Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder-Chapter 1606 - 48 : Is This Over?

*Kryzen*

I watched Briella disappear into the trees after Drius. I wanted to stop her, chase after her, or something. But this farewell was important to her. He had left without a goodbye. I understood she needed the closure, but it gnawed at my insides.

As time pushed on, the moon’s light continuing to fade, Briella had not returned. Worry settled deep in my bones. There were dangers out there, things she couldn’t—and shouldn’t—face on her own. Despite knowing that she could handle herself, I couldn’t stop the panic from rising.

The stillness grew too heavy and thick with unease. I had to go after her. Patience had never been a virtue of mine.

I allowed my inner beast to take over, transforming my body from human to wolf. I caught her scent in the wind and followed the path she took. It wound through the forest, a ribbon of dirt cutting through the green. Briella’s scent, a mix of wildflowers and something uniquely her, hung lightly in the air, guiding me even as the night faded.

"Damn it, Briella," I muttered under my breath. "Why do you have to make me worry like this?"

As I moved with swift, determined strides, I could almost hear her laughing at me, calling me an old man for fretting. The thought brought a reluctant smile to my face, but it didn’t reach my heart—not this night with the memory of Drius’ departure still fresh, the unspoken tension simmering between us, the danger lurking, and the worry gnawing at my gut.

"Where are you?" I whispered to the trees, half-hoping they’d whisper back the way to her. But the forest remained silent save for the rustling leaves and my uneven breaths.

It was foolish, maybe, to feel this knot in my stomach—the fear that something might happen to her, that she might need me and I wouldn’t be there. But ever since she came into my life, fierce and unyielding, I couldn’t shake the instinct to be near her and protect her, even from goodbyes that hurt.

"Kryzen, you idiot," I scolded myself, pushing through a cluster of low-hanging branches. "You’re acting like some love-struck–"

The word caught in my throat as I broke through the foliage and the trail widened before me. I had expected to find her alone, perhaps wiping away a tear or lost in thought. But she wasn’t there.

A tightness gripped my chest, a mixture of concern and something darker that I refused to name. My steps quickened, driven by the unspoken dread that the night would bring more than just shadows. Wherever she was, I hoped she knew I was coming and she wasn’t alone.

"Briella," I called softly, the name a plea carried on the evening breeze. "Briella, where are you?"

Panting, with the taste of earth and leaves heavy in my mouth, I pressed on, propelled by Briella’s scent, which clung faintly to the wind. But it was fading fast. My heart beat a relentless rhythm against my ribcage, each thump echoing the urgency of my pursuit. The forest blurred into streaks of green and brown as I darted through, dodging low branches and leaping over roots.

The thicket gave way suddenly to a clearing bathed in the silver light of the moon, and there they were: Briella and Drius, locked in an embrace too intimate for mere friends. His arms encircled her small frame, drawing her close in a protective cocoon. His lips found their place atop her dark waves in a tender kiss, a silent claim that seared through me like a brand. As if sensing my presence, Drius lifted his head, his gaze meeting mine.

I felt rooted to the spot, a cold fire of jealousy and anger flickering to life inside me. It was one thing to know of their past, to understand the depth of their connection, but witnessing it... Feeling the invisible threads that bound her to another man tighten around my heart was more than I could bear.

Drius, damn him, must have seen the storm brewing in my eyes, the hurt I couldn’t mask fast enough. He stepped back just slightly, a challenge simmering in his hazel depths.

"Kryzen," Briella said, her voice a soft gasp as she turned to face me. Her bright green eyes searched mine, clouded with confusion and a dawning realization. She reached out, her hand trembling as though she might bridge the gap between us and pull me back from the edge.

But I was already teetering, caught in the gravity of emotions I had no name for. I fought to steady my features and build a wall around the rawness I felt was exposed. "Briella," I managed, the word a strained whisper.

"Kryzen," she repeated, her tone pleading now, her hand still outstretched. But the words lodged in my throat, silenced by the tempest inside me.

My muscles tensed, ready to flee from the pain etched in her face. For a heartbeat, I remained still.

My legs then acted on their own accord, propelling me through the underbrush, away from Briella’s outreached hand, away from the heartbreak. I knew she called out to me, her voice piercing the thickening woods like a shard of glass. "Kryzen!" But the sound fell behind with each desperate stride I took.

I didn’t want to see or understand the look that must’ve been on her face—the confusion, the hurt. I was running blind, my mind reeling and my lungs burning. A part of me wished to erase the tender way Drius had kissed her, to unsee the intimacy that shouldn’t have been his to claim.

