Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder

Chapter 98 : This Isn’t Magic, It’s Hell

*Xander*

Ianthe walked in step with me as we left the cave. This annoyed Zeke, who walked a few paces in front of us with his shoulders tight and his head snapping in our direction every once in a while.

I was telling Ianthe everything, holding nothing back. Egoren, my family, the pack lands–everything. At this point, why not? If I didn't find Lena soon, everything was going to s**t anyway.

She was especially curious about the White Queens and had many, many questions.

“So, your kind has witches too?"

“I don't think they like being called witches," I smirked as we followed Zeke along a well-beaten trail through the rocky landscape leading to the abandoned city. “But they are pretty different from shifters, you know, wolves."

“But you're different as well–"

“Not nearly as powerful as my mate," I interrupted with a shrug.

I'd already told them both about getting attacked and the blood being drained from my veins, then waking up buried under shriveled bodies that turned to ash when I moved. Zeke looked weary, but Ianthe had been wildly impressed, pressing me for information.

But when it came to giving me any more information about themselves, they were mum. I figured it didn't really matter, given that I was killing their king and getting the hell out of the place as soon as possible.

It took longer than I thought to reach the city. It was the dead of night by the time we crouched behind a large boulder, waiting for Zeke to give us permission to continue forward. It was much, much lighter at the base of the valley than it had been in the thick forest, which was now far above us, barely a shadow against the inky black sky. A moon shone against the slate that fanned out over the valley, reflecting on the ribbons of yellow and white rock woven into each layer of thin, brittle stone. Far away I heard a screech, and it echoed through the valley, disappearing on the breeze it had ridden in on.

“What makes that sound?" I whispered to Ianthe.

She pursed her lips. “We call it Nahga," she whispered as Zeke motioned us to continue down the trail. “I've never seen one up close. It's some sort of winged creature. It belongs to the king."

I wondered if it had been the same winged beast that had taken Lena, and the same that had plucked me from the ground when Oliver, Adrian, and I were stopped on the highway leading to Crimson Creek. But, based on the far-off look in her eyes as she scanned the horizon, I had a feeling the Nahga was something else entirely.

“There's many of them–spies, in my opinion, for the king. They also sound the approach of day."

“Which is coming soon, so we need to pick up the pace if we're going to reach the river," Zeke cut in, his voice edged with annoyance.

I arched my brow at him as he fixed me with a scowl.

“Maybe we should stay in the city," Ianthe suggested, her voice as sweet as sugar as she gave her brother practiced doe eyes.

Zeke frowned at her. “You're stalling the inevitable, Ianthe," he said flatly, but then he looked up at the sky, noticing the streaks of pale violet on the horizon. We still had a few hours before daybreak, at least.

a while, leading the way along what looked like it had once been a road. Large cracks had split the road open in several places and had extended to

shortly, following

why there's no

a rebel army against King Nikolas, and everyone was either killed on the spot and eaten, or taken

my lips into a tight

abandoned for

were towering above us as we walked, several stories high but shrouded

long have your people been fighting

Zeke quipped, shrugging a shoulder. “Our people were once the children of this realm. The High Vampires weren't always called thus. They were our Gods and Goddesses. They were unseen, the children of the creator of our world. He was called, and is still referred to, as 'The Father,' but King Nikolas refuses

all of this?" I waved my hand in a wide circle toward the crumbling remains

time. Some say the very second The Father turned his power over to his children, the High Vampires, they turned on each other. They killed one another until

“King Nikolas?"

He's the only one anyone has ever seen. The rest of them are

is awful," I breathed, not even trying

moment

much of a river, if I was being honest, but it was the first sign of running water I'd seen

I was f*****g thirsty.

her hand in the crook of Zeke's elbow. They turned to look at me as they reached the water's edge, Ianthe's eyes glimmering

said, and I was

with ease, and in less than a minute were on the other side of the narrow, lazy river. Ianthe stopped,

held it between her hands for a moment, then met Zeke's eye, then mine. She raised the

nearly dropped it. I gave her a weary eye before I drank. It was clean,

but maybe filtering water so it was

five

“It's farther, and you know it. We

“Ianthe–"

the jug back to my mouth. “I have somewhere I need to

a smile as Ianthe narrowed her eyes at

you to King Nikolas right

tone was heavy as he put an arm on his sister's

she bit out, on the

king, but I didn't know how, or why. She met my eye as though my questions

but not as powerful as my kind… my father's kind. They have summoned me home," she began, looking as though this was a speech she'd

to try to overthrow him," Zeke cut in, his eyes darkening. “But we're nothing without the alliance of the