Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder-Chapter 1293 - 48 : Flimsy Lies

*Noah*

“Help! Someone, please!”

I jolted up in my bed, nearly falling out of it before getting to my feet again. I felt dizzy for half a second before I recovered, my eyes wide.

I’d been getting better at a rapid rate with the help of Calvin, and adrenaline coursed through my veins as I rushed to my door and down the hall, intent to get to Zara’s room.

I sent a mind-link to Caleb. ‘Something’s happening with Zara. She just screamed. I need you here now.’

With that, I burst into her room with him not too far behind me.

My jaw dropped at the scene. Glass was everywhere from a shattered window, and Zara was gone. Merida was there on the ground, and the scent of her blood was in the air.

She had some cuts, possibly from the glass, on her. I knelt there, checking her pulse for signs of life. She had a steady heartbeat, but she was out.

But then she took a couple of deep breaths and opened her eyes, fear swirling in their depths. “Noah!” she cried, tears starting to pour down her cheeks.

“Merida, what happened?!” I asked, my tone laced with alarm.

“Z-Zara ran away, and the shifters she left with attacked me! I tried to stop them, but—”

She covered her face with her hands and began to sob.

Fiery hot rage rushed through me at what she had said. Caleb entered the room, and I quickly ordered him to mobilize with a few warriors and track Zara down.

Zara needed to be brought back. The life of my child was on the line, and something was very wrong. I called Calvin in to help Merida so that I could join the pursuit.

She’d be well taken care of with him, but when I stood up and tried to leave, I felt a tug on the cuff of my pants. I looked down to see Merida holding it, her expression full of despair.

“Noah, please stay!” She let out a whimper, then added, “I’m hurt, I really need help!”

I felt my heart lurch, but this was something I needed to do.

I leaned down and helped her to her feet, making sure she was steady and realizing she’d be alright. “Calvin’s going to take care of you.”

Before she could protest, I pulled away and shifted, leaping out of the window to track down Zara. I was fueled by both anger and worry.

Things weren’t adding up. If Zara was so damn sorry, why would she abandon me with my child growing in her belly? She had seemed sincere.

Was I wrong to trust that? Should I have had more security guards watch over her after all that had happened?

My ears were pinned flat against my skull as I let out a growl, my fur spiking as I ran along the field of grass. I caught Zara’s scent and took a sharp left, darting between some trees and following a path.

The wind whistled through my fur as I realized the path was taking me to a road, something that caused panic to settle into my stomach.

If they had a vehicle, I knew I would have to get to Zara before she got away in it.

Her scent, along with that of several rogues, was becoming stronger and stronger. I noticed the peculiar scent of chemicals as well, the more I got closer to my target.

When I rounded a corner, I spotted something that made me snarl out in surprise. Even stronger anger surged through me when I spotted Zara being carried by someone else.

She was entirely unconscious, and the chemical scent was probably what they used to do it to her.

Like hell she ran off with these people intentionally.

‘Caleb!’ I mind-linked to my Beta. ‘Zara is being taken into a car unwillingly. She’s passed out. They’re getting away!’

‘We’re on our way, sir!’ Caleb replied in a serious but worried tone.

Meanwhile, I quickened my pace, my jaw dropping open and my tongue lolling out.

My lips peeled back from my teeth as I ran, the need to tear these rogues to pieces compelling me to put even more strength into each stride.

Zara was carrying my child, and there was that unexplained connection we had that confused the hell out of me.

I needed to figure that out, and the only thing I knew was that she wasn’t involved in whatever this was willingly.

Before I could close the distance between myself and them, the car door shut, and they slammed on the gas, sending the car shooting forward.

That wouldn’t stop me.

I let out a frustrated snarl and rushed onward, chasing the car with as much power as I could. I kept getting closer and closer at first.

But the fucking car was going too fast.

No... no! I needed to get to her, damn it!

Fuck! Where were they taking her?!

A pained growl ripped from my chest as the car shrank from my view further and further. I kept running until it vanished on the horizon.

When it did, I darted to the side of the road and hung my head, panting and trying to get a grasp on everything that had just happened.

I cursed myself inwardly, knowing I couldn’t outrun a car, but I felt the frustration rush through me, nonetheless.

This mysterious woman carrying my child was now gone, and I had no way of catching up.

The best I could do was remember details involving the car. Maybe I could track it down with some research, I thought.

