The Alpha's Mistress ??

Word Count: 2233

~Sienna

I wander down the stairs, my stomach in knots.

Today is important. I have to get this right. Christian is taking me to see Onyx, wherever he is, and if I don't play my cards right, he will revoke our deal.

I know I won't be able to free my mate from whatever predicament he is in today, but I hope to get my eyes on him to make sure he's okay. I doubt he's comfortable, which means I have to work on getting out of here as soon as possible.

Christian is waiting for me in the main foyer, swinging his arms and wandering around the place like he owns it.

Considering the control he exerts, he basically does.

"How are you feeling this morning, sister?" He asks as a greeting, his smile swallowing his entire face.

I cross my arms over my chest as I come to stand before him, trying not to fidget in the ill-fitting clothing he supplied me. I don't want to think about who he's conned or stolen from to obtain them from me.

"How do you think?"

"Alright." He claps his hands together, ignoring my bluntness. "I hope you don't mind, but I'm going to need to blindfold you."

He produces a strip of black cloth from his back pocket, holding it out in front of me. I take a step back, repulsed by the notion of being completely at his whim.

"Seriously?"

"I can't have you know where I'm keeping your mate," he explains tightly. "I'm choosing to hope you'll become accustomed to your life here and won't make any stupid decisions. But just to be safe, I need to put this on you."

My jaw tightens as I consider my options, which are incredibly slim. If I deny him, I'll miss out on a chance to see Onyx, which isn't a choice I can make.

"I'll never get used to this, or you," I mutter, turning my back to him.

He comes up behind me, draping the cloth over my eyes before he begins to tie tightly around my head. "We'll see."

Once the blindfold is secured, he grabs my forearm and leads me outside. I keep quiet as I'm hustled into a transport, unable to see a thing other than a sea of darkness.

We travel for a while. At first, I try to decipher where we are heading, but I quickly become confused as we begin to turn many corners, and at some point, go off road.

By the time we reach our destination, I have no idea where we are, and have no way of tracking this place back down again.

Christian guides me out, tugging the blindfold off me.

I shield my gaze against the midmorning light, which feels unnaturally bright despite there being decent cloud cover. Blinking a couple times, I let my eyes adjust before focusing on what is in front of me.

"Take a look around. You won't recognise this place," Christian says, resting his hands on his hips.

The place is an old shack in the middle over an overgrown paddock. I take a look around, seeing nothing for miles except the beaten dirt track that led us here, and miles of grassy hills.

Well, I can tell we are still in Zion's pack, at least. I recognise this biome from when I went walking through it.

"It's derelict," I deadpan, scrunching my nose up at the pocked and sagging walls, filmy windows and caved in roof.

Christian grins as he approaches it. "A perfect place for your lover."

I only glare at the back of his head, following him inside.

We enter into an empty, ruined space. For a moment I'm confused, until Christian pulls back a wooden trap door in the floor, revealing chipped concrete steps leading down into the shadows.

He motions for me to go first. I swallow thickly, looking down the stairs, then back up at him.

What other choice do I have?

The rustling of chains greets me as I slowly step down the grimy steps. It takes my eyes a while to adjust to the shadows again, slats of light streaming through the floorboards above me providing enough visibility.

I stop short as I see three figures chained to the floor, their bodies slumped as they sit in awkward positions.

Onyx is to my left, Lucia is against the far wall, and Alston is to my right. They all look beaten and ragged, dirt smeared across their skin, and on some of them, blood as well.

"Onyx..." I rush up to my mate, who turns his head to groggily peer at me. They all look like they've been sleeping, or have been unconscious.

"Sienna, you're here." He smiles weakly, although is dims when he sees Christian standing behind me near the stairs. He watches in uncanny silence.

I look over my shoulder, where Alston is trying his best to rub his eyes despite the chains weighing his arms down. "Why is he here?"
 
"He's a close confidant of Zion's," Christian responds, folding his arms over his chest. "I'm covering my bases."

He's ensuring there is no one can get in the way of his plans.

After I inspect Onyx for injuries, which seem to be minimal, I look over to Lucia. She's wearing her night clothing, and her hair is dishevelled.

"Lucia, are you okay?" I ask breathlessly.

"I'm managing. What is going on?" She questions, looking up at Christian warily.

"Christian kidnapped me and is forcing me to live in Zion's manor like we're some kind of demented family," I tell them, slipping my hand into Onyx's.

The immense relief to see him and Lucia is alive is overwhelming. They aren't seriously hurt, which gives me a chance to get them free.

Christian sighs, looking I'm not understanding. "We are a family. You will realise it soon."

"Are you okay, Sienna? Are you hurt?" Onyx asks, sitting up a little to inspect me.

"No, I'm okay," I assure him, squeezing his hand. "You disappeared the other night. When I woke up, I was in Zion's home."

"I was lured by a guard outside and then attacked suddenly and drugged," he explains, grimacing. "Is Zion in on this?"

"No. Christian has him tied—"

"The details don't matter," Christian cuts in irritably. "Now, you've seen your mate. Are you going to comply with my demands now?"

