Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder
Chapter 1137 - 48 : Beyond the Kingdom’s Borders

Chapter 1137: Chapter 48 : Beyond the Kingdom’s Borders

*Rion*

Smog pierced the air as I made my way down a sketchy alleyway that was littered with garbage. I kept my dark hood up, feeling the eyes of the tough-looking occupants of the alley.

It had taken me weeks to finally track down Eva. I returned to the lair that Daphne and I had escaped from, but it had been completely cleared out. I searched the surrounding forest, hoping to find some clue as to where she had gone, or perhaps another hideout nearby, but had no such luck.

I had no other choice but to go to different taverns and ask around in the hopes that someone had information on my lost sister.

I felt my desperation grow stronger with each passing day. I was worried about Eva, knowing that she was extremely damaged and that she needed help. Even more so than that, however, I feared that it was only a matter of time before she ordered an attack on the Crimson family again.

My chest twisted painfully as I pictured Daphne’s heart-shaped face in my mind. After King Xander gave me my freedom, I was roughly escorted out a side door of the palace by my torturers. I felt like I was being dragged away to my execution rather than led to my freedom. I remembered the desperation I felt at that moment, realizing that I was being pulled away from Daphne.

As I was shoved outside of the palace borders, I started the long trek back to my home base, feeling discouraged, realizing that I might never see Daphne again.

Even if that was true, at least I could spend the rest of my life protecting her from afar.

After talking to hundreds of random people in taverns, and when I was just an inch away from changing tactics, I caught wind of a conversation.

Eva was in the capital city of Egoren, searching for rogues who were willing to follow her and fight for her cause.

I followed the guy and was able to rough him up a bit in a back alley until he admitted to knowing her whereabouts.

That was how I ended up standing in front of a large gray building, clearly an old warehouse due to its size and dilapidated appearance. The large, arched windows were encased in heavy metal frames that were rusty and covered in corrosion.

I crouched low and pressed myself against the side of the building, peering through one of the foggy windows.

I spotted my sister immediately, in the middle of about half a dozen burly followers. I watched them talk for a few minutes, unable to believe my luck when they left her alone, leaving the building.

I waited until the guys were a good distance away before entering the warehouse. Eva whirled around, her short dark dress swishing around her legs as her light gray eyes focused on me.

I put my hands up. “Eva–”

Before I could get another word out, my little sister lunged at me, sending a foot out toward me. I cleanly dodged it, reaching out to try and restrain her, which was a mistake. From her wide, wild eyes, it was clear she thought I was trying to attack her out of malice. She lifted her hands threateningly, no doubt in preparation to use her magic on me.

“Eva, wait!” I shouted. I put my hands up and out in a surrendering gesture.

She froze, but her hands were still raised, her face heavy with suspicion. “What the hell are you doing here, Rion?” she snapped. “Answer carefully. You’ve already betrayed me. I won’t give you a second time.”

“There won’t be one,” I said soothingly, hesitantly taking a step forward. “Please, Eva. I swear to be loyal to you from now on. I just want you back.”

Eva took a step toward me but still didn’t lower her hands. “How can I trust you after you ran off with that Crimson bitch?”

I hesitated. I had to choose my next words carefully. “I just wanted to ensure that she got home safely,” I said gently. Eva scowled at me, her arms rising slightly. I quickly closed the space between us, putting my hands on my sister’s shoulders and looking into her eyes with genuine concern. “Eva, I’m concerned for you. I don’t want this hate that you’re harboring to lead to your downfall. Please, stop this.”

“I won’t!” Eva hissed, dropping her hands roughly, her fingers curling into fists at her sides. “I won’t ever forgive those vile people! How can you forgive them after everything they’ve done, Rion?”

“What happened to us will always fill me with sadness,” I told her honestly. “But I plan to move forward rather than back, and I want you to join me in that, Eva.”

Her fierce, unyielding expression faltered ever-so-slightly.

I kept going, trying to take advantage of Eva’s wavering resolve. “Forget about the Crimson family, Eva,” I urged in my most persuasive tone. “Continuing down your current path will likely only lead to more pain and loss.”

Eva suddenly pulled away from me roughly. “Shut up!” she snapped harshly. “You wouldn’t say such things if you understood what I’ve been through!”

I extended a hand out toward her. “I know that I’ll never truly understand everything you’ve been through,” I told her gently, my anger rising when I thought about the men who dared put a hand on her. “But, I’ll do my best from now on. I promise.”

Eva shook her head wildly, her dark wavy hair flying around her face. Her wide eyes were quickly filling with tears. “No, that’s not what I’m talking about. Something else happened... I didn’t tell you....”

Her voice broke toward the end and her shoulders started to shake.

“Tell me,” I told her, reaching out further and putting a hand on her arm. I was relieved when she didn’t flinch away from me until I looked into her tear-filled eyes to see that they were far away.

“I returned to the Light Realm,” she said in a flat, emotionless voice that caused me to shiver slightly. “I was looking for my sons, for my babies.”

I sucked in a breath, not liking where this was going at all.

