Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder

Chapter 1473 - 72 : Dancing in the Dark

*Rhys*

I clenched my jaw as I paced about the study in the Hunters Glen Alpha den, thumb hovering over the call button to my father. I knew what my father expected of me. I knew what Egoren expected of their prince.

But I could only think about Saoirse.

I didn’t trust Axureon. I suppose I never truly had, and I most certainly didn’t trust his reawoken mate, who had possessed Saoirse. While this Shylah certainly seemed powerful and not easily hurt, Saoirse could still get hurt while being possessed by this ancient dragon.

I couldn’t afford to fail her again.

“Rhys–”

“Yes? What?” I snapped anxiously at Daxton, who reeled back in surprise. “Sorry Dax, I was in my thoughts. Forgive me, I’m a bit preoccupied.” I forced myself to calm my frayed nerves.

“I know. You don’t need to apologize to me. I wanted to let you know that we picked up unusual activity on our satellite array.” Daxton presented a tablet, and I nearly ripped it from his hands.

“Here, on the Northeast coastline, dragons appeared almost out of nowhere. This area is uninhabited, so we think–” Daxton was cut off.

“They may be underground,” I completed his sentence for him and flushed again in embarrassment from interrupting him.

Daxton sighed knowingly.

“Yes. Our experts advised us that they may be in underground passages or caves because there are no standing structures in the area,” he confirmed, and that was enough for me.

“I’m getting Malcolm.” I strode out of the study like a man on a mission. I found my cousin talking to one of the Blackstone pack members who had remained in Hunters Glen in the entryway.

“Rhys, do you finally want to get some fresh air? You’ve been cooped up in that study like a scholar. The sun could do you some good,” Malcolm chided in a way that grated on me, but I knew he meant well.

At least I’d take it that way now because I needed Malcolm. Despite our differences, after his recent support, I knew I could count on him for this.

“Malcolm, I need to ask you to stay here in charge of Hunters Glen while I follow up on a report.” I cut to the chase, wasting no time.

Malcolm raised a knowing eyebrow.

“Ah, this is about Saoirse and the dragons, isn’t it?” Malcolm smirked and continued before I could even respond. “Sure, Rhys I’ll stick around here. There’s a lot of work to be done, and I’m enjoying this quaint little escape.”

“Good, thanks, Malcolm. Dax will remain here to assist as well,” I said.

A wash of guilt washed over me. I should’ve told Daxton that I had to do this alone. I turned around. Yet again, Daxton appeared to have understood.

“Go. Call your father already.” Daxton chuckled a bit, and I hit the call button not a moment later.

“Yes, Rhys,” his deep voice answered.

“Father, I’ve received a report of dragon activity near the Northeastern coastline,” I stated curtly as I returned to my quarters to quickly pack my things. “I’m sending the report to you now. I’d like permission to go investigate.”

As I began to throw my charger and clothes into a bag, I heard my father sigh.

“Rhys, I cannot allow you to go gallivanting off to this wilderness hunting dragons.” The king’s voice boomed through the phone, disappointment heavy in his tone.

“Father, I have to go. I need to get to the bottom of what happened to Saoirse and what Shaylah and Axureon are up to.” I paused mid-packing, lungs frozen at his outright denial.

My blood dumped to my feet, and my mind blanked that I’d be refused to help Saoirse.

“Son, I understand this is important to you, but you’re acting in haste. I cannot allow this course of action,” my father said. I scrambled, thinking of a way to go without him knowing.

Maybe Daxton could cover for me in Hunters Glen.

“However, knowing that if I outright deny you, you’ll most likely go off on your own anyway and hide your whereabouts, which would be even more irksome, I’ll broker a compromise,” my father continued. I rocked back on my heels.

“A compromise?” I echoed.

“Midnight Sun. You remember your cousin, Eloise, correct?” the king asked. I heard some commotion in the background.

“Uh, yes, she had short black hair and dabbled a bit in magic. Her husband is the new Alpha... George?” I raked through my memories of my rather large family.

“Alpha Gage, close though,” my father joked a bit, which astonished me for a moment. “But yes, I will instruct Luna Eloise and Alpha Gage to assist you with this mission.”

The blood rushed back to the rest of my body, my lungs unfreezing.

“Report to Midnight Sun, and they will be able to find the proper resources to help you get to the bottom of what is occurring with these dragons.” My father paused. “I also have a vested interest in getting to the truth of what is happening with the dragons in Egoren and wish the best for that young woman.”

“Yes, Father, I know. Thank you. I’ll take my leave now.” I immediately resumed packing.

“Take a driver. Do not drive yourself,” my father stated, giving me one last order before ending the call.

I rushed out of my room with minimal belongings and out of the Alpha den, flagging down the nearest SUV and royal driver.

“I need you to take me to Midnight Sun right away,” I ordered the driver. He nodded curtly and opened the back door of the once sleek SUV, which was now coated in dried mud from off-roading in Hunters Glen.

As the driver made way, skirting the occasional speed limit, I began to look up Midnight Sun along with Alpha Gage and Luna Eloise.

While family, I had not interacted with them much as they were a bit eccentric. From what I could remember, Eloise had forgone typical royal training to get to know Lileas, the seer I had taken Saoirse to back in the palace.

According to the research I uncovered on the drive, Alpha Gage supported his Luna. Midnight Sun was now known throughout this region as a hub for the psychically talented, hosting many symposiums and gatherings.

I wondered what my father had in mind. Did he think introducing more magic into this already twisted affair would allow us to make some headway? Were there even any magic users in Midnight Sun strong enough to contend with Shylah and the otherworldly dragon magic?

I was suddenly overcome with fatigue from staying up for days on end and the steady thrum of the SUV’s engine. I fell asleep.

