Chapter 92 : The Name of the Dark King
*Mila*
As Soren guided me to the entrance, Thomas ran behind me, still in his wolf form.
I glanced back and saw Chandler fighting with Dylan, trying to grab him and hold him down.
The entire tomb kept shaking and big chunks of rock fell from the ceiling, crashing on the floor and making it shudder under my feet.
“Stop acting like a child, you fool!" Dylan shouted at Chandler.
“You're not going anywhere, you murderer," Chandler cried. He grabbed Dylan's leg and hugged it tightly, like a child to his mother when he doesn't want her to leave.
Dylan growled and kicked his leg, trying to shake Chandler off.
“Come on, let's go," Soren said, urging me to the door.
Thomas dodged this way and that to avoid getting hit. We had to get out of there before the entire tomb collapsed!
“You're staying here, with my Luna!" Chandler shouted.
BOOM!
The entire mountain trembled and a giant rock shook loose. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw it falling like it was in slow motion. It was headed right for Felicia's crystal coffin.
“FELICIA!"
Chandler let go of Dylan and dove at the coffin, like he could use his body to shield it from the falling rock.
Another rock came tumbling down and I couldn't see Chandler or the coffin anymore.
Growling, Dylan jumped to his feet. Before any of us could react, he slipped out the door into the tunnel beyond.
“He's getting away!" I shouted.
“We can worry about that later. Right now, we need to get out of here without getting crushed. The tunnels are going to start collapsing soon," Soren told me.
He took my hand and pulled me along. By the way he charged forward, I figured this was the same tunnel he'd come through to get to the tomb in the first place. He seemed to know exactly where he was going.
The tunnel around us shuddered but we didn't have rocks falling all around us anymore.
I took a breath and Soren slowed his pace slightly. He pulled me closer and looped his arm around my shoulders.
“How are you doing?" he asked.
I sighed and shrugged.
“I'm just thinking about Chandler."
Soren arched an eyebrow. “That's not exactly what I was expecting."
I rolled my eyes. “I just mean… he lost his Luna. That alone was a tragedy. But then to be deceived for years… He spent all his time hating the person that tried to help him and helping the one who caused his misery."
“Losing one's mate is enough to rob even the strongest man of rationality."
“He sacrificed his entire pack going after this fantasy dream of bringing her back to life. He was loyal to the one person taking advantage of him and secretly betraying him."
“Mila, you don't need to feel sympathy for him…"
No, I didn't feel sympathy for him.
I sucked in a sharp breath when I thought of Miltern pack. Chandler was the one that cursed them, as retaliation for wrongly believing Helen killed Felicia. For years, Helen's innocent home pack had been living in an emotionless, senseless world, enduring an unjust punishment that should never have been placed on them.
And then there was April, who he actually tortured. That was at Chandler's bidding, if not by his own hand.
Let alone my parents and my pack. Chandler didn't mind destroying another pack just so that he could chase the false hope of using the Blade of Souls to resurrect his Luna.
Yes, he lost his mate, it was a tragedy, but his selfish desires brought irreparable harm to three packs including his own. How could I empathize with such a bastard?
I couldn't. I just felt sad and unworthy.
All of that suffering was caused by a lie. Dylan's lie.
Chandler and Dylan, both of them were unforgivable!
“Stop here a moment," Soren muttered.
Thomas still trailed behind us. He hadn't shifted back yet and I wondered if that was because he didn't have any clothes to wear.
“What is it?" I asked Soren.
“There's light up ahead. We're getting close to the exit."
We sped up even more to get there, but even before I could express my gratitude to the Goddess—
BOOM!
The tunnel around us shuddered and rocks came loose.
“MILA!"
Soren grabbed me and shoved me against a wall, shielding me with his body. I heard the clatter of rocks falling all around us and thick dust filled the air.
I coughed and kept my eyes closed.
I felt Soren step away and I opened my eyes, fanning the air to clear it of the rock dust.
“s**t!" Soren snapped.
He ran in the direction the light had been but now it was dark.
“Our exit is cut off."
“Can we go back?" I asked.
“No… we can't go back."
A shiver ran through me and I heard Thomas growl. Slowly, I turned and saw Dylan leaning against a pile of rocks opposite of Soren.
We were trapped in a tunnel with Dylan! There was no escape. Both ends were blocked off with piles of rock and the four of us were crammed into a space that hardly had enough room for us to comfortably walk around each other.
“Oh, this can't be happening," I grumbled.
The only good thing was, there wasn't enough space for a fight to break out. Dylan was outnumbered and outmaneuvered and he knew it. He wouldn't try anything in such a close space when he was alone and there was no way out.
I glanced at Soren. He looked like he was calculating the odds of whether or not it would be possible to take Dylan out easily. He shook his head and turned back to the stone wall.
“We need to conserve our energy and air," he muttered.
It sounded more like he was trying to convince himself than me but I nodded in agreement.
Reaching into his pocket, Soren pulled out a luminous rock.
“I nabbed this from the tomb," he said, winking at me.
He held it up and I could see that the cave ceiling was only about ten feet up. That didn't leave a whole lot of space. The entire area we were in was only about two hundred square feet. It was the size of a small living room and the four of us were crammed in close.
Thomas, in wolf form, took up a lot of space but he didn't seem willing to shift back. He stood with his back to me and Soren, tail whipping back and forth.
