CHAPTER 255: THE BARGAIN_PART 2

In no time, bodies littered the ground, some dead, others groaning in pain, struggling to recover from the brutal injuries they had suffered at his hands.

Though many more still charged at him, Rohan did not break a sweat as he fought them off.

The king watched, almost in disbelief.

He had heard stories and even witnessed firsthand the ferocity with which his nephew had fought as a boy. But never had he imagined that, as a grown man, Rohan could so effortlessly slaughter his best-trained guards. He tore them apart limb by limb as if they were made of paper.

And all the while, as he fought, his darkened eyes never left Zion—his target for coming here.

The king did not like that look on his face, nor did he like the fact that Rohan was killing so many of his important men.

But he had prepared for this moment.

Thanks to an unknown ally, he had a little surprise of his own for his arrogant nephew, who fought below like a man who believed he could not die.

"Release them. Now," the king ordered, his voice cold as he turned to the guard standing just behind him. "All of them."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" the guard leapt away from the balcony without hesitation.

Rohan grabbed a vampire, twisted his head effortlessly, and then flung the head and body in opposite directions, ensuring they were far enough apart to prevent any chance of healing. That was the fastest way to kill a vampire: decapitate them and make sure the body couldn’t reconnect.

He kept going, moving like a storm through the chaos, killing each one with ruthless precision until the number of enemies reduced to no more than five.

Blood stained his face and body by the time he was done with the last of them. Then, sighing, he clapped his hands together once, the sound echoing through the bloody silence. He looked up at the king.

"Fucking hell," he said, clicking his tongue. "That was a whole lot of men you let me waste."

But then, the humor vanished from his face at once.

Just as he prepared to leap again, this time heading for the balcony where the king was standing to finish up everything and return to his wife, a figure appeared out of nowhere. It moved faster than he had. A massive figure with a smooth, powerful motion.

In the blink of an eye, Rohan was swiped aside by a weapon so large, it could rival the height of a tower.

The impact sent him flying backwards, but he caught himself quickly. His feet hit the ground hard, sliding back as he steadied himself. He didn’t fall but almost did.

Planting his feet firmly to the ground to steady himself from the impact of such a mighty hit, his gaze darkened as he looked up.

And there they were—Gaggers.

Not just four like in the forest when they cornered him and wanted to take his life that day.

More than twenty of them now.

They circled him like predators, each wielding their large, unique weapons. Each one was as massive and barbaric as he remembered, towering over him like mountains, their breaths heavy and eyes wild.

Though Rohan had expected being surrounded by vampires and had prepared to fight them, he had not expected the Gaggers to be here to protect the king. Their appearance confirmed his suspicion: the king had known he was coming. Someone had told him. The setup was too precise to be a coincidence.

And Rohan didn’t have to wonder long who had told the king about his plans today.

A deep, chilling voice pierced through his mind, echoing with dark amusement.

"Hello, young one."

Rohan stiffened at the voice. Immediately, he realized who had done this to prepare the king for his arrival, enough for him to awaken the Gaggers to protect him.

"I told you not to mess with me. I gave you hours, and you ignored me," came the mocking voice of the Demon King in his head.

"I’m not an enemy you want. Say the word, and I will kill all of them for you in the blink of an eye. They will all be gone, and you will have your way."

Rohan’s face hardened, his fists clenching. "I can see you’ve got bricks for brains, demon, otherwise, you’d know I’m not the kind of man who takes help from a pathetic being like you. So crack open that thick skull and listen good: I will never seek your help. Never."

The voice laughed. "Interesting. Let’s see how long you can keep that attitude while fighting these creatures. You’re still too young to have the power to defeat them. Compared to me, Rohan, you are an infant. I have lived for millions of years, and the longer a demon lives, the more powerful he becomes. Say the word, and I will be at your service. After all, you are one of my own."

Rage curled deep in Rohan’s gut, anger and resentment for the demon who was supposed to be his father, who should have stood by him in this fight but had proven himself to be nothing more than a useless father, boiled inside him like hot lava.

He had never felt this much loathing for anyone, not even for the mother who had hated and abandoned him to die. That resentment, he had learned to live with. He had grown to accept that he was never meant to have parents, loving, caring parents, and this demon who had suddenly plunged into his life out of nowhere had only solidified that truth.

He didn’t need a father to build a home for his wife. He didn’t need a parent to create a future.

Belle and their unborn son were his family. They were all he needed, and he would fight with everything he had to protect the life he was building with them. He would not accept help from a vile creature who only wanted to use that offer to take everything away from him, his life, his world, his wife, and the future he was finally beginning to hope for.

He would never give that away.

He swore it.

And without sparing the demon a single reply, he turned to face the Gaggers, who were now circling him like wolves. He would never do what the demon wanted. Never.

"I knew you wouldn’t come to me this easily," the demon said, voice echoing in his head. "But just so you know, your son is on his way out, and your wife... she is a fugitive in the land you thought safe. Men are out to get her, and she’s on the run toward a small village. She thinks she is safe. She could be... but I’ve led some unexpected visitors who are searching for her straight to where she is right now. In no time, you’ll lose everything you’re fighting so hard to protect."

Rohan felt the blood drain from his entire being at those words.

His wife...

"Don’t you fucking touch her, do you hear me, bastard?" he growled, fury exploding in his chest. "If you harm a single hair on her head, I swear, I will end your life with my bare hands!"

He couldn’t ignore the voice now. The very thought of Belle being hunted while he was away shattered something inside him. He had left her in danger. He had left her unprotected because he believed she would be safer there than here with him.

"I doubt that, boy. You can do nothing. Your stubbornness will cost you everything you’re trying to keep. Ha ha ha ha!"

The demon’s laughter rang through his head like an irritating drumbeat. And for the first time in his entire life, Rohan felt true desperation, helplessness gripped his very being. Him, helpless? He had never thought he would ever experience it, let alone with the full force he was feeling now.

He was standing on eggshells, not knowing whether to move forward or backward. One wrong step could cost him everything.

But one thing was certain, he needed to get to her. He needed to find her before anything happened... before labor took her, before the men chasing her caught up, before the worst could come.

There was only one way out of this, and even though it tore at his very core and would break his pride, Rohan knew he had to take that step alone to get to her. Oh, he was going to regret this, deeply. The thought left a bitter, sour taste in his throat. But what choice did a husband have when he wanted to save his precious woman and keep his promise of coming back to her?

Pride had no place when it came to saving her.

’I’ll be with you soon, Isa. Just endure a little longer,’ he thought, his darkened gaze lifting to lock with the king standing on the balcony.