Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder

Chapter 1401 - 156 : Towers of Scales

*Tarik*

“Should we be worried?”

I gave my brother a sidelong look, feeling my lips tighten at the nonchalance in his tone. “Have you not been worrying?” I demanded in disbelief.

I had to hand it to Aster, he was a strong, level-headed guy, even if he could be dense at times. We were entering into Winter Forest pack territory after an urgent summons from our mother, and he had the gall to ask if we should be worried.

After watching Aster shrug, I shouldn’t have been too surprised. My older brother was almost too rational to be concerned about things, even the ones that basically demanded some worry. I thought about all the times he had saved my life over the years, how calm and collected he was all those times as if nothing ever worried him.

I wish I had inherited that from wherever the hell Aster had gotten it from.

“Probably,” I finally answered once I recovered from my shock. “Mother seemed pretty urgent when we talked.”

“You said cryptic as well, right?” Aster asked, quirking a thick eyebrow.

I nodded, remembering the strange phone call from my mother. Not only had it come in the middle of the night, but she also spoke vaguely as if someone could be listening in on her and couldn’t say much because of it.

I had been concerned even before I assured her Aster and I would go straight to Winter Forest to meet her.

My mother sounded almost scared, which was something I thought for the longest time she wasn’t capable of feeling fear. She was the most powerful woman I knew. When Aster and I were young boys, she risked her life to save us from a deranged tyrant called Varge. That had been decades ago, but both Aster and I remembered her boundless bravery.

Ever since, she had been our hero and role model.

We stepped out of the car and looked up at the ornate Winter Forest pack house. Before we could approach, we spotted royal guards stationed outside the front door watching us with hard, unyielding expressions. Aster stepped forward to explain who we were, but then the door burst open, revealing our mother, Eva Stormfall.

“It’s good to see you, Mom,” Aster said, stepping up to her and hugging her warmly.

“Thank you for coming so quickly,” Mom said, hugging him back before wrapping her arms around me. She stepped back and gazed at us both, smirking. “I think you’ve both grown.”

Aster and I rolled our matching gray eyes. We were both in our mid-thirties, so it was quite unlikely we had gained any height since she saw us months earlier.

We followed our mother into the mansion, both of us looking around at the intricate decor and busts of past Alphas and Lunas. We were led into a huge, lavish meeting room.

Alpha King Rhys Crimson stood from his chair upon our entry, weathered but tall. He was flanked by his royal advisors on either side of his throne. He eyed us, seeming to size us up as we stopped before him.

“Aster and Tarik Stormfall,” Alpha King Rhys said, his voice gravelly. “I thank you immensely for heeding my war council’s urgent call.”

Aster and I glanced at one another briefly, not bothering to mention that it was our mother who summoned us and that it was she who convinced us to come so quickly.

“We are pleased to be of any service we can be,” Aster said graciously.

“Your service is appreciated,” Alpha King Rhys said. His thick shoulders fell ever so slightly as he regarded my brother and me. “As you both are well aware, I was harshly banished by my conquered Dark Realm home.”

Aster and I nodded solemnly but didn’t have anything to say to that. The realm had been taken over by a radical force of zealots years ago.

The king continued, “I’ve spent my entire banishment slowly regathering my forces to retake what is rightfully mine.” His voice hardened as he thought of the injustice of it all. “The time has finally come.”

Aster and I straightened, our eyes rounding slightly as realization struck.

One corner of Alpha King Rhys’ mouth turned up as if he was reacting to our sudden change in demeanor. “It is time to strike back against the radical True Sons of Sebastian so I may take my throne back to rule over this realm again.”

The advisors and guards in the room cried out in agreement, raising their weapons above their heads.

I could feel Aster’s bravado rising at the thought of impending battle. “Naturally, we will fight to help you reclaim your rightful place on the throne, Your Majesty.”

I glanced at my mother to see that pride was shining brightly in her eyes as she gazed at us. Aster was practically shaking with anticipation, but I couldn’t help the somber concern as the task of facing vicious fanatics lay ahead. I gritted my teeth and hid what would only be considered weak uncertainty behind a neutral facade as I echoed my brother’s enthusiasm.

Our mother stepped forward. “Your Majesty,” she began. “I formerly pledge that my sons will stand stalwart using their powerful abilities against usurpers. We are forever loyal to you.” Her strong voice and vow caused the whole room to erupt in more guttural cheering.

Aster puffed out his chest proudly while I gripped my concealed spell stone tightly in my hand.