His eyes were fixed on Dylan, who was on the opposite side of the cave.
Soren might not have wanted to fight Dylan, but I could tell that if he made one wrong move, or gave us one wrong look, Thomas would be ready to rip him to shreds.
Fortunately, for the time being, Dylan didn't seem interested in us. He stayed on his side of the cave.
I looked up at the ceiling. “Do you think there could be another cave-in?"
I moved closer to Soren and snuggled up to him.
“I doubt it. We're in a tight space and the places where the tunnel was blocked off provide good support for the ceiling. All in all, we'll be safe from a cave-in right here," Soren said, hugging me against him.
“But… we'll run out of air?"
“Eventually. We've got enough for a while and it is possible that air is coming in through the rocks. I'm sure a rescue team will be here before there is any real danger."
I nodded. His optimism made me feel a little better.
“Are you okay, my love? Are you holding up?"
My heart swelled in my chest and I leaned heavily against Soren. He grunted and wrapped his arms around me. I felt so safe in his arms and right now, I didn't want to be anywhere else.
I clung to him, softening completely now that we were out of any immediate danger.
“I'm okay. I just don't want to be separated from you…"
Soren chuckled and ran his hand through my hair.
“Well, then I should probably apologize for getting us trapped."
I tilted my head up and looked at him.
“This isn't your fault…if it is anyone's, it is mine. I shouldn't have run away and I-"
Soren's lips crashed against mine, shutting me up. Sighing, I leaned into his kiss and closed my eyes.
He wrapped his arms around me tighter and held me intimately as we kissed. I didn't even care that Thomas and Dylan were trapped in there with us. I was completely lost in his kiss and touch.
Slowly, he pulled away and pressed his forehead against mine. I trembled and snuggled closer to Soren.
“Are you afraid?"
I creased my brow. “Of what?"
“Of death?"
His question was so serious that it caught me off guard. I swallowed a few times. Why was he asking? He said we were out of any immediate danger and that rescue crews would be here before we ran out of air.
“No." I shook my head.
“Really, there won't be anything you regret not saying or doing if we were to die right now?" he pressed.
I thought of the baby growing inside me. How I wanted to tell him about it but it wasn't the right time. I couldn't tell Soren about his child while Dylan and Thomas were hovering close by.
“Now that we are back together again, no," I said.
“Agreed. That is all that matters, us being together," he said. He placed his palm over my heart. “And if I were to die right now, I'd have no regrets."
Smiling, I rested my head against his chest and nodded.
“I'm glad we agree on that. But you know, Mila, I wouldn't let you die."
I giggled.
“I know."
We stood together in silence for a moment. I leaned against Soren and he held me close. Even though we were trapped, it felt almost peaceful. I didn't like the idea of having a secret now that we'd just said all those things.
Quickly, I glanced at Thomas and Dylan. Thomas was still on guard and Dylan looked bored out of his mind. I could tell Soren about the baby without drawing their attention, right?
“Soren… Can I tell you something?"
I looked up and met his eyes.
“Of course. Right now, we've got all the time in the world for you to say whatever you need to say."
“I—" I was interrupted as soon as I started.
“Screw this! I'm not going to sit here and listen to this lovey-dovey bullshit." Dylan started pulling rocks away from the cave-in pile. He grunted and groaned, heaving at the rocks. His heavy breaths and frustrated mumblings were very distracting in that small space and it really killed the mood.
“Dylan, if you don't stop that, I really have no problem silencing you… forever," Soren snarled.
He looked so annoyed, like we'd been on a romantic date and Dylan had dropped by to interrupt.
Well, that wasn't too far from the truth. I'd been planning on telling Soren something I knew he'd get excited about, or I hoped he would, and it was very intimate.
Dylan sneered over his shoulder.
“If you idiots want to sit here and wait for your death, it's your choice. I'm not wasting what time I have with you guys," he growled.
“Don't be stupid. If you weaken that support, the whole mountain could come down on us. We have no idea what the damage looks like on the other side," Soren warned.
“Now you're a structural engineer. Thanks, but no thanks for the advice!"
“Dylan, stop! We are three hundred feet from the outside, and if the cave-in runs that far, you'll never dig yourself out on your own. You'll die of exhaustion before you even get halfway."
“I'd rather die doing something than die sitting around waiting."
“That's your choice, but we don't have food or water here. I'm not going to let you waste precious air that could mean the rest of our deaths. So, either stop what you're doing, or I will stop you," Soren warned coldly.
Dylan scoffed and whipped around.
“How dare you speak to me like that! Do you have any idea who I am?"
He puffed up his chest and pointed to himself.
“First, I don't give a s**t who you are. Second, unlike your foolish subordinate, Chandler, you have never been and will never be my king," Soren stated firmly.
“What, king?" I asked.
“That's right, Dylan Crimson… or should I call you Sebastian Crimson?"
Soren smirked as the blood drained from Dylan's face.
My eyes widened and I gasped. What had Soren just called him?
Wasn't Sebastian Crimson the name of the current Dark King!?
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder
Yeah sorry full of crap clichés skipping chapters...
Really oh fn....off another weak heroine roll, her pack hated her, she was abused, why would she do this .... pfghhj off at another cliche novel. .... Nope...