Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder by Alice Knightsky
Chapter 159 War is Coming Again
**Rosalie’s POV**
The agreement Ethan and I had made changed the situation I found myself in. Though I still would’ve preferred to go home, once he saw that I was living up to my end of the bargain, he began to show more leniency to me. Even later that first evening, he let Vicky come back into my room again.
“Ethan says that you can have the baby in here with you to sleep at night,” she explained as she brought me my child.
“Really?” I could hardly believe my ears. Until I’d fallen under Ethan’s clutches, I’d never been away from my baby for more than a few hours at a time. In the past few days, I had to find a way to fall asleep without him near me. Now the situation might be changing, making it all worth it that I’d managed to choke down a bit of stew earlier.
“That’s right,” Vicky said with a smile as I took my child from her and held him close. He was hungry, so I started feeding him, lovingly stroking his little head, while Vicky continued. “I’ll go get the rest of his things.”
“Thank you, Vicky,” I told her, but she smiled back at me and said, “You don’t need to thank me. You did it, not me.” A few minutes later, she was back with the meager items Ethan had managed to procure for our child. It wasn’t much, but he had a few changes of clothing, some cloth diapers, and a wooden bassinet that it looked like someone might have hand crafted for my boy.
I had to persuade myself that it wasn’t Ethan, because if I did, I would find myself willing to give in to him even more.
I caught a glimpse of the bracelet on his chubby arm, and no matter how hard I denied, I just couldn’t help but feel a stream of warmth flow through my heart. I thought about all of the lovely things my child had back at the palace, but it was strange that nothing seemed to be able to compare to the little bracelet that his father made him.
However, that didn’t mean that I planned to stay for long. If I was going to get out of his grasp, I was going to have to figure out a way to run away. That would be easier with the baby in the same tent as me at night. I had done it once before; I could do it again. Granted, it would be more difficult now, but that didn’t make it impossible.
I wasn’t planning to tell my friends—Vicky, Georgia, and maybe even Talon. I couldn’t put them in a spot to make a choice between me and their leader. Once the baby was finished eating, I put him in his bed on top of a mattress that was made out of an old blanket and pillow. Everything here was makeshift.
“What’s going on with the rogues?” I asked Vicky, referring to the people she’d told me about earlier.
“Alpha has decided to get them proper training,” Vicky said with a smile. “Thank you so much for intervening on their behalf. I also thank you on behalf of Alpha. I knew, deep down, you did it for his own sake.”
I wasn’t sure what to say about her gratitude, but I was glad to hear that he’d listened to some sense. It was a relief to know he wasn’t going to have them executed. Not now, anyway.
“Thank you for telling me about them.” I could only tell her that and ignored the “for his own sake” part.
She nodded. “There’s a good chance we will have another battle soon, though. It seemed that some rogues were chasing after us. Everyone is preparing for it. So, I’m not sure how much training they will get done before we have to go back and fight again.”
The idea that another battle might be waging soon so close to my baby made me nervous, especially since I recalled seeing Madalynn earlier. Would it be her group?
I was so bogged down by losing my freedom that I hadn’t gotten the chance to tell anyone who I saw on the battlefield. But then… it might also be a blessing in disguise, so I kept my silence.
If Ethan had all of his attention on the attack, perhaps that would be a good time for me to slip away. I didn’t need any more guards around me.
I didn’t doubt Ethan’s ability to keep me and the baby safe and repel the enemies from the battlefield. But being safe and being happy were two different things, and at the moment, there was nothing even remotely comfortable about our situation.
“Ethan thinks it might be Madalynn’s forces that are mounting an attack,” Vicky continued, sitting next to me on the bed. “They fought so fiercely the last time when your forces battled them, he is concerned. And angry.”
Oh well… I guessed I underestimated Ethan’s competency.
Quickly, I adjusted my expectations and shrugged. “What else is new? Isn’t he always angry anyway?”
I had made the statement in a condescending tone, but Vicky’s sad expression told me that it was something that truly bothered her. “He’s just not himself anymore.”
