Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder
Chapter 1132 - 43 : A Glimmer of Hope

Chapter 1132: Chapter 43 : A Glimmer of Hope

*Daphne*

Every part of my body was screaming for me to stop, but I ignored it as best as I could as I followed Rion through the trees. I groaned as my clothes got caught on a thin branch. I yanked the fabric free before pressing on.

Rion suddenly reached back and grabbed my hand. “I think I see a cave up ahead.”

I squinted into the darkness. My eyes were adjusting much better as the sky brightened as dawn approached. Our clothes had dried a bit and the continued walk warmed us up. I could have cried upon seeing the hole in the side of the rocky wall that we were hurrying toward.

We were both breathing hard as we burst through the cave’s entrance, our presence immediately disturbing the still silence of the dark space. Almost as one, we collapsed against the damp cave wall. I fell back with such force that I nearly knocked the wind out of myself.

I glanced over at Rion. His head was tilted back against the rocks, sweat sliding down the sides of his face and along his neck. His arms rested lightly on his propped-up knees and his thin lips were ajar as he tried to catch his breath.

I shut my eyes as well, trying to slow my body down. I ached everywhere, my muscles throbbing from the exertion that came with running all night. I probably looked like a complete mess. My heart was still pounding from fear even though I was chanting in my head that we were safe now.

We were safe now, weren’t we?

My heart rate spiked as my body threatened to enter flight or fight mode. I listened to Rion’s harsh breathing and the slight echo of the wind blowing through the cold cave. Could I even allow myself to believe that we were safe for a second considering the number of times I’ve been grabbed, manhandled, and tied up over the past several days alone?

I wasn’t sure how long it took for my heart to stop hammering inside of my ribcage, but I couldn’t help but feel like it happened in time with Rion’s breathing going back to normal.

His breathing was so even now that I wondered briefly if he had fallen asleep. One look at his tense face crushed that theory. His eyes were still closed though, his thick eyelashes brushing his sweaty cheekbones.

My brain buzzed as the adrenaline from our escape finally started to fade. I jumped slightly when Rion suddenly turned to face me. I blinked in the dim lighting, my eyes taking in the shame and regret that was etched across his face.

His deep voice was hoarse and thick as he spoke. “Daphne,” he breathed, his gray eyes leaving my face for just a moment before he forced himself to focus on me again. “I’m so sorry.”

I felt my mouth tighten as I slowly shook my head. “You don’t have to keep apolo–”

He cut me off immediately, his gray eyes darkening. “Yes, I do,” he affirmed flatly. His rugged jaw was suddenly tight. “I’m really sorry. I should have protected you from Eva from the beginning.”

I looked down at my hands. They were trembling slightly as I remembered the long hours I spent in that dark cell, wondering if I was ever going to see my family again. It hurt to think that I would never be able to watch Rhys open his eyes.

I looked up at Rion. His expression was intense as he waited for me to say something. I thought I detected nervousness swimming in his eyes and realized he must be expecting me to be angry, probably even hateful toward him because of everything I had endured.

Maybe others would have resented Rion for all the pain and fear that I suffered through. Even if he’d planned to hand me over as a sacrifice in the beginning, I couldn’t be angry with him. The numerous chases and beatings I went through were nothing compared to what Rion had been forced to experience throughout his entire life.

My hand was no longer shaking as I lifted it to rest gently against Rion’s smooth cheek. I felt tears prick my eyes as I smiled at him. “None of that matters now.”

Rion’s face was incredulous, his gray eyes widening. “You can’t possibly believe that.”

“I do,” I told him firmly. “What does matter is that you came back for me in the end.”

Rion’s incredulous expression melted away, morphing into one of shock, before changing to an emotion that I couldn’t read immediately. Before I could process what it was, he crushed his lips against mine.

There were complicated layers behind this kiss. I felt the desperation first as his hot breath tangled with mine. I gasped against him as his burning lips pressed firmly to me. He adjusted our bodies so that he had me pressed hard between his warm body and the cold, rocky wall against my back. I recovered quickly and eagerly returned the kiss, sliding my hands up his neck so that I could weave my fingers through his thick dark locks.

I felt several emotions pass from Rion to me as he continued to explore my mouth. Despite my reassurances, he was still sorry and suffering from regret. He nibbled on my lower lip, almost asking for forgiveness. And yet, he was rough as well. His jaw was hard as he kissed me. His strong arms were on either side of my shoulders, successfully trapping me in place.

