Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder

Chapter 1388 - 143 : A Warm Welcome

*Noah*

“Noah, my son, you’ve returned,” my father said with tears pouring down his cheeks. It was rare to see him so emotional. I was feeling the relief radiating from him.

The feeling was mutual as tears crawled down my cheeks as well. I gave him a light smile, feeling my heart grow warm at how much he cared about me.

It was a far cry from the shattered relationship we once had. I realized I was happy that it was on the mend, and we were now closer.

Even though I had been gone for so long, longer to me and shorter to him, but long all the same either way, he opened his arms. I leaned into his embrace, enjoying the warm hug from my dad.

I felt Estella come in for the hug as well and let out a soft chuckle. This family reunion was very sweet and a huge relief. There had been a worry in the back of my mind that my parents would...

I wasn’t sure.

I wondered if they would listen to me. Considering how supportive they had been before we left, and since our daughter had been born, I felt more confident in them in general.

I let out a sigh and said, “Hopefully, for good. Things have been difficult, and there’s a lot that happened that I want to catch up with you on. Rest assured, Zara and I fully intend to lead the pack.”

I winced and added, “When things stabilize, of course.”

My father nodded, taking a seat and settling in. At the moment, we were in an edge-of-territory small pack house. The wooden cabin was both formal and comfy like a woodsy office.

Estella took a seat next to him, saying, “We’re all ears, honey. When things stabilize is right. It’s been difficult without you here,” she admitted.

I dipped my head, noting her serious expression and how my dad nodded in agreement with his Luna. He cleared his throat, leaning forward and diving in to explain the entire situation.

“Unfortunately, son, the pack has become fractured without its future alpha pair to assure them. They know Estella and I will be retiring soon. With no heir, things have been hectic.”

“I heard from my observations on the edge of pack territory,” I said. “Oh, Zara and Briella are safe as well. I wanted to affirm that before we went on too long.”

My father let out a sigh of relief and nodded. “I am happy to hear that.” He gave a light smile. “I look forward to seeing my daughter-in-law and granddaughter again.”

That made my heart leap. I smiled brightly at him, which widened at Estella’s nod of agreement.

Issac continued, “Not only has the pack fractured, but there are also fierce rumors circulating about you and Zara’s alleged involvement with the disappearance of Inquisitor Damascus. It provoked a conflict.”

I winced, dipping my head and leaning forward, encouraging him to continue.

“Drogomor and Egoren had a falling out, as Egoran views you as wanted fugitives hiding from justice. I have firmly assured you likely had a good reason for whatever it was that happened.”

“Your instincts were correct,” I told him. I then dove into the truth regarding Damascus’s aggression in detaining Zara, and the demon Malphas’s responsibility in killing him when we were trapped in the caves.

During the story, my father’s frown deepened, and he exchanged a look with Estella. He said, “I see. That is very alarming. I am glad to hear the demon was defeated.”

“It has. The journey to Embervale isn’t any small tale,” I said. I talked about the harrowing journey and how we needed to rescue baby Briella from Malphas’ stronghold.

The alarm that flashed in my father’s eyes was no joke. He leaned forward with a growl. “To think my granddaughter was in so much danger. You are a strong father for doing all you could to save her.”

I beamed at him, holding my head high. “I would never abandon my family. You know that.”

“Yes, that much was made clear by your antics against the elders,” my father said with a wink, causing Estella to chuckle and me to smirk.

My smirk faded, however, when my eyes grew distant. “Zara was the one to defeat the demon, but in doing so, there was a certain darkness to her soul.”

I closed my eyes, recalling her change and the icy blue gaze that flashed when she harbored the darkness of Malphas. A shudder ran down my spine at the thought that she almost had to live with that forever.

When I opened my eyes again, both my father and Estella were frowning deeply. I blinked and added quickly, “There was a ritual we underwent to get rid of the darkness.” A warm smile crept across my face.

“Did you have some involvement in it?” my father asked.

I nodded. “I pulled Zara out from the darkest reaches of her soul, and we restored the mate bond,” I said confidently. “I can feel it now, stronger than ever. My mate and I finally feel it to its full glory.”

I let out a soft sigh. The cascade of warmth was like a wave that washed over me. There was so much relief and happiness in the fact that our mate bond shined true, even through that horrible, oppressive darkness.

Our bond had conquered it.

My father smiled at me and nodded. “I am very happy to hear that. I have full confidence you will lead this pack with your Luna well, Noah. I can see the determination in your eyes.”

“Zara is such a responsible mother and person in general. She clearly cares deeply for Drogomor,” Estella added, causing my heart to leap.

