Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder-Chapter 1297 - 52 : Gray Snaps

*Zara*

It was all so overwhelming, and the feeling of frustration billowing in me just kept getting worse. I was lying in bed in this room that I considered my prison.

My stomach lurched as nausea from both the pregnancy and my stress reared its ugly head. I closed my eyes, letting out a light sigh. This was all so overwhelming.

Guards had their eyes on me at all times, and I could only leave my room with express permission from them. Every time I did, they encouraged me to go try to work with Gray.

The miserable feeling of missing my true mate, Noah, was setting in. I had no idea how he was doing or if he had fully recovered since the overdose of the Luna Lily.

I still felt horribly guilty about that, and I wanted to help make it up to him. I needed to get back to him and clear up the entire situation so we could start our future and raise our child together.

The matchmaking business required that I be a willing participant. When it was like this, I was miserable and afraid. I wasn’t confident at all that I’d find anyone for Gray.

The thought of him made my eye twitch with annoyance. He was completely useless, with a cagey attitude a thousand times worse than Noah’s.

A recent interaction ran through my mind, confirming once again that I would get absolutely nowhere with him.

I’d asked him what his hobbies were, wanting a clearer answer, but he just side-eyed me and shrugged, turning the question back on me.

“What are your hobbies?” he asked me.

I shook my head. “You can’t answer a question with a question,” I’d said in an exhausted tone.

“Really? But I am right now.”

“Alright, let’s move on. Is this garden your favorite place to spend time?”

That had been a simple yes or no question. Surely, he could have given me a real answer so we could get somewhere from there.

Instead, his answer had been just as maddeningly cryptic.

“Maybe,” he’d said. “It could be the garden, the woods, my room. I am here a lot, huh? I can understand why you’d think that.”

“So, does that make the maybe a no? If so, what would be a place you’d prefer more?”

“It makes the maybe a maybe. It could be the garden, but it may not be. Who’s to say?”

The memory of that caused me to let out a soft groan again. I clenched my jaw, trying and utterly failing to find the bright side of the situation.

On top of all that, I hadn’t felt my baby kick inside my belly yet. I yearned for that, a reminder of my future, and how it could still be saved.

I had to see Noah again. I knew he was a wonderful person. He’d gone above and beyond for me before he knew we were mates.

He would see through Serena’s deception. He had to. Destiny would bring us together, but it sure did keep throwing obstacles in our way before that.

“Moon Goddess,” I said in a whisper. “Please guide me and Noah together again. Please allow me to get out of this unwilling situation.”

A tear trickled down my cheek as I wrapped the blankets around myself more tightly. I couldn’t even escape into my own thoughts because a knock came at my door.

I hesitated, then muttered, “Come in.”

A Silver Fang guard entered the room, eyeing me warily, then looking around. “Just checking in,” he said gruffly.

I glanced from him to the door, noting an increase of guards there from last time. At that point, I might as well have been in a prison, confined against my will as Alpha Daven kept heightening security measures.

“I am doing fine,” I said in a sarcastic tone. “Is this all necessary?”

“Yes,” the guard growled. “Will you be visiting Gray today?”

“At some point,” I muttered regretfully, knowing we’d get nowhere but also aware that I didn’t have much of a choice.

“Good,” he muttered, turning to leave.

But I cleared my throat, stopping him. “Being able to do some research on nearby packs and sending out messages to prospective mates for Gray would be helpful, and is necessary for my job.”

“I will pass that along to the Alpha.”

Maybe I could get somewhere with that, I thought. I certainly hoped so, because I was completely at my breaking point there in that luxurious prison.

I could only stare up at the ceiling and hope for so long.

A few hours later, I was given a laptop to work with and began my typical work of researching and sending out questionnaires to mates who were on the lookout.

But during that, I opened another tab and began writing a message to my parents. I used language that wasn’t obvious to my situation, but would be something they’d understand the urgency of when I sent it.

‘Dear Mom and Dad,

I’ve been tasked to matchmake here in Silver Fang. I am still greatly concerned about the circumstances in Drogomor. My time here has been busy.

I’m losing interest in the moon and especially the stars,

But I hope I will be able to reinvigorate myself with a job well done. Thank you for this opportunity. My time here in Silver Fang has been decent. They are hospitable.