We didn’t speak. We didn’t need to. Everything that needed to be said was done through our eager, fervent touches. Rion’s hands slid down the cave wall to grip my shoulders hard. A helpless sound flew from my lips as I felt the desperation building up inside of me. I reached my hands up blindly to wrap my arms around his neck, clinging to him.

I couldn’t have predicted how much I needed this, needed to feel his warm body against mine. There had been nothing but tension for the past several days as our lives were filled with uncertainty and fear. All of it, from the heartache to the overwhelming trauma, seemed to melt away as we shared this moment together.

I was so overtaken by the plethora of emotions that I didn’t even realize that I had somehow ended up on my back with Rion leaning over me, his legs on either side of my hips. Perhaps it was because his firm mouth was still over mine, his haggard breaths intermingled with mine as we continued to hold each other.

My eyes flew open and we both froze. Rion pushed himself up slightly, listening intently. The sound of shouts and heavy footsteps echoed from the cave entrance.

Eva’s followers.

Rion jumped up so fast that my brain was still trying to process what was happening as he reached down to grab my wrist and yank me to my feet. He grabbed my shoulders and shoved me forward so that I stumbled deeper into the cave.

I wanted to scream with fright as we sprinted into the darkness. Almost immediately, we were completely engulfed in the black nothingness. Fear gripped me so hard and I reached out blindly for Rion, who grabbed my hand securely in his. It was the tiniest reassurance as the cruel, frightening voices grew louder behind us.

We were both stumbling as the dark tunnel stretched on in front of us. Admittedly, and as usual, I was struggling more than Rion was. I did my best, but it was difficult to sprint with the thick skirt of my dress around my legs and the fact that I felt half blind.

Rion pulled me along urgently through the winding tunnel. He moved erratically, taking complicated twists and turns through the underground maze. It slowed us down, but I could tell what he was doing. He was trying to make our path difficult to follow and predict in order to lose our pursuers.

I understood the logic, but it didn’t appear to be working all that well. The booming voices seemed to be getting louder, the heavy footsteps closer and closer. The echoey cave left me disoriented as I was dragged behind Rion. It was difficult to tell if the voices were actually gaining on us or not. The sound of our own quick footsteps was echoing in the space around us as well.

I gasped as the toe of my shoe slammed into a rock and I stumbled forward. Rion had cursed quietly under his breath and tried to pull me along again when I felt it–it was so small and slight that I almost thought I imagined the hint of cool, fresh air that wafted over my cheeks.

I turned my head sharply in the direction it had come from and was just barely able to make out the entrance of what looked to be a narrow passageway.

“This way,” I whispered urgently to Rion.

Thankfully, he quickly followed me into the tiny opening. We squeezed through the tight pathway, my heartbeat slamming into my ribcage at the slow pace we had to go in order to travel through the cramped space. I felt along the hard, jagged surfaces blindly, following the cool air that was thankfully only growing stronger as we moved forward.

I could tell that Rion felt the breeze as well. He ended up behind me in the slim channel and I could feel his urgency as he pressed up against my back as we crawled along.

My breathing quickened when I saw a sliver of light up ahead. Rion pressed a hand to my back, gently guiding me forward as we continued to squeeze through. We were both panting in anticipation as we hurried toward the opening.

After what felt like ages, we emerged from the blackness, stepping into the celestial light of the early morning. Rion’s hand was on my shoulder as we looked out over the terrain. We were standing high up on the side of a hill, just beneath the boughs of the dense forest.

I swallowed thickly as I peered down at the steep, rocky slope below us. I looked around wildly. It was the only way we had to go.

Rion and I were breathing hard, more from fear this time than exertion. I held my breath for a second as we listened to the world around us. The only sounds that could be heard were coming from the light breeze and the early morning birds singing their gentle song.

Rion and I glanced at each other quickly, the grim expressions on both our faces indicating that we both knew from too much experience that the peaceful sounds meant nothing.

Eva’s followers were likely hot on our tails.

“Let’s go,” Rion murmured breathlessly, grabbing my hand again as we started to scramble down the sharp slope.

Neither of us spared a single glance back, both determined to put as much space between us and Eva as possible.

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