Sold AS The alpha King's Breeder

Chapter 128: Come Back to Me

I sat by my cousin’s side as healers circled around her, working to figure out what was wrong. Why was this happening?

I never thought that saving Jared would lead to Hestia coming after my cousin, my family….

I’d pushed her to this. It was all to save Jared, which was a good cause, but now Lena might die. She didn’t deserve this.

King Xander sat on her other side, holding her hand.

Neither of us was willing to leave her.

“What can you tell me?” Xander asked the healers after a few days of testing and analysis.

“We still don’t know what she was poisoned with, only that she was poisoned,” one healer said.

“That’s all you’ve learned, in the past four days!?” Xander snapped.

The healer cringed and bowed his head.

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty, but this is a very complex poison. It isn’t like anything we’ve seen before. We can only guess as to what effects it is having.”

“And what are those effects?”

The healer sighed and went to the queen’s head, holding his hand over her mouth like he was feeling her breath.

I watched everything they did but stayed silent. It wasn’t my place to make a fuss over this. But I was still going to be there.

Jared stood against the wall behind me. He was never far away, but he understood that this was a family matter.

“Based on her vitals and response to certain stimuli, it appears she’s asleep. But we cannot wake her up. The poison is keeping her in a constant sleep state,” the healer explained.

“Like a coma?” I asked.

The healer shook his head. “Not quite. Based on her nervous system responses to light, pain, and other stimuli, she’s just asleep. There’s too much brain activity for it to be a coma.”

“Well, if the potion is just keeping her asleep, then she’s not in any immediate danger, right?” Xander asked.

The healer pursed his lips. “We can keep her nourished and hydrated, but long term, that won’t work. Since she’s asleep, she’s cycling through the different brain patterns of sleep. Long-term, it will force her brain to shut down.”

Xander gaped and sank into his chair.

I grabbed her fingers and squeezed. She jerked slightly, but her breathing remained even and her eyes didn’t open.

“Your Majesty, we should get her to the Light Realm,” I said.

Xander looked at me and arched an eyebrow.

“Their medicine is much stronger. They might have ways of keeping her alive until we can find a way to wake her up.”

“You're right. The Light Realm is much more suited to figure this out.” He nodded.

“Can I accompany you?”

“Of course. She is your family, too.”

The king left, muttering about arrangements for his Beta to stay with the children and watch over the kingdom.

While Xander arranged to transport his wife to the Light Realm, I made arrangements of my own.

Jared watched me as I walked around the guest quarters we’d been assigned to, packing what little I’d brought with me.

“Are you sure you should be going with the king and queen?”

“Why wouldn’t I? She’s family. You’re the one who told me not to give up on her.” I tossed some clothes in a suitcase and looked under the bed for my shoes.

“I know, Eliza. That’s… you definitely shouldn’t give up on her, but it is a very long journey to the Light Realm.”

I stood up and put my hands on my hips, glaring at Jared. “You think that matters to me!? My cousin is dying!”

Jared nodded slowly. “I’m just worried about you. Remember what Mila said?”

“I know what Mila said!” I snapped, throwing my arms up. “But this is more important. With everything I’ve learned about magic and curses, I could help her, but only in the Light Realm.”

“I’m not saying you shouldn’t help, Eliza. I just want you to consider what you’re about to do.”

“I’m about to help save someone in my family, someone I care about. If you expect me to stay here and do nothing while my cousin is dying, then you don’t understand what family means to me!”

“You don’t have to stay and do nothing. You could still help without going to the Light Realm. I’m concerned about your cousin, too. I’m also concerned about you and the baby.”

“Well, you don’t need to be concerned about me. I can take it easy in the Light Realm, and they have great doctors there. Nothing is going to go wrong.”

Jared pursed his lips. “Please, Eliza, the trip to the Light Realm isn’t all that easy. Think of your health, and the health of the baby.”

I crossed my arms. How could he ask me to put myself ahead of my cousin when she was in immediate danger and whatever Mila was worried about with my baby was just a possible danger?

“I am!”

Jared clamped his mouth closed. Slowly, he nodded and took a step back. “Alright, I understand.”

I finished packing in silence. I did understand why Jared was concerned, but my only priority was saving my cousin.

The baby and I had been fine for weeks while helping the refugees and with renovations. I was certain that any danger had passed and I could handle a trip to the Light Realm.

“Eliza?” Jared’s voice pulled me from my thoughts.

“What?” I arched an eyebrow at him.

“Do you think that you and the baby would be better off in the Light Realm?”

He creased his brow, eyes focused on the floor.

I thought over his question carefully. It was obvious to me that he didn’t understand how I felt about my family. Maybe it was because he never had a big family like me, but I couldn’t explain what they meant to me to him.

And if he wasn’t going to accept how much I cared about them and what lengths I would go to for them, would he ever understand me? Would we ever be able to last as a couple if he fought with me every time I needed to help my family?

I shrugged. “You did say that you would understand if I wanted to go back.”

Jared’s brow furrowed even further and I saw the hurt look in his eyes. He wouldn’t look at me, but I could feel the presence of the mind link opening up between us.

Turning away from him, I shut it down quickly. Our mate bond had been restored, as well as the mind link between us. But I wasn’t ready to open up to him like that, especially if he was questioning my motives and loyalty to my family.

“I want you to be happy, Eliza.”

I nodded and grabbed my bag. “I will be.”

I left the room to join Xander and the rest of our travel group.

Every step I took away from Jared felt like I was walking on pins and needles. The further I got from him, the more it hurt to breathe.

That look of pain and hurt in his eyes… it had almost been too much.

I didn’t want to leave him, but I couldn’t stay while my cousin was in danger. He didn’t understand that. Why didn’t he understand that?

My wolf was restless but I ignored her. I was going to the Light Realm with or without Jared’s blessing.

Xander’s travel group met at a boat headed for the Light Realm. My cousin had already been loaded on board with healers and was being kept comfortable in a stateroom.

The mood on the boat was somber and quiet. I could tell everyone was worried about her. They loved her a lot, just like I did.

I watched Xander standing in place like a statue. He seemed so lost and confused. People approached him but he didn’t speak to anyone.

The boat crew ran around, pulling off the ropes and getting ready to depart. Just as they were about to remove the plank, all my heartstrings tugged tightly and my wolf whined in my head.

I felt the strongest pull to turn around and I couldn’t resist.