I grinned. “You bet she is.” I then furrowed my brow, thinking things through. “That entire journey, for us, spanned over a year in that world but only a few months here.”

My father and Estella exchanged a surprised glance. “Does that mean baby Briella is now older than we thought?” he asked.

I nodded. “You may be surprised,” I said. “She is growing and such a strong girl. She’s going to be a powerful shifter someday, just like her dad.”

“I bet she will be,” my father chuckled. He quickly grew serious, his eyes glinting with determination. “We need to get you home, son, you, Zara, and Briella.”

“Anything I can do to help?” asked Caleb, who’d been quiet throughout this discussion except to confirm my story. “Let me know.”

My father nodded at the Drogomor beta, smiling at him. “We can always count on you,” he said.

“That is what Noah said,” Caleb chuckled, causing me to grin and nod.

My father refocused on me. “Caleb will help us with this, but I need you to discreetly bring Zara and Breilla back before dawn. Understand so far?”

I nodded. The plan seemed pretty straightforward.

“In the morning, I will announce that with your return, I will immediately be stepping down for you to take over as alpha. It will stabilize the fractured pack.”

I widened my eyes in surprise, but the logic was sound. I could tell he trusted me with all of his heart. Otherwise, he wouldn’t step down yet. I lifted my chin confidently.

“That sounds like a plan, Father.”

“Good. In our retirement, I hope you’ll let us babysit often,” he told me.

I chuckled as I recalled how excited he had been in that dream world with Briella. “I bet Zara will be relieved to hear how excited you and Estella are to do so because I am.”

He reached over and squeezed my shoulder. From there, Caleb and I returned to where Zara, Briella, and Lumina were.

Zara immediately embraced me as Lumina held Breilla with a wide smile. I held her close and approached the fierce protector, holding out my hands for my baby. She placed my daughter into my arms delicately.

“Hi there, baby girl,” I whispered softly to Briella. I could tell she was just waking up. She giggled, reaching up to tap my nose with her little hand.

“How did it go?” Zara asked in a cautious tone. I explained the plan to her, noting the surprise and relief that crossed her face. “Do your father and stepmother really trust us with this? I am honored.”

“We’ve been through a lot, and we will give our all for the pack. I think they know that.”

“That makes my heart sing. Alright. We’re ready to head out.”

With that, I handed Briella to Zara in case I needed to shift or anything went wrong. Thankfully, it didn’t. We discreetly made it into Drogomor Manor, where we made our way to the pack’s meeting room.

My father and Estella waited there for us, both of them lighting up even further upon seeing Zara and Briella. Lumina was with us as well, observing these heartfelt reunions with a huge smile.

“Zara, Briella, welcome back to Drogomor. It’s been so long. Well, longer for you, so I have heard,” my father said, getting up to embrace them. “May I?” he asked.

Zara beamed at him and nodded, holding out Briella to him, whom he gently accepted. I stood next to Zara, watching with sheer joy as my father gently bounced his granddaughter and caused her to giggle.

Briella held out her arms toward him and then opened and closed her fists quickly, unable to quell the river of giggles that poured through her. She was clearly happy about this situation.

More tears fell down my father’s face at how happy she was.

“She has grown so much,” my father said in a gentle tone, surprise emanating from him. “I know it has been longer for you, but it is still quite jarring to see.”

I nodded, thinking it over. “Imagine if we’d been there longer. It seems that half the time passes here for the same amount there.”

Sadness flashed in my father’s eyes, and he muttered, “We lost a bit more time with you than we thought, but I am relieved to have you all back.”

Zara smiled. “And back for good now, Moon Goddess be willing,” she added, wanting to assure them that we were simply not going anywhere.

Caleb chuckled. “One would hope not, given you’re now to be the pack’s leaders.”

“See? We’re stuck here in the best way,” I said, trying to keep my tone light. As ominous and heavy as everything was, seeing this reunion go well was music to my ears.

My father cleared his throat, his smile not fading, but his eyes fixed on me again. “I see there is more light in this seemingly never-ending conflict,” he said.

“Oh?”

“Yes. I am relieved to say our alliance with the powerful Stormfall pack endures despite the allegations against you,” he said, his eyes fixing on Lumina. He knew where she came from.

Lumina lifted her chin and smiled, her aura never fading from fierce and loyal. “That is correct,” she said formally. “We stand by Drogomor in these trying times, and I will testify in favor of their situation.”

My father let out a sigh of relief and nodded. “We very much appreciate that. It is one less thing to worry about, one less alliance broken.”

I nodded. “Yes. It is now time to start mending this pack and the alliances that have been shattered by this mess. It will be difficult, but I know we can do it.”