ยฉNovelBuddy
Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder-Chapter 1273 - 28 : Another Rogue Attack
*Noah*
Anger surged through me as I realized Zara would have likely been killed had I not been here. The battle was brutal, and I was glad my guards had stayed back with her.
About ten rogues had taken on me and my guards. ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐จ๐ฏ๐๐.๐๐จ๐
There were no deaths, but the wounds on some of us were great.
I had a large gash on my chest that I knew should be looked at, something that wouldnโt immediately heal.
Some of my guards had chunks taken out of their arms or legs from deep bite marks, not to mention, some loss of blood.
Weโd need to stop by a healer to be evaluated after settling in here.
โI can see if my Alpha will send permanent guards for the cave and the local people here,โ Zara said. โAre you alright?โ
I nodded at the idea, then gave a shrug. โUtterly pissed,โ I muttered, โbut no worse for wear. And you?โ I looked at her with concern.
โIโm fine,โ she said honestly. She looked at the rogue weโd captured with disdain, narrowing her gaze. โThe attack came out of nowhere. Letโs figure out what the hell is going on.โ
We walked up to the rogue, and Zara was no-nonsense, just as I expected her to be. Though the rogue was restrained by the guards, I was completely tense, a scowl plastered on my face.
โWhy did you attack us?โ Zara said in a calm but firm voice. โThis area is within my packโs territory. Are you trying to challenge us?โ
The rogue fixed his glare on Zara and bared his teeth. โYou shouldnโt be growing the Luna Lilies,โ he snapped.
Zara blinked, furrowing her brow. โWhy?โ she muttered. โIt could help many people, andโโ
โYou shouldnโt be growing the lilies!โ he shrieked, causing Zara to jump and me to growl.
I clenched my fist, ready to tear his throat out of he tried anything.
Zara took a moment to calm down. She took a deep breath, then focused. โWell, weโre not going to stop growing them,โ she said in a serious tone.
I smirked, feeling pride swell in my chest on her behalf. I knew her headstrong attitude would show through, even in this situation, where the cryptic rogue was being off-putting.
โFuck you,โ the rogue spat. โYou shouldnโt be growing them. It needs to stop, now. You need to stop. Or we will stop you.โ
Zara said in a low tone, โYou can try to stop us, but it will not matter. How about we negotiate? We can make plans to speak with your leader, andโโ
โThere will be no negotiations,โ the rogue snarled.
โThere will be if you donโt want every ally you send to potentially meet a grisly fate,โ Zara said.
I echoed that. โYou threaten any members of this pack, I will not hesitate to tear them to pieces alongside my guards. The matchmaker will continue to grow the lilies, whether you have a problem or not. You had best start talking, mangy bastard.โ
The rogue spat toward me, and it was clear we werenโt going to get anything else out of him. I furrowed my brow, then looked at my guards.
โTie him up,โ I told them, shaking my head.
Zara and I then went to check on the team. Zara told them softly, โIf you are concerned about the attack, I would understand if you need to leave.โ
I nodded, and added, โYou will receive payment for what you have already done.โ I paused, then added, โNot a chance to refuse it.โ
I winked at Zara, causing her to chuckle and roll her eyes. The leader of the excavation team shook his head.
โNo, we want to see this through,โ he said. โItโs not every day we have a chance to cultivate what had previously been thought to be a mythical flower.โ He gave a smile. โBut your protections are very appreciated.โ
โAnd they will continue,โ I assured him firmly, wiping some blood from the back of my hand onto my shirt.
Iโd been about to add something, but suddenly heard more snarls coming from outside.
My guard shouted, โSir! More rogues!โ
Those people were serious about this. I cracked my neck, then glanced at Zara.
โYou stay here like last time.โ I looked at my guards. โStay with her,โ I said firmly.
With that, I rushed to the entrance of the cave, shifting and darting outside.
The clouds were gathering above, and rain started to patter as I lifted my nose, scenting the air. As reported, several different scents that most definitely did not belong to Zaraโs pack hit me.
My mind remained on Zara, concern locked on my heart. If they got past me, Zara would be in danger. I needed to keep her safe.
I couldnโt figure out why the hell those rogues were so intent on stopping her work. Hopefully, we could get more information other than an angry rogue shouting that we needed to stop.
Maybe I could capture another one, I thought.
Glowing eyes fixed on me from the shadows as suddenly several wolves leaped out from the trees, rushing toward the cave.
I bared my fangs at the rogues, who now numbered about ten. Four of them surrounded me while six made haste toward the cave.
No way was I going to let that happen.
I lunged for one of the rogues, sinking my teeth into them and leaving a deep bite, but I didnโt stop to try and tear into them further.
Rather, I rushed to intercept the others, the thought of Zara getting harmed by those assholes causing even more anger to rush through me. I sank my jaws into the one closest to the cave.
