Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder

Chapter 1378 - 133 : Ruthless Reflection

*Noah*

Darkness consumed my men and me once we stepped into the mysterious portal. It felt as if we were floating through space with the way our feet left the ground, and we moved weightlessly through a sea of nothingness.

Time didn’t seem to mean anything as we continued through the dark. I was only vaguely aware of the presence of my men. I thought I might have seen Caleb in front of me, but I couldn’t be sure. It was almost like I was going in and out of consciousness.

I gasped as we were suddenly dumped onto a hard and unforgiving ground. My first thought as I came to was that the dirt was darker, bordering on black. I pushed myself off of the strange ground and looked around.

Caleb and the rest of my men were doing the same, looking startled as if they had just woken up from a dream.

“Is everyone alright?” I asked.

I had a sinking feeling that they wouldn’t be since I very suddenly and immediately felt strange as soon as we arrived in the strange land.

Everything seemed alien, from the strange dark tint in the sky to the oddly-shaped plants. Even the sound of the breeze through the exotic trees seemed strange to my ears.

Welcome to Embervale, I thought to myself a bit sardonically.

I tried to straighten, but my body felt extremely heavy. It was getting a bit difficult to breathe. I knew it was due to the hazardous journey as well as the strange toxic energies permeating the alien environment. We just weren’t built for traveling through different realms.

“Sir.”

I looked at Caleb, whose face was pale. He too looked as if he was struggling to breathe, his shoulders heaving with exertion.

“Some of our men have collapsed,” he told me, his eyes round with fear.

I cursed and surveyed my surroundings to see that he had not been exaggerating. A couple of our warriors lay passed out on the strange black dirt, their limbs spread out. I hurried toward one of them, relieved to find that he was alive and stable.

I straightened, shooting Caleb a serious look. “We need to find some shelter immediately.”

Niva was tending to one of our other warriors who had passed out, checking him over and pressing a damp cloth to his head. “This man is burning up with a fever,” she said, standing up to face Caleb and me. She looked grave but urgent. “We aren’t too far from a benevolent pack that will likely offer us shelter, but we must hurry.”

Fortunately, there were enough of us who were conscious that we were able to carry the few who were passed out. I gritted my teeth as Caleb and I carried one of our muscular warriors.

It felt as if my body was growing heavier and heavier, and I knew it wasn’t just because I was carrying a two-hundred-and-fifty-pound warrior.

“You should start to feel better soon,” Niva said to me. “The land we’re entering into is much safer and more mild in terms of harsh energies.”

I felt as if I was close to passing out myself, so I highly doubted the mentor’s words. I was shocked when just minutes later, I felt a very small amount of my strength returning. Caleb looked a little less pale as well.

“There,” Niva said, pointing ahead of us. “We’ve arrived in Moonthorne.”

Caleb and I looked up toward where Niva was gesturing. Through some thick, dark trees was a mighty iron gate decorated with a large insignia of a wolf surrounded by thorny branches. The wolf symbol looked threatening. It gave me pause.

“Are you positive that the Moonthorne pack will want to offer us aid?” I asked Niva doubtfully.

Niva glanced at me and nodded. “Once they learn of the cause you are fighting for, I believe so,” she said, but I could hear a hint of apprehension in her tone. “Moonthorne is led by a notoriously ruthless Alpha female named Luna Kiela.”

I felt my mouth tighten. Just that sentence alone made our cause seem futile. This Alpha female would likely be suspicious of us.

I glanced behind me at the rest of my men. Many of them were carrying unconscious warriors just as Caleb and I were. I feared for my men. As their leader, it was my responsibility to protect them and think of their safety, but I knew their loyalty was powerful. They also knew the risks of venturing into this realm by my side.

I tightened my grip on the unconscious guy Caleb and I were lugging around. I needed to keep pushing ahead. I was determined to fight through any obstacle to reach Zara.

As we approached the gate, we were approached by a fierce-looking female shifter. She had bright golden eyes and a strong build that was shown off by the tight-fitting leathers she wore. She was flanked on either side by a couple of large imposing male shifters who looked like they could snap tree trunks with their bare hands.

“Outsiders,” spat the female, looking suspiciously at us. “State your business.”

Niva ducked her head respectfully, stepping forward to greet the intimidating female. “My name is Niva, and I am an Embervale native,” she said. She gestured to me. “This is Noah Black, heir and future Alpha of the Drogomor pack. We are in dire need of some shelter. His men are weakened by the energy of our realm.”

Luna Kiela narrowed her eyes at us, causing the warriors at her sides to tense as if readying themselves to attack. “You dare to bring these weakened outsiders to my territory? Have you no sense at all of the potential danger you plague us with?”

