Contractually Yours Alpha (Riley)

Chapter Two Hundred and Twenty Nine

Chapter Two Hundred and Twenty Nine

KAIDA'S POV

A batch of seven soldiers stepped into the room-likely the first to respond since they'd been nearby. The noise must have drawn them in.

We could easily take them on, but it wouldn't be long before more came-we didn't have time to waste.

"Walk away while you still can." I warned.

I hadn't come here for them. They didn't kill my parents. They were just soldiers- men with families, lives outside this castle. Following orders. Doing their jobs. But of course, my warning, didn't shake them. Why would it? They were soldiers- trained to stand their ground, trained to die if necessary.

One glance at Alexander told me he was thinking exactly what I was. He might've earned his name as a ruthless alpha, but he never took a life without cause.

"Who are you?" one of the soldiers, who seemed to be in the lead, demanded, his hand gripping his sword.

Alexander stepped forward, positioning himself right in front of me. I didn't like that he thought I needed protection-I could take care of myself, but it hit me that he had a plan.

"I'm no one," he said, his voice unsettlingly calm.

"You're... no one." the soldier repeated, and that's when I realized what Alexander was doing-he was getting inside the man's head.

"You didn't see anything at all." The edge in Alexander's voice was unmistakable, and the soldier nodded, as though in a trance.

The others stood frozen, confusion written on their faces.

"Captain, are you-" The soldier never got to finish his question. The captain's sword came down in a swift arc, severing the soldier's head. Chaos broke out as they attacked each other.

"Run." Alexander's voice cut through the chaos, and without hesitation, I followed his lead. Footsteps echoed behind us, but the chaos was enough to mask our escape.

We blended into the crowd, as people panicked and scattered. Soldiers ran in every direction, trying to pinpoint the disturbance. When we reached the back entrance, it was blocked, soldiers stationed in front.

"The castle is on lockdown; no one goes through." One of the soldiers said.

Alexander grabbed my hands, pulling me away.

"What are we going to do?" I asked, but he didn't answer.

He led me into another room, ignoring the terrified screams of the women, most of them barely clothed. He moved straight toward the massive window, big enough for a man to fit through. Without hesitation, his fist slammed into the glass, shattering it. He cleared the rest of the shards with his bare hands.

"We can climb down." He motioned toward the window, then steadied me as I climbed out. I carefully ma way down on my own, my fingers gripping the frame. When I was close enough to the ground, I let go and landed lightly on my feet. Alexander dropped down much faster, landing with ease.

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"Daemon is gone; there's no way we're getting out of this city."

"The bastard." Alexander muttered beneath his breath, and then his eyes met mine, a glint in them. "There is

Chapter Two hundred and weifty Nine

one "

It took me a moment to realize what he was speaking about

The city had more than one entrance, but most of them were blocked, trying to keep the 'flesh-eaters' out. Anyone trying to get through those was basically asking for death, but that was our only chance to escape.

+29 BONUS

It took about three hours to reach the restricted entrance. Tall walls blocked whatever lay beyond, keeping us from seeing what was out there. The gate was made of tough metal, and the only way to open it was from the inside. Someone had to operate the wheel-without that, the gate wouldn't stay open.

"I'll pull open the gates for you to go through." Alexander said. "What about you?"

"I can make the climb over the walls.'

"Are you crazy? It's smooth rock-there are no handholds.

"I'll find a way, but I need you out of here."

"No."noveldrama

"Kaida, don't be stubborn. I can make the climb."

"I won't leave you behind, it's either both of us, or none of us." I said, and he shot me a hard stare. I looked away, intimidated, realizing that, his features softened.

"I want you to trust me, Kaida. Can you do that?" He asked, and finally I nodded.

He walked to the wheel and began to pull. The metal gate groaned as it opened, loud enough to wake the whole city. It was clearly not meant to be handled alone- something told me this wasn't a one-man job.

The soldiers would already be on their way, and Alexander wouldn't make it to the top of the walls before they arrived. Still, I trusted that he knew what he was doing. So I stepped through the gate, leaving him behind.