Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder-Chapter 1649 - 91 : Sleepless Nights

Chapter 91 - Sleepless Nights

*Briella*

The moon hung low, a silvery sliver against the night sky, its light barely reaching the ground where I lay. My back was pressed against the cool earth. Every muscle in my body was screaming for sleep, but rest was a luxury I couldn’t afford—not when dawn would usher us into a battle with stakes higher than I had ever faced before.

I should have been resting, stockpiling every ounce of energy for the impending invasion of the shadow land. The next day, we would face Tian and his horde of possessed soldiers, their minds shackled by the darkness he wielded. Their red eyes and horrible screeches echoed in my mind every time I had a moment of what would be peace.

I should have been resting. I knew that. I wanted it, but sleep eluded me.

As I lay there, trying to court slumber, thoughts of all the people I loved ran through my mind. Their faces appeared one by one, like stars blinking into existence in the night’s canvas overhead. The laughter of children from my pack, my brothers, the stern yet kind eyes of my father, the warm embrace of my mother... Kryzen... All of them relied on me, on us, to bring an end to this nightmare.

A dull ache settled in my chest when I thought of Kai, my younger brother, whose absence was both a relief and a source of fresh pain. He was safe, far from the battlefield, learning the ancient art of healing in Celestial Valley. But the next day could very well strip him of two siblings. The thought squeezed my heart until it hurt to breathe. I swallowed against the lump forming in my throat.

I was grateful to have Kellan with us. We needed him. I needed him, but the thought of losing him and leaving Kai alone weighed heavily on my mind.

It was no wonder I couldn’t sleep.

"Kai," I whispered to the night, a silent prayer that he might remain untouched by the tragedy that loomed over us like a dark cloud. In my mind’s eye, I saw his earnest face and felt the warmth of his spirit. It was a balm to soothe the turmoil within me. I begged the Goddess to watch over him should anything happen to me during the invasion or after.

"Rest, Briella," I chided myself softly, "you need your strength." But the weight of what lay ahead pressed down upon me, leaving no room for rest, only the relentless worry gnawing at my insides. Every worst-case scenario played out over and over and over again.

Frustrated, I pushed off the ground and sat up. The cold soil of the ground seeped through the thin fabric of my trousers as I folded my legs beneath me. I pressed my palms together, resting them lightly against my chest, and closed my eyes. The darkness behind my eyelids was a welcome reprieve from the horrors I had expected to see.

"Focus," I murmured to myself, allowing the word to carry away the images of my family, my people, and everyone in Embervale and beyond. I washed away the images of Kryzen’s strong jawline, the determined set of his mouth, and the intensity in his stormy-gray eyes whenever he looked at me. Losing him was a fear so vast it threatened to engulf me, but I couldn’t let it take root.

I breathed in deeply, a steady rhythm that echoed the beat of my heart. "Goddess of the Everlight," I began, my voice no more than a whisper, "guide my power." Each breath was a silent plea, and each exhalation an offering of my will, my essence. A gentle warmth began to spark within, faint at first, like the first glimmers of dawn cresting the horizon.

"Let it grow," I coaxed the flicker inside me. My power responded, unfurling like a flower greeting the sun, spreading through my veins. It was a river of molten gold, a promise of strength for the battle ahead. I pictured it swelling to its fullest, a shield and sword for my people, Kai, and, yes, Kryzen. It had to be enough to carve a path through shadow and reclaim the light.

"Let it be at its max," I prayed, the words falling in time with my heartbeat. "Let us find victory. Let us defeat the darkness and stop Tian’s tyranny. Please... please let us finish this and come out the other side alive."

The meditation was an anchor, one I desperately needed. We would face horrors soon, but this night, I harbored the quiet flame of hope. I needed to.

The chill of the night air nipped at my skin, a sharp contrast to the warmth of my inner flame. I was so engrossed in my meditation that his presence caught me off guard. My eyes fluttered open, and there was Kryzen, emerging from the shadows like a silent sentinel, his gray eyes reflecting the moon’s pale glow.

Without a word, he lowered himself beside me on the cold ground, his shoulder brushing against mine, grounding me further than my own meditation could. For a long while, we simply existed together, We were two warriors wrapped in the quiet before the tempest, sharing the weight of impending battle.

I studied his profile, etched with determination and the subtle shadows of fatigue. His brave facade had been impeccable, but the flicker of something unreadable danced in those stormy eyes. Was it the same fear that clawed at the edges of my heart? The fear of an uncertain dawn?