“I searched for days, asking around,” she went on. It sounded like she was struggling to breathe. She bent her head, clutching her chest as if she was in a lot of pain. “They were dead, had suffered from a horrible disease.”

“Eva,” I said in shock, my eyes rounding. “I’m so sorry....”

Eva looked up into my eyes for a brief moment before she broke down into loud, ear-shattering sobs. I grabbed her arm and she didn’t even seem to notice as I pulled her against my chest, wrapping my arms around her shoulders and holding her close.

As I held her, all of her actions made so much more sense. I obviously had not experienced the loss of a child, but I had heard that it was the most painful emotional trauma one could go through. Having to bury your own child just sounded so wrong, and so unbelievably traumatic.

I looked down at my sobbing sister, who was still so small and vulnerable, despite all the pain she had caused others. I could only imagine the pure anguish she faced when she learned that her children were no longer on this earth and that she would never see them again.

It was painfully clear now that the trauma and grief of losing her children destroyed Eva’s last shreds of humanity, leaving behind only bitterness and an unyielding thirst for vengeance.

This whole time, Eva hadn’t just been trying to avenge our mother and her own innocence. She was also still grieving her children.

My nephews.

Eva cried and wailed while I continued to hold her against me, my own anger rising. Those little boys had been my family as well, my own flesh and blood.

It seemed to take hours for Eva’s wails to subside to the occasional soft sob and deep sniffle. I had a feeling that she had just unleashed years of anguish and regret in those gut-wrenching sobs. When she quieted, I gently pushed her off of my chest so that I could look into her red and puffy eyes.

“I’m so sorry for everything you’ve been through, Eva,” I said sincerely. I could feel my own anger and grief as I tightened my hands on her slim shoulders. “You have no idea how badly I wish I could have saved you from all of it.”

Eva didn’t answer, just looked down at the floor again.

I put a finger beneath her chin, lifting her eyes to mine. “Let’s get out of here, Eva,” I said, gesturing around the large warehouse even though I meant so much more than the building we were currently standing in. “We can disappear together, go somewhere where we can start over, start fresh. We can go jump on a ship right now and sail away if you could just relinquish this feud with the Crimson family.”

I held my breath as I watched a war rage across my sister’s face, her puffy eyes moving back and forth as she weighed her options.

She sniffled. “It would be nice to have you by my side again.”

“And you will,” I promised. “Always.”

She looked up at me and pursed her lips for a moment before she finally nodded, and I thought I detected just a hint of the little girl that I remembered her to be. “Alright, I’ll leave the Crimson family alone so that we can disappear together.” I smiled and opened my mouth to say something, but then shut it when her eyes narrowed.

“But you have to promise that you will never leave my side again,” she said firmly.

“I promise,” I said at once.

She nodded and actually smiled. It didn’t reach her eyes, but it did cause her face to light up in a way I hadn’t seen in over a decade. “Then let’s go, Brother.”

***

It took a couple of days, but Eva and I were eventually able to track down Jasper, who was able to aid us in acquiring a sturdy vessel. Not only that, but the sleek ship was captained by a curvy, redheaded woman named Carissa.

“Thanks for doing this, Jasper,” I told him as we started to embark after supplying the boat with some necessary supplies.

Jasper made a face that clearly said, “Let’s not get all sappy now,” before he punched me hard in the shoulder.

“What the hell, man?” I snapped, resisting the urge to deliver the same punch, but with interest.

Jasper scoffed, rolling his eyes. “Just don’t go disappearing like that,” he said. “I thought I was finally rid of you when I hadn’t heard from you in days, and right after I hear you were being held prisoner by the fucking Crimson family.”

I gave Jasper a good shove in the chest but looked away when I realized my friend had been genuinely worried about me, but obviously wasn’t going to openly show it.

I appreciated that more than the worry.

I sent Jasper a teasing smirk as I walked across the wooden boat, running my hand along the smooth side. “Not bad,” I said appreciatively.

Jasper rolled his eyes and then went off to check on things with our captain before we took off.

I searched for Eva, finally finding her on the other side of the boat. She was leaning against the railing, gazing out over the clear water, illuminated only by the soft glow of the moon. I leaned on the rail beside her.

She didn’t even glance at me when she spoke. “What if I can’t do it?” she murmured, staring down at the waves as they crashed against the side of the boat.

“Do what?” I asked gently.

“Start over?” she said finally. “I’ve spent so long trying to avenge everything I’ve lost, everything we’ve lost. How can I truly start over when that’s all I’ve had for the last decade?”

“I’ll help you,” I said simply. “Remember, you’re not alone, Eva, and you never will be ever again. I swear it.”

Eva tilted her head to look at me, her gray eyes glowing in the moonlight. She smiled then and slowly leaned her head against my shoulder.

I put an arm around her as the boat began to move, pushing away from the dock, slipping away beneath the protective cover of the night.

As the cool night air blew through my hair, I couldn’t help but feel optimism as we embarked on this new journey, away from all the pain and from the threat of the Crimson family finding Eva.

I looked down at my sister. Her eyes were closed, a tiny smile toying at the corners of her lips as if she too realized she was healing as we disappeared into the darkness, and headed toward our new future beyond the kingdom’s borders.