Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder

Chapter 1364 - 119 : Supernatural Connection

*Noah*

I had never moved with more speed and purpose than I did now.

Now that Daven was in custody back at Drogomor, I could focus solely on rescuing my daughter instead of worrying about how my parents were fairing during the war.

I tightened the collar of my jacket as I approached the caves, my feet sloshing through the puddles of the sandy beaches. Rain pelted my face, but I barely noticed as my eyes narrowed on the mouth of the cave.

Zara spoke often of how she swore she could sense when Briella was about to wake up from a nap or when she was about to start crying. I didn’t believe it at first until I watched it happen for the first time just a few weeks after Briella was born. Since then, I had been even more enthralled by the bond between mother and child.

I hoped that I would have some similar instinct now as I prepared to rescue my child. I prayed to the goddess and tried to feel a connection to baby Briella. Each time I tried to reach out, a more intense fear gripped me when I realized that I simply did not possess the same sense when it came to our baby.

The realization caused me to move more quickly. The rain seemed to come down harder with my anxiety, the sky darkening as a harsh, ominous storm filled in.

Even though I was navigating perilous seaside cliffs, I kept my eyes trained on the mouth of the cave, just yards away now. I moved as swiftly as possible, even though one wrong move could cause me to slip and tumble down the rocky wall and into the dark sea below.

As I got closer to the cave, a dark shadow rose up against the rocky wall beside me, and I swung out with my sword automatically. I shifted my feet, nearly toppling over due to the ease with which my blade sliced through my attacker.

I kneeled to examine the dark lump that I had just decapitated. I was expecting blood to pour out on the ground, but the smell of human flesh wasn’t apparent as I got close. My eyebrows furrowed as I noted the mass on the wet ground was green. I nudged the pile with the toe of my boot, flipping the unknown creature over.

It wasn’t human. It was about the size of a sack of potatoes and had some human qualities like limbs and a face, but it was some kind of plant. Leaves grew from its skin, and vines wrapped around its arms and legs like armor.

I kicked the body aside before continuing on, slightly disturbed by the occurrence. I hadn’t taken more than two steps when glowing vines sprung away from the wall beside me. I narrowly dodged them before going at them with my sword, causing colorful ribbons of plant matter to flutter to the wet ground.

I fought my way through aggressive wildlife all the way to the entrance of the cave. I kept my head lowered as I swung my sword left and right. The creatures seemed mystically crazed as they dove at me with mangled cries that hurt my ears.

I felt my anger rising exponentially by the time I finally reached the mouth of the cave. I vowed then that Daven would pay severely once I returned to Drogomor. I would make both him and Serena beg for death.

I stopped in my tracks, the rain cooling my clammy skin. I stared at the blank rock wall for a moment, shaking my head hard as I searched for the entrance that was just there seconds earlier. I whirled around, finding that I had passed the cave mouth. I sucked in a breath, confused and stunned by this mistake.

As I approached the entrance for the second time, I felt something odd run through me. There was some kind of dark magic surrounding the cave hole. I realized that it was a foreboding illusion spell shrouding the opening. The spell was causing me to pass the cave over and over.

I bit back a curse and focused on the magical energy that I was sensing, hoping I could use it to lead me through. I found myself bypassing the entrance again and again. I gritted my teeth together as I attempted to make it through the magically altered cave.

Eventually, I was able to break through it, my body heaving from the exertion. A growl left my lips as I ran a hand through my tousled hair. I lifted my chin as I surveyed my surroundings and found several paths to choose from. I sniffed the air, hoping to catch Briella’s scent, and was unsurprised and disappointed to find the air clean.

I ended up choosing one at random, listening to the low echoing through the dark space. There was no time to go about this strategically. I would just have to go by instinct. A low rumbling sounded, causing me to jump slightly. I watched in astonishment as the path in front of me disappeared. I stood my ground as the cave shifted, the tunnels changing before my eyes.

Daven’s words played back in my mind. I was reminded that they had been ordered to kidnap Briella by a powerful sorcerer. I wondered if it was this Malphas who manipulated the caves and the plant life outside of it. I bit back another curse and swiped my sword through a nearby rock, etching a simple “X” design into it.

I left this mark on various rocks as I passed, determined not to get lost in these caves. I would search for my daughter for the rest of my life if I had to.

I just prayed to the goddess that I wouldn’t have to and that she would be safe when I eventually found her.

