Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder

Chapter 134: Back from the Dead

*Theo*

Ciana was just finishing up with Alexander's disguise when I returned.

"Tensions are high. The battle is going to start any moment/ I informed them.

"We are ready, aren't we?" Ciana looped an arm around Alexander.

"We are ready," Alexander agreed in a high pitched, girly voice.

I smirked and nodded. "Great. The two of you would have to get close to Luther so you can get his

attention. I'll stick close to him, too."

"We'll see you there,” Ciana said with a nod.

As I watched the two of them leave, my heart ached. Was I sending Ciana and Alexander off to get

injured, or worse? I shook the worst possibility out of my head. Like Ciana said, they should be far

away enough and I should trust them.

Quickly, I headed to the frontline where I could face Luther head-on and be nearby if I was needed.

Troops on both sides were too tense and high-strung to hold themselves back.

As expected, Luther launched the attack shortly after my arrival.

"With me!" I ordered, motioning to my warriors. They fell in line behind me and moved in with a special

maneuver that would give us the upper hand.

First, a wave of wolves attacked the Shadow warriors, then the second batch of my troops started

fighting with the packs that supported Luther.

The joint attack pushed Luther's arm back and we gained ground quickly. I smirked at Luther as he

shouted to his warriors not to be weak and not to give in.

"Jake, send word to Luther's followers that anyone who surrenders won't be charged with treason or

face any retaliation from me," I ordered, nodding to Jake.

He relayed my message to several scouts and they dispersed into the crowd, delivering my message.

Suddenly, several of Luther's followers didn't look so sure they wanted to be there fighting anymore.

"NO!" Luther roared. "Don't listen to his lies! Theo is trying to trick all of you, don't fall for it! He will do

anything for victory."

"It's scary losing control, isn't it?" I sneered at Luther.

"Theo is a Monster! He'll tell whatever lie he has to to win. If you stop fighting, he'll slaughter us all! I’ll

prove to you the kind of man he is!" Luther shouted.

Luther snapped his fingers and several warriors muscled their way to the frontlines. They were holding

hostages between them, bound and gagged. Warren was one of them. He was bruised and beaten and

looked like he hadn't slept for days.

I clenched my fists at my sides and ground my teeth together.

The second hostage was a woman in a white robe and a black mask. She was shivering and

whimpering behind the mask. Ciana had told me who she was.

"If you don't back off, Theo, I’m going to kill these two hostages. Now, keep fighting and prove that you

don't care about anyone but winning," Luther challenged. “If you don't back off, I’ll kill them instantly."

Luther lifted his fingers, ready to snap them. His guards had knives at Warren's and Maggie’s throats.

The warriors closest to Luther stopped fighting and stared at the woman in white.

"Is that Luther's ambassador?"

"Why did he take her hostage?"

"Wasn't she his most loyal supporter?"

I took a deep breath and unclenched my fists. Luther wasn’t doing himself any favors by forcing a fight

when I was offering peace and by taking his own ambassador hostage. It was possible, his alliance

would crumble all on its own.

I knew better than to think fanatics would change so easily.

Luther smirked and pulled the black mask off his ambassador. Apparently, her white robe and black

mask outfit were how most of the allies saw her dressed.

When her face was revealed, I heard gasps from the crowd. "M-Maggie?"

Even though I had gotten the report from Sherry, Greg and Ciana that Maggie was still alive, my heart

still hammered in my chest seeing her again with my own eyes.

Relief and pain both swelled in my chest. On one hand, the fact that she was alive and I really hadn't

killed her lifted a huge weight from my heart; but on the other hand, it

stung that she chose to betray us all.

Regardless of how I felt about Maggie, I knew I couldn't watch the twins die in front of my eyes again.

Immediately, I threw my arm up in the air. Jake let out a long howl and my warriors stopped fighting.

With the confusion, Luther's warriors weren’t advancing even though we stopped fighting. They were

starting to pay attention to Luther and me. I was worried that we'd given up the high ground with this

little stall tactic.

“Maggie! Tell me this isn't true!" Demarco's anguished howl filled the valley. My eyes shot to him and I

saw the look on his face. He was standing at the edge of the valley still, with his fifty thousand allies,

staying neutral in the conflict.

His eyes were fixed on Maggie, the look on his face was beyond heartbroken, beyond hurt. He was

completely devastated, completely destroyed.

Maggie's lips parted and she glanced over to Demarco, however, in the end, she didn't say anything.

Instead, she turned her full attention to Luther.

“Urgh!" Maggie snarled. She struggled against the guards that held her but couldn't get away from

them.

Huffing and puffing she tried to kick Luther and then tried to bite one of the guards.

"How could you do this to me, Luther? I trusted you. I've been your greatest ally!" she wailed.

Luther sneered and shrugged. "You've been useful. Now, this is how you can be more useful."

"You bastard!" Maggie shouted at her ex-ally, still trying to break free. "Fine! If you have something

against me, deal with me. At least, let Warren go!"

Warren looked a lot worse off than Maggie. She was being restrained and she looked thin and weak,

but she wasn’t bruised and bloody. Warren had taken a lot of beatings and he wasn't looking so good.