In the frenzied dash, the landscape around me blurred into streaks of green and brown. It wasn’t until my breaths came in ragged gasps that I slowed, realizing the path beneath my feet was unfamiliar. Celestial Valley should have been north, but I had veered off course. What did it matter? The valley held no solace for me now.

I had fought, bled, and won against Drius, all to stand before Briella with my heart open, ready to lay bare my love for her. And then... I witnessed that scene. It was like a cruel twist of fate snatched the moment away. The words meant to be spoken, the confession of love, shriveled inside me, scorched by the heat of jealousy.

"Damn you, Drius," I muttered under my breath, fists clenching as I tried to stifle the anger rising within me. With each pounding heartbeat, the echo of their embrace haunted me, as if mocking the victory I thought I had won.

I slumped against the rough bark of an ancient oak, its gnarled roots digging into the earth like desperate fingers. My chest heaved as I gulped down the cool forest air, trying to quell the storm inside me. The silence of the woods was a stark contrast to the tumult in my heart. I looked up, my eyes tracing the patterns of light and shadow cast by the leaves above.

I wondered what to do next. How could I face Briella after witnessing such a tender moment with Drius?

"Briella," her name was a whisper on my lips, a plea for strength I wasn’t sure I possessed. I had imagined our reunion so differently—a victorious declaration of love, not this silent suffering under the canopy of my doubts.

I glanced around at the towering trees, their branches swaying gently in a breeze I couldn’t feel. They stood indifferent to my plight, their roots firmly planted while mine felt torn from the ground.

The thought had just begun to take shape when the soft patter of footsteps interrupted it. I tensed, every muscle coiled tight as I waited for the intruder to reveal itself.

Briella burst into the clearing, her breath coming in short bursts that matched the frantic pace of my heart. Her bright green eyes found mine immediately, locking me in place more effectively than any chain ever could.

"Kryzen," she gasped, her chest rising and falling rapidly. There was no hiding the concern etched into her features, a mirror of the empathy that made her soul shine. Even now, amid the chaos of my emotions, I marveled at the fierceness with which she cared, the strength that defined her every move.

"Are you okay?" Her voice broke through my reverie, pulling me back to the present, to the reality of the situation before us. I could only nod, words failing me as they often did in her presence.

Briella took a step closer, and I fought the urge to retreat and run from what I feared would be the inevitable conclusion of our story. But then, I remembered who she was —Briella Black, a warrior who didn’t shy away from battle and faced pain head-on. If she could do that, maybe I could find the courage to stand my ground.

My feet shuffled in the dried leaves. "You don’t have to say anything," I blurted out, the words tumbling from my lips before I could consider their weight. My heart hammered against my ribcage, urging me backward, away from her inevitable disappointment.

But Briella was relentless, stepping forward with determination that matched her warrior spirit. "I do," she insisted, her voice tinged with a mixture of frustration and desperation. "Why did you run?"

I couldn’t meet her gaze and let her see the turmoil that surely painted my face a shameful hue. It would have been easier to lie and let her believe something manageable. "It looked like... you and Drius were..." I couldn’t finish the sentence, the words sticking like thorns in my throat.

"Not really," she countered softly. There was a depth in those two words that hinted at complexities I hadn’t considered.

My eyes were fixed on the ground, tracing patterns in the dirt as if they held some secret answer. But there was no escaping this, no hidden path that led away from the truth. I felt her approach, her presence enveloping me in a warmth that contrasted sharply with the chill of uncertainty.

"Kryzen, look at me." Her voice was gentle now, pulling at me with a tenderness I didn’t deserve.

I hesitated and then lifted my gaze, only to find myself lost in the verdant depths of her eyes. They held a spark, an unwavering flame, that seemed to burn just for me.

"I love you," she declared. The words struck me with the force of a thousand battles. Each syllable resonated within my chest, echoing across the void that had opened between us.

For a moment, time stretched, the forest holding its breath along with me. And in that expanse of silence, I found clarity. Briella’s love wasn’t a chain. It was a lifeline. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

"Say it again," I whispered, daring to step closer and bridge the gap that fear had carved between us.

Her smile was radiant, even as a lone bead of sweat traced a path down her temple. "I love you, Kryzen Stormfall, only you."

With those words, the world righted itself, the trees standing witness to a truth as old as time—love was the most potent magic of all.