The Search II

"Move, MOVE!", Ronan's voice echoed through the halls when suddenly Jeremy's men stormed into the hotel room, rushing inside to bring an unconscious girl inside that Astor was carrying.

Annika.

Annika Volkov. They found her.

My cousin left my side to approach him and lifted the girl into his arms immediately rushing her to Creighton's side. My cousin knew the fear of loss. More often than not and especially the gutwrenching fear of losing your soulmate was something he wouldn't wish on anyone. None of us did.

So carrying his son's girlfriend back to him not only relieved Creighton, it also helped Aiden breathe again.

I followed them, witnessing how my nephew seemed to forget all his injuries when he saw his girlfriend being carried inside.

"P-Purple..", he croaked instantly sitting up, letting out an annoyed groan at the sudden movement.

"She is here son. Alive", Aiden spoke, a comforting undertone lying in his voice.

Creighton let out a shuddering breath, his hands coming up to hold her in his arms. To feel her.

"Dad, fuck- please!" I've never seen my nephew so desperate. Never saw any of the younger King men show any sign of it really. We didn't do weakness, we didn't beg and we sure never let anyone see our vulnerability. But this. This was different.

It was no secret that every King's weakness was their women. Their soulmates.

And I knew from Aiden how much Creighton had fought for her when their love seemed so impossible. But really, who of us ever had a lucky and romantic lovestory. We were all followed by clouds trying to find that glimps of light in between.

Like Elsa was the light for Aiden. Aurora for uncle Jonathan and my princess Astrid was for me..

My cousin leaned down and put Annika carefully on Creightons lap, the other immediately engulfing her in his arms, pressing her instantly into his chest.

"My little purple, fuck.. fuck Annika", he whispered into her ear, swaying her slightly back and forth. Annika made a croaked sound, her eyes fluttering slowly open.

"C-creigh?", she rasped, her voice barely a whisper.

"I'm here baby, I'm here", he cooed, spreading butterfly kisses along her face. 

I felt my chest tightening as memories of Astrid came into my head, of how that bitch Victoria had threatened her with a gun, of the pain on her face when she realized who had killed her mother and who had been after her life as well.

It sure wasn't nearly as traumatic as it has been for these two but it didn't matter. The fear of losing your world was the same.

I swallowed, looking over to Aiden who was watching them both cautiously.

"The doctor will be here any second.", he announced, his voice sounding rough in comparison to the silent and delicate whispers of my nephew and his girlfriend.

Creighton didn't look up but we knew he heard him. All he did was check for any visible injuries, going back to kissing her, swaying her and smelling her. I left the room to give them some space.

"Astor"

"Where is Knight?", he asked me, looking around.

"What do you mean? He was with you."

"No he wasn't. He got shot-"

"What?", Remington who just got out of Ariella's room now joined my left side.

"Dad?"

"It's a long story, he is fine. We went to find Ariella and he and Cecily went back to the car after he got injured. So where are they?"

"They didn't arrive, uncle"

Eli now stepped inside. One look at my oldest nephew and my heart filled with dread. He was close to insanity. He had the same look his Dad had when he stood at his mother's grave on her funeral. The same he had when he got rescued after the kidnapping.

Soulless. Dead.

"So where the fuck are they?"

"Where is Jeremy?",the Carson boy said. He was standing for hours at the window, looking into a distance none of us saw. I hated that little fucker but no one could deny the intense love he had for my daughter. He was a walking ghost- no, the fucking reaper waiting to collect the souls, that hurt my little girl.

It was quite surprising that he cared about his friend when all he did was waiting for a sign of Glyndon. He didn't care about anyone else, you could tell.

"He stayed back. The situation got out of hand-"

"Ilya. Was he with him?"

"What?"

Killian's eyes looked around the room, watching the men dressed in black intensely before ordering them out.

The men nodded and stepped outside.

"Did you see Ilya with him?"

"I mean, he was there too-"

"Was he with Jeremy when you got attacked?" Killian sounded impatient for some reason. His fists clenched on either side.

"BLYAT!" Nikolai's yelling voice interrupted us before we rushed to his side. He was standing above my son, lifting his upper body to craddle him in his arms.

"What is going on?", I growled, rushing to his side. 

"He fucking fainted, out of the blue. He said he couldn't breathe"

"WHAT?"

Nikolai