Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder
Chapter 1117 - 28 : For the Reward Money

Chapter 1117: Chapter 28 : For the Reward Money

*Daphne*

I remained isolated in the dark cage. Every so often I heard movement beyond the door, but seemed to be few and far between. Other than that, it was so quiet and desolate that it creeped me out, and it also gave me an intense feeling of loneliness.

As time passed, I examined the room outside of the cage. There were other cages stacked on top of each other. Metal bars stuck together between two strong wooden boards piled all around me with a small walkway between.

Other than that, it was a bland hellscape.

It was hard for me to tell how much time had passed. There were no windows or clocks anywhere. There didn’t even seem to be a patrol guard on duty making their rounds. but it seemed like hours as my stomach began to growl.

I held myself and hoped it would quiet down the growling, but it helped very little as time went on and the growling got worse.

I tried not to cry as I thought about everything I’d already been through and then how much I missed home.

But the tears spilled anyway as my thoughts spiraled and consumed me.

Thoughts of my younger brother, Rhys, came to the surface. I wondered if he was still in the coma and if he would be alright. I felt sick at the thought of never seeing him again.

I finally began to feel exhausted and looked around the drab cage for a place to rest. I tried not to think of how dirty it was there. There was no place to get comfortable.

In the end, I propped my back against the wall and closed my eyes. As I fell to sleep, I remembered the nights of being held in Rion’s arms. Even on that first night, after I’d hit him with a brick and ran away, the way he tucked me into him and draped his arm over me–it was more protective than captive.

Where was Rion? I shivered at the thought of what might have happened to him. Why had we been separated?

A loud clink from the door snapped me from my thoughts, and I got to my feet as fast as I could.

The giant man entered with a tray of food, and my stomach growled embarrassingly loud in response as the aroma filled the air over the dank smell of the prison.

I eyed the tray hungrily, my mouth watering as he set it down on the ground in front of me and slid it beneath the cage door bars.

“Thank you,” I said.

The man grunted, then turned to leave.

“Wait, can you tell me—Wait!”

But again he didn’t even pause, leaving without a word and letting the door slam shut behind him.

I didn’t waste any time and picked up the tray, digging into the food. It wasn’t gourmet by any means, but it tasted like heaven after going hours without anything.

There was a piece of bread, a small bowl of soup, and a piece of fruit. I stuffed my mouth for the first few bites and then ate slowly, savoring every bite, not knowing when my next meal would come.

I felt some energy return to me as my stomach became full. Again I wondered where Rion was. Had he been given food as well?

I wanted to believe I would see him again, but there was no guarantee. He had been bested by a large group of lone wolves, and it scared me how easily they’d done it given how much of a fight he had put up.

I wanted to hope that he was okay. Then, it occurred to me that maybe he was in a cage like mine, somewhere nearby.

“Rion?” I yelled as loud as my tired lungs would allow, but there was no answer. It was silent all around me.

Suddenly, I heard the door creaking open. The giant man walked back in. I assumed he came back to collect my empty tray.

“Thank you,” I said, pushing the tray back under the cage door. “It was really del–”

I trailed off as I noticed another figure of a man trailing behind him. So far, the giant man had not really hurt me, but seeing another man with him made me feel nervous and vulnerable.

“As you see, she’s in one piece,” the giant finally spoke. “She’s all yours. I’ll be taking my payment now.”

I moved backward until my back was against the farthest wall. As the smaller man came closer, I began to recognize him. He was lean and pale but very well dressed.

“Geoffrey?” I remembered the Alpha’s son from the night of the ball, the same night I was kidnapped.

“Hello, Daphne Crimson. I’ve come to rescue you.”

He smiled brightly, as if this were more of a pleasant social visit. But there was something off about it.

“Good job, Ferris.” Geoffrey produced two stuffed envelopes that I assumed were full of cash.

“Will you need anything else?” the giant named Ferris asked, tucking the money away in his cargo pockets.

“No. The Royal Gard should be here by morning. I am sure you don’t want to be here with your muts when they do. I can see to handing her over.”

Ferris gave a curt nod and left. I turned my eyes to Geoffrey, but felt no sense of relief knowing he’d paid such a person to “rescue me” this way.

Again, Geoffrey plastered on a weird smile, and I tried to swallow the growing anxiety I was feeling being left alone with him.

“Thank you,” I said again, pointing to the keys on the wall where the keys to my cage were and waited expectantly for him to open the cage. But he didn’t move. “What’s going on?”

“I have been on your trail for quite some time, and I actually caught up with you at the inn,” he said.

I thought about the hours I spent at the inn before I ended up in the broom closet. He had been there?

“Why didn’t you help me?”

“You didn’t seem like a woman being held against her will. What is going on? Did you really run away with that criminal?”