"Kryzen," I finally whispered, breaking the stillness that had settled between us, "are you going to scold me? Tell me I should be trying to rest?"

A soft chuckle escaped him. It was an unexpected sound that seemed almost out of place amidst our solemn surroundings. "Briella, I doubt anyone with a heart still beating is finding sleep tonight. There is much to worry about and too many goodbyes to make."

His light tone was a balm, a brief respite from the gravity that loomed over us. Even as he spoke, his arm remained around me, a silent vow that no matter what darkness awaited, I would not face it alone.

I wondered if he had come to do the same and say his goodbyes, just in case. Did the fear of what was to come eat away at his mind until there was nothing left but horrifying images of his loved ones dead and dying?

He had been his same, brave self throughout all of this. But was it all a front? Was he actually swallowing down that fear and hiding it deep inside himself the same way I was?

No. He couldn’t be. He was the same brave Kryzen I had always known. I would feel it if the fear was taking hold of him. I would, right?

I couldn’t stop my mind from racing, even with Kryzen pressed against me. My mouth began moving before my brain had a chance to stop it.

"Are you scared?" I found myself asking, my voice barely above a whisper. The question lingered in the air, almost tangible in its intensity.

Kryzen’s gaze drifted away from mine as he considered the question. His silence stretched out. In it, I felt the vastness of what lay ahead of us. When he finally turned back to me, his eyes held a depth that spoke of many battles waged and many more to come.

"Not really," he said, his voice steady and calm. "I’m not afraid of death. It’s an old acquaintance. But..." His eyes locked with mine again, fierce and unwavering. "I am afraid of losing you. Afraid doesn’t even begin to describe the utter terror gripping my soul, Briella. I can’t–" he paused, choking on his words. “I cannot lose you, mate. I wouldn’t survive it. Nor would I want to.”

His admission struck me like a thunderbolt, the fear of loss echoing my own internal turmoil. Without thinking, I reached out and clung to him, my hands fisting in the fabric of his tunic. "I’m afraid of losing you too, Kryzen. More than anything."

He pulled me closer, eliminating any space between us. Our breath mingled, and then his lips found mine in a kiss that was both a promise and a plea. It was fierce, filled with all the unspoken emotions that had been building between us.

At that moment, with his lips moving against mine, the weight of our shared fears seemed to dissipate, if only for a fleeting moment. The weight of our impending journey and the darkness lurking in the valley vanished, replaced by the warmth of Kryzen’s embrace and the softness of his lips on mine.

But it was only a moment, stolen in the spaces between breaths.

Tears welled in my eyes, spilling over as the dam of my restraint broke. I allowed myself to cry, small sobs escaping me, each one carrying the weight of my dread for the next day’s battle.

Kryzen hadn’t shushed me or offered hollow reassurances. Instead, he simply held me, his arms a fortress against the uncertainty of our future. He murmured soothing words, each one a gentle caress against the rawness of my fears.

"Shh, Briella," he whispered, his voice a low rumble against my ear. "We’re together now. That’s all that matters. I’m not going anywhere. I’m yours in this life and the next, but I’d like to live out this one with you first.”

Kryzen’s thumb swept across my cheek, catching the tears that had escaped in a tender motion. The trace of his touch brought a shiver down my spine, a contrast to the warm night air that wrapped around us.

"I’ll make you a deal. Let’s agree to die at the same time, shall we?" he suggested, a corner of his mouth lifting in a half-smile that didn’t quite reach his stormy eyes.

I couldn’t help but let out a laugh, short and tinged with disbelief. "You know we can’t promise that," I replied, the absurdity of the idea momentarily lifting the heaviness in my chest.

"True," he conceded, his gaze holding mine, "but it doesn’t hurt to hope for the best, does it?"

"Hope is a dangerous thing," I murmured, tracing the line of his jaw with my fingertips, finding solace in the feel of his skin against mine.

"Maybe," Kryzen agreed softly, "but it’s all we’ve got right now."

We sat in silence for a moment, the stillness of the night enveloping us like a cloak. The stars above were dazzling, scattered across the sky like diamonds on velvet, oblivious to the turmoil beneath them.

"Whatever happens tomorrow," I began, my voice barely above a whisper, "we’ll face it together. Side by side."

"Always," he vowed, his arms tightening around me.

"Always," I echoed, leaning into the strength of his embrace. In the quiet of the night, with Kryzen by my side, I found a flicker of courage to face the dawn.