Alpha King Rhys described a bit more of his battle strategies and filled us in on the forces he had collected over the many years he spent in banishment. Aster and I listened attentively. I could feel Aster growing more and more excited as the groups were listed, but I felt as if I was listening to the names of groups that were signing up to die.

Once the meeting ended, our mother pulled us aside briefly. “You are both going to be vital for the future of our realm,” she told us, leveling us both with a serious look.

“No pressure,” Aster quipped teasingly.

My mother gave him an exasperated look, but I could see the fondness behind her stormy gray eyes that matched ours.

“I mean it,” she said. She looked between the two of us. “Fight hard, but promise me you’ll stay alive.”

She wasn’t asking. Her tone was hard like she was giving an order. Aster glanced at me. It wasn’t a promise that we had control over, and, of course, our mother knew that, but she needed to hear that we would at least try to live.

“We promise,” Aster said while I nodded.

“You make sure to stay alive as well,” I told her, smirking just a bit. “Or are you really trying to tell us that you’re going to be hiding on the sidelines?”

Our mother scoffed. “Please. It’s like you don’t know your mother at all.”

King Rhys announced that a couple of representatives from one of our allies had just arrived. He asked Aster and I to accompany him to meet them.

We couldn’t really deny a request from the Alpha King Rhys, the true king.

“They will aid us in infiltrating the enemy’s central command,” King Rhys explained as we walked out to a field just outside the mansion. “We will need to travel swiftly over the perilous terrain, and they are the only ones who can help us achieve such a feat.”

Aster and I shared a look. “How will they achieve that?” my brother asked, mirroring my confusion.

Alpha King Rhys didn’t answer right away, causing the unease to build even more deeply in me. Finally, he turned to look at us from over his shoulder. “Just remember that not everything is as you once believed it was.”

We had no choice but to continue to follow him through the field. On the other side of a hill, two figures stood dressed in black leather.

They both bowed respectfully as we approached. “It is our pleasure to serve you, King Rhys,” the male with dark wavy hair said. When he raised his head, I saw he had a long scar across the side of his face.

“I appreciate you and Valeria agreeing to risk your lives for my cause, Stefan,” Alpha King Rhys said. He gestured to me and Aster. “Aster and Tarik Stormfall, sons of Eva Stormfall.”

Stefan and the woman beside him widened their eyes. It was the female, Valeria, who recovered first. “Rumors of your mother’s boundless power have spread to our land and beyond. It is an honor to get the opportunity to fight alongside you both.”

My suspicion started to fall away. The two seemed genuine enough.

Alpha King Rhys stepped forward and gestured to the two warriors. “Stefan and Valeria are dragon shifters. They will fly us into enemy territory over the unforgivable terrain.”

“Dragon shifters?” Aster gasped while I openly gaped.

The dragon warriors chuckled good-naturedly.

King Rhys just grinned slightly. “Not everything is as you once believed it was,” he repeated.

“When shall we depart, my lord?” Stefan asked.

King Rhys straightened. “Immediately.”

Stefan and Valeria nodded and stepped away, cautioning us with their eyes for us to stand back. They then began to glow, shivering slightly as they braced themselves for the coming transformation. Glittering scales encased their forms, and they began to grow, towering over us in just seconds.

King Rhys, Aster, and I watched completely transfixed on the two shifters as they became scaled beasts before our eyes. Their massive wings fanned out as the transformation was completed. Stefan’s dragon was such a dark blue that it was almost black, while Valeria was a stunning maroon color that resembled blood.

They were mesmerizing as they towered over us with such raw power, but it was also clear that they could dispose of us with a single swipe of their razor-sharp wings, which looked like they could tear through flesh as if it were butter.

While I did not doubt that the two shifters were capable warriors, it didn’t make me less anxious about the risk ahead.

With one look at my brother’s determined expression, I knew that I had to trust my mother’s judgment despite the dire odds we would likely face attempting to liberate a kingdom from violent radical control.

This was war, and innocence was always the first casualty.

While Aster approached the two dragons and bellowed about how impressed he was and how he had never seen a dragon up close, I turned to the king. “We don’t just risk our lives by doing this,” I said, lowering my tone. “You realize that, I’m sure, Your Majesty.”

Alpha King Rhys studied me for a moment before responding. “You will be using your abilities against the True Sons of Sebastian,” he said, half order, half information. “But to do so will be to prevent innocent death.”

I straightened, knowing he was right, and nodded in understanding.