Iโd bitten into his leg, and I jerked back, causing his whimper to ring out through the air. More rogues tried to get to the cave, the ones who had been attacking me also following their companions, though they were targeting me.
The Drogomor guards successfully intercepted and chased off any rogue that got close enough to the cave to almost breach it.
In my case, my jaws locked on one of the rogueโs throats, nearly tearing through his jugular. He jerked away just in time to avoid fatal damage, but I didnโt press.
Rather, I moved on, leaping toward the next wolf trying to get into the cave. My teeth sank into another rogue, causing more whimpers to cascade through the air.
Jaws sank into my legs and my sides, clamping down and shaking. They were trying to tear me to pieces, but I knew it sure as hell wouldnโt work.
I overpowered them with my strength and teeth, which sent them running back into the woods with their tails between their legs. Panting, I shifted back, clenching my jaw.
Worry rushed through me again at how stressed this could be making Zara. Immediately, I returned to the cave. One of my warriors tossed me a spare shirt and pants, which I got on quickly before approaching her.
โYou alright?โ I asked.
โI was helping the others keep calm,โ she said. โAs for me, yes, Iโm fine, but Iโm worried. I should be asking if you are alright after an attack that followed so quickly after the first.โ
โIโm fine,โ I said honestly. I looked toward where the captured rogue had been tied up, only to let out a frustrated grow. He was gone. โBut our captive got away.โ
Zara and I walked over, inspecting the ropes thatโd been chewed through.
One of the Drogomor guards approached, letting out a sigh. โSorry, Noah,โ he muttered. โWeโโ
โYou were busy helping me and preventing the rogues from breaking into the cave. Thatโs what matters in the end,โ I said firmly. โDonโt worry about it. Weโll figure this shit out.โ
Zara rubbed at her arm. โTwo rogue attacks... is this a good idea? I really want the Luna Lillies to keep on growing, butโโ
โYou have us,โ I said firmly. โWeโre not going anywhere, and Iโll fight off a hundred rogues to help you, Zara.โ
The twinkle in Zaraโs eye made my heart leap.
I sent a few guards to patrol and ensure no more attacks were coming. Thankfully, nothing further happened for the rest of the day.
When dusk fell, we would be getting ready to head back to Zaraโs house. I walked with her through the temporary cave and the beginnings of the setup for the lilies for one more check.
โHow are you feeling?โ I asked her, knowing worry had been settling into her mind for a while now.
Zara rubbed her arm. โAnxious,โ she muttered. โBut appreciative of your help, Noah. I need to figure out how weโre going to move forward with this problem.โ
โYou?โ I snorted. โWhat, are you going to snatch up another rogue when they attack again and propose a visit?โ
โIf thatโs what it takes, yes,โ she said.
I shook my head.
โStubborn brat,โ I said softly, without much bite to my words. Then, I grew serious. โZara, you canโt take all of this on your shoulders. You have a baby to think about.โ
โI canโt trouble the Alpha on this,โ she said. โHe has too much on his plate already, and I wonโt be a hindrance to my pack.โ
โThatโs why youโre not in this alone. Iโm coming with you.โ
โWhat?!โ she growled, turning to stare me down. โYou have your own problems, youโre here toโโ
โTo gain experience, yes,โ I said. โI want to go with you to negotiate. That will be good experience.โ
I gave a confident grin, causing her to sigh.
โYouโre something else. You know that?โ she said.
I nodded. โYou have your baby to think about, Zara. Can you really wait for the several months it will take for her to be born, and then you find someone to watch her while you negotiate?โ
โNo,โ she said, letting out a breath.
โIf youโd rather wait for your mate to come and help you with it, fine. I will stay here and guard the cave for you until that happens,โ I said.
She shook her head.
Hesitating, she said, โNo, thatโs not needed. You can come help me, Noah.โ
I wondered if she had anything else to say on that.
My wolf was agitated at the idea of her โmateโ helping her. Some mateโhe hadnโt even shown up for her since sheโd been here. Now, times were more dangerous.
I doubted that he even knew she was pregnant. I wanted to press the issue but decided that it would be too stressful, especially now, after the rogue attack.
But her expression told me there was something on the tip of her tongue.
โHave something to say, beautiful?โ I asked, trying to keep my voice more gentle than curious.
โNo,โ she sighed. โNot yet. Letโs head home. Hopefully, weโll get an opportunity to figure out what these rogues wanted.
โIโll have scouts here in the meantime during the night so that our efforts arenโt interrupted,โ I assured her.
We started to head back to her home.
I had no idea what to expect from the rogues in general, but they took a huge risk clashing with me and my guards.
I wondered what could be even more special about the Luna Lilies to cause this, and why the rogues were guarding the area... and why they were trying to stop us in the first place.
There were so many questions.