The Alpha’s Slave

S POV

When I entered the underground room with the cell, I saw Brianna sitting on the floor. Her face was hidden as she hugged her knees to her chest, and her tiny sobs echoed in the room.

As I got closer, she lifted her head, and her tear-filled eyes met mine. They were like glassy volcanic rocks, glistening with moisture and cracked. I wished I could wipe away those tears and mend those cracks. Seeing her like that, so broken and vulnerable was like a dagger in my heart. It pained me deeply.

Quickly, she got up, moved closer to the bars and held onto them tightly. I stood on the other side, reaching out to touch her hands through the bars. But the moment our hands touched, she let go and cringed backwards, staring at me as if I were a monster. A devil. As if I were everything I didn’t want to be.

“You can’t be doing this to me, Sebastian,” her voice quivered, soaked in tears. It was clear she had been crying since my guards brought her here. “You can’t just keep me locked up in here like I’m some prisoner.”

“Don’t take this the wrong way,” I tried to reassure her. “I’m only trying to protect you-”

“Protect me from what?!” she replied quickly, her voice getting higher pitched as she cut my words short.

“Protect you from making bad choices!” my tone matched hers. “I want to protect you from falling into the hands of people who hurt you in the past. I want to protect you from your stubbornness…. from yourself,” my tone softened as I finished.

She stayed quiet, her lovely glacial eyes fixed on me, blinking with bafflement. It was as if she needed a moment to understand what I had just said. She seemed to be thinking about how to respond.

“First you kissed me—”

“And you kissed me back. You wanted that kiss as badly as I did. Tell me you didn’t like it…Tell me you didn’t like the feel of my lips against yours,” I said without thinking, desperate for her answer.

“That doesn’t matter,” she argued. “You kissing me was a wrong move. I pulled away because I knew it was the right thing to do.”

“As though that wasn’t enough, you still went ahead and said you love me,” I could see the intense pain smouldering in her teary eyes. Her heart was beating fast. I could tell from how unsteady how voice was. But she crossed her arms against her chest to hide her heaving chest, trying to feign strength. “Then you had your guards bring me into this place and lock me up all because I said I was leaving your castle for good. Then you come back here, only to tell me you’re doing this to protect me?” An incredulous scoff escaped her pink, rosy lips. “You’re so unbelievable, Sebastian. I don’t need your protection. I don’t want it. Reserve it for Catherine. She needs it the most. All I ask is that you let me out of this cell. Let me out of this castle so that things will return to the way they were before I arrived… If you don’t want to let me go because of the money you bought me for, then I promise I’ll come up with a way to pay you back once I’m out of here and have something to do.”

My brows pulled into an affronted brow. How could she think of bringing in the auction money into this? Money had no hand in this at all. I just wanted her to see the genuine feelings I had for her. It was clearly written in my eyes. On my face. On my behaviour towards her. But she was finding it difficult to see and accept.

“It’s not about the money. It has no hand in this,” I stated firmly. “I meant it when I said I love…”

“No…” she shook her head in disapproval and raised her hand to stop me from proceeding any further. “Please don’t say it. Look at me. And look at you,” she had me disoriented. Confused as I tried to understand her point. “You’re the Alpha King of two kingdoms united as one. You’re royalty. A high-rank, elite wolf. But I’m only an Omega. A low-rank wolf. A simple girl. A slave,” she tried to fight the excruciating pain that came with saying that. “And you’re also married to one of the most beautiful and territorial woman I have ever seen. Can’t you see the wide gap between us? Our love is impossible… It’s forbidden. So please, don’t say you love me,” she finished and looked away in agony.

Her words left me speechless and glued to the spot. She was affected equally. I knew it. I could feel it. Even though she was fighting it extremely. Her held-back sobs burst out as if they wanted to shatter her. I squeezed the bar harder, wanting to reach out and comfort her. To hold her close and let her know I cared from the depths of my heart. But I remembered she didn’t want that. She wouldn’t approve of it. Since it was impossible and forbidden for us to be close together.

“And where do you plan on going to if I let you go,” I asked, appearing unbothered as I caught her attention. “Have you forgotten that you’re a visitor in this kingdom? You don’t know your way around this place.”

“I’ll manage and find my way back to my kingdom,” she stifled a sob defiantly.

“That’s the problem, Brianna. If I let you go and Hermes happens to see you and reclaim you back as one of his slaves or any of my fellow Alpha Kings recognize you as my slave… sorry,” I apologized, wishing I hadn’t said the word ‘slave’. I didn’t want her to think of herself as that. She was more than that to me. “If they recognize you and report me to the Association of Alpha Kings (AAK), I’ll likely face trial and lose my title as the Alpha King of this kingdom for letting you escape.”

“That’s absolute bullshit,” her brows drew together in an agonized expression.

“And not only that,” I added. “You’ll be punished severely or even worse…executed. Any slave bought at that auction is forever bound to their master. The only time they’re free is if their master dies.”

That hit her very hard. She stared at me, a mix of fear and confusion in her expression. It was overwhelming for her.

“There must be something you…we can do…or come up with,” she came closer. But not close enough for me to reach out and hold her. It was as if she was afraid of me. Was she?… Because I was only trying to protect her?

“I’m sorry Brianna,” I said and slumped my head. “But there is nothing I can do. I have been trying to make you see this. But your hot-headedness and stubbornness always end up getting the better of you. You think I’m hurting you when, in reality, I’m only trying to protect you. You’re now afraid of me and see me as a monster but I’m only trying to prevent you from making a dangerous choice. I know this might be hard for you to take in for now. But with time, you’ll understand that I’m only doing what’s best for you. And until you realize that and change your mind, I’m sorry to tell you that I can’t let you go. I’ll be keeping you here in the meantime.”

I lifted my head and met her gaze. She opened her mouth not once, or twice but thrice to talk. But the words ended up knotting in her throat.

“You’ll still have your usual routine,” I explained, hoping to ease her worries. “Except your movement will be greatly restricted and monitored. The maids will take care of your needs, including meals. They’ll also unpack your luggage. Amelia will be in charge of administering your medication. And will keep you company if you’d like. Whenever you need to use the restroom or bathe, the guards will accompany you to your room and will wait outside. You won’t be expected to do any chores and tasks around the castle. This will go on until you decide otherwise.”

With that being said, I was about to make my way to the door. But she called me back and pleaded, “Sebastian, please, don’t leave me here.”

On turning, I saw her gripping the bars tightly, about to break into another round of tears.Nôvel(D)rama.Org's content.

“Don’t worry. And please stop crying. I’ll never leave you. I’ll be coming every day to check up on you.”

As I headed out of the room and my guards closed the door behind me, I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment and blew out a heavy breath, not knowing how to feel at all.