Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder-Chapter 1699 - 141 : Comparably Innocent

*Briella*

“What the hell is the holdup?” I couldn’t help but demand as I paced around the room.

Kryzen watched me calmly from his spot on the bed, his stormy gray eyes following me as I walked back and forth in the room. He crossed his arms and leaned back slightly, but I knew better than to think he was relaxed. His posture might have been, but there was a defined tick in his jaw.

“While I’m wondering that as well,” Kryzen began, “I can’t say that I’m looking forward to Malphas and Tian going through with their plan.”

I stopped to stand in front of him, feeling my anxiety rise further due to his calm demeanor. “Shouldn’t we be doing something?” I demanded.

I knew I was starting to unravel. Judging by the way Kryzen’s eyebrow rose, he could tell as well, but I couldn’t help it. We had been locked up in that room for two days with no sign of Malphas or Tian. Food would magically materialize on the table in the far corner of the room. While Kryzen and I were wary of it, we didn’t really have a choice but to eat it if we wanted to survive.

I was anxious for our lives, but the real reason for my impatience was that I hadn’t seen my baby in days. We had no way of knowing if Emberly was alright, which was slowly killing me inside. She didn’t have either of her parents right now, and she was so young. I needed to see her.

Kryzen reached out and took my wrists in his hands, pulling me to him so that I was standing between his knees. “Complicated rituals can take days to prepare for,” he told me gravely. “They are likely undergoing these preparations, which is why we’ve been sitting here for days now.”

That wasn’t exactly comforting. It felt like we were literally waiting for our executioner, and it was very likely that we were.

It was frustrating that I couldn’t even enjoy this time with Kryzen. The sick irony of our situation was not lost on me. We had been so busy before I got abducted, barely able to spend any time together, and now we had straight days together imprisoned in a room.

I felt tears well up in my eyes. “I’m worried about Emberly,” I murmured, clutching his hands tightly in mine, trying and failing to calm myself. “What if they have her, Kryzen?” I could barely get the words out. When I did, they sounded choked and broken.

Kryzen’s face crumpled. I could see the fear in his eyes, but he just pulled me into his lap, wrapping his arms around my waist and pressing me to him. “I know it’s hard, but we can’t think that way,” he said. “We have to trust that our people will look after her. Alyna is probably with her right now, reading to her and holding her for us.”

I tried to accept the picture he was painting for me of our cheerful little girl grinning up at my sister-in-law. I tried to trick myself into believing that beautiful, comforting image to be reality.

It was increasingly difficult to do so while surrounded by black walls and furniture the color of blood. I shut my eyes tightly and pressed my face into Kryzen’s chest.

His scent was magical in that it immediately put me at ease. Even now, despite our dire situation, I felt my tense muscles slowly relax. Kryzen’s scent was warmth, comfort, and love. It was everything.

I pressed my face even deeper into the front of his shirt, my arms winding around his shoulders so I could pull myself even closer to him. I pulled away at once when I felt him wince. My eyes widened as I pulled away with alarm. “What’s wrong?” I asked.

Kryzen gave me a reassuring smile. “Just my shoulder. It’s nothing, really.”

I cursed inwardly and moved to stand up from his lap. “We should probably change your bandages again,” I said, moving to the bathroom to grab the necessary supplies.

This prison room was surprisingly well-equipped. It was obvious there was dark magic moving through the walls, but that magic seemed to stock the room with whatever we needed when we needed it.

I returned to the room with washcloths and fresh bandages to find that Kryzen had already stripped off his shirt. My breath hitched slightly at the sight of his strong abs and arms, but I forced myself to focus on the task at hand as I set the supplies next to him on the bed.

“Are you less sore today?” I asked as I started to peel the bandages off, wincing as it stuck to his skin a bit.

If the action hurt him at all, Krzyen didn’t show it. He nodded. “Less sore than yesterday,” he said. He offered me a small grin. “I know you wish there was a healer to help me, but I would choose you over one of them any day.”

I discarded the soiled bandages and gently started to wash Kryzen’s wounds. I was thankful to see that they looked a lot better than when I first bandaged them. I was no healer, but I had helped Kai several times when he needed an extra hand. I could tell that the long, jagged cuts were healing up nicely.

“That wouldn’t be your wisest decision ever,” I said good-naturedly. “You should want an actual healer to look at your injuries. Aside from helping Kai a handful of times, I have no real medical experience.”

Kryzen shrugged. I swatted his good shoulder lightly to scold him for moving while I tried to wrap the new bandages around his newly cleaned cuts. “I like it when my wife takes care of me,” he said.

