Sold To The Alphas I Hate novel Chapter 378

Chapter 378: Hurtful Past

Kael’s POV

"Back then, our royal family upheld an old tradition," Alpha Gerald began. "We had an oracle. A usual practice in the royal family, the oracle from the same family lineage that served each generation of ours with loyalty."

His voice carried neither pride nor superstition. Only remembrance.

"When my mate was expecting a child, the oracle revealed that our baby would be unique. A rare pureblood with immense power. So, from that very day, we took precautions. We decided to conceal our child’s gender at birth and raise her as a son until she came of age and found her fated mate."

He paused before continuing.

"A fated mate is the only one who would never trade her away for power. Never harm her. He would be her protector. And such a mate would not be an ordinary Alpha. Nature does not bind souls carelessly. It selects equals."

I listened carefully. But inside I knew I, her fated, had failed at protecting her.

"If we had never found her fated mate," he went on, "we would have continued raising her as our son. We would not have risked exposing her ever."

His gaze settled on me.

"But when you arrived here with your parents, the oracle informed us that you were her fated mate. She recognized you immediately."

A faint memory from the past stirred within me.

"Later, when my mate allowed you to touch her belly, it was not an act of courtesy. It was her way of confirming it. The child reacted differently under your touch. Iris felt the connection between you and our child pass through her own skin. That assured us you were indeed my daughter’s fated mate."

I let out a low breath, faintly amused. "No wonder I was allowed to touch her belly."

At the time, I had found it surprising but not suspicious. Luna Iris herself had invited me to feel the child move.

Then another thought struck me.

"That means you were not the only ones aware of the bond," I said slowly. "Someone else knew what your child was. And how she was connected to me."

My gaze sharpened. "Where is that oracle?"

"She was killed. Shortly before our child was taken."

The air between us grew heavier.

"The one who sought our daughter must have silenced her," he continued. "She would never have betrayed us. Her lineage had served the royal family for generations. Their loyalty was sworn beyond death. But her entire family was wiped out that night."

His jaw tightened.

"That night," he said quietly, "unknown enemies infiltrated our territory. They entered our home. They took our child."

"A powerful witch helped them," I added.

He nodded slowly. "We felt the black magic. It was suffocating. The attack was meticulously planned."

His eyes darkened with memory. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

"I pursued them myself," he said. "I chased them beyond our borders to get my child back. But they vanished. As if swallowed by nothingness."

A strained breath escaped him.

"I searched for years. Those around me who aided the enemy had already been killed to erase all traces. There were no clues left behind. Eventually, I had no choice but to accept that we had lost her."

People around him had betrayed him, no wonder he kept his son in such strong protection until now. He didn’t trust anyone around him now.

His voice wavered only once.

"Those were unbearable years. For me. And especially for my mate."

I remained silent for a moment before speaking.

"I did not even know my own child existed," I said quietly. "If that brings you any comfort in knowing you were not alone in your failure as a father."

A bitter understanding passed between us.

"We are failures," he said. "Despite our power. I would trade this strength for an ordinary life if it meant holding my child by my side."

"She may even find comfort in knowing she has blood relatives, a family. That she was not abandoned by choice."

"I want to believe that," he said quietly. "If she accepts us, we will give her everything she lacked. We will make up for what she lost."

There was sincerity in his promise.

After a moment, I asked something that had long lingered in my mind.

"Have you ever encountered the elderly couple who raised her? The ones who appeared at the council and claimed her as their granddaughter?"

He shook his head slowly. "No. They must have entered her life after she was taken. Those who abducted her would not have kept her in one place. They would have erased all traces, ensured she remained hidden."

His jaw tightened.

"The witch who aided them likely handled it. Severing a child’s trace from her parents is difficult, but not impossible with dark magic."

He was right.

A child born and raised under her parents’ roof carries their scent, their spiritual imprint, their invisible mark. Even among hundreds, a parent can identify their own child just with that connection.

But time erodes that bond. Distance weakens it further. Years of separation had dulled the connection between Eira and her true parents.

When she stood before him at the council for the first time, he felt no connection with his daughter and failed to recognise her. The time and separation had erased the connection.

The reason why they took away Raven from Eira the moment he was born, to avoid her leaving any connection with him.

He exhaled slowly before looking at me again.

"What is your plan for those bastards?" he asked. "Because I can’t wait to get my hands on them."

"I understand your sentiments and anger, but we have to be patient to get rid of it all at once," I said, "Leaving even a slightest chance for failure is not my habit."

He controlled his emotions. "I will do everything to help you."