Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder
Chapter 1152 - 63 : A Risky Proposition

Chapter 1152: Chapter 63 : A Risky Proposition

*Daphne*

It felt like we were on the run for hours, eluding Alpha Gareth’s forces as they pursued us.

Near dawn, Rion and Jasper followed guides to a secluded cave deep in the forest.

“This isn’t far enough,” I argued.

“We need to rest. We’ve been running all night,” Rion insisted. “Eva can put up a barrier to protect us.”

“I can?” Eva asked, arching an eyebrow.

I caught the look Rion gave her. It seemed like they weren’t entirely on the same page about this rescue. That didn’t matter. I was just grateful to be away from Gareth and his delusions of making me his Luna.

“Daphne, the cave is dry and it is a good place to rest. We could all use it.” Rion nodded to his men.

They were all panting and they looked exhausted. I didn’t want them to suffer on my account. They’d done the hard work of breaking me free.

“Alright.”

We went into the cave, and the others set up a little makeshift camp. Jasper laid out a bedroll for me and as soon as I sat down, my entire body deflated like a punctured balloon. I leaned against the cave wall and unconsciously looped my arms around my stomach.

Rion came over and knelt down in front of me. He gave me a soft look and held out a canteen.

“You need to stay hydrated.”

Slowly, I took the water. As soon as the cool, quenching liquid hit my throat, I guzzled it down like it was the first water I’d had in weeks. Streams of water ran down the corners of my mouth and chin. I finished it off and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand.

“Thanks.” I handed the empty canteen back.

“Daphne, how are you doing? How’s the baby?”

My eyes snapped to Rion’s. His gray orbs continued to look at me with kindness. My heart clenched as I thought of the coldness he had shown me before.

“We’re fine.” I tucked my knees to my chest and turned my body away from him slightly.

“I’m... sorry about everything that happened.”

“It doesn’t matter now. It feels like the world is falling apart and I think there are bigger concerns than what is going on with us.”

The corners of Rion’s mouth turned down in a frown. “Right....”

“Do you even know what my family has been dealing with?” I didn’t expect Rion to understand but if my mother and father were deposed, the realm could be in chaos for years, generations. I didn’t want my child to be brought up in that.

“I’m aware that there are disloyal insurrectionists within the palace. Your father wanted me to help find them.”

“And you ran off with no intention of coming back. How noble of you.”

Rion narrowed his eyes. I saw the line of his frown deepen even more. “I had a promise to keep to my sister. More than anyone, I’d expect you to understand that.”

I didn’t miss his subtle innuendo about Rhys. I sighed and nodded slowly. I did understand that, better than anyone.

“Look, all that matters to me is that you and our child are safe.” He reached out and took my hand. His touch was warm and soft.

My stomach fluttered and my breath caught in my throat. I immediately thought of all the nights we spent holding each other... his soft caresses and gentle kisses. The mere memory sent a shudder through me.

“I promise Daphne, I’m going to protect you and our baby, no matter what happens.”

Rion and Jasper left shortly after we got settled with some of the crew to find food and water. A company that size needed supplies if we were going to stay ahead of Alpha Gareth.

Eva stayed in the cave with me, along with some of Rion’s most trusted warriors. I couldn’t tell, but Eva swore she created a barrier over the mouth of the cave to prevent anyone unwanted from entering.

“Thank you, Eva, for helping me.”

Eva stopped her pacing and glanced at me. “I didn’t do it for you. My brother is rather stubborn, though, and I owe him.” Her tone was harsh and she immediately went back to pacing.

I got the sense that her tone wasn’t about her feelings toward me. She was pacing like an animal in a cage.

“I don’t like being confined or stuck in one place either,” I said. I closed my eyes for a moment and leaned against the cave wall.

I heard Eva’s footsteps halt. After a moment, I opened one eye and saw her sitting closer to me.

“How do you handle it? I feel like I’m going crazy, trapped in a cage.”

“I just think of a place where I’m happy, usually somewhere with big open skies and lots of trees or grass.”

Eva scoffed. “There aren’t a lot of places I feel happy.”

I bit my lower lip and thought of her tragic childhood, her brutal life, and the loss of her sons. A pit opened in my stomach and I clasped my hands over my belly.

“You’re happy with Rion, right? Think of him. I bet that will help.”

