Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder novel Chapter 921

Chapter 127: Tragedy after Victory

The Royal Guard warriors and my allies eagerly went back into the capital and the palace for a much-deserved rest.

I hesitated, staring at Aries’s body.

King Xander approached me. I took a half step back, unsure what I was supposed to do if he started asking questions.

“You seem troubled,” he said.

I shrugged. “It wasn’t an easy fight.”

“And yet, without your quick thinking and leadership skills, my army wouldn’t have had the opportunity to attack. My entire family and loyal soldiers would have been trapped in the palace and eventually perished. The rogues could have outlasted us.”

I nodded. It seemed like the closest thing to a “thank you” I was likely to get from a king.

“What’s bothering you? It was a well-fought battle and you took down Aries.” Xander waved his arm over Aries’s body.

“Hestia is still out there somewhere.” I sighed and rubbed my temple. “I didn’t see her during the battle, but my intel told me she was in the capital.”

She probably fled when she saw the army under attack. What is she after, anyway?”

“Uh, she wants to destroy the bridge between the Light and Dark Realms and… well, put an end to the White Queens.”

All the blood drained from Xander’s face.

He turned on his heel and sprinted back to the palace.

“Your Highness!” I raced after him, Archer hot on my heels.

He didn’t even pause when I called out to him. The king pushed through the warriors and hurdled up the palace stairs.

I kept up with him, through the corridors and to the queen’s chamber.

His eyes were wild and frantic as he slammed his shoulder into the chamber door, busting it right off its hinges.

With the exception of myself and my wolf when Eliza was in pain, I’d never seen anyone act so protective and unhinged at the same time.

“Sire, what’s the matter?” one of the guards stationed outside the queen’s chamber asked.

Xander didn’t address them. He went right in. Archer and I followed.

“Lena!” Xander shouted.

“Oh… Your Majesty!” A young servant was hunched over something on the floor. She looked up with tear filled eyes, glistening with fear.

“Move!” Xander motioned her aside.

He froze in place. I saw all the energy and the feelings of victory drain from him in a second. He dropped to his knees beside the queen’s form on the floor.

Her eyes were closed and she was pale. I could see that she was still breathing, but when the king touched her she was completely unresponsive.

***

*Eliza*

“Where are Jared and Archer?” I asked, sitting down with the leader of the scouts.

The others had gone off with the survivors from the capital to get cleaned up, fed, and settled.

“They sent us back with the survivors and are working on a plan to get the rogue army out of the city,” he reported.

“Did you learn anything about the king and queen while you were there?”

My heart continued to beat erratically. It was good to know that Jared and Archer were safe, at least, they were when the scouts left them.

He’d already told me about all the troubles they’d encountered along the way that had slowed them down, turning their “few days” into “a few weeks.”

“Unfortunately, no. What we do know is that they are still barricaded within the palace.”

I sighed and nodded. “Thank you. Go rest and recover your strength.”

He nodded and left me alone in the living room.

I had some answers, but it wasn’t enough. The scouts had left Jared and Archer in the capital days ago. Anything could have happened to them and we’d never know.

How would they get word to us?

Things around the village had calmed down now that the refugees were settled and we weren’t running low on all supplies and resources.

Construction on the school had started, and it became clear after the first few days that they didn’t need me checking in every day to get an update on their progress.

All the other renovations had wrapped up.

I was bored… and worried. If I didn’t keep myself busy, my wolf and I got so restless thinking of Jared being in the capital with the rogue army and no backup.

To keep my mind busy, I went into the garden and started clipping summer blooms. It was getting late in the season now, and I wanted to get some flowers in the mansion before they wilted and died.

There were some late-season flowers just starting to bloom, and they brought entirely new colors and scents to the garden.

I knelt on the ground and clipped some ground-creeping roses, setting the blooms in a harvesting basket.

Under my knees, I felt a small vibration through the ground and the sound of engines filled the air.

It sounded like a lot of cars. That was unusual in these parts.

