Protect Me, Alpha King - Chapter 144: Chapter 144

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Alpha King Maxxwell
"Dawn. We are not yet sure about that," Isagani chastised. He stared at me. "Your Highness, that is also one of the reasons why we wanted to go after River. We want to verify it. But the moment we arrived at the auction house, the auction was already done. There were no longer slaves. The servants would not talk. Their fear for what Henderson would do to them weighed heavier."
"I am certain she is now pregnant," Dawn insisted. "Think about it, Your Highness. If your enemies know about it, that she is carrying your child, they will make sure to use it against you."
My blood went cold as my knees lost their strength. It buckled.
Pregnant.
The thought of having a child with River was like an eye-opener. A slap on my gut. My hatred towards her easily crumbled, like buildings being destroyed in front of me.
The unfairness of what I did was like a punch hitting me hard.
I nearly stumbled, the delta suddenly assisting me.
I breathed deeply while I yanked my arms from him.
A child. An heir. Little children laughing and chasing would suddenly fill the palace.
I fell on the chair.
What had I done? What if she was indeed carrying my child?
Inhale. Exhale.
"Why are you certain that she is carrying a child, woman?"
Dawn sucked in a breath. "The mere fact that something happened between you during her heat cycle is enough evidence for that. She-wolves during that will get pregnant at the highest probability." I threw my gaze on the delta. "How about you? What do you think?"
"Pregnant or not, Your Highness, we have to retrieve the queen. She belongs here in the palace. She had already suffered enough at the hands of Aloha Wade. We shouldn't be cruel to bring her again to another demise."
I nodded.
Speaking of that bastard, I made sure he died a painful death after becoming greedy to seize the throne. As for his son, he was able to run away. My warriors were on the move to locate him and bring punishment for siding with the enemies.
As for Haverstone Pack, I ordered the beta to lead the pack.
"Any idea who bought her?"
Delta Isagani scowled. "That's the confusing part, Your Highness. There were no records about it. Not even her name. After checking the record book, I saw some torn pages. Someone out there does not want the queen to be traced."
I will make sure to get the bottom out of this.
"How about Henderson? Did you force the information out of his mouth? You have to force it away from him, or I will threaten him to close the auction house, and he will never be up to business again."
"He was not there, Your Highness. The record keeper said he was out to fetch another batch of slaves. The vampires wanted a few more blood banks for their consumption."
I balled my fist and drew blood.
Those good-for-nothing bloodsuckers. I never liked the vampire king, to begin with. He was nothing but an arrogant bastard who thought vampires were on top of the pyramid. That werewolves should look up to them. And that we were just their food.
"Fuck. How about the recordkeeper? Ask the keeper. One is always present during the auction."
"The recordkeeper said she did not know."
Dawn stepped forward. "She was my replacement. She will not talk unless she wants to, Your Highness, even if it means taking her life." Dawn looked up. "Your Highness. We cannot force the truth out of that woman's mouth. I know her. She is one of the toughest slaves I know at the auction house. Our only choice is to look for Henderson and ask him himself."
I stood.
Time was ticking, and I needed to get River out of someone's hands.
I just hoped the vampires did not possess her. Regardless of who was her new master, I would kill them if I verified they hurt her in any possible way.
"Did the patrons know I was Rivers' mate?"
Isagani and Dawn shared a look, and the latter answered, "They did, Your Highness. The host of the auction based it on River's shared information and announced it to the whole crowd." "Fuck."
"I know. It was your fault for not realizing it sooner," Dawn murmured.
I glared at her.
Just like River. She will not filter her mouth.
Isagani held the woman's arms, trying to appease her, but she slapped them away. He shook his head and stepped back.
"Scolding the alpha king will not help us, Dawn."
"I don't care. The blame is all on him," she snapped.
"My apologies for her behavior. Please forgive her for what she said-"
"Hey! I know what I am saying!"
"You don't." He turned his attention to me. "We need to act fast, Your Highness. If the vampires have her, they may be feasting on the Queen's blood and your child."
The images of those blood suckers sinking their fangs into her neck made my fangs elongate.
I want their blood.
Sensing my anger, the delta muttered, "Your Highness, you need to calm down. You cannot think clearly if you put your emotions ahead of you."
I took a deep breath and stood.
Getting furious will not help me for now. "Call the beta and tell him he has to stop throwing tantrums. Tell him to move his ass because we will be saving River."
