Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder-Chapter 1697 - 139 : Tears of Defeat

*Briella*

I was still staring up at Malphas with horror. Even though his large hand was cold, it felt like it was burning my skin. But I couldn’t step away. It felt like I had full control of my body this time, but I was too paralyzed with shock.

Malphas stared down at me with amusement. “Nothing to say to me, my dear?” he asked in a deep, gravelly voice. He tsked, shaking his head as if disappointed. “What a shame since we are essentially family.”

My breathing hitched, and a spark of anger pushed through the shock as the gravity of my situation started to settle. This man—if I could even call Malphas a man—wasn’t just a scary character in the stories my mom told us. That was all he seemed to be as a child since we all thought him dead.

Malphas was alive. I realized a part of me had been in denial about it even after we had confirmed it when Kryzen and I were in the Whispering Woods. We had gone through the precautions to prevent Malphas from finding us, but I had pushed the thought away as best as I could, burying myself in queenly duties and my newer duties as a mother.

I couldn’t even hold on to a sliver of denial now, not when this monster held his slimy hand against my face, pretending to actually know me.

I swallowed hard and managed to tilt my chin up defiantly. “We are not family,” I said stiffly, grinding my teeth together at the very thought.

Malphas didn’t look at all offended by my defiance. He simply raised an eyebrow. “Perhaps we aren’t just yet, my dear,” he said ominously. His eyes darkened for a second. He turned to look at Tian. “Son, I believe you have some business to attend to.”

Tian was looking behind himself toward the exit. He nodded to Malphas. “Yes, Father. I believe you’re right.” He bowed to Malphas and then took off without another word.

I dared not ask what kind of business Tian could be off to tend to. Whatever it was, it couldn’t be anything good.

Malphas actually almost had an urgency about him as he wrapped his long fingers around my upper arm and pulled me in the opposite direction. He put his hand flat against the wall, causing a door to appear. We slipped through it and ascended up another staircase.

I couldn’t ask where we were headed. I didn’t want to know. I flexed my free hand into a fist, feeling energy course through it and into my fingers. I took a breath, preparing to strike him so I could make a run for it.

“I wouldn’t try it if I were you, little girl,” Malphas warned without looking back at me. “You’d best do as I say if you want to see your little boyfriend again.”

My heart nearly froze in my chest, my eyes widening. Kryzen had come. Tian’s sudden departure made sense. He was going to fight him.

“Don’t hurt him,” I said. I tried to make it sound like an order, but it came out as a beg. I took a steadying breath. “It’s me you want, isn’t it?”

Malphas still didn’t look at me, but I could almost see the wheels turning even with his back to me. “Yes,” he said at last. “Although, as I understand it, you might not be too keen on giving us what we want. It seems as if that boy you’ve been messing around with could provide the motivation you need to obey me.”

I bit back a curse as we started up a spiral staircase and eventually stopped at a small black door. Malphas lifted a hand. It glowed briefly before the door flew open. He pulled me inside quickly, the door slamming shut behind us.

It took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the dimly lit room. It was a bedroom with black walls and blood-red furniture. Ignoring the offputting colors, the room itself looked comfortable with a large plush bed and area rug with bookshelves surrounding it. As soon as we stepped in, candles were lit, and a fire began to crackle in the fireplace.

I was a little relieved when Malphas let go of my arm so he could wander over to the wardrobe on one side of the room. He pulled something out and tossed it on the bed. “Get dressed,” he ordered.

I looked down at the gown—if it could even be called that. I could tell the dress’s hem would rest somewhere around my upper thighs. The material was a deep red, and the skirt was translucent. Thankfully, the bodice was made of a thicker material, but even it had a low-cut neckline and no sleeves.

I shook my head. “No, thank you.”

Malphas just quirked an eyebrow. “I had ordered Tian to make sure he brings the boy alive,” he said slowly. “But I could arrange for a change in instructions if you choose to continue being difficult.”

I had no choice but to snatch the dress off the bed and rush into the attached bathroom to change. I felt just as exposed as I feared I would when I was done. I was careful not to look in the mirror as I came back out.

Malphas gave me a long look up and down before nodding in approval. “Very good. You will do nicely.”

I swallowed hard, covering myself up as best as I could with my arms as I stood before my family’s enemy. “What do you want with me?” I demanded.

Malphas grinned like I had just asked the most exciting question. “What I’ve wanted from your little family for literally generations, my dear,” he said. “The question is, will you finally be the one to grant it to me?”