It bothered me, too, but I’d already sworn to myself that I wasn’t getting involved with Ethan again. If he wanted to sit around and brood and be miserable all day, that was his business.
A couple of days went by, and I didn’t see Ethan at all. That wasn’t unpleasant to me because I had my baby with me, and Vicky came and visited frequently. Still, when I was alone in the tent, and the baby was sleeping… my mind wandered.
I thought about how Ethan had reacted when I’d pressed that knife to his chest. Just thinking about some of my behavior recently made my cheeks bum with shame. I couldn’t believe how wanton I’d become in bed, now that I was twenty-one and becoming more in touch with my inner wolf. Still, I didn’t regret having cut him. In fact, part of me wished I had been stronger. If I could’ve actually hurt him, maybe I would’ve managed to get away a few days ago. At least, I might not have been so quick to fall under his spell.
Ethan had acted so differently, though, with that knife to his heart. He hadn’t flinched or lashed out at me. He hadn’t even tried to get away. Did he loathe his existence so much at the moment that he didn’t mind if I did stab him in the chest and kill him?
But then… he probably knew me well enough that he was certain I wouldn’t do it. Leading a battle against foes who are trying to kill the innocent people in my kingdom was one thing, but killing someone that I knew and had once loved, the father of my children, that was something different entirely. He must’ve known it and used it against me.
What a…jerk! B*sdard!
After cursing in my mind a few times, I felt a little better, but eventually, I gave up. I came to the conclusion that I could never intentionally hurt Ethan, no matter how angry I was at him.
Vicky came in, jarring me from my memories of that exchange. With the baby asleep, I had some time to chat, and she caught me up on everything that was happening in camp.
“Madalynn’s forces seem to be the ones that have been poking around our territory recently, just as Alpha suspected. Although, we won’t know for sure unless there’s a battle, or we can take one of them hostage and interrogate them. With every passing hour. Alpha appears to be angrier and angrier at the situation and ready to fight.”
In the back of my mind, I had to wonder if it might be someone else. Could my own people figure out where Ethan had taken me and mount an attack to get me back?
Seraphine, Cerina and even Soren… what would they do? Ethan claimed that it was for my safety. Even if it was true, he had to realize that he wasn’t the only person here who cared about me, and there were others who would stop at nothing to get me my freedom, especially those who didn’t see Ethan as an ally.
Like Soren….
“Are the others ready to fight?” I asked Vicky.
“Most of them are. That’s the thing about staying in a camp with so many soldiers. It seems like everyone is always on edge, waiting for their opportunity to get back to the battlefield.”
I nodded in understanding. However, I could imagine it would be difficult for her to adjust to this new lifestyle. “How is Paul?” Her face brightened. “He’s doing well, thank you. He’s been helping with the training. Since he’s proven himself to be very loyal, Alpha and my brother are giving him more responsibility.”
“That’s wonderful,” I told her. It was evident she was quite proud of her fated mate.
The two of us continued to talk for several more minutes before Vicky decided she needed to go. She visited me frequently but usually didn’t stay for long, as if she was afraid Ethan might realize she was here and change his mind, telling her she couldn’t come back.
She gave me a hug goodbye and then exited the tent, leaving me alone with my thoughts again.
Why did it seem the moment I was alone, my thoughts immediately returned to Ethan?
And then, as if I had summoned the Rogue King, he appeared in my doorway. I took a deep breath and bit down on my bottom lip, unsure what to think about him being there.
I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that part of me missed him when he was away. But then when he returned, he frustrated me to no end, and I was glad when he left.
I guessed it wasn’t this version of Ethan I was missing.
It was clear he was irritated as he stood there at the door, staring at me, not speaking. He was always irritated about something. I waited, my eyebrows arched in a questioning expression, and I hoped he’d hurry up and let me know what he was doing here.
Though I had nothing better to do than to speak to him, the way he was staring made me uneasy. I finally blurted out, “What do you want now?” and he snapped out of his stupor.
Moving toward me quickly, Ethan’s expression shifted, but I wasn’t sure if he was going to kiss me or…something more.
I braced myself.