Right at the moment we arrived at the auction house was also when Henderson came from his trip, bringing more slaves with him.
He did not see we were tailing after him when he stepped inside his office.
The slaves who saw us bowed, but I had no time to return it.
I placed my hand at my side, blocking my companions.
"Stay here. Kill anyone who dared to fight us," I instructed the two-Dawn and Delta Isagani.
The two hastily nodded, and I kicked the door to the bastard's office.
Henderson jumped at the sight of me.
My blood boiled in anger upon seeing him trying to kiss his recordkeeper, but the woman dodged it. My hands shook. I saw red, and before I knew what I was doing, I closed the distance between us and punched him.
"Your Highness! It was the woman's fault. She seduced me!"
Wrong words.
It made my blood boil even more!
I swung my fist to his ugly face while the woman stood dumbfounded. The bastard tried to dodge the attacks, but I would not let him. Until he was helpless and blood all over.
Satisfied, I pulled the collar from his neck and growled, "Where is my woman?!"
The bastard's breathing was shallow. "Y-your Highness...I don't know what's my fault," he whispered.
He breathed a couple of times. His hands were like rotten vegetables, losing their strength.
My blood was calling me to kill him. Assholes like him, who pry on the weak, did not have the spot to live in this world.
Grabbing his collar, I smashed his back on the wall.
He was already limp after all the attacks I gave him.
Pressing him on the wall, I growled, "You don't know? You're forcing yourself on your slave. Two. You sold my woman."
A single drop of thick blood dropped to the floor. His eyes focused on me, and he blinked a couple of times, attempting to see things.
This bastard will not die. Not yet. I will make sure of that.
"Y-your woman? Y-your beta came here with your mate. He told me I have to sell her," he replied weakly. "I-I did not know, Y-Your Highness."
I pressed him hard on the wall. He moaned in pain.
"You should have never followed him and considered I might be changing my mind. Now. Before I get fed up with your bullshit, tell me who bought my woman."
"I...I did not know, Your Highness. I was not there at the auction. It was...my trusted worker who was the host."
I slapped his cheeks when his eyes went hazy. Oh no. He will not faint unless I tell him so.
"Where is the other bastard?"
Silence.
"D-dead. O-on the previous days, almost all my servants who participated in the auction house were dead. Due to some unknown reason, Your H-highness. I am telling the truth."
Fuck.
"Tell me if anyone knows who bought her."
The bastard shook his head.
"P-please let me go, Y-Your Highness. My body hurts." He squinted and groaned in pain. "I-I don't want to d-die."
Not really satisfied with the outcome, I pushed him away and fell on the floor with a loud thud.
The woman shrieked.
I stilled. "You. What do you know?"
She closed her mouth and shook her head. She was shaking all over and hugged herself as if protecting herself from me.
Damn it.
"I am not hurting you. I will not hurt you. I am not like that bastard. You can relax."
I paced back and forth.
Where are you, woman?
I started to feel dread.
Dawn was right. It was my fault. Everything was my fault. Zenith's betrayal was not River. My pain blinded me, and she chose her sister's side over mine. Well, I should be more understanding. Throughout her life, she did not have her family to begin with. And after knowing she had a living relative, it was natural to side with her.
River had told me a couple of times of Zenith's plans, but I was in denial. I refused to believe it. Until all hell broke loose, it was already too late.
I stopped and faced the bastard.
He was already unconscious. Breathing, yes. I did not feel any sense of guilt toward him. He deserved it.
"Hey, you."
The woman jumped and stared back at me.
Shaking, she pointed her fingers at her hands. "Are you talking to me, Your Highness?" Her voice cracked in the end.
"Do you know a slave who has curly hair?"
It was rare for she-wolves to have curls. River was the only one I saw.
She shook her head. "I-I don't see her, Your Highness."
"Are you telling the truth?"
She drew a shaky breath.
It was understandable that she was shaken because of what she had witnessed. It was understandable that she was shaken because of what she had seen. Regretting about it was already late.
"I am, Your Highness."
Damn it.
I gave the bastard a long look, then back at the woman. "If that bastard will do something funny again, tell me."
The woman's eyes watered. She opened her mouth, and just as she would speak, someone knocked, followed by Dawn's voice. "Your Highness. The vampire king is here."