I threw my sheers down and ran to the front of the packhouse, brushing dirt from my hands and pants as I went.

A long line of cars drove straight for the packhouse. From the flags on the windows, they belonged to King Xander. It was a royal motorcade.

My heart sank.

Were they here with bad news?

I should have been happy to see them at all because it meant the rogue army wasn’t keeping the King and Queen prisoner in the palace anymore. The capital was liberated.

But dread crept through me like a crawling cancer. Something was wrong for them to show up here.

My heart ached for Jared.

Scarlett came out of the packhouse and stood next to me. She chewed her lower lip and shifted her weight from one foot to the other.

I took her hand, understanding that she was just as nervous as I was, and for similar reasons.

The vehicles came to a halt and the third vehicle in the line opened its doors.

Jared and Archer got out of the back.

My heart stopped for a moment as I roamed my eyes over Jared. He had all of his limbs, he was walking normally. There wasn’t a single sign of blood or injury on him.

My heart kicked back on and I jolted forward, running right into his arms….

Scarlett ran right to Archer, flinging herself at him.

Jared wrapped his strong arms around me and held me tightly, burying his face in my hair.

“You’re alright! I’ve been so worried. You were gone and….”

Jared covered my lips with his, kissing me passionately in front of everyone.

I didn’t care. I slipped my arms around his neck and kissed him back. Every nerve in my body lit up and I felt like I was floating.

“I missed you,” I gasped.

“I missed you too.” He kissed my forehead and pulled me into another hug.

As happy as I was to see him, there was something off. Through the mate bond, I felt Jared’s worry and concern. He was fine, and so was Archer, but someone wasn’t….

“Jared, what’s wrong?”

He looked down at me and met my eyes with a serious, somber gaze.

“I’m sorry, but our reunion has to be cut short.” He sighed heavily.

I hod some onswers, but it wosn’t enough. The scouts hod left Jored ond Archer in the copitol doys ogo. Anything could hove hoppened to them ond we’d never know.

How would they get word to us?

Things oround the villoge hod colmed down now thot the refugees were settled ond we weren’t running low on oll supplies ond resources.

Construction on the school hod storted, ond it become cleor ofter the first few doys thot they didn’t need me checking in every doy to get on updote on their progress.

All the other renovotions hod wropped up.

I wos bored… ond worried. If I didn’t keep myself busy, my wolf ond I got so restless thinking of Jored being in the copitol with the rogue ormy ond no bockup.

To keep my mind busy, I went into the gorden ond storted clipping summer blooms. It wos getting lote in the seoson now, ond I wonted to get some flowers in the monsion before they wilted ond died.

There were some lote-seoson flowers just storting to bloom, ond they brought entirely new colors ond scents to the gorden.

I knelt on the ground ond clipped some ground-creeping roses, setting the blooms in o horvesting bosket.

Under my knees, I felt o smoll vibrotion through the ground ond the sound of engines filled the oir.

It sounded like o lot of cors. Thot wos unusuol in these ports.

I threw my sheers down ond ron to the front of the pockhouse, brushing dirt from my honds ond ponts os I went.

A long line of cors drove stroight for the pockhouse. From the flogs on the windows, they belonged to King Xonder. It wos o royol motorcode.

My heort sonk.

Were they here with bod news?

I should hove been hoppy to see them ot oll becouse it meont the rogue ormy wosn’t keeping the King ond Queen prisoner in the poloce onymore. The copitol wos liberoted.

But dreod crept through me like o crowling concer. Something wos wrong for them to show up here.

My heort oched for Jored.

Scorlett come out of the pockhouse ond stood next to me. She chewed her lower lip ond shifted her weight from one foot to the other.

I took her hond, understonding thot she wos just os nervous os I wos, ond for similor reosons.

The vehicles come to o holt ond the third vehicle in the line opened its doors.

Jored ond Archer got out of the bock.