I blinked and swallowed a few times, knowing what it must have seemed like.

“What I don’t understand is why you are asking stupid questions instead of opening this cage.”

Geoffrey’s expression turned serious. "I need to know if you’re with Rion.” He looked at me expectantly.

It really wasn’t his business either way, as it seemed he was now the one holding me captive.

"I don’t know what you’re talking about," I replied, growing increasingly frustrated.

“Did he kidnap you or did you run away with him?”

“It doesn’t matter. Let me out of here.”

He looked at me for a few more moments and shook his head.

“He is a dangerous man, Daphne.”

“Listen, I know that this all seems very confusing, but I agreed to help him save his sister.”

“Why and... how could you help him?” Geoffrey asked, looking doubtful.

“It’s a long story. If you just let me out and let us go, then–”

“I can’t do that.”

“What? Why?”

"I don’t know what’s going on. Even if you want to help him, you have to understand, Daphne. Your parents are worried sick. Rumors in the capital led me to Rion’s apartment. Your dress and jewelry were there.”

“I–”

“He kidnapped you, didn’t he? Don’t try to protect him.”

“You don’t understand–”

“Rion is now a wanted criminal with a price on his head from the palace... dead or alive.”

“Geoffrey, let me out of this cage,” I demanded.

“No. I have sent word to the palace where to find you. As soon as the Royal Guard gets here, they will take you and that criminal back to the capital. You can explain it all to your parents.”

“And you will get a reward?”

“Yes.”

“Listen, if you don’t let us go, someone will die.”

“Who?”

“Rion’s sister, Eva.”

Geoffery shrugged.

“I’m sorry, Daphne. I can’t risk your life,” he said, turning to leave the room.

“Wait! Let me out!” I shouted.

But he simply opened the door intent on walking through.

Then there was a loud thwack, and Geoffrey tumbled backward and passed out on the ground.

I looked up at the door and saw Katheryn enter, gripping a baseball bat. I looked down at Geoffrey and watched a knot begin to form on his forehead.

She walked in, looking very pleased with herself. “I’m here to help you escape,” she said in a cocky tone. “Did you kiss me, princess?”

“Katheryn,” I couldn’t help but sigh in relief. “What happened to you and the crew?”

“No time to explain... he will wake up eventually.” She nodded toward Geoffrey. Where are the keys?”

“The keys are there.” I pointed to the wall behind her.

She quickly retrieved them and opened the door.

“Why are you helping me?” I asked, though I quickly regretted saying it. I feared once the words left my mouth that she would angrily tell me how ungrateful I was.

“I do believe I already told you that I never let a bag out of my sight. I was promised a reward. I’ll take you back to the palace.”

I didn’t know if I should trust her. She had shoved me into a broom closet and left me alone for a night without any food or water. She was ruthless at heart, something I didn’t really care for.

But there were no other options if I wanted to get out of there alive.

“Okay,” I said softly.

I walked out of the cage and hurried alongside her on the narrow strip of bare floor between the two walls of cages stacked on top of each other.

“Here’s the plan,” she said in a low voice. Her eyes shifted around as if watching every shadow that might jump out and grab us.

“Follow me no matter what,” she explained. “There will be a lot of twists and turns, but if you follow me closely, you’ll be fine. First we get out of this room, and then we’re going to go through a large building. We’re going to need to get outside, but there will be no windows. This is not a fortress by any means, so lucky for us, it’s not very heavily guarded... just that creepy guy and his so-called security. But we still need to be very careful.”

I nodded when she finally finished and followed her as if I was her shadow. She didn’t seem to mind, or if she did, she didn’t show it.

“What is this place?” I asked, but I was afraid to know the answer.

“A prison,” she said point blank as if I had asked her the question with the most obvious answer in the world.

I decided that I still didn’t like her much, but continued on the path with her. I reminded myself that all I needed to focus on at that moment was escape. Everything else would fall into place later on.

We came into a hallway with a short ceiling that just brushed our heads. It felt tight and claustrophobic, but I followed right behind her through twisting hallways and we emerged into a big, bright room lit with lanterns.

The lanterns were fixed to old wooden chandeliers, and each side of the room had a slew of tables and chairs.

“Okay. All we have to do is get to the outer door and cross an empty field and we’re solid,” she said.

“Wait.” I placed an arm on her shoulder. “You found me. Do you know where Rion is?”

“Why?” She gave me an annoyed look.

“The Royal Guard will be here in the morning. He will be handed over and executed.”

“Most likely, but that was the chance he took.”

“And Eva will die,” I reminded her.

Her smug look was replaced by a brief look of grief and sadness.

“I will pay you whatever you’re looking for on top of the ransom money if you go back and get Rion and help us save his sister.”

“Us? When the hell did you two have time to become an us?”