OUTCAST: THE ALPHA KING’S BELOVED BY BLUE TEARS
CHAPTER 68 AUSTIN’S THREA
Anthony’s POV:
It had been several days since my mother had disappeared. I had sent many guards to look for her, but it wasn’t until now that Dylan finally uncovered a clue about her whereabouts.
It turned out that Austin had ordered some of his attendants to transfer my mother to the south. Since she was in poor health and would need medicine to sustain her, they would definitely send the medicine to the place where she was being kept. As long as I followed the medicine, I would be able to find my mother.
What I didn’t understand was why Austin hadn’t made a direct threat even though it had been so many days since he had taken my mother away. What on earth was he planning to do?
“I guess he wanted to frame me for her disappearance,” Jennifer said, furrowing her eyebrows in thought. “And since that didn’t work, he’ll probably come up with another way to force you to give in. We have to find Mrs. Jones as soon as possible.”
“You’re right. I think I—”
I was about to say that I would go and look for my mother myself, when my attendant rushed in and informed me that Austin had arrived.
Austin was finally here to see me. Now that he had found out that I was still alive, he probably wanted to threaten me with the safety of my mother.
“Anthony, try your best to stall for time. I’ll go and rescue your mother,” Jennifer suggested.
I knew why she came up with such a plan. If I left the royal palace now, Austin would definitely know what I was up to. If he transferred my mother to another place, it would be even more difficult to save her.
It would be better for me to pretend that I had no idea where my mother was and stall Austin for time. Once my mother was saved, I could deal with him.
I nodded solemnly at Jennifer. “But don’t leave right away. Hide here and listen to what Austin will say. Maybe we can get some other clues.”
“Okay.” As per my instructions, Jennifer found a place to hide.
Soon, Austin walked in alone after asking the royal attendants to wait outside.
“My dear brother, what’s wrong?” As soon as Austin entered the living room, he sat on the sofa and leaned back, crossing his legs. Even his tone was mocking. Now that it was just me and him, he didn’t even bother to pretend to be a caring brother.
“Austin, what can I do for you?” I asked through gritted teeth. My hands, which were crossed behind my back, clenched into fists.
Even though I knew that my mother was in his hands, I had to act dumb and pretend that I still respected him. I couldn’t let my face betray my true emotions.
‘Austin, you messed with the wrong person. Sooner or later, I will make you pay for what you have done.’
Austin fiddled with the ring on his finger and casually said, “I came here to give you a chance to save your mother. Don’t you want to save her?”
Was he going to show his cards?
How interesting. He respected my mother in front of others, but in private, he was nothing but a beast in human form.
“Where is she?” I maintained a calm tone, keeping a tight lid on my emotions. I still needed to confirm if I was on the right track to finding her. Until then, I couldn’t let myself lose my temper at him.
Seeing that he couldn’t provoke me, Austin didn’t bother being subtle about it anymore. “My dear brother, how about we make a deal? Whether she lives or dies is up to you.”
There was a smug look on his face, as if he was sure to win.
“What do you want?” I asked.
A glint of determination flashed in his eyes. “I want you to give up the right to inherit the throne and never compete with me for it.”
It was ridiculous. He had gone to such lengths because he was afraid that I would fight with him for the throne. The truth was, I did intend to overthrow him, but I could never do anything that would put my mother or my mate in danger. Austin obviously knew my weaknesses.
“I need to think about it,” I told him calmly. Right now, I had to stall him as long as possible. Only in this way could my mother be saved.
There was a flicker of surprise in Austin’s eyes when he heard my words. It seemed that he didn’t expect me to consider giving in so easily. He probably thought that everyone would try to get the throne by all means like him.
Seeing that he was relaxed, I said, “Before that, I need to know how she is.”
“Okay.” Austin took out his phone and made a video call.
He said something to the person on the other end of the line before handing the phone to me.
My heart ached when I saw my mother in the video. She was being kept prisoner in a small, dim room surrounded by walls on all sides. Apart from a bed, there was nothing else in the room, not even basic necessities. As for her condition, she looked to be very weak, with her eyes closed.
“What did you do to her?” I growled, unable to keep my anger chained after seeing my mother’s condition.
Austin took back his phone and stood up slowly. “Don’t worry. She’s just locked up there. She is sleeping now. I know she’s not in good health, so she is being provided with all the medicine and doctors that she needs. I won’t let her suffer any grievance.”
The fact that she was being kept prisoner itself was a huge grievance! My mother had never suffered like this before. I couldn’t help but clench my fists in fury. ‘Sooner or later, I’ll make you pay for what you have done, Austin.’
“Well? Have you made up your mind? I will announce the holding of the elders’ meeting tomorrow. I hope you can make the right choice by then. Otherwise, I can’t guarantee that your mother will come back safe and sound.”
Austin put away his phone and put one hand on my shoulder, looking at me with seemingly earnest eyes. “Well, I’ll wait for your good news.”
Looking at him walk out of the house, I dug my fingernails into the palms of my hands, drawing blood. I hated Austin with every fiber of my being.
Jennifer came out of hiding and hugged me. “Anthony, don’t worry. Everything will be fine.”
It was only in her embr@ce that I managed to calm down. “Yes. When I saw my mother in the video call just now, I heard the sound of waves in the background. It’s possible that she’s being kept in a place near the sea. Moreover, Austin needs to send exclusively supplied medicine to stabilize her condition every day. Doctors are also being provided for her. As long as we follow these clues, we can definitely save her.”
Jennifer gave me a firm nod. “I’ll take as many people as possible with me. I’m sure I can rescue your mother. But you have to try your best to buy time for tomorrow’s meeting. If I set off right now, it should be not too late.”
“Jennifer, be careful,” I told her, taking a deep breath.
Although every member of my guards was very strong, I still couldn’t help worrying about Jennifer. She was a br@ve and strong she-wolf, but in my eyes, she would always be a delicate girl.
“I will.” Jennifer flashed me a rea*s*suring smile.
Jennifer’s POV:
At night, when the surroundings were quiet, I took Anthony’s guards to check the whereabouts of all the doctors and royal attendants. We tried not to miss any possible location or clue. I knew Anthony was counting on me this time. He was stuck in a bad situation. If I couldn’t find Elizabeth as soon as possible, then he would be forced to sign the agreement saying that he would give up his right to inherit the throne.
All this time, Anthony had been protecting me, so I was glad that I had the opportunity to do something for him.
Every single member of Anthony’s guards was as skilled as a top master, so we were very efficient. It was close to midnight when we finally found a vehicle carrying a group of doctors and medicine by the sea in the south.
By tracking the movement of that vehicle, we finally found Elizabeth’s location. She was imprisoned on an island.
When we arrived at the island by a private plane, it was already morning. We managed to locate the building where Elizabeth was being imprisoned, but we still had to face many guards and traps set up by Austin.
Since we were running out of time, I rushed in with some of Anthony’s guards. I instructed the rest of them to wait outside and watch for the proper moment for action.
The clock was ticking. While fighting against Austin’s guards, I prayed in my head.
‘Anthony, you must stall for time and wait for me to bring your mother back.’