I continued through the dark labyrinth, my heart clenching at the thought of my precious daughter trapped somewhere within these unforgiving tunnels. My ears perked up slightly as the rushing sound of water met them. The tide was flowing in quickly due to the storm. I needed to move faster.

Eventually, I found myself in the inner grotto. A high, female cry had my eyes searching, hoping that it would be baby Briella. My whole countenance darkened when I saw that it was Serena.

The woman was chained to the rocky wall, her arms spread wide, the metal digging sharply into her thin wrists. The tide was already swallowing her up to her chest. Her head was bowed as if she had already accepted the fact that she likely wouldn’t survive her current predicament. As if she sensed my eyes, her head lifted, and her blue eyes rounded in shock.

“Noah!” she gasped. “Please, help me!”

I felt my face turn to stone as I took my time walking up to her, even though the water had already risen a few inches during that time, closing in on her chest. “My daughter,” I spat out at once. “Where is she?”

Serena noticed the water rising rapidly as well because she craned her neck with difficulty as if trying to keep it from rising any further. “Please,” she begged. “I’m sorry for kidnapping your daughter. I’ll do anything. Just please.”

I bit back a growl, feeling no sympathy for the terrified woman. “That doesn’t answer my question,” I seethed, quickly losing what little patience I had. “Where. Is. Briella?”

Serena’s breaths were coming out in short gasps. She whimpered pathetically and looked at me with such large, frightened eyes, but I wasn’t affected, especially not after what she had done. Finally, she dropped her chin to her chest, and I noticed her jaw lock. “Malphas betrayed me,” she finally sobbed. “After I kidnapped your daughter, he took her and chained me up here.”

I didn’t bother suppressing the curse then, allowing it to fall from my lips and echo loudly through the cave. Serena’s head rose. She stared at me with horror as she felt for herself just how angry I was.

I squared my shoulders, glaring heatedly at her, watching with grim satisfaction as the water crept up toward her neck. “Tell me everything you know now.”

Serena sobbed again, tears mixed with water pouring down her cheeks. “I don’t know where he took her,” she said regretfully. “All I know is that Malphas wanted your daughter to use against your mate somehow.”

I sneered, finding this unhelpful since that much had been gathered already.

I looked down at the cave floor, despair slamming into me as I realized that this was the one lead I had. I now had no idea where my daughter was.

And it was all this woman’s fault.

I lifted my head, prepared to scream at her or end her suffering, but then I got a good look at the fear in her eyes. I felt an annoying tiny hint of compassion for her. For just a moment, I saw my fear reflected in her eyes. Although, it wasn’t my own life that I feared for but that of my daughter.

Frustrated by this sympathy, I growled low before jumping into the water and paddling over to the woman responsible for my daughter’s disappearance. I grabbed at the chains around Serena’s wrists and sensed the same magic that had been outside of the cave.

I laughed inwardly as I tugged at the binds and swiped at them with my sword, realizing grimly that there was no freeing her. She was going to die.

I also found that although I had a brief moment of compassion for her, it was gone just as quickly as it had appeared.

Serena was watching my face with wide, fearful eyes. The water was up to her chin now, quickly nearing her mouth.

She didn’t have much longer.

I didn’t say anything, but it was clear what was happening once I turned my back on her and swam away.

“Noah! Please! I’m so sorry! Come back!”

I felt nothing as I abandoned Serena to the rapidly rising seawater. I wasn’t going to waste any more time trying to save her. As far as I was concerned, she was getting her just desserts.

I didn’t even flinch as I exited the inner grotto, and Serena began to wail with horror and despair. The sound was piercing, bouncing off of the rocky walls. Eventually, her desperate cries faded to silence as the tunnels flooded entirely.

Following my way out with the markings I had left along the rocks, I was able to find my way out of the caves. I felt the shadows across my face as I stepped over the carnage of plant creature corpses. I didn’t even glance back, having found nothing but betrayal and dead ends behind me.

I had no leads to go further. I steeled myself and decided that I needed to get to Crowstar, to my mate.

My heart clenched painfully as I thought of Zara, about how much this would be hurting her. I once again thought about the almost supernatural connection that mothers had to their children. There was no doubt in my mind that Zara was suffering greatly.

I needed to get to her now.

Hopefully, we would be able to find a clue to lead us to Briella before Malphas could harm her.