The Alpha’s Slave

BRIANNA’S POV

Every moment that passed, I yearned for my freedom. I yearned to know what happened to Amelia. Why I hadn’t seen her since that day?

I wanted to talk to the maid who helped me, but she never spoke to me. She just carried out her duties like a programmed robot. Since the poison incident, all the maids now act weird, like they’re afraid and avoiding something. And I didn’t want to ask Sebastian for fear of unwanted consequences.

Sometimes, when he read to me, I had this strange feeling he knew where Amelia was and was punishing her for trying to help me escape. I also felt like he was waiting for me to confess before confronting me about it. Because of that, I didn’t bother asking him.

Surprisingly, armed robbers didn’t attack the castle that night I heard a gunshot at the door. Everything seemed fine, and everyone was alive, as far as I knew. This made me think I might be imagining things. I started worrying that I might be going a bit crazy because I was stuck here and extremely bored like never before. But I could have sworn that was a gunshot.

After Sebastian said that, he started treating me really differently. He looked at me like I was the most fragile thing on earth and spoke to me as if I was a patient with sad thoughts as if he was scared something bad might happen. Somehow, this made me more convinced that he knew about Amelia’s plans for me to escape.

Days and weeks went by. Every day, Sebastian stayed with me in the cell room at night and read to me like he was my private tutor. I liked the books he read, and I even learned to say and understand some words I couldn’t before, though it was tough with everything going on. The last thing I always heard before drifting into sleep was his voice filling my thoughts, keeping me company, trying to make me forget things that were bothering me. It was working, but not entirely. I couldn’t stop thinking of where Amelia was and if he knew of our plan.

When I wake up, I see him sleeping in his chair, snoring peacefully, looking almost like a cherub with his angelic face shining in the morning sun. The book he was reading the night before was always spread on his chest and sometimes on the floor. I look at him and wonder about his plans for me – will this be happening every day? Is he thinking of keeping me locked up in here forever? Or until Hermes and the other Alpha Kings were dead before he could let me go? Time is slipping away, and I can’t take it anymore. This cell is suffocating me, holding me back, and I need to find out what to do with my life. I didn’t want to grow old like this, all caged like an exotic bird.

One night as he was reading to me, I summoned the courage to ask him.

“What are your plans for me…Sebastian?” I asked gently. I was seated on the floor, looking at the full moon blooming in the dark sky. I could see it clearly from the window.Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.

He stopped reading as the eerie silence of the night overtook us.

“What?” He asked. Maybe he didn’t hear me so I asked again.

“What are your plans for me,” I said, still gazing at the moon. My voice was low and defeated, but I knew he would hear me this time. “Are you going to keep me here until I grow old and die? Or until all the Alpha kings from that auction are dead?” I looked at him, our gazes meeting, making me almost nervous as I waited for his reply.

He wanted to say something, but then he sighed deeply and looked away.

“Tell me!” I demanded, standing up and grabbing his attention. “Please tell me… I know you’re trying to protect me, but I just can’t take it anymore. Time is slipping away… this cell is suffocating me. I need to get out of here and move on with my life.”

“Just give me a little more time,” he reassured, his gaze shifting to mine.

“It’s been months already. How much more time do you need? I need an answer now.”

Silence loomed between us like a heavy mist. I could tell the question was making him uncomfortable and he didn’t know how to answer. I regretted putting him in such a tight spot. But I needed an answer. I needed to know his plans for me.

“I just need more time to build trust between us. I want to prove that my intentions for you are good, so you won’t make the rash decision to risk your life by trying to escape again.” He gave me a somewhat scolding look, probably to remind me of my failed escape attempts.

I scoffed, looking at him in disbelief. Not this again. I know what he’ll say next – probably about their shitty Alpha King rules and how he’s trying to protect me from them. But I was fed up at this point. I can take care of myself, and Amelia had the perfect plan and hiding place for me.

His response and expression fully convinced me that he found out about me and Amelia’s plan to escape and as a result, might be punishing her somewhere, just like Hermes did to Lily after he found out she was trying to help me escape his hellhole.

“You don’t want me to escape again? Is that why you took Amelia away? Please, Sebastian,” I pleaded. “Don’t punish her. It wasn’t her fault. The escape plan was all my idea. Please, punish me instead. Just leave her out of this, please.”

After what happened to Lily, I promised not to let anyone else suffer because of me. Amelia is kind and good. She doesn’t deserve that.

“Out of what?” His temper crossed as he quickly stood up. My words swept through him like a storm. He looked at me, so confused and badgered he found it hard to process. “You…you’re trying to leave with Amelia? Again? After…after everything I have done for you…for Amelia…”

Terrible regrets assailed him. He looked hurt and betrayed, which left me confused. I didn’t understand. Was he pretending? Seeing his reaction, I was sure he wasn’t. If he didn’t know about our plan to escape, then where was he keeping her?

“You know what?” his throat ached with hurt, misery that was so acute it was a physical pain. “This was a mistake…. all this was a mistake. My protection, my company – it can never be good enough for you. You’re a stubborn mule and nothing can ever be enough for you. I have given you everything,” he pinched his nose bridge, squeezing his eyes shut as if everything he was saying was extremely hard for him. “For goodness sake, I fired a maid because of you… I hate my wife because of you!…”

“And I never asked you to do any of that,” I chimed in and he looked at me in shock and disbelief.

“Fine, you want to leave? Tomorrow morning, I’ll set you free. Tomorrow, you’ll be free to go wherever you want. I don’t care anymore about what happens to you. I’ve cared enough, and it’s only been to my detriment… and Amelia… I just can’t believe she could do something like this to me…”

He angrily stuffed the book and blanket he came with into his bag and zipped it up. I’ve seen him angry at Catherine many times, but this anger was different. It seemed like a painful anger that went deep into his soul. He grabbed the bag and gave me one last look.

“Goodnight and goodbye, Brianna Campbell. It was nice knowing you,” his words before he angrily walked out.