Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder-Chapter 1615 - 57 : Our Lights

*Kryzen*

I had never been so disturbed by a single community before.

I found it strange at first that Celestial Valley had no form of military and hardly any security. It became clear that Briella’s home was so remote that they didn’t feel a need for it. Plus, the community was small, only a couple hundred people, so it made even more sense that they would just live peacefully without any kind of defense.

Lumina Mountain was an entirely different matter. They were a bustling community with a population obviously multiple times larger than the valley’s. They were more successful economically and had much more at stake. They could stand to have more security and defenses.

The most I’d seen in terms of security were the guards milling about with their heads so far up their asses I doubted they would be of much use when faced with an actual threat. They walked around the community as if they hadn’t a care in the world.

That was very likely because they didn’t.

“Kryzen?”

I shook myself out of my dark thoughts and focused my eyes on my mate. She was sitting across from me in a slim dark boat as we glided through one of the icy cold rivers in the middle of Lumina Mountain. Her vibrant green eyes were wide with concern, immediately causing guilt to bloom inside me.

I had to remind myself that Briella was right. These people have never faced a real threat in their centuries of existence. It was doing me no good to be angry about it.

I grasped her hand and squeezed it reassuringly. “I’m fine,” I told her.

Briella didn’t look convinced. She pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes at me before standing up and quickly moving so she was sitting beside me on the tiny seat in the boat.

“You’re not supposed to stand up,” I hissed at her. “You could have fallen into the river.”

Briella just rolled her eyes and cuddled into my side. “I was quick about it,” she pointed out, looping her arm through mine and leaning her cheek on my shoulder. “It’s beautiful here, isn’t it?”

I let out a frustrated breath at her nonchalant attitude but obediently followed her gaze, looking around at the city surrounding us. I had to admit that I saw the appeal. It was cold, but there was a pureness to the air. It made it seem like each time one took a breath, they were cleansing their lungs.

Briella had an almost dreamy look on her face as she glanced around at the shiny buildings with undulating rooftops and sleek facades. People walking on the bridges stopped to wave at us with warm smiles on their faces.

Briella waved back enthusiastically, straightening slightly in her seat to do so.

I was suddenly reminded of the warnings Briella received from both Tian’s and Mathias’ possessed forms. It was far too early to be celebrating.

I tightened my hold around Briella, feeling protectiveness well up inside of me. We couldn’t afford to just sit around and enjoy ourselves. I wasn’t comfortable being lax even in more peaceful situations.

This community was far too relaxed and had no real security or defense measures. That meant we would have to be more vigilant and on guard than normal.

Briella looked up at me in confusion when I pulled her more tightly against me. She noted my intense expression with a frown before pressing her mouth to mine lightly, practically begging me to calm down. I gave her a tender look when we pulled apart, caressing the soft skin of her cheek and tapping my forehead to hers in a light, teasing gesture.

I let my smile falter once Briella turned away from me, not wanting her to see how worried I was for what lay ahead.

“I don’t think I’ve ever worn a winter dress before.”

I looked up from doing up the buttons on the thick shirt the Alpha and Luna provided for the feast that night.

Briella stood in front of a full-length mirror, studying her reflection with a critical eye. The deep-blue gown she wore was form-fitting and made with a velvety material. It clung to her curves in all the right ways. It had intricate beading all over the skirt and neckline, making her look like a starry sky.

Unable to resist her, I stepped up behind her and wrapped my arms around her petite waist, pressing a kiss to her cheek. “You look beautiful,” I told her, stepping away to let her finish getting ready.

She blushed but still looked unconvinced that she looked absolutely stunning. She wandered over to me and sat on the bed so she could put on the glittering heels she was given. “I still can’t believe they are holding a feast just for us.”

“I know,” I said in agreement. “They did say that they respect Mathias a lot. It’s nice of them to treat us like he’s actually here with us. Although, it is just a good practice to keep up good relations with neighboring communities.”

Briella nodded absentmindedly, fiddling with a glittering gemstone necklace, her hands shaking slightly. I frowned, stepping up behind her again and easily doing the tiny metal clasp for her.

“Are you alright?” I murmured, stroking the back of her neck soothingly.

“I’m fine,” she said, turning to face me. “It’s just that this feast is for us, and I just don’t really like being the center of attention. That’s all.”

