The Alpha Assassin novel Chapter 7

Everything seemed to settle down in the next few days. At least, I didn’t hear of any new developments, and like the ignorant assholes they were, The Alpha and Luna seemed to forget about the incident completely. You know, the small incident of an allied Alpha’s only son getting murdered inside your packhouse..probably nothing to worry about.

I spent time in the kitchens, idly arranging flowers there and listening to the gossip of the omegas. But that’s all it was, gossip. There weren’t any new developments, thankfully, no evidence.

The visiting Alpha and Luna left with their son’s body. I was still waiting to hear if they found anything, but if Alpha Raymond got a call about it, he didn’t share it in front of me.

I brushed my hair idly in the mirror, resuming my nightly position before Alice came in and helped me brush it again before dinner. I wondered if she was smarter than she let on if she was a spy for them. She never asked questions, though, and never seemed to notice anything, as if I gave her anything to go off of.

A soft knock, softer than even Alice’s, came at the door. I narrowed my brows, “Come in,” I called, composing my face.

A blonde omega scuttled into the room, looking around after she silently closed the door behind her.

Was Alice being replaced? She was with me for longer than the others, but I thought that was just because they forgot or considered me domicile enough to have an ongoing interaction with one person.

“Hi,” I said after a few silent moments, “Are you replacing Alice?” I tugged at my hair nervously and chewed my lip. I tried to look anxious, but this girl was so skittish I was no match.

“No, I shouldn’t be here,” She shook her head, meeting my eyes with her wide green ones. “I just wanted to thank you,” she said, taking a step in.

“For what?” I cocked my head, tugging my brows together. But I remembered her; I knew who she was the second she looked at me. She was the omega that filth Alpha’s son was about to r.ape.

“You stopped him.” She shifted from foot to foot. “If you wouldn’t have come in during our conversation, I would have -” Her voice broke.

I made my face soften. “Oh,” I said, “It was just lucky timing; I was heading back to my room.”

She shook her head violently, “You stood up for me.”

I gave her a small smile; this wasn’t ideal. I didn’t want to be on anyone’s radar, especially one that could potentially tie me with a motive, however improbably.

“I just wanted to say thank you; you don’t know what that means, what you did. So many of us, I mean..” She trailed off and rubbed her neck, where I saw a fresh mark now present.

“You’re marked,” I commented, trying to change the subject.

“I am.” Her smile was brilliant, and she looked at ease for the first time since she walked into my room.

“But there are so many others that had more unfortunate outcomes.” Her face fell. She really wouldn’t give this up, would she?

I nodded, tugging my brows together and putting on a frown.

“The ranked members turn a blind eye when it happens to omegas,” She scoffed, looking down at her feet, “We tried; they did, at least, in the past. The Alpha and even the Luna made it go away. Well, made the omegas leave or shut up. They didn’t do anything to the people that actually did or tried anything.” Her face was set now in an angry determination.

“Can you leave?” I whispered, “The pack?”

I didn’t realize that things like this must have happened before. I wasn’t looking out for it; the signs were probably there. I felt guilt wash through me, something I hadn’t felt in years.

“Can you?” She asked, meeting my eyes.

“It’s a bit different,” I explained gently, “There are other packs for you-”

“I don’t think we would be treated better there.” She bit her lip, “I’ve seen other ranked members, seen what they have done and gotten away with,” she swallowed, shaking her head, “No, I got lucky, and I just wanted to thank you. We wanted to thank you.”

Who were we? I didn’t dare ask.

I wanted to tell her that ranked members weren’t all like that, my parents, for one, and our allies. I have never seen such mistreatment as I had seen here and with Blood River’s allies.

“Thank me?” I repeated quietly.

“For saying something, it was more than anyone else would have.” I hated that I believed her. “It doesn’t matter,” A small smile played on her lips, and her green eyes glistened. “He’s dead down anyways.” Her smile widened, and I forced myself not to return it.

“He is,” I agreed, looking far away.

“I’m glad.” She breathed out.

I nodded a bit, not sure what else to say. I wouldn’t say anything about his death. Better to keep on completely neutral grounds. I didn’t want to speak anything she could misinterpret or could come back to bite me in the ass.

“I have to go. I owe you, though. Thank you, Simone.”

“You’re welcome..”

“Tia.” She smiled before sneaking out.

A favor, not one I could cash in for anything big, but if she believed she owed me, if she thought we were friends, maybe I could use this to my advantage.

A week passed, and still nothing. I felt confident enough to move on with my plan. My birthday was coming; ideally, I would have them taken out within the next few weeks.