Niva stepped back, her eyes widening with fear. I nearly dropped the man I was holding to quickly step in front of my mate’s mentor protectively.

“Please, hear us out,” I pleaded, keeping my tone even and persuasive. “We mean you know harm. In fact, I would hazard a guess that we share a common enemy.”

Luna Kiela’s eyes showed interest, but she kept them slitted. “And what enemy are you speaking of?” Her stern tone didn’t make it sound like a question.

I glanced briefly at Niva, who nodded in encouragement. I faced the Alpha female fully. “The demon sorcerer, Malphas.”

I was not expecting the intense reaction that I got. The burly men on either side of Kiela gasped. A couple of them growled threateningly, baring their teeth. Kiela’s expression hardened even further, her lips pulling back from her teeth.

“Making an enemy of the demon sorcerer is suicide,” Kiela said flatly. “I am not foolish enough to put my entire pack community at risk.”

I was unable to stop myself from being accusatory, even though we needed the Alpha female’s aid. “Could it be that you approve of his tactics?”

Kiela’s men murmured amongst themselves, the sounds low and threatening growls.

Kiela scowled at me. “I should say not,” she snapped. “He is a wicked tyrant who deserves to be brought to his knees.”

I felt the corner of my mouth twitch upward. “In that regard, we are in complete agreement with one another.”

I recognized the fire and determination in Kiela’s eyes. She was clearly such a fierce warrior that it would probably be shocking to learn she wasn’t actively planning an attack on Malphas’ castle.

But it wasn’t surprising at all.

I understood Kiela’s hesitation. It was the same one I had when faced with the realization that I would have to put my men in danger to come to Embervale Realm. Luna Kiela was conflicted, longing to bring Malphas down but reluctant to put her beloved pack in danger. She was a fearless but benevolent leader. I was sure of it.

That’s when I knew that she would understand my side.

I straightened, even though my body was still screaming at me to pass out. I looked Luna Kiela right in the eye. “I’m afraid that he is only growing stronger by the day,” I said gravely. “He has kidnapped my mate and daughter. I fear he is planning to use them to strengthen himself through the use of dark magic.”

Kiela’s hard resolve was faltering as she processed my words.

I continued in an even but serious tone. “He has been moving between realms. It is clear that he is no longer just a threat to your realm but to all realms.”

Kiela clenched her jaw, but I could see her eyes soften. I knew she was thinking about her loved ones and how she needed to keep them safe. It was a look I more than likely reflected in my own eyes.

The alpha female looked over me and my men, her gaze lingering on the ones who were unconscious. “Come. You will stay in our safe house.”

I lowered my head in a grateful bow. “Thank you,” I said with much sincerity. “We are forever in your debt.”

She nodded once but then sent me a hard look. “I am unable to offer you much more aid than that, Noah Black. I must look after my own.”

“I understand,” I said evenly because I truly did.

The guards watched us warily but allowed us to enter through the tall Moonthorne gates.

Moonthorne was a sprawling community, probably about the size of Drogomor. The buildings were made of a dark stone material that looked incredibly sturdy. Shops and eating establishments lined the main plaza. The pack community members looked at us in astonishment and momentary fear but visibly relaxed upon seeing their fearless leader.

Luna Kiela had some important business to attend to, so she had us escorted to the safe houses by one of her burly guards, who watched us like a hawk as we walked up to the modest dwellings.

Luna Kiela was kind enough to send a healer over to look over our men.

“It will take some time for your men to regain their strength,” the elderly healer informed me, her bluish-gray eyes grim as she stepped away from one of our warriors.

“How long?” I asked, trying to keep the panic out of my voice. We needed to get to Zara and Briella as soon as possible.

The healer pursed her wrinkled lips. “I would guess a few days,” she said. “I will see about returning tomorrow to administer some healing spells that could speed up the process.”

“I would be forever grateful,” I told the old woman, ducking my head.

It would be days before we could launch an attack. It just wasn’t wise to do so without being at our full numbers.

Caleb and I talked strategy while we waited anxiously for our warriors to heal. Thankfully, many of them woke up after the first day, but they still weren’t up to full capacity. The old healer did return and helped our men through various exercises to aid in the process.

In the meantime, all we could do was wait and prepare before launching an attack on Malphas’ palace.

I struggled inwardly over those days, gnawing fears of what torment Zara could be enduring in Malphas’ cruel grasp.

I shut my eyes at night, calling on the mystical soul bond and praying that Zara sensed I was on my way to rescue her and Briella. I hoped she knew her loyal protector would tear through endless obstacles to bring her and our daughter back home safely.