I shake my head. The thought of leaving Onyx again tears at my insides, but I know Christian won't let me stay here. If I want to get everyone free, I'm going to try everything.

"You need to let them go," I tell Christian sternly.

She shakes his head. "That is not happening."

"Why don't you free them, and then we'll talk?" I'm trying to appeal to him, but I know he doesn't trust me. He has no reason to, when Onyx would kill him the moment he is free from the binds.

"I don't think so."

"Free them, and you can take me away, wherever you want. We won't tell anyone where we are going. We can start a life together as a family."

He pulls a face. "And have your mate hunt us down for the rest of our lives? Not happening."

My mate is staring Christian down with a sharpness that could kill. My brother keeps trying to avoid his stare, but I can see him shifting anxiously.

He knows he's chained down one of the most powerful people in the land. If he gets free, there is nowhere Christian can go to escape him.

"Please, Christian," I beg.

"You've seen them alive, that was our agreement," I bites back, his cheeks reddening. "We should leave."

I stand, approaching him tentatively. "I want some time with them. We didn't come all this way for me to not."

I can't go back to Zion's, not yet. Being there is torture, and being away from Onyx is even harder. I don't even intend to conspire with them about our escape. I just want to be in my mates proximity.

Christian's jaw hardens. "No."

"I will not comply with anything you want if you don't give me this," I growl, gesturing at him.

He sighs through his nose, scanning the area thoughtfully. He's weighing the benefits, but ultimately, I know he wants to please me. He has no chance of making the family he wants if he doesn't.

"Fine. You get ten minutes. I'll be upstairs," he grumbles.

Everyone stays quiet as he hurries up the steps. I listen out, to make sure there's a bit of distance between him and us before I turn back to the three of them.

"Sienna, you have to get us out of here," Alston insists, his arctic blue eyes glowing in the shadows.

"I know, I'm trying," I hiss. "Do any of you know where this building is located?"

"No, we have no idea. We were all drugged," Lucia sighs.

"Shit." I rub my forehead, trying to think, but it's impossible past the haze of panic over my brain. "Once he gets me away from here, I won't know how to get back without him escorting me."

I doubt he'll let me visit again. Not without me having to make some kind of bargain with him.

Concern presses between Onyx's brow as I settle close to him again, his presence putting me at ease.

"Don't put yourself in any danger," he murmurs.

"Your brother is going to kill us. I can feel it." Alston groans, leaning his head back against the concrete wall.

"I won't let that happen," I assure him. "He knows that if he hurts any of you, he'll lose my compliance forever."

Christian is doing all of this for my validation. It puts me in a position to negotiate, but he won't accept any of my terms that put him in danger.

He may believe this is for the sake of family, but it's his own selfish reasons motivating the kidnapping of me and everyone I love.

I just hope Alex is okay, wherever she is.

"Then you have to string him along. Make him think you might end up being the family that he wants until you can figure out how to get out of there," Onyx says.

"Don't make it too obvious, though," Lucia adds pointedly.

Alston nods. "Exactly. If he could outsmart us, then he's clearly intelligent enough to see through your lies."

I would roll my eyes, if the situation wasn't so grave. I'm lucky Alston is chained up, at least. After what he did the last time I saw him, I feel much safer this way.

"I don't know...he's clearly delusional if he thinks this plan can make a family." I lower my voice to a hushed whisper, not wanting him to overhear.

Onyx adjusts the shackle on his wrist with a wince. "Appeal to the side of him that is hopeful, that wants a family. Use it to get what you want."

I nod. "Okay, I will."

"Put yourself first, though. You're the most important," he breathes, smiling up at me weakly.

"Really, Onyx? Trying to sacrifice us for your mate?" Alston drawls, making me feel sorry that my mate and Lucia are stuck in the same room with him like this.

"I'm not," he snaps. "Sienna is our best chance of getting out of there."

Alston eyes me, looking unsatisfied with that reality.

"I'm trying to get Zion to side with me, but he's stubborn. He's refusing to believe Christian has any relation to him," I say.

Onyx shrugs. "That's probably for the best. That way, Zion won't side with Christian and give him any power."

I could laugh at that idea. Zion will never give up an ounce of his power to his own bloodline.

"Should I...should I kill Zion?" I ask warily.

"No, that will only put you in more danger. Bide your time," Onyx exclaims carefully.

I would kill Zion, if I had to. I'll kill Christian, when it comes down to it, and I won't blink. Not after what he's done to me and my family.

I reach out, brushing my thumb along the sweat slicked ridge of his cheekbone. "I'm not sure when I'm going to see you again."

"Don't worry about us. Focus on escaping." He kisses the inside of my hand tenderly.

"I better go." My words come out choked and uneven, emotion catching in my throat. "I love you."

"I love you too," he whispers.

"This is torture," Alston groans.

I rise, giving everyone one last thorough look over. "I'll do what I can to return if I get a chance."

None of them look assured, but I know I won't give up on them. I'm going to fight to free them, no matter what it takes.

Lucia's voice floats up behind me as I ascend the stairs. "Good luck, Sienna."

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