Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder by Alice Knightsky
Chapter 180 Fading Away
“Rosalie? Rosalie!” Ethan calling my name brought me back around. I was in his arms. He covered me with something, and it was then that I realized I had shifted back into my human form.
I didn’t even have the strength to keep my wolf any more.
His chest was warm and his scent… soothed me even though it was mixed with dirt and blood.
‘Your Majesty!’ Cerina cried in mindlink, ‘Can you hear me? Please say something!’
‘I can hear you,’ I managed to respond to Cerina but my eyes were still on Ethan ‘How’s the battle going?’
‘General Vandough brought reinforcements, and Soren is leading the vanguard.’
‘The citizens?’
‘Luckily, minimum casualty.’
I let out a breath but I didn’t know how much longer I’d be able to hold on to my consciousness as I felt my life force fading away.
“Rosalie!” Ethan’s tone wasn’t as leveled as usual. It sounded to me that he was trying to control his emotions. That made me wonder… if I die, would he cry for me?
I tried to focus my gaze on him as he said, “Rosalie, let me take over!” As if he wasn’t certain I would give him command, he added quickly, “Trust me!”
The only move I could make with the strength I had left was to blink my eye lids twice, and I mindlinked Cerina, ‘Alpha Ethan will be in charge…’
Then darkness took over me.
***
When I woke up again, my head was heavy and it took me a while to get used to the light.
“What can I get you, Your Majesty?” It was Seraphine’s voice.
“Wa…water, please,” I managed
She poured me some water and shouted to someone else in the room, “Tell everyone that Her Majesty is awake,” she said. I heard the scuffle of footsteps behind me but didn’t turn my head to see who it was or where they were going.
After taking a sip of the cold liquid, I put down the cup, looked around, and realized that I was back in my room in the palace.
“I’ll get some food for you!”
I nodded and watched her run off.
I remembered our battle and my giant wolf Then Soren was able to get there in time and Ethan took over command
Now that we were back in the palace, I assumed everyone was probably okay for now and we had some quiet time to prepare for their next attack.
Not long after Seraphine left the room, I heard steady and powerful footsteps approaching my room.
It was Ethan. He had stopped walking toward me now, and was just standing in the distance, observing me.
Neither of us said anything.
I hadn’t said much of anything to him since he woke up in the temple. Ever since the ritual, he had kept his distance. Did he regret everything that he had said or done to me?
He told me I was his mate when he was rogue. At least I remember he seemed to want me and needed me as his mate. But ever since he was back to being himself, it seemed to me all he did was to keep his distance…
I shook my head. I looked at my long white hair, and couldn’t stop the bitterness from spreading in my heart. What was I expecting from him anyway? I was the one who had cut off the mate bond.
In fact, it was probably better this way.
As I was staring at him, he slowly began to walk over toward me
“Rosalie.” He finally said something to break the awkward silence.
I looked up into Ethan’s blue eyes. “Hi,” was all I managed.
He sank down beside me, his eyes more focused on my hair than on my face. “How are you?”
“Fine.” That was pretty much all I could say
He wrapped his arms loosely around me and pulled me close to his shoulder. “I’m glad to hear that. I was worried.” As he released me, I said, “We need to make sure we are ready for them to come back.”
His eyes widened slightly, as if to say he couldn’t believe I was trying to lead the army at the moment, but then he began to nod “Yes, of course I’ll take care of it.”
“Thank you for your help,” I said politely
Again, he had a questioning look on his face. “Sure.” Ethan stood and backed away from me, and I felt confident that he could handle this situation without my help.
Someone hurried over, “Alpha, Report—!”
Ethan held up a hand and interrupted him. Then he turned toward me. “You get some rest, and I’ll be back soon.” I watched Ethan walking away with the messenger, I called him without thinking, “Ethan!” He paused immediately and stared at me. I thought I saw fire in his eyes.
“I…I…” My mouth opened and closed, and finally I said, “Do I have your promise to look after my people?”
I knew it was selfish to ask, but he was our hope.
The fire in his eyes dimmed. “Yes, I promise,” he said, and he walked away.
My heart began to sink. Had I blown a chance to say something meaningful to him? I wondered how many more opportunities I might have.
I gazed at my white hair and I knew what it meant. It was a sign of my life force being drained.
My thoughts went to my mother. She passed away at such a young age for the same reason.
Yes, our power was a blessing and a curse – it was unleashed at the price of the White Queen’s life!
Few people knew it, and that was why Cerina had warned me over and over again to be cautious whenever I exerted the power in my blood.
It was just that… I couldn’t watch that many people die under my watch. I had no other options!
Ethan didn’t come back any time soon. I knew he was busy – he took on my responsibilities for me.
“Your Majesty, we are in a solid defensive position. Madalynn and Behar’s forces have retreated. But we know they are just going to lick their wounds and then they’ll be back, especially with Kai and James backing them up.” Seraphine updated me later in the afternoon.
I replied, “I don’t want to stay in bed I’m well enough to attend the meetings too.”