“Is that who you’re thinking of?” she countered.

Heat rose to my cheeks and I looked down at my lap.

“Sometimes. Lately, I’ve been thinking of our future... the family we might have.”

“You’re not going to have a family with him. You’re a princess and he’s an outcast, remember?”

Slowly, I licked my lips. “That doesn’t mean I can’t fantasize about it.”

Eva rolled her eyes. “Hope and fantasies will get you into trouble.”

I shrugged but then quickly tensed as the sound of breaking twigs in the woods had me on alert.

Eva sprang to her feet and went to the mouth of the cave. I followed her and I saw Alpha Gareth’s men roaming through the woods just outside.

Some of them came right up to the mouth of the cave, but none tried to enter. They just huffed and moved on. Eva’s barrier was working.

She was very powerful. I knew just how much damage she could do with that power, especially now that there wasn’t a White Queen anymore.

There had to be a way to convince Eva that she didn’t have to follow Hestia’s legacy. She could use her powers to protect those who needed it.

“The barrier is holding.” Eva rejoined me and brought with her some protein bars. She offered me one.

Gratefully, I scarfed it down.

“Eva... have you thought about coming back to the palace?”

“Come back?” She arched an eyebrow. “Don’t you mean turn myself in?”

“Well... yeah, I guess I do.”

“What would that accomplish, other than my imprisonment for the rest of my life?”

“It beats being hunted for the rest of your life.”

Eva pursed her lips and slowly chewed on her protein bar. “At least, if I’m hunted, I’m not trapped in a cage.”

“It might not be that way. My parents let Rion out. They saw what value he had to offer and decided to put that to use, even after he kidnapped me.”

“I doubt they’d offer me the same courtesy.” Eva sighed and looked out the front of the cave again.

I didn’t want to give her any false hope or delusions, but I wanted to give her something to consider. With everything going on in the Dark Realm, she’d be a much better ally than an enemy.

“Don’t get me wrong. My parents are angry about what you’ve done. They aren’t without compassion though. I think they feel really bad about what you and your brother went through. They acknowledge they should have followed up and been more vigilant.”

“I’d like to hear that from them.”

“You could, if you came back to the palace. They are reasonable people. You helped rescue me and they will be grateful for that.”

“You and I have very different experiences with your parents. Forgive me if I don’t take your word for it.”

I nodded and looked down. I knew it was hard for Eva to trust anything anyone said after what she’d been through.

I thought about the problems at the palace. Without White Queen power, the palace was essentially helpless. Not to mention, my parents had no idea who to trust anymore. They were still trying to get to the bottom of the traitors and at any moment, a larger, more crippling attack could come.

It wasn’t like I could tell her that, though. Eva was powerful and could make a good ally, but if she knew how vulnerable the palace was, she might not immediately think protecting it was most beneficial to her. She could just as easily decide to mount an attack of her own.

“Eva, my parents have heard rumors of some dangerous things happening in the Dark Realm. We need everyone we can get to protect the innocent people of the capital. There are a lot of women and children there that could be at risk.”

Eva tensed, and I noticed the glassiness that came to her eyes. She could be reasoned with, that much I knew was true. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be here helping me at Rion’s request.

“You think your parents would willingly allow me to use my powers that way? I’m a threat to them. They know it.”

“But if you turned yourself in after helping me get home in one piece, that would go a long way with them. Maybe you’d have to serve some time but at the end of the day, you’d have freedom. You wouldn’t have to run, hide, or be stuck in a cage. Don’t you want the chance at a normal life?”

“Normal?” Eva scoffed. “I don’t know the meaning.”

“What about the chance to protect those who are defenseless? You could use your powers to offer the protection your sons never got.”

Eva tensed again and she turned away from me. I saw a slight shudder go through her. I knew it wasn’t nice to bring up a tragedy like that, but at least it got through to her. Appealing to her last shred of humanity was exactly what I needed to do.

After a few moments of silence, Eva stood up and walked away. I didn’t expect an immediate answer. She probably wanted to think over her options. I was confident that I’d given her a lot to think about. It was true. I couldn’t guarantee that my parents would free her or see my side of things, but it was worth a shot.

They both knew we needed all the allies we could get, especially those with magical powers. Eva was a perfect candidate to protect the royal family and all of the Dark Realm.

If only she believed it.