Moments later, Caleb arrived next to me. ‘What happened?’ he asked through the link.

‘They took Zara. She’s gone with my child. She was shoved into a car before I could get to them,’ I told him.

‘Shit. Let’s get back to the pack. I will let Alpha Issac know,’ he said. ‘And you’re sure she wasn’t going with them willingly?’

‘Completely positive. She was unconscious.’

My heart was pounding in my chest as I turned around and began running back to the mansion, my ears still flat against my head.

There was no way I could catch up with a speeding car, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t as frustrated as hell, and for more than one reason.

Had Merida twisted things, I wondered.

Sweet Merida... was she capable of that sort of deception? I narrowed my eyes as I thought about it on the way back to the Drogomor mansion.

Things continued to confuse me. My heart crumbled at the idea of Merida changing so much that she’d mislead me.

Surely, she couldn’t do such a thing. I gave a low growl, realizing that she would have heard Zara’s struggles and didn’t try to stop them or at least yell out for help as well.

If she was attacked first and made to pass out, what would make her think Zara had left with them, I wondered, especially when Zara screamed for help.

I lowered my head, feeling the weight of everything set in hard. It took me a while to get back to the mansion as I mulled things over, and the conclusion I came to wasn’t ideal.

I shifted back, entering the mansion through the front door as some servants handed me clothes. I headed straight to Calvin’s infirmary room.

I knew the healer would have brought her there after all that for a checkup. In fact, I ran into Calvin on my way there, and he looked surprised.

“How is Merida?” I asked in a wary tone.

“She is fine,” he said, scratching his head, “more than I would imagine after being attacked by rogues and all.”

His expression reflected confusion on this as well, and I felt a pang of unease rush through me. Surely, she couldn’t be pretending.

Could she?

Why would Merida mislead Calvin like that, if so?

“I see,” I murmured. “Is she still in recovery or back in her own room?”

“She claimed she needed rest and wasn’t feeling well after their attack. She’s still in the healing room.”

“Thank you, Calvin,” I said, and I made my way to the room.

I entered it, my eyes immediately falling on Merida, whose head was hanging there in exhaustion, and her eyes were half closed.

When she lifted her head to look at me, she grinned with relief. Something about her smile was off, but I couldn’t put my finger on why. I could feel my wolf’s unease growing.

“Noah!” she said, letting out a sigh. “I am so relieved to see you. What happened? Oh, I’m so happy you are okay!”

I shook my head, keeping my expression neutral while feeling anger bubbling within me. I raised my hand to silence her, then said calmly, “Why did you lie to me?”

Merida furrowed her brow. Her tone was gentle, and she shook her head. “Lie? I’m sorry, what do you mean, Noah? I haven’t lied at all.”

I thought I saw a flash of alarm in her gaze. I couldn’t tell, but I felt my wolf’s suspicions go up as well. Every instinct screamed that something was wrong.

“I know Zara didn’t run away, Merida. She was kidnapped. You misled me with what you said,” I muttered. “You could have said you just weren’t sure.”

“It looked like she was running away,” Merida replied, her expression pleading. “Noah, I wouldn’t mislead you at all. I’m under a lot of stress, that was so horrible. You must believe me.”

“So, you saw her run away after she screamed for help, then?” I asked, crossing my arms.

She bit her lip and I let out a low growl.

“I can tell you’re still lying, Merida,” I said. “Why are you lying to me?”

“I’m not. Noah, so much has happened, and I just didn’t know what to do. It looked like she was running away, I swear it,” she repeated.

“Repeating what you said before isn’t going to convince me. Why didn’t you just tell me the truth?”

“I was,” Merida said, now avoiding my gaze. “I thought you would believe me. We were so close, Noah. I would never lie to you. If it seems like I did, it was a mistake.”

Was it a mistake? I gazed at the woman I’d been in love with in the past, who I was now so happy to have back.

She couldn’t be jealous of Zara, could she? I wondered what had happened while I was in a fog, and why Merida seemed to have changed. It wasn’t even subtle. Something was very off.

The way she had handled this was very odd. The Merida I knew wouldn’t just assume someone was guilty. She also wasn’t the jealous type.

Her voice quivered, but there was something very off about her tone. Her arms were crossed defensively, and she was tense, and avoiding my gaze. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

My instincts and her body language spelled out the truth. She was definitely lying.

But why would she lie to me? How deep did this situation go?