Love, Zara.’

The middle line regarding the moon and stars was unusual but wouldn’t stick out as a problem to anyone who intercepted it—if anyone did so.

I knew my parents would recognize that code and know the situation was dire, that any positive things I said in that note weren’t true.

They were smart enough to catch on that I was here against my will. I hit send and prayed to the Moon Goddess that they would see it as soon as possible.

I waited a day, and as I checked the responses to my work, I received none from my parents. Two days... three days, then, a week, and no response.

They would have said something by now, I thought.

My heart sank, and upon checking with no luck again that day, I collapsed into bed and screamed into my pillow, shuddering with a wave of sheer despair.

Alpha Daven was no doubt intercepting all forms of communication, so even if my message got to my parents, I assumed, he had somehow prevented them from reaching out to me.

The only way I was going to get through this was to match Gray with someone, and his attitude made this nearly impossible. I still couldn’t believe he was more difficult than Noah.

After more pressure from the Silver Fang guards, I found myself walking out to the garden again to try to make some progress with Gray.

The last thing I wanted to do was see him, but there was no way I could avoid it. Unsurprisingly, he was in the garden yet again.

Whatever jumble of words he said, I knew that at least had to be a passion for him. There was something about that place. I kept that in mind for mate communications.

“Hello, Gray,” I said, trying to keep a kind tone but knowing I sounded somewhat strained.

Gray turned to look at me, scowling. “Oh, and here I was hoping for a peaceful night.”

“It can be! I just need some information. Would you be willing to help me today?”

“I’ve been giving you plenty.”

“Not anything I can use,” I said. “I need straight answers, Gray. I know this is frustrating, but this process is important.”

“You say that, and yet all I hear is nonsense.” His tone was flat, and irritation dripped from it.

I felt frustration start up again within me. My wolf was furious, demanding that I be more aggressive, but I knew that wouldn’t help in this situation at all.

“Please, Gray. I really do want to help, I–”

“No, you don’t,” Gray snapped. “If you did, you would have left me alone by now.”

“I can’t leave until I help you, so yes, I do,” I replied, trying to keep myself calm.

“Yes, yes, a tool for you to get away from here... I get it.”

“This can be easier on the both of us if you just answer me–”

“Answer your pointless questions?!” He let out a growl and took a few aggressive steps closer.

It took me my all not to shrink back. “Yes. There is a point to them. You will understand when–”

“Fuck that. Stop badgering me! I’m so tired of seeing you here, following me around like some curious damn puppy who just wants to beg for treats! It’s pathetic!”

“I... it’s what I have to do,” I said in a small, exhausted voice. Given how he had just snapped at me, I knew he wasn’t going to be reasonable today.

Unease and nervousness settled into my stomach, and tears began to fill my eyes. I swallowed, trying to get a hold of myself, then turned away.

Suddenly, I was stopped by Gray.

He grabbed my wrist roughly, causing me to yelp in surprise.

“Let go of me!” I said instinctively.

“No,” Gray snarled. “I want you to understand that you need to leave me alone.”

I didn’t want to be there a second longer or find out what he meant by that. Adrenaline rushed through me as I wrenched my arm away and whirled, taking off toward my room.

Thank the Moon Goddess he didn’t follow me, but some of the guards sure did. I explained to them the situation, only to be snorted at and escorted to my room.

As I lay there in bed again, more tears falling from my eyes, I felt myself reeling from how threatening Gray had been. It was out of nowhere, but it confirmed that I was no longer safe at Silver Fang estate.

I likely wasn’t safe to begin with, but I had foolishly clung to the idea that maybe I could get things to work out with him and someone else.

My heart shattered into pieces as I realized how alone I was. Alpha Daven didn’t care, and he just wanted to use me for matching his son. The guards didn’t take me seriously.

I turned and buried my head into the pillow, sobbing as more nausea filled me. A good cry would help clear my head, I thought, and after a half hour, I was able to think rationally again.

If I had any hope of reuniting with Noah and starting the life we dreamed of, I needed to find my courage. I definitely wasn’t going to get anywhere dealing with Gray.

There had to be some way to slip past the guards unnoticed and flee into the Dark Forest.

It was so dangerous out there, and I knew any sort of journey would be even worse due to my pregnancy, but it was my only option.

Time was running out.