the dagger and made sure it went deep enough. I hold my breath to avoid the smell and then place the vial to collect his blood.

I had a million questions for him, yes. And I’d get my answers. But not on his terms.

“You really like to talk don’t you?”

“Just to you.” He says, and I see the sweat breaking out on his forehead.

Good. I was glad that hurt him a lot.

I hand the vial of his blood to Sylus and just before I step out of his cell, he whispers to me.

“Visit me tonight. Alone. And I’ll tell you everything you want to know.” The way his eyes twinkled with this strange light, I knew it was too good to be true but then I find myself considering his offer.

I find myself looking forward to it. And In all of this, that is what scares me. That he already has so much power over me.