Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder-Chapter 1299 - 54 : Finding Zara

*Three Days Before Silver Fang’s Moon Ball*

*Noah*

Keeping myself busy with the pack, and on the down low, had proven less difficult than I thought. Merida clearly didn’t like giving me the space I needed, but I convinced her not to pester me much.

My parents were busy with various pack concerns, including problems that had come up with enemy packs. They did put pressure on me to move on, and I assured them that I had.

It was a lie, of course, and thankfully I had Caleb on my side. He had always been there for me, a close second to my mother, so I trusted him completely.

He’d been there in my family home with Zara. He’d spoken out of concern, that much I knew. I thought of the conversation we’d had when I had brought up my true thoughts about it.

“Caleb,” I’d said slowly. “This is between us. Understand?”

“Of course, Noah,” he’d said in a sincere voice.

“Good. That bond that seemed to go away between Zara and I never completely faded. I can’t explain it. I know something is very wrong.”

“I see. The tea debacle had me very worried for you, though....”

“But she seemed very sincere with her apology and worry,” I continued. “You were there at our family home. Did she ever seem malicious or act suspicious?”

“I would have brought it up if she had,” Caleb said firmly.

“Exactly. From what I understand, things had been going well, except for what made me drink the Luna Lily tea.”

“Correct, your memory loss... you seemed eager to have more tea to remember things. It still baffles me as to what happened. I thought the tea strengthened your bond.”

“It didn’t. I don’t know why I wanted the tea so badly, and Zara never got the chance to explain. I have to find her, Caleb.”

“Against your parents’ wishes?”

“Obviously.”

“Well, you’ll need some help then.”

I had grinned at him then, and he’d been on my side through and through, never letting my father or mother know, and helping me stall them when I needed him to.

During that time, some of the Drogomor warriors loyal to me, including Felix, helped me with research on the Silver Fang pack.

When we met again, Felix had his brow furrowed as he explained the details. “This will be extremely difficult, Noah,” he said. “This Dark Realm pack and the ones in the surrounding areas are hostile. You’re going to want to take a look at this report.”

I nodded and accepted the paperwork, scanning the numbers and frowning deeply. They had several dozen warriors on patrol at all times. These packs took their land seriously.

Great.

I sighed and murmured, “The terrain is difficult too. I’ve been looking over the maps of the territory to confirm it. We’re going to need backup supplies just in case.”

“We can take care of that,” Felix confirmed, much to my relief.

“I need to come up with something to tell my parents regarding this trip.”

“Caleb may have a good idea for what to do,” he suggested.

I nodded, deciding to speak with Caleb later. This was going to need a lot of planning, and without my father’s help, I felt the stress weighing on me.

We wouldn’t know until we got there, though. No amount of staring at maps could prepare us for the difficulty that would be ahead. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

A day later, we set off. My parents accepted the excuse that I was taking some more time to clear my head and look for a good vacation spot.

Technically, the first part of the excuse was true.

The flight into the Dark Realm went swiftly, and the journey by vehicle from there to the mountains for the start of the drive was uneventful.

My thoughts about Zara were plagued with concern and only darkened as the terrain became rougher.

That connection we had pulled me to her and wouldn’t let me forget her. I couldn’t just move on. My wolf was completely closed to the idea as well.

When we started hitting rough terrain, the car almost got stuck a few times, causing my anxiety to spike. Every time, we were able to get it free.

Eventually, it became too much.

We needed to park several miles from the pack and remain downwind so we wouldn’t be detected by the other shifters.

The terrain was very difficult to traverse as we traveled to the remote pack. The foliage was thick, and I found myself frequently stuck in thorns.

We avoided several dangerous plants, and kept our eyes and noses alert for any aggressive animals that may be lurking in the shadows.

Several rocky valleys and hills were in our way as we continued onward, on no path whatsoever but guided by the maps we had researched.

I leaped over some thick vines and thick fallen trees in our path, and we had to avoid a few falling rocks from a nearby small mountain as we got close enough to our objective.

When we finally arrived, a group of Drogomor warriors and I shifted. I kept my nose to the ground as I explored the territory.

The map was burned into my mind as I made my way through the woods of Silver Fang territory, making note of every valley, grouping of thorns, and possible ambush points I passed.

Caleb had another group of warriors, and we communicated through the mind link.

‘Observations, Caleb?’

‘We had a few close calls. The Silver Fang pack has patrols set up frequently, which confirms our research. I’m still looking for a clear path and gap in it.’