Seraphine disagreed. “Alpha Ethan has been leading the steering committee. His troops also arrived late last night and joined our forces, so there’s nothing Your Majesty needs to worry about. Please take it easy on yourself…”
I had quite a few of visitors since I woke up People came to check on me whenever they could. They were amazed by my long white hair, but they didn’t know what it meant. I’d told Cerina and Seraphine not to mention it to anyone else. Not even our pack members.
I urged people to focus on their responsibilities and told them to stop worrying about me. There was no point in having them know about it. It wouldn’t help anyone
I spent most of my days with Rowan. Cerina and Seraphine tried their best to act normal around me, but I could still see sorrow in their eyes. I wanted to tell them, “Don’t look at me that way. I’m not dead yet!”
But by the end of the second day, I was beginning to feel the changes taking over my body. No matter how hard I forced myself to keep moving… I was fading fast.
That night, I tried to avoid going to bed for fear that I wouldn’t be able to get up again, and when I woke up the morning of the third day after the battle… the worst had happened.
I couldn’t get up.
My eyes were wide open, but my body was so tired, I simply didn’t have the energy to pull myself out from between the sheets.
A dull ache radiated throughout my body It wasn’t an intense, sharp pain, but it felt as if my limbs weighed a thousand pounds each, and even sucking in a breath was uncomfortable.
My body was giving out on me.
“Your Majesty!” Seraphine called as she came into the room to check on me “What’s wrong?!”
I shook my head slowly. “I… can’t …” was all I managed to get out.
She had tears in her eyes as she looked down at me. “What can I do?”
My eyes went to the glass of water on my nightstand. Seraphine lifted it to my lips and helped me to take a few sips. “Ask Georgia and… Vicky to see me… and Rowan…”
That was enough movement for me I was exhausted I closed my eyes and leaned my head back on my pillow. The world slipped away again.
I fell into a restless sleep, with my mind arguing with my body that I had to find a way to go on. I thought of my son… and I thought of Ethan.
When I opened my eyes again, the sky outside the window was growing dark Familiar eyes looked down at me.
Vicky, Georgia… and my son. Rowan.
The women had tears glistening in their eyes, I knew Seraphine had told them.
My son was so happy to see me. All I wanted to do was reach up and take him.
However, I couldn’t lift my arms.
“Rosalie! Why didn’t you say anything., how could you…” Vicky exclaimed before she burst into tears, burying her head on Georgia’s shoulder. Even my strong warrior friend, Georgia, began to cry.
“Don’t…” I tried to tell them. “It’s okay.”
“It’s not okay,” Vicky disagreed. She pulled her head away from Georgia as my son reached for me. “If we had known this earlier… we’ll find a way to save you! There must be a way!”
I managed a small smile. “Vicky…it’s okay, really.”
Was there a way to save me? Maybe. But everything came with a price, a price that I wouldn’t want anyone to pay. Thus, my fate was doomed.
However, I didn’t regret my choice. In fact, I was appreciative… I was able to save many people, those whom I cared for and I loved.
Georgia took Rowan from Vicky and laid him down against my shoulder. I wanted to lift my hand to stroke his hair, but I couldn’t even do that. He smiled up at me, blowing spit bubbles between his thin, pink lips.
“Hello, my baby,” I said to him, knowing he’d have no recollection of any of this in the future, but I had a few words I needed to say to him. Georgia and Vicky stood back, their arms wrapped around one another. I knew they would tell him, someday, how much I loved him.
“You are a dream come true for me, my sweet little boy,” I told him, looking into his blue eyes “I love you with all of my heart. One day… you will be a mighty king. But even when you have so much power and might, remember that it is the people, the ones who need you most, whom you must pay attention to. Be a strong leader, but don’t be proud. Be fair, but also be kind.”
He cooed at me, his chubby hand reaching up to stroke my face, and I felt a tear begin to slide from my eye.
“Mama …” Rowan’s sweet baby voice filled my ears, and I was stunned for a second.
It was the first time I ever heard him call me. Tears fell off my cheeks and I could not stop them at all.
I sobbed, “I waited a long time to meet you, and now you’re here, and you are my everything.” I couldn’t imagine spending my life without him, and it broke my heart to know that, despite all of my efforts, he was still destined to live without me.
But at least it wouldn’t be with Madalynn as his stepmother, at least he would be with people who would love him and care for him. So, everything I had done was worth it.
“Aunt Georgia and Miss Vicky will take care of you, my precious boy,” I told him. I looked at my friends, who were both nodding their heads. I knew I could count on them. He would always be loved, and he would have two amazing women to act as his mother.
It wouldn’t be the same, I knew that, but it would be the best possible scenario since I was clearly not going to be there for him for much longer.
“You are my heart,” I told him. His hand landed on my lips, and I managed to kiss his palm. I hoped he would always feel that kiss in his heart. “I love you so much.”
Rowan grew restless, and I didn’t have the strength to hold onto his wiggling body to keep him from falling off of the bed, so Georgia lifted him up and held him in her arms near me as she whispered, “What about Ethan? Do you have any messages for him?”