2. Meeting The Enemy

~Zella~

Alpha Declan snorted, ignoring my poison claim. He thinks I might be bluffing, right? How could I have poisoned my own husband? In his mind, it's hard to believe.

A muscle in his jaw twitched. "Ready to surrender? Are you sure? My emissary told me that your husband appeared hostile and wanted to kill him, he doesn't want to surrender," he sneered.

I took a deep breath, swallowing the lump forming in my throat. "Should I bring my husband's dead body here?" I asked, annoyed that he seemed to be doubting my claim that I am very much capable of poisoning my very own husband. I can't blame him though.

"You and your husband seem to have conflicting decisions. So tell me. Who makes the decision in your pack? You or your husband?" he asked, amused as he continued to observe my face closely. He could see desperation flashing in my eyes.

A sigh escaped my lips. "Alpha, the one who made important decisions in our pack is my husband. But you don't have to worry about him anymore. One hour from now, he will die together with his beta. I poisoned them together so that our pack could surrender to you peacefully," I replied, maintaining my calm posture.

Alpha Declan fell into deep thoughts, he's probably wondering if I'm telling the truth or not.

He looked at my face again, silently musing. Heavy doubt was probably raging in his head right now.

I know he wants to dig deeper to uncover why I did it.

He looked me in the eyes as if I'm the devil incarnate and asked, "Are you crazy woman? Why would you poison your own husband?"

His penetrating gaze burned me.

I sighed heavily and began my heartfelt explanation. "I did it because my husband is arrogant and stupid. He doesn't want to surrender and the entire pack will be wiped out because of his pride and ego. I don't want innocent people to die today. It's better to surrender early and live another day."

He was speechless for a moment. He was probably stunned that I spoke like I had no real love for my husband. What kind of wife am I? A rebellious or poisonous one? But I saw in his eyes that he seemed to like my smart ass reply, 'Surrender early and live another day.'

"Why would you want to kill your husband and his beta? Give me a better reason..." he demanded, curious to know the real reason why I did it.

Damn, can he just accept my explanation as it is? Why was he giving me a hard time?

I have no choice but to go all in. "B...because he abused me physically. His favorite pastime is slapping me in the face, punching me or kicking me if I say something that angers him. He punishes me every time he loses big in his gambling activities. In his eyes, I'm his servant, to hurt anytime at his own whim. With his death, I can save myself and the entire pack," I explained calmly without a hint of remorse in my voice.

He chuckled for a moment. "I see. I understand now why you have to do it," he finally said. "But how about his beta? Why did you poison him? What's his story?"

"His beta r*ped two of my maids last month but my husband refused to give them justice so I took revenge for them. I hit two birds with one poison," I replied coldly.

"Wow, what a poisonous woman you are." He cocked a brow. "You are something else. I have never met someone like you before. You are so brave and cunning. So gutsy!"

I released a deep sigh. "I have to be smart in order to survive."

He grinned, amused with my reply. "I like your way of thinking. By the way, are you a poison expert or a healer?" he asked, curious about my identity.

"I know a little bit about making poison and making herbal medicines, but I'm not an expert," I responded in a casual manner.

"Alright, since you already poisoned your husband, we are good. Are you ready now to escort me and my men back to your pack?" he asked, studying my face closely, his eyes gleaming.

I responded calmly, "Yes. But let's wait a few minutes more. My husband is not dead yet. Right now he and his beta were getting weaker and feeling disoriented. Soon they will drop dead on the floor and die."

He erupted in laughter, finding my ruthlessness amusing in his ears.

Then his face turned serious. "Do you know what will happen to you after we take over your pack?"

I nodded my head. "Yes, I know. The women are spoils of war. You will bring all the beautiful captive women back to the capital to give them to the Alpha King as your gifts and offerings for a successful mission. That's our fate."

He smirked. "How did you know all of this?" he asked, stunned by my knowledge about that issue.

"Because the news traveled fast. We know what you did to the other packs who fought back," I said in a calm tone, meeting his gaze unflinchingly.

He spoke, "And you know already that once we reach the capital, you will become the Alpha King's concubine? Are you ready for that kind of life?"

"Yes. I'm ready. I have no choice. If I escape, you will kill me right?" I asked, observing his reaction.

"You are right. No one can escape me and my men. We will find you wherever you go," he said arrogantly, his tone vibrated with power.

I breathed deeply. "Alright then, I will go with you to the capital willingly and become the Alpha King's concubine," I said, resigning to my fate which coincidentally aligned with my plans.

He chuckled. "All the women were crying, refusing to come with us. But you are different. You are so calm and eager to go to the capital to be my father's concubine. Why are you acting like this? May I know why?" he asked, intrigued by my fearless personality.

I took a deep breath. "Alpha, please stop questioning me. I'm just a nobody from the village nearby who catches my husband's attention and becomes his wife. That's my story. There is nothing special about me."

He smirked. His eyes glinted in suspicion. He could feel that I'm not an ordinary woman. Could he also feel that I'm going to kill his father soon?

We both fell into deep silence, observing each other, aware of each other's actions and emotions.

I'm dying to ask him if he happened to meet Becca, my older sister who entered the Alpha King's mansion two years ago, disguised as one of the new batch of maids serving the royal family.

Our mission is to assassinate the cruel Alpha King. My older sister Becca will go in first. Unfortunately, my sister stopped sending us letters and reports about the status of her mission. We don't know what happened to her inside Alpha King's mansion two years ago. Sadly, our grandmother passed away last year without knowing what happened to my missing sister.

Is Becca still alive?

Worst...her disguise has probably been discovered and they have already killed her or imprisoned her somewhere in the royal palace.

I need to find out what happened to my sister. Only by going to the capital and entering the Alpha King's palace can I investigate my sister's disappearance.

"What are you thinking?" Alpha Declan asked suspiciously. His eyes bored into mine, never leaving my face.

I met his penetrating gaze and smiled demurely, masking my true intention.

Is it safe to ask him about my missing sister? Or is it too early yet to reveal my identity. I don't want to make a big mistake, he might kill me immediately if he finds out that I am eager to go to the capital to be the Alpha King's concubine so I can search for my missing sister and kill his father if I have the chance.

Being an Alpha King's concubine will definitely give me the chance to be closer to the tyrant king and fulfill my mission.

He was observing my face the entire time and saw the flicker of emotion flashing in my eyes.

"Would you like to be my concubine instead?" he suddenly asked.

My jaw dropped to the floor. I was taken aback by his offer.

Is he serious?