"Maggie, shut your face!" A snooty, female voice hissed.

A woman appeared beside Luther and tucked herself under his arm. She looked up at him with wide,

adoring eyes.

If memory served, she was Luther's lover, Jennifer. Ciana told me about her on the way back from Ortiz

pack to Alvar pack.

"Jennifer," Maggie snarled.

"Who do you think you are, challenging Luther? He is your leader. You should be offering to sacrifice

yourself for his cause," she said, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

Luther kissed Jennifer on the side of the cheek and looked at Maggie. He laughed wildly and shook his

head.

"Dear, dear Maggie. I'm building a just and peaceful world. That is certainly worth the sacrifice of two

people. You are my most trusted ally and we've supported the same cause. Jennifer is right, this is an

honor. You're sacrificing yourself for a world without Sebastian’s heir. That's what you wanted, right?"

he asked, eyeing Maggie pointedly.

My focus was on Luther, Maggie and Warren. Most of the attacks had stopped, but a few of Luther's

fanatics were still launching attacks at my warriors.

Someone got a shot into my stomach.

I snarled and thrust my fist into the guy's chest, pushing him to the ground.

"Stay down!" I snarled.

"Theo, we have to do something. We won't regain the upper hand," Jake told me, moving closer to my

side.

"I'm thinking!" I hissed.

It was a lose-lose situation and Luther knew it! If I kept the attack going, Luther would kill Maggie and

Warren. I'd get a bad reputation for sacrificing my own siblings to win a battle.

But if I held back now, Luther's army would win and wipe us all out. Everyone I cared about could get

killed while Luther enacted his revenge crusade.

"Fuck! Theo, we have to do something!" Jake urged again.

"Let me go!" Maggie snarled, struggling against her guards again. "I'm not going to be your sacrifice!"

"And here I thought you believed in our cause," Luther said, shaking his head. "You should be willing to

lay down your life, as should everyone, to see our vision realized."

"I joined with you because I wanted to be part of the change, not dead," Maggie shouted.

"You're missing the greater picture," Luther told her. "If you die today, you'll be dying in front of

Demarco and Theo. One who loved you dearly and gave up everything for you. The other who you

gave up everything for... ironic, isn't it?"

I had to intervene. I'd stopped my army from attacking. If I swooped in, I could free Maggie and Warren

and stop Luther's plan in his tracks. With a few steps, I moved toward the hostages.

"Stop right there!" Luther snarled. He leapt toward Maggie and held a knife to her throat. "I'll kill her first

if you move again."

"No!" Warren said, his voice hoarse and rough like he hadn't spoken in days.

"Alright, just... don’t hurt her," I said, holding my hands up in surrender. I planted my feet firmly on the

ground. "I'll do what you ask."

The entire battle had stopped at this point. All the shifters that had been trying to reignite the battle had

given up and everyone was focused on Maggie, Luther, and what was unfolding with us.

"Y-you're not mad at me?" Maggie asked. She immediately stopped struggling against the guards and

met my eyes.

I nodded and gave her a soft look. She supported Luther, but there was a chance I could still win her

over. If Maggie began to support me again, Demarco would too and Luther would be far outnumbered.

"I'm not mad. I'm just glad that you're alive," I admitted, holding my hands up.

"Why...why aren't you..." Maggie sniffled and shook her head, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Stop it! Just stop!” Luther yelled, his voice desperate. “Why aren't you fighting back?! Stop acting like

you're some kind of philanthropist! You don't care about any of us or what has happened to us!"

"You don't know anything about who or what I am," I countered.

"Well, it doesn't matter, does it? If any of your warriors attack or defend themselves, I will kill Warren

and Maggie. You're at our mercy now!" Luther smirked, poking the knife at Maggie's neck.

Maggie flinched and met my eyes. "Fight back, Theo! We don’t need your pity. Don't you know, you

aren't even related to us. We're not family. Don't lose because of us!"

Luther growled and pressed the tip of the knife to Maggie’s throat, drawing a prick of blood.

I tensed, willing myself not to move and risk her getting killed in front of me, again. I was upset about

her betrayal, but I didn't want her to die.

"Shut up, bitch! This isn't your call."

"Your target is me, Luther. Let them go. It doesn't matter if they are my siblings or not. Even if they were

citizens that I didn't know, I wouldn't give up on them or let them come to harm," I insisted.

"That’s a good show,” Luther taunted, rolling his eyes.

I knew it wasn't a show. The three of us grew up together. Blood related or not, we were family and

they were my brother and sister.

"You have my word. Let them go," I demanded again.

Luther laughed, throwing his head back and clutching his chest. He laughed so hard the knife

practically slipped from his hand.

"You're a hypocrite!" he cried. He pointed the knife at me. "You think anyone actually believes you?

You’re just putting on a big show. It is all a game!"

"Luth? Brother, please, stop this," a high-pitched, child’s voice spoke from behind Luther.

My heart thumped loudly against my chest.

Alexander and Ciana were here, right in the middle of the battlefield. If this plan didn't work, I stood to

lose the rest of my family!

Luther's smile faded and his laughter stopped. He stood perfectly still, except for the knife that trembled

in his hand. His entire body was rigid.

Anna?"