This amused me since she tended to be the center of attention no matter where she was and who she was around. People naturally gravitated to her warmth and kindness.

“I’ll be in the center of attention with you,” I reminded her, hoping to placate her. I eyed her dress again, running my hand down her waist and over the curve of her hip, enjoying the way the smooth fabric felt beneath my fingertips.

Briella was a lot calmer, so we headed downstairs since the feast was due to start. We were surprised to see people arriving in steady streams, all dressed in formal winter garb in various shades of blue and gray.

Briella’s eyes rounded as we were suddenly surrounded by about a dozen people with smiling faces. They shook our hands. Several of the men thumped me on the back like we were old buddies.

“I’ve never been to Celestial Valley,” one woman gushed. “What’s it like?”

“We’ve heard a lot about you both,” said a man in a dark blue suit. “Is it true that Priest Mathias is your grandfather?”

“Your dress is gorgeous.”

“We hope you enjoy your time here.”

Briella blushed bright red as she did her best to answer all the questions thrown at us. I took on a different tactic entirely and just nodded politely, not bothering to respond.

“Please give our guests some space.”

The group parted at the sound of their Alpha’s bellow.

The Alpha and Luna were dressed in their finery as well, thick robes bejeweled with sapphires.

“Come, let us begin the feast,” Luna Lyra said, sweeping her hand out toward the long tables already covered in delectable dishes like stewed meats and roasted vegetables.

I took Briella’s hand and led her to a seat. She let out a breath of relief at having been saved from answering more questions.

We were in a huge ballroom. Like the rest of the mansion, this room was mostly made of ice, the walls acting like mirrors and making the space look even bigger than it was. The long table was made of thick painted glass with swirling patterns inlaid in them.

Friendly chatter filled the space as we all filled our plates. I understood immediately what Luna Lyra was talking about when she said their food was unique. It had seasonings I had never encountered before, smoky and a little spicy. Everything was cooked to perfection. It was the best meal I had eaten in a while.

Briella was picking at her food slowly, taking small bites whenever one of the other members glanced her way.

I could see why she was anxious about being the center of attention in this instance. They were looking at us like we were celebrities.

Little did they know that we were there to tell them that their perfect paradise was likely to be terrorized by a deranged shadow man.

Alpha Nova stood suddenly from his spot at the end of the table and made his way over to a small stage in the center of the room.

“As many of you know, we consider the priests and priestesses of Celestial Valley some of our very dear friends,” he said, smiling warmly at Briella and me. “It has been many years since we have gotten together with some of them. We hope to remedy that in the future.”

I tried not to let on how doubtful I was that would actually happen. Briella, as usual, read me easily and swung an elbow into the side of my ribs. I just sent her a teasing grin and ruffled her hair.

Alpha Nova’s grin only widened as he gestured to us. “Not only are our guests our beloved brother and sister from the valley, but they are also extremely skilled magic wielders. I would like to invite them up here now to share their gifts with us.”

The whole room cheered. Briella looked at me with wide-eyed panic.

We didn’t really have a choice, so we slowly stood up and joined Alpha Nova on the stage, waving sheepishly at the crowd.

The room grew silent as dozens of eyes focused on us. Briella looked at me helplessly for a moment before she took a deep breath and held her hand out. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

Even I was mesmerized as her small hand began to glow a bright golden hue. She held her palm up, swirls up light floating upward in bursts of light. It took a couple of moments, but before long, the waves of light began to grow, shooting upward from her palm toward the ceiling. The glass and ice surrounding us reflected Briella’s magic, illuminating it beautifully.

I snapped myself out of my stupor and followed Briella’s lead. I had never done anything like this before, using my magic for a performance, but people were looking at me expectantly. I turned my palm upward and focused hard to create tiny purple discs, taking a breath in and willing them to float upward.

The result was even more breathtaking than I could have hoped for. The tiny discs floated upward and intermingled with Briella’s tiny rays of light. The crowd murmured and uttered exclamations of excitement and awe as the gold and purple lights twirled around one another, throwing gorgeous sparkles all over the room.

“Absolutely remarkable!” Luna Lyra cried, her eyes wide with wonder.

Briella turned and beamed up at me. I couldn’t help but return her sunny smile, amazed that we were able to create something so stunning together.