Possession or Obsession

JULIETTE

The silk beneath me was soft against my skin, nothing like I had ever felt or seen. It was Darius’s spreadsheet, a luxury that seemed to have a trick of its own, trying to lure me into forgetting what I truly was, but the cold chains around my ankle and wrist served as a cruel reminder of what I was…

A captive.

I tried to sleep comfortably as I had bragged to Darius, but my body refused peace, my shoulders ached after just an hour of lying on this bed. I couldn't twist or turn on the bed, even when my body screamed at me to move.

It was pure torture, lying on a comfy mattress, and surrounded by soft sheets. Darius had struck again, making me uncomfortable as hell, but I refused to surrender, not tonight, not ever.

I closed my eyes, steadying my breath. I needed to do something to calm my restless mind and fall asleep. In the quiet moment, I recalled a lullaby my mother used to sing while she was alive. It was her best trick in putting me to sleep, and each time I tried to learn it, I ended up falling asleep.

However, tonight, I had to dig deep into my memory and listen, hoping the song would come to me.

*Beautiful flowers, a lush of pink hues.*

*Surrounded by bees that wish to nurture.*

The words came by in bits, until my mouth moved in unison. I hummed to the sound I remembered, unsure of the lyrics.

“Beautiful flowers, a lush of pink hues…”

“Surrounded by bees that wish to nurture.”

I yawned, still humming the tunes and trying to recall the rest of the words my mother used to sing.

I repeated the words I knew, “Beautiful flowers…”

I yawned again, adjusting my body as much as I could, another yawn…

And then everything went still.

DARIUS

She started with a hum in the quiet room, her voice was surprisingly melodious, blending perfectly with whatever she was trying to sing.

I rubbed my chin slowly as I watched her carefully, her back facing me, her once tensed shoulder slowly began to ease, her hair sprawled on the bed, her frame looked even smaller as she struggled to curl up on the bed.

Her humming stopped, and only the soft sound of her breathing reached my ears.

She had done it, found sleep despite being bound in heavy chains. The sight should have grown dull by now, but instead it fueled something inside me.

Desire? No, it wasn't that, desire was a fleeting feeling for me, a hunger I could easily satisfy.

This was something deeper, something rooted deep in my soul. Someone besides me was lying on my bed, an Omega, a slave, a nobody, who had succeeded in stealing my attention with that fiery spirit of hers.

Juliette was the first of everything I never dreamed of witnessing from her kind, the other Omegas gave up easily, they crumbled and begged even before I spoke, but not her, she spat venom at me every single chance she got, she raised her chin when others bowed their heads, her eyes burned with fury while the others cowered in fear.

Her resistance remained her weapon, and I find myself trying to destroy that weapon multiple times, yet the thought of her losing this spark contradicts the plans I have in mind.

This realization stirred something deep within me; The fact that I cannot let Juliette go.

This wasn't coming from a place of possession, but something far greater. Perhaps Obsession, I was unsure of what exactly it was.

But I knew one thing for sure, that I would never release Juliette, not even if her father stormed in here with all he owed, which I know is nothing but a fantasy. She would remain with me as my property, until I figure out every inch of what makes her Juliette.

A gentle knock on my door pulls my attention away from Juliette's beautiful and peaceful frame.

I groaned, wondering who was daring to disrupt my peace at such a late hour. I left my chair, heading towards the door, and I partly pulled it open on arrival.

Cole, my Beta, stood there with a cheesy look that made me roll my eyes. “Why are you here?”

“Am I disrupting something?” he wiggled his brows, smiling sheepishly.

“It is late, state the reason you came here and leave,” I said, hitting the nail on the head, I had no time for long talks.

He raised his hand in surrender, then reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope.“ Alpha Rowan sent this,” he said, and I took it from him. “A new treaty from the Vilecrest pack, someone is desperate to end the rivalry between our packs.”

I stared at the light object in my hand with disinterest. The address and signature of Rowan were etched on the surface, but it didn't prove legitimacy.

“Prepare the messenger, I will have my response ready by tomorrow.”

I closed the door, and opened up the letter, pulling out the parchment paper. What seemed like a long decree rested on the paper in dark ink.

I glanced through, taking bits from the words written. According to this letter, Rowan was requesting my presence in his pack, seeking my opinion and approval on his recent agriculture projects.

A silly attempt to create an alliance to rip off funds from my pack. This wasn't the first attempt Alphas like him made to get funding for projects that their greediness pushed them to start up.

I walked over to my desk, grabbed a pen and parchment paper, scribbling down my refusal to be a part of his plans. I would rather continue to live with the fact that our packs have stood as rivals for years, rather than merge on a weak link of support. I wrapped up the letter and slid it into a fresh envelope of my own.

With this direct response, he has no choice but to accept my rejection and find someone else to prey on.

I left my desk and returned to my chair, resuming my watch on Juliette.