SWNOVELS Chapter 68
FREYA'S P.O.V
The bunker was more spacious than I thought. It was large enough that people were able to move around freely. There were several couches and comfortable mats on the floor. There was also a supply of food and snacks to keep people busy. The only downside was that there was no service. I checked my phone as soon as Jael got in and locked the hatch but there was nothing.
We went in search of Jared and Kiara and found them on a couch at the far end of the room. Kiara rushed over to me as soon as she saw me and I held her tightly in my arms. Jared looked pissed but I offered him a kind smile which he reluctantly returned. The brothers led me over to the couch and made sure I was seated comfortably with Kiara by my side. Neither of them made a move to sit however, they just stood by our sides.
"You can sit down," I offered up to them. "I don't know what's happening up there but we might be in here for a while. You wouldn't want to use up all your energy in one hour."
"Our top priority is to make sure that you and Kiara are safe," it was Jael who answered. "After what happened at the store that day, I believe it is in our mutual interests that we remain standing. Should a threat materialize, it would be a lot easier for us to defend you."
My hand subconsciously moved towards my stomach and I glanced around the room. Everyone seemed to be taken by their own worries and in their own little worlds. It seemed improbable that anyone would attack me especially in a safe bunker like this. It also seemed improbable that if they were all to attach me then the brothers would be able to save me. It didn't matter that they were trained soldiers, the sheer number of the people would overpower them and we would be at their mercy.
Regardless of the fact, I hummed and nodded then sat up straighter. "Do you really think they would attack me? Does the anger run that deep?"
"We don't know but it is best to be safe rather than sorry," they answered after a beat. I let out a sigh then Jael turned to me. "Would you like a snack or something to eat?"
"No," I shook my head. I couldn't stomach the thought of putting food in my mouth yet. I was fairly certain that I would throw up. "I would like something for Kiara though and the other children in the room. Please ensure that they all have something to eat. They don't need to be worrying about everything happening."
Jared stayed to protect Kiara and I while Jael and a few of the other guards went around distributing snacks to the children. I could feel the palpable worry and confusion in the air and I felt bad. I felt bad for everyone whose lives had been upended because of this pointless battle. I felt bad for the parents who had to watch over their kids in this state while praying for their safety. I felt bad and I felt guilty and I hated the feeling.
Once all the kids were fed, I went to check on the food supply. It was enough to keep us for at least two days according to the guards. I knew nothing about rations or rationing food but I decided to trust them. I instructed for everyone to be fed properly, including them and the rest of the food to be kept under a watchful eye. I could gear the confusion spreading through the room as the older people received food and water.
A few of them glanced my way as if they knew I was the reason for them getting food. I felt weird under their gazes but I tried my best to ignore it. That worked until a certain woman cleared her throat and made her way over to me. The brothers blocked her from approaching but she held up her hands to show that she meant no harm.
"It's okay, let her through," I told them and they hesitated before doing as I asked. "Is everything okay?"
"Why?" she asked and I was taken aback by her question. "Why did you feed us before yourself? Is this meant to assuage your guilt or something? Is this meant to be a bribe for our families that are out there dying?"
I could feel her anger through her words. It was permeating the air and tainting the atmosphere. Jared glanced at me in a silent question but I shook my head. If we shut her down then it looked like we had something to hide and I knew a thing or two about unsatisfied and shut down people. They would always revolt and that was the last thing we needed especially since Kiara was here. I wanted to keep my daughter safe and if that meant responding to her then so be it.
"There are no bribes, there is no peace offering," I began slowly as I sat up straighter. "I only gave you food because it felt like the right thing to do. I am sorry that your families are dying and if I had the power to stop it, I would but I don't. That power lies solely in the hands of Noxian and he will do anything to make sure this war happens."
"He wants you."
"He wants power," I corrected. "He had me for at least the first eighteen years of my life. He had me when I was his mate and he rejected me in front of the whole pack because I was an omega. He mated with my sister and threw me out which was how I found Jaxon. If this was about me then believe me when I say that I would have handled it immediately."
She was silent. It occurred to me that no one knew the full story before today. They were probably fed pieces of information that they struggled to make sense of. The entire bunker was drowned in silence and could feel all eyes on me as they took in my words. I wasn't sure if I did the right thing by being vulnerable to them but at least I knew that my conscience was clear.
"How can we trust you?"
"You can decide whether or not you think I'm telling the truth, but I have told you all there is to it. Everything else is left to you."
She opened her mouth to speak but closed it immediately and nodded. Without another word, she bowed to me and walked away. I glanced at the brothers wondering if I had made the right choice but when I got a nod from Jael, I let out a sigh of relief.
For the next few minutes, the room was tense and no one dared to speak. Only the children who were unaware of what was happening chattered without a care in the world. I focused all my attention on Kiara while hoping my words had the desired effect on everyone. I prayed that everything was going alright in the upper world and although I tried to think about anything else, my mind kept going back to Jaxon. After a few minutes, I felt a tug in my chest. It was nothing I had ever felt before and it sent a sense of dread over me. The very core of my being ached and it felt like an impending sense of dread was hanging over me. I stood to my feet in an attempt to calm myself and get rid of the feeling but it only seemed to get worse. I could feel eyes on me but I didn't care.
I walked over to a corner of the room and I felt Jael follow me. He stopped behind me and stared at me with questions in his eyes but I couldn't form any words. The pressure in my chest was escalating and nothing I did would ease that pain.
"Are you alright?" Jael asked and I hummed. "You don't seem okay. If you tell me what's wrong then I can try to help you find a temporary solution. Is it the baby?"
He spoke the last words on a whisper but I shook my head. I knew it had nothing to do with me. Whatever I was feeling concerned someone else. I knew Kiara was safe so that left Jaxon. The awareness hit me like a freight train and I realized that Jaxon was in danger. It wasn't my impending doom I was feeling, it was his as a result of our mate bond.
"I need to go to Jaxon," I could already see Jael's refusal at the tip of his tongue. "He is going to die if I don't go to him. If he dies, I die, remember? Do you really want to take that risk? Kiara will be all alone. Look at her, she isn't anywhere near ready to rule."
"What if your feeling is wrong?"
"I know it isn't, it's the mate bond. Something bad is happening but I don't know what it is. Please, Jael, I know I am asking a lot of you but I need to get to him."
"What happens if you're right? You go out there and then what? Are you going to give up your life for his?"
"It is better that one of us dies than both of us."
I could tell that Jael was torn. He wasn't sure what to do because on one hand, he was meant to protect me but on the other, I had given him a very logical argument. I was only asking him out of courtesy, if he said no, I was going to find my own way out. I wasn't going to jeopardize the future of this palace for anything.
After a beat of silence, he sighed. "We have to be quick because if Jared notices that we are gone, he will kill us."
"Thank you," a sigh of relief left me in a rush. "How do we get out through the hatch? Jared would know if he sees us going that way."
"There's another exit."
He gestured for me to be quiet and led me towards where the food was kept. I could feel Jared watching us quietly but he made no moves. Jael whispered something in the ears of one of the guards who nodded and went to speak to Jared. While they were talking, Jael grabbed my hand and it happened so fast that I barely had time to notice it. He pulled me through what I realized was a false wall behind where the food was kept. Once we were safely on the other side, I saw that we were inside a darkened hallway.
"Just stay close to me, we will be out of here in no time."