I could poison them all at once, but where was the fun in that?

I wanted Alpha Raymond to know someone was coming for him, starting with his shitty, perverted sons and then his pathetic mate.

I craved this revenge; I needed it. I planned for it for years and worked toward this. I would savor every moment of it, and I wanted them to suffer.

“Simone, what dress for tonight?” Alice asked.

“Whatever you think is best,” I offered a smile.

I saw her brows tug in the mirror. “But what if I choose the wrong one?”

“For dinner?” I clarified.

“The warrior dinner, the first part of the challenge for the Alpha Title. Warriors come from the nearby packs, and the Alpha’s sons choose trainers for the upcoming trials.”

I didn’t have to feign surprise; I had no idea this was going on. I mentally flipped back through conversations and remembered a few small things about warriors and guests, but not an event.

“It’s just a parade of warriors, nothing big. The real show starts next week.” Alice tried a smile.

I knew that much. Luna Addison talked of nothing but that party that would start the trials. She was too excited for someone that she might lose one or more of her sons in the process. The whole thing sounded so medieval, but it fit this drafty castle home and the dated furnishings.

“Oh, I didn’t know.” I met Alice’s eyes in the mirror. “Any dress is fine.”

I was internally punishing myself, I couldn’t slip this close. How did I miss this event? Was it moved up? I didn’t dare ask Alice.

She came back with a yellow dress and showed it to me with a flourish. “Perfect.” I looked it up and down, internally wincing at the hideous gaudy dress.

The event wasn’t that different from a normal dinner; besides, the dining table was re-arranged and pushed to a side so that we all sat on one side of the table facing the massive empty open. It felt courtly; I guess these people were similar to royalty. The undeserving royals of the werewolf world, I thought dryly.

“Oh, you’re here.” Luna Addison looked at me; her eyes widened. Her bleached hair was piled high, and she was wearing a long blue dress that might have looked good if it wasn’t on her.

“I thought it was dinner time.” I looked around the room.

“Now, you’ll do as I say, won’t you?”

I had enough sense to realize that he hadn’t said anything to me. I was with it enough to know that there was no sense or pattern to these punishments. But then again, maybe they were just to break me further. Or maybe, I was so broken already that these were for an obvious reason I was missing.

But who was administrating these random beatings? The Alpha that took me, whose name I still didn’t know? Where was I, anyways?

“Get up, bitch,” He spat, yanking my hair, so I looked at him. He must have seen nothing but the void I was so far in. “I swear if you-”

There was a sound in the hall, and he dropped my head, running to the door.

“How is she? She needs food.” A soft voice said.

“Just checking on her; she’s sleeping; come back later,” He responded, shutting the door. I didn’t know what side of the door he was on, and I didn’t care.

Minutes, hours, days, weeks, or months passed…

“Let me in.” A shrill voice I heard before demanded.

The door was opened by an omega that haphazardly bathed me. “She has some bruises, Luna,” The omega said, maybe with a hint of concern or confusion.

I always had bruises from him.

“Probably from malnourishment.” The person, The Luna, responded.

A head of overly bleached hair that reminded me of straw came into view; she sneered down at me. She looked familiar, but I couldn’t place her.

The lines between reality and the void were slippery now. I couldn’t tell if I was awake or dreaming sometimes. But it was better than feeling. Anything was.

“Like my coat?” She stroked the white fur that danced in the low light of the fire. It reminded me of moonlight, happiness, and stars.

“Familiar?” She asked, and it was, but I couldn’t remember why. “It was your mother's coat. Well, I should say her fur.” She cackled.

Ice rushed through my veins, waking me up. Adrenaline and fire pumped through me. She was out the door before I could do anything. But it awoke me and pulled me from a forgotten place where all I knew was numbness, sadness, and defeat.

The fire raced through me, turning my pain into fiery anger I couldn’t control.

I took a deep breath and found my purpose.

I was an Alpha’s daughter, Alpha blood runs through me from an unbroken line.

I will watch them die at my own hands.

He came back the next day; judging by how my bruises healed, he would come in every few days. I knew that now, I was aware enough to figure out things like time and that these beatings were, in fact, random.

He usually kept his blows away from visible areas, which I found interesting. I was happy to realize I had found something interesting again.

This time, the punches hurt. Tears pricked my eyes, and helplessness and anger coursed through me. I had to bide my time, get strong again, and he would be at the top of my list.

As he turned from me, I wheezed, “I’m going to kill you, I promise.”

He laughed once. It was a cold twisted sound devoid of any emotion.

“I would love to see you try, bitch.”