I knew better than to shout “no” in his face. That could put both Kryzen and me in even more danger.

Malphas continued, “I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that you come from an impressive lineage,” he said. “However, it appears that kind of power comes with a price. The women in your family refuse to see reason. I have offered them the opportunity to enhance their abilities. Each time, they’ve refused.”

I couldn’t hold my tongue any longer. It just wasn’t in me. “Maybe it’s because you keep resorting to kidnapping them,” I quipped. “I can’t imagine many women take kindly to that kind of treatment.”

Malphas smirked, seeming relieved by my back talk. “Yes, well, I did attempt to reason with your grandmother, but she refused to listen. I had no choice but to exhibit more forceful measures, but I suppose it isn’t necessarily a bad thing to have women with a little bit of bite to them.”

Rage coursed through me at his words. He was talking as if I was an animal undergoing some kind of training.

“Your grandmother and your mother might have escaped me in the past, but I won’t let the same thing happen to you,” he said. “Tell me, are you aware of just how powerful you are, my dear?”

I blinked, knowing that I needed to answer this question carefully. “I’m not sure anyone knows the true extent of their own power,” I said slowly. “I am still learning in a lot of ways.”

“That is precisely why it would benefit us both if you accepted our proposition,” he said. A wide grin formed on his face. His pointed teeth glinted in the candlelit room.

I knew better than to ask, but I felt as if I had no choice. “And what proposition would that be?”

Malphas walked up to me and stood before me, bending slightly so that I was looking right into his black, soulless eyes. “Become Tian’s bride.”

This time, I recoiled as if I had been struck. I was sure I wasn’t able to hide the horror and fear that crossed my face.

Malphas was unaffected by my obvious distaste toward the proposition. He straightened, and his eyes seemed far away suddenly. “With our families finally joined, I will be able to perform the ritual needed to combine our power. We will be unstoppable.”

I shook my head in wonder. “So Tian truly is your son,” I said, amazed and horrified. Somehow, I didn’t think he really was. The two looked nothing alike.

Malphas had a fond look cross his face. “Without a body, there really wasn’t much I could do in terms of finding a proper mate to birth my child,” he said. “I searched for a while and finally found a poor young peasant woman who longed for a child. She was rather sickly. I knew birthing a child would kill her but decided she deserved her wish.”

My mind was reeling as I tried to process what Malphas was saying.

“I put a piece of my spirit into her,” Malphas said. “I possessed the girl with a shadow spirit, and she bore Tian. I was shocked she survived the birth and lived until Tian was almost a man himself. After she died, I revealed myself to Tian. He graciously agreed to rebuild my physical form.”

Horror gripped me as I pictured what Malphas was saying. I envisioned an innocent young woman, probably younger than myself, hoping for a handsome man so they could have a child together. She must have been horrified to find she was pregnant without a man, and even more so when her child was obviously off and almost evil.

This woman would have watched Tian grow, not really understanding how he came to be.

I couldn’t be a part of this. I wouldn’t be a part of this.

“I am already happily married,” I told Malphas, standing firm.

Malphas’ expression darkened, but then he looked up toward the door before smiling pleasantly. “That might not be the wisest decision, my girl.”

The door slammed open at that moment. Tian came striding in with a large wolf floating ahead of him. I cried out as soon as I recognized my mate’s wolf form.

“Their general got away, Father,” Tian reported. “But I figured it was more important to return to my bride than to chase him down.”

I realized they were talking about Drius. There was some relief as I processed that my best friend had escaped, most likely to get back up.

I cried out again when Tian dropped his invisible ties on Kryzen, causing him to fall into a heap on the floor. I immediately rushed to Kryzen’s side. I was relieved to find that although he was bleeding, it looked like he only had some minor wounds that needed attention.

“Tian, I’m sure you have something to ask Briella,” Malphas said, gesturing for his son to approach me.

I pressed myself closer to Kryzen’s unconscious fur, relishing in his warmth. Tears filled my eyes. I refused to look at either Malphas or Tian.

“Yes, you’re right, Father,” Tian said, stepping closer to where I kneeled in front of Kryzen. He lowered himself to my level and took my chin in his rough hand, forcing me to look up at him.

“Briella,” he began. “Will you do me the honor of becoming my bride and finally righting the wrong that has been done by your mother and grandmother? I vow to help you see your true potential and make you stronger.”

I clutched Kryzen even closer, leaning into him and away from Tian. Tears blurred my vision as I realized that I had no choice. I lowered my head in defeat. “Yes.”