“Sir Rhys... Prince... Prince Rhys, we’ve arrived.” A male voice shook me from my dreamless slumber.

I blinked, cursing myself for resting, but then realized that if I had to have slept, the car ride was the best opportunity. I scanned Midnight Sun. While it was a significant technological upgrade from Hunters Glen, complete with traffic lights, vehicles, and glowing signs inside mom-and-pop cafes, it retained a quaint, small-town charm.

The driver had pulled up alongside a wrought iron gate with a security speaker box that didn’t look used much.

Before I could say anything, the wrought iron gate swung open to allow the SUV to pull into the drive. They pulled up alongside an old Victorian house with a wrap-around porch, and the driver got out to open my door.

“This car needs some servicing and some gas. Would you mind if I left you here while I take it to the nearest gas station?” the driver asked. I nodded, stepping out and grabbing my bag.

I wanted to be alone for this anyway, to see what my father meant by “help and resources.” As soon as the driver pulled away, the teal door of the Victorian house swung open.

Out stepped a familiar tall, slim woman with short cropped black hair and keen eyes, gray like a summer storm.

“It’s been a while, cousin, or do you want me to address you as Prince Rhys?” She smiled, her eyes crinkling warmly at the edges.

“Rhys is fine, Luna Eloise. Thank you for having me,” I replied, stepping up the stairs. She wore an old magenta hooded sweatshirt over grass-stained jeans.

“Oh, please call me Eloise, and forgive me for not cleaning up. Gage and I were weeding the herb garden when your father called us. With getting everything into place to help, we were left with little time to get ourselves presentable.”

The pretty Luna gestured to herself. I didn’t mind in the least. I knew I was hardly the picture of perfect hygiene myself.

“It’s no matter, Eloise. I’m not much better, but I will say that when my father said you’d help, I have no idea what he had in mind.” I followed Eloise inside, where I saw a stout man with glasses carrying an antique tea set toward a mahogany coffee table.

The interior of the Victorian house was furnished precisely how I expected it to be. It was filled to the brim with verdant house plants, plush velvet furniture, and a wooden rocking chair. There was even a fireplace above the mantle, but no fire had been lit.

“Honestly, Prince Rhys, it took your father, the king, a long time to get us up to speed on what was going on. Once he did, it made what Sasha was talking about make a whole lot more sense.” Gage motioned to me to sit and handed me a cup of fragrant tea.

“Sasha?” I asked, sniffing the tea, noting it smelled vaguely of the herbs in Lilea’s cottage.

“Yes, Sasha Black, one of the most talented Dream Dancers of our time,” Eloise continued for her Alpha. “She’s an old friend of mine but hadn’t been by Midnight Sun in ages. She suddenly showed up at my front door yesterday, looking as if a ghost had chased her all the way here from the Light Realm.”

“Dream Dancer?” I was a bit lost as I took a sip of the tea. Instantly, energy zipped through my bones, and the fatigue and tightness behind my eyes evaporated.

I felt like I had just slept a full ten hours.

“Yes, she can explain it all. She said she only wanted to explain it to ‘the one she longs for.’” Eloise called out, “Sasha, Rhys is here!”

Her soulful dark eyes locked onto me, and her lips, which were painted in pale gloss, pulled into a smile.

“Ah, yes, you are the one Saoirse longs for.” Sasha’s eyes lit up. I swore her moonstone pendant glowed a bit as well.

“What? How do you know Saoirse? Please tell me everything.” I managed to keep my composure instead of snapping in surprise, probably due to how rested the tea made me.

“As a Dream Dancer, I receive visions of magical or important events when I sleep.” Sasha approached, her braids jingling slightly. “I dreamed about what happened to Saoirse. She is indeed possessed by a powerful ancient spirit, Shylah, and fights valiantly against her oppressor.”

“I knew it. Saoirse would never allow this to happen willingly.” I fisted his hands, and my irises flared crimson.

“She needs our help. At present, Shylah is way too powerful for someone even as strong as Saoirse to overpower herself.” The beautiful Dream Dancer stood next to the fireplace.

“Yeah, so how do we help her?” I asked, hoping I didn’t come all the way here just to find out they had no plan.

Sasha’s expression hardened, her full lips pursing.

“Shylah has instructed her lieutenants to search for a powerful witch to exorcize Saoirse’s soul from her body. I happen to be a very powerful witch talented in this arcane art.” The Dream Dancer’s hands flashed quickly with a violet orb of magic.

I bolted to my feet.

“You can’t be serious about performing an exorcism, right?” My pulse ratcheted in my neck.

Sasha shook her head, her beaded braids tinkling.

“No, but if the ancient dragon warrior believes I can and will do so, then we can get close enough to help Saoirse,” Sasha explained. I sighed, realizing I shouldn’t have jumped to that conclusion.

“I’ve already been posting on social media and sent word to various covens in the area that I am here in Midnight Sun. They will soon find out that one of the world’s premier witches is coincidentally in their backyard,” the Dream Dancer continued, her eyes twinkling.

Ice flowed through my veins. I couldn’t believe her impulsiveness.

“Sasha, these dragons have powerful magic. If they seek you out, they won’t simply ask for your help. They’ll most likely abduct you. How can you help Saoirse if they hold you captive as well?” I raised my voice a bit. Eloise put her hands down on her lap.

“Worry not, young prince. I know that the dragons are more likely to execute me than pay for my services, which is why I am showing you my most closely guarded secret.” Sasha turned to the cold fireplace. With both hands, she made two quick hand motions.

A large violet-ringed portal formed in front of the fireplace. Out from the portal stepped a woman nearly identical to Sasha.