Page 73 of Loved By The King

I curse under my breath. The sound of keys jingling and scrape of steel on steel.

Damian holds out a set of handcuffs. “Not ideal, but in case she wakes.” he offers and I groan, not liking it but knowing I don’t really have a choice.

I am pretty sure Aubrey would be more horrified at my father babysitting her while she is naked than waking up in handcuffs. Hopefully, she doesn’t wake, but with how strong the call of our bond is, I know she probably will.

Accepting the handcuffs, I go to her, handcuffing one wrist to the headboard before leaning down and kissing her temple. She wriggles but doesn’t wake. Turning back to Damian, he nods and steps out. I quickly follow.

“Why do you want her parents in the dungeon?”

“Why did you bring them here?” I ask in return.

“To question them about how they found out.”

“Same reason, but I had an idea when you mentioned them.”

Damian and I move through the corridors and down the stairs to the back end of the castle where the garages are kept. Once inside the garage, Damian and I move to the far corner of it and into the small room at the back. The garage doors are open and Damian yells for the guard standing nearby to shut it. He nods, rushing to do as he says and I shove open the door, to find the trap door open inside.

Voices echo from within its depth, a woman’s voice I do not recognize and the voice of another—a man demanding to speak with his daughter. I follow the voices down the steps, each step lights up as I take it until I reach the bottom. Down here the air is cold, never seeing the sun, and the tunnels vast leading all under the castle and some stretching as far as the forest edge.

My father’s voice reaches my ears as he tells them they will see her when I allow it. They go to argue back with him but I let my aura ripple out violently and the entire basement falls quiet. So quiet I can hear the drip of a pipe somewhere. Navigating the tunnels in the basement, I come to the large opening that houses the dungeons. A woman with a striking resemblance to Bianca stands rigid, her tear filled eyes locking onto me when I enter.

Despite wearing her silky nightie, she looks made up besides the mascara spilling down her cheeks. The man, however, is barefoot, in just his boxer shorts.

Damian strolls in behind me, moving toward the huge steel door where prisoners are kept. He punches in the code while my father yawns.

“Am I needed, son? Or can I take my leave now? Some of us need our beauty sleep,” he asks and I nod for him to go. Bianca’s parents watch me quietly, though their fear can be easily smelt emanating from the pores.

“Names?” I demand and they all but fall over themselves to answer.

“Amanda,” the woman blurts and the man stammers. “Joshua, Your Highness.”

I press my lips in a line.

“Who called you to let you know we had Bianca?”

The huge, heavy door groans as Damian opens it.

“No clue, we just received a call on the answering machine stating someone had my daughter. She was with her mate? Where is he?” Amanda demands.

“Alpha Rhett, no clue. We were hoping your daughter knew but she doesn’t. Although, I’m hoping you’ll change that.” I tell them.

The door opens fully and I hear Bianca’s panicked shriek.

“Mom, Dad!” she screams for them and her parents jolt hearing her voice. They instantly turn to see her rush toward the bars of her cell only to be thrown backward when the volts of electricity hit her as she clutches the bar. Bianca flies back into the wall and her mother screams, rushing through the vault door to her daughter, only she is careful not to touch the bars.

“My baby, my baby!” she wails, staring in at Bianca who groans. She sits up dazedly, clutching her head, her muscles twitching from the volts of electricity coursing through her.

“You put her in a cell, she didn’t betray you. Your fiancée did. You can’t blame our daughter for her misdeeds,” Joshua states.

“As King I can punish her for breathing my air if I deem fit. Now, I will ask you again, who notified you of us having your daughter.”

“We told you we aren’t sure. We woke to the phone but didn’t reach it in time. The person left a voice message saying he had her,” her mother answers but her eyes remain on her daughter.

“And yet you called here?” I ask curiously.

“No, we dialed the number back, and one of your staff answered.” I glance at Damian who is listening intently. “I demanded to speak with whoever was in charge, they hung up on me. I kept calling and eventually someone answered and I told them about the call; they once again hung up,” she growls in annoyance.

“The call came from the castle?” I ask.