Help! Five Beast Alphas Want To Breed Me!!(BL)-Chapter 240: What Did He Just Say!?

Rhydian;

I let out another breath as I stare at the door standing between my Father and me.

He’s in there. I know he is. I can sense him, feel him, hear him... even though I can’t smell him.

He’s hidden himself from me and the rest of the world since the night of the attack. His movement has been simple.

From the throne room to his bedroom, and back. Always with a bottle of alcohol in his hand. Nothing more. Nothing less. He hasn’t spoken to anyone in days. He hardly eats, and he’s just... rotting away in his sorrow.

I’m exhausted, sleep-deprived, and just... tired. Koda and I long gave up the comfort of our rooms. We had to give the ground floor of the castle to the people. Some of them sleep in the halls and corridors, the only place that’s off limits is the wing where Father and Queen Cassia are.

Koda and I now share a hut in the village, and everything is just a mess.

A whole fucking mess, and our king... the man who ought to lead us, hasn’t even shown his face to the people once. I understand Queen Caassia, and Light knows no bone in me judges her for her grief. I would crumble if I lost my beast.

But Father... what reason has he to hide away from all of us like this? Like he can not see the damage all around him.

How much longer does he plan to just... ignore??

Koda hasn’t slept through a single night in the past week. Not one. Every few hours, he jerks awake, gasping, shaking, calling for Elian. He tried to hide it, but sharing a hut with him leaves very little room for privacy between us.

I’ve seen it so many times I can almost predict when he’d get these... attacks. The way his shoulders would shake, the way he would curl into himself and press his forehead to the wall just to breathe...

Koda is trying his best, but he’s hurting too, you know? He is being forced to be strong for himself, for his people, and for his mother.

I do not know how he does it. I sincerely have no clue. I don’t think I can survive such pressure.

I can’t. And Koda has been doing this every day for the past few weeks, and our father!!

Ugh! I’d be damned if I let this drag any longer!

The guards have been whispering about his state, and the servants have been avoiding the throne room completely. Father has become a wall which only echoes.

So everything here has fallen on Koda and me.

But mostly on Koda, and watching him crack under the weight is slowly eating me up. I can’t bear to watch him struggle like that any longer.

He smiles for the people... To give them strength, but he’s broken, silent and distant when we’re alone.

That’s not the Koda I know. It’s starting to feel like I’m losing my brother.

I can’t... I can’t just sit on my hands anymore.

"Enter." Father’s voice finally comes after I know again, and I take a deep breath before pushing open the doors of the throne room.

The stench of alcohol hits me immediately, and I pause.

Father is sitting slumped sideways on the throne, elbow on the armrest, fingers curled around a bottle of wine. His hair... His usually neatly combed hair is now a tangled, knotted mess on his head.

His eyes are half-lidded and... empty. Truly empty. I haven’t seen that emptiness since Zephan and Zethar’s mother —Queen Serenia— died.

The doors shut behind me as I step further into the hall, and closer to my Father.

"Father," I call flatly, but get no response.

"Father, we need to talk," I add after forcing myself to swallow, but he doesn’t even lift his head.

I stare at him for a long moment. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

And at that moment, I don’t see the king of BeastHeaven. I don’t see the famous mysterious King who could rattle armies with just a move. I don’t see the man who raised five sons with iron discipline and overwhelming expectations.

No. All I see now... is a broken man, oozing of numbness like it is the only thing he has left to rely on.

And this sight. This pathetic, devastating sight terrifies me.

"Father," I call again, refusing to give in to the pathetic woe he’s letting himself drown in.

"What are you hiding?" I demand, deciding to skip formalities and head straight to the point.

I see his fingers twitch around the bottle, but still, he says nothing.

This infuriates me.

"Koda is drowning, Father. He’s falling apart. Everyone relies on him, yet in private, he can barely breathe without assistance. And you..." My breath hitches as I struggle to stay respectful.

"Father, you have spoken no words of encouragement to him. He has refused to come see you, and you have made no effort to speak to him. You have not spoken to your people. You haven’t even stepped out of this wing." I rant, but still I get nothing from him. He doesn’t even look up at me.

"Koda won’t even speak of you," I state plainly as I try not to focus on the confusion all of this causes me.

"He refuses to talk to you... He refuses to see you. Do you know how bad that is? Do you even care? Or are you truly planning to let him shoulder everything alone?" I rage, and finally, Father moves.

He lifts his diamond blue eyes slowly... foggily... and they meet mine.

I expect to see anger, or maybe guilt. But what I see instead is... resignation. As if my words are a truth he has long accepted.

"Situations like these..." he breathes, and I raise a brow.

"is what I tr–trained you boys for." He adds, and my jaw drops as I stare at him. Stunned.

WHAT DID HE JUST SAY!??