I felt heat creep up the back of my neck and marveled at how even after being married and having a child together, Kryzen could still bring me back to when the romance between us was just beginning to bloom.

I finished securing the bandages around Kryzen’s arm and shoulder, smoothing them out to ensure there were no wrinkles before I started to put things away. I stiffened when I felt strong arms wrap around my waist.

“Thank you,” Kryzen murmured in my ear.

I turned in his arms to kiss him lightly on the lips. “Of course,” I said. “I’m sorry you got hurt coming to rescue me.”

Kryzen scoffed. “Some rescue it turned out to be,” he said, looking angry with himself.

“You’re here now,” I pointed out, resting my forehead against his for a moment before gently stepping out of his arms to put the medical supplies away. “You still have time to rescue me.”

After putting the stuff away, Kryzen and I sat on the floor together, practicing harnessing my energy. I was having trouble moving it within myself. If we were going to escape, it was going to be vital for me to be able to do so quickly.

Kryzen was a lot faster at moving energy through his body than I was. It seemed his power was also much more potent. He was able to conjure shields and blades in almost no time at all. If I had that kind of skill, I would be unstoppable.

“I wonder if you’re resisting for some reason when you’re trying to conjure,” Kryzen said. He put his hand over mine, where it rested on my knee. “Close your eyes and feel the way mine moves.”

I shut my eyes and obeyed, feeling the wrinkle between my eyebrows forming as I concentrated. For several moments, all I could feel was Kryzen’s warm skin against mine. The physical contact between us alone was enough to make sparks feel like they were going off along my skin.

His touch was quite distracting, but I wasn’t going to admit that. I followed the line of sparks with my mind, seeping into Kryzen’s hand and feeling the burning heat there. I felt my mouth drop open at the intensity of his energy. Mine felt like a dull ember compared to this roaring flame beneath Kryzen’s skin.

I was just trying to process the source of it when the door slammed open. Kryzen and I jumped to our feet. Before I could turn toward the loud sound, Kryzen grabbed me and shoved me behind his body, effectively shielding me from our visitor.

Malphas stood in the doorway, his large, dark frame filling it almost completely. He eyed the two of us for a moment, his dark orbs glimmering with suspicion before he grinned at us.

“I hope you’ve been enjoying your stay,” he said pleasantly. “I apologize for not being a better host, but you can’t plan a wedding overnight, you know.”

Kryzen’s hand curled into a fist at his side. I grabbed it, brushing my fingers soothingly over his knuckles.

When it was clear that we had no response to his goading, Malphas continued. “The wedding will take place in the morning, right at dawn to signify the start of a new era,” he said before narrowing his eyes on Kryzen. “I trust that you will be a model wedding guest, assuming you’d like to continue breathing.”

It was my turn to glare heatedly at the demon lord. I barely bit back a snarl as he stood there, threatening my mate.

Kryzen’s voice was surprisingly calm, even though he was practically shaking with rage. “That would be preferable, yes,” he said.

Malphas nodded in approval as if Kryzen was a child who just gave him the correct answer. He shut the door and strode toward us, causing Kryzen to shift me further behind himself. Malphas’ dark eyes narrowed. “I wouldn’t shield my future daughter-in-law from me, Stormfall,” he seethed. “Especially since I have allowed the two of you to have this time together against my better judgment.” 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

Kryzen glanced at me for a brief second so we could share a look. We had been wondering why Malphas had made that call.

“Tian insisted since he wants to gain your trust, Briella,” Malphas said and then shook his head. “He has always been a weak child. I am hoping that combining your powers will make him stronger and less soft, but I suppose only time will tell.”

I felt myself reeling back as if I had been slapped. I remembered Tian’s surprising tenderness when I was first captured. I looked down at the floor, feeling a sense of compassion for him as well as grief. He was truly being kind. He thought he was going to be my future husband and allowed me to stay in the same room as Kryzen, who he knew was my actual husband.

The fact that Tian had good in him made me hate Malphas even more. Tian was comparably innocent in this, even though we literally fought a war against him. I felt my hands curling into fists as I fought hard not to unleash all the power I had on this demon lord. I had to be wise. I couldn’t defeat him, not yet. Giving in to my emotions could put us all in danger, not just Kryzen and me but our daughter and the whole kingdom as well.

“You will be collected before dawn tomorrow, so you’d best get some rest,” Malphas said before giving me a cruel grin. “Don’t look so somber. You are finally paying for the sins of your mother and grandmother. You should be proud.”

I had to hold Kryzen back as he moved to lunge at Malphas, who seemed to pretend not to notice and turned casually back toward the door, shutting it behind him with a foreboding clack.