‘We haven’t had success either.’

I knew we couldn’t just rush into this without a lot of planning. Their exact paths and their numbers around their territory at any given point in time needed to be taken seriously.

We went a full day without any additional clues as to the best time to move in, and I felt my frustrations mount. That night, when we were carefully tucked away at camp, I expressed my concern.

“How the hell did Zara get in this situation to begin with. What do they want with her?” I growled, irritated. I thought back to what Ria had explained to me.

She’d told me that the Silver Fang Alpha had reached out and wanted to hire Zara for matchmaking their son. She suspected that he had taken matters into his own hands.

I wondered why he had resorted to capturing Zara and making an enemy out of Drogomor. Maybe they assumed Drogomor wouldn’t be enemies at all.

Rumors from Drogomor were spreading far and wide, no doubt. It was likely known outside of our pack that the Elders weren’t happy with her, even though she never got a chance to speak.

That was a fact that still deeply angered me.

“A good question, Noah,” Caleb said, breaking me out of my thoughts.

I focused on him as he continued, “It’s one we won’t have an answer to unless we capture one of them, which... I advise against.”

“No, really?” I said with sarcasm, smirking somewhat at the thought. But the humor faded, and I sighed. “We may need to be careful with this, but we don’t have all the time in the world.”

“Hopefully, a chance will present itself soon.”

“If it doesn’t, we’ll need to take another trip,” I said. “It won’t be easy to leave Drogomor this time by any means. It may also be too late for Zara... and my child.”

I winced.

Caleb leaned forward and placed a hand on my shoulder. “I have faith. The full moon will almost be above us, and the Moon Goddess smiles upon us, Noah.”

“I hope you’re right.”

That night, I sent extra prayers to her. “Please allow me to find answers. I’ll find a way to get to Zara. I need to know what is going on.”

This mind fog, the complete lack of information about why I had these feelings for Zara, and all the missing memories were extremely frustrating.

I thanked the Moon Goddess that Caleb and some guards like Felix were on my side... because my parents definitely were not.

The next day, we had much of the same results as we mapped out the territory more and observed the Silver Fang pack from afar.

We got close enough to get some extremely important news. I overheard one of the Silver Fang guards say to another on patrol, “Did you hear about the Moon Ball?”

“Yes, were you planning on attending?” asked another guard.

“You kidding? Of course, I am! It may be one of the only chances to find my mate.”

“I’ll be there for the free food.”

“Of course, you will be. Who knows though, you may find someone too.”

“I doubt it.”

“Rumor has it that Alpha Daven is using the Luna Lily to help that process out.”

“Really? Well then, maybe you’re right, but it won’t be a focus of mine.”

I sent word to Caleb about this development. The guards would be distracted, and there was a good chance that Zara would be there at the ball.

The moon did hold strong significance, and I felt its pull. My wolf approved of the idea to move in when the ball was taking place.

When we got further details about the ball, we were ready to proceed with the attempt to extract Zara from her captors.

The night came quickly, and I was more ready than ever, with determination rushing through my veins to find her.

Music boomed from the large hall where the Moon Ball was taking place. I was in wolf form as I moved closer to the dance, scoping out the area and being careful not to be seen.

The number of patrols was completely different from just a day ago. Still, I didn’t relax even for a second.

I felt a pull from the very pit of my chest, something intriguing. I felt a longing billow in my chest as I looked at the moon.

It shone brightly above me, almost guiding me to where I felt I needed to go. Within a few minutes, I emerged from the woods into a garden, lifting my nose and sniffing the air.

I felt a tug again, this time stronger, and followed the feeling. I rounded the corner and there, standing in a pool of moonlight, was Zara.

She was gazing up at the moon as well, her hand over her heart, a tear trickling down her cheek. Her emerald eyes glowed with despair that sent a stab of worry through my heart.

But there she was.

I emerged from the shadows, and her eyes fell upon me.

She let out a gasp, her eyes wide with surprise.

“Noah?” she whispered.

I nodded, then shifted to human form, standing there before her and taking her in with my gaze. “I’ve come for you, Zara,” I said softly.

The tug was intensifying, and I felt need billow in my gut. Tension crackled between us, lust surging through my veins.

I could see her eyes gleaming with the same feeling. She ran her tongue over her lips as she stared at me, letting out a soft breath.

“Zara,” I whispered. “I need you.”

“I need you too, Noah,” she replied.

The need and desire for her only intensified as we searched for a secluded area beneath the moon to be together.