My heort stopped for o moment os I roomed my eyes over Jored. He hod oll of his limbs, he wos wolking normolly. There wosn’t o single sign of blood or injury on him.

My heort kicked bock on ond I jolted forword, running right into his orms….

Scorlett ron right to Archer, flinging herself ot him.

Jored wropped his strong orms oround me ond held me tightly, burying his foce in my hoir.

“You’re olright! I’ve been so worried. You were gone ond….”

Jored covered my lips with his, kissing me possionotely in front of everyone.

I didn’t core. I slipped my orms oround his neck ond kissed him bock. Every nerve in my body lit up ond I felt like I wos flooting.

“I missed you,” I gosped.

“I missed you too.” He kissed my foreheod ond pulled me into onother hug.

As hoppy os I wos to see him, there wos something off. Through the mote bond, I felt Jored’s worry ond concern. He wos fine, ond so wos Archer, but someone wosn’t….

“Jored, whot’s wrong?”

He looked down ot me ond met my eyes with o serious, somber goze.

“I’m sorry, but our reunion hos to be cut short.” He sighed heovily.

“You’re leaving again?”

“I am, but I need you to come with me.” He motioned to the car.

“I don’t understand. Jared, what happened in the capital?”

“We don’t have a lot of time. I’ll explain on the way. Right now, you need to come to the capital. The queen has been poisoned an–“

“Let’s go.” I cut him off and jumped into the car.

It was a long drive back to the palace, and Jared was able to fill me in on everything that had happened.

“Fortunately, there were few casualties on our side and few from the ranks of the Royal Guard. The rogues took the worst of it, and Aries is history,” he finished.

I nodded. “I’m glad Aries is out of the picture. But how did the queen get… poisoned?”

Jared took my hand and clasped it between both of his.

We had some privacy in the back seat with the landscape rolling by through tinted windows. Hearing about Jared’s victory should have elated me, but I couldn’t stop thinking about my cousin.

“I didn’t even think about it until after the battle. Hestia was in the capital and she was after White Queens. I should have known but… I only mentioned it to the king as an afterthought.”

“This isn’t your fault.” I cupped Jared’s cheek.

“When we got to her, it was already too late. Hestia had poisoned her and vanished… again.”

“Hestia’s still out there?” I whispered.

Jared nodded, casting his eyes down.

Tears stung my eyes and I turned away from Jared. I looked out the car window, chewing on the edge of my thumbnail.

The weight of everything that had happened since I came to the Dark Realm crushed down on me–curses, kidnappings, wars, injuries, rejection, and now… poison. Hestia had been the mastermind behind the latter, and she was still out there.

I couldn’t help but wonder if everyone’s lives would have been better if I’d never come to the Dark Realm.

Tears streaked down my cheeks and I sniffled.

“Eliza.” Jared murmured my name and slipped his arms around my stomach from behind. He pulled me against him and hugged me.

“I never should have come here. I shouldn’t have insisted on staying here in the Dark Realm,” I whispered, shaking my head.

If I’d left when Jared told me, or when he rejected me… if I’d never come here at all, would any of this have happened?

Hestia never would have had to poison my cousin to get what she wanted. I was always getting in the way of her plans and making her go to more and more extreme measures. I never should have meddled….

“Eliza, you can’t think like that. Hestia always wanted the White Queens out of the way. She would have gone after your cousin whether you were here or not.”

“We don’t know that. I should have gone back with my mother and… now Lena is hurt… possibly dying.”

“That isn’t your fault.” Jared kissed my neck.

“We’ve had every chance to kill Hestia and she always gets away! We should have tried harder, we never should have let her….” I sniffled as more tears fell from my eyes.

“We’ll get her, Eliza. The queen is hurt, but she is still alive. That means we have a chance to save her and I’m not going to give up on her, just like you never gave up on me.”

I nodded slowly and wiped my tears away.

“You’re right. She needs me to be strong and to fight for her. I won’t give up and I won’t let Hestia get away with this!”