Chapter 115: FOLLOWING THE TRAITOR

LUNA LEENA POV

I was growing weak. My body felt tired and heavy, but I still refused to eat. Ever since the moment they showed me Elara’s hair, I had no peace of mind. The image stayed in my head every second. My little girl’s soft hair in that bloody letter. I could not stop thinking about it. I could not eat. I could not sleep. All I wanted was my children back.

Damian sat beside me in our room, holding a plate of food. His eyes were full of worry. He tried to feed me a spoonful, but I turned my head away.

“Leena, please eat something,” he said gently. “Your body is very weak. You may faint again if you don’t.”

“I am not hungry,” I replied quietly. My voice sounded small even to me. “I just want to look for the kids. I need to find them.”

It was obvious I was lying. My hands were shaking. My legs felt like they could not carry me. But I did not care. All I cared about was starting the search again. I stood up quickly, but the room spun. I held onto the table to steady myself.

Damian stood up too and held my arm. “No. You have to eat before we can go and search again. You really need your strength. If you collapse out there, you will not be able to help the children.”

I wanted to argue, but deep down I knew he was right. Still, the thought of sitting and eating while my babies were suffering made me feel sick.

A guard knocked and entered quickly. “Alpha, Luna. Kael is sneaking out of the palace right now.”

My heart jumped. I sprang up immediately, ignoring how dizzy I felt. “What are we waiting for? We should follow him now.”

Damian held my hand firmly. “You have to eat first. Just a little. Then we go. I will not let you go out there like this.”

I knew he would not change his mind. I quickly took the plate and rushed some food into my mouth. It tasted like nothing, but I forced it down. Damian watched me the whole time, his eyes soft but worried. As soon as I finished, I stood up.

“Let’s go,” I said.

“Where is he?” I asked desperately when we got to the guards.

“He used the back gate” one of the guards said and will immediately follow there.

We ran outside the palace together. Kael was already at a far distance. but we could still see him moving toward the forest. We chose some powerful loyal guards to come with us. We followed him at a very far distance, hiding in the bushes when necessary.

The forest was thick and dark. We moved carefully, staying quiet. My heart was beating fast. This was our chance. Kael knew something. He had to. If we followed him, he would lead us to my children.

Damian stayed close to me, his hand sometimes touching my back to steady me. I was still weak, but the hope of finding the kids gave me strength. We kept moving, eyes fixed on Kael’s figure ahead.

Whatever waited for us at the end of this path, we would face it together. I just prayed my babies were okay. I prayed we were not too late.

We continued through the trees, the palace far behind us now. The search had truly begun.

……..

THIRD PERSON POV

The two brothers looked battered and weak now. Days in the cage had taken their toll. Their clothes were dirty, their faces pale, and their small bodies thin from lack of proper food. They sat close together on the hard floor, holding one another for comfort. The dark room felt colder every day.

Then the door opened. The guards dragged Elara back inside. She looked tired and scared, but she was alive. The moment they pushed her into the cage, Ryker and Thorne rushed to her. They hugged her tightly, their small arms wrapping around her as if they would never let go.

“Elara!” Ryker said happily, his voice cracking with relief. “You are back. You are really back.”

Thorne buried his face in her hair. “We missed you so much. We were so scared.”

Elara hugged them back, tears falling from her eyes. “I missed you too. I thought I would never see you again.”

The three of them stayed in that hug for a long time, feeling excited and grateful to be together again. A small smile appeared on their faces. They had each other. That was enough for now.

Soon the guards brought the usual watery food. It looked the same as always, thin and tasteless. But this time the children did not complain. They were too hungry. They had not eaten properly for many days. They knew they needed food if they wanted to stay strong and keep hoping.

They ate happily, sharing the bowl between them. The food tasted better because they were together. Elara ate slowly, still holding onto her brothers’ hands. Ryker made sure she got enough. Thorne smiled a little as he swallowed. They were glad their sister was back. That happiness gave them strength.

Samara arrived at the room a short while later. She stood in front of the cage and watched them eat with a mocking smile on her face.

“I thought you were special,” she said coldly. “I thought you would not eat food like this. Look at you now. Eating like little beggars.”

The children did not answer her. They continued eating, ignoring her words. They focused on the food and on each other. Samara’s voice grew sharper.

“Your parents have already abandoned you,” she continued. “If they really cared about you, they would have come to your rescue by now. But they didn’t. They abandoned you. And because of that, I am going to sell you as slaves. You will never see them again.”

Ryker suddenly stood up. His small body was weak, but his eyes were full of fire. He grabbed the remaining watery food and threw it straight at Samara’s face. The liquid splashed across her cheeks and dress.

“Watch the way you talk about our parents,” he said boldly. “They are not liars like you.”

Samara froze for a second. Then her face turned red with anger. She folded her fists tightly, her nails digging into her palms.

“You little brat,” she hissed. “I will be the one killing you. All of you.”

She stormed out of the room, slamming the door hard behind her. The sound echoed through the dark space.

Ryker sat back down, breathing fast. Thorne and Elara looked at him with wide eyes.

Ryker took their hands gently. “We shouldn’t listen to that ugly woman,” he said firmly. “Our parents will never abandon us. She is a big liar. Mummy and Daddy are coming. I know they are. They love us too much to leave us here.”

Thorne nodded slowly. “Yes. They will come.”

Elara wiped her tears and smiled a little. “Mummy and Daddy are strong. They will find us.”

The three of them hugged again, feeling a little braver. The food had given them strength. Their love for each other gave them hope. Even though they were still locked in the cage, they refused to give up.

Mummy and Daddy were coming. They had to believe that.

……..

LUNA LEENA POV

We continued to follow Kael, keeping a good distance so he wouldn’t be suspicious of us. The forest was thick and dark, but we stayed hidden behind trees and bushes. Kael had been walking for hours without stopping. His steps were steady, like he knew exactly where he was going. But I didn’t care. All I wanted was to see my kids. Every step brought me closer to them. That thought kept me moving.

Damian stayed right beside me. He knew how much this meant to me. We just wanted our children back. Nothing else mattered.

Suddenly, Kael started running. He moved fast through the trees, like something had scared him or he had reached his goal. We didn’t hesitate. We ran after him immediately, pushing through the huge forest so we wouldn’t miss him. Branches scratched my arms and face, but I kept going. My heart was pounding hard. This was our chance. He was leading us to the kids. He had to be.

We pursued him for a long time. The forest grew thicker, but we didn’t stop. Finally, we burst into a clearing. We looked around quickly, breathing hard. Kael was nowhere in sight. He had disappeared.

Before we could react, we were suddenly surrounded. Lots of armies stepped out from the trees, all of them holding swords. One look at them and you could tell they were rogues, rough, dangerous men with cold eyes. They formed a tight circle around us, blocking every way out.

Kael suddenly came out from behind the trees. He smirked darkly, his face full of satisfaction.

“Do you think I am a fool?” he asked with that smirk. “That I wouldn’t know you are following me?”

“Where are our kids?” Damian asked, his voice low and dangerous. He stepped forward, his body tense and ready to fight.

Kael laughed softly. “You must be stupid if you think I will ever tell you. Wound them. They must not follow me but make them suffer.”

He gave the order and started walking away, leaving us trapped at the center of the circle. The rogues moved closer, their swords raised. Their eyes were hungry for blood. I gripped my own sword tighter, my heart racing. We were outnumbered, but I was not going to give up. My children were somewhere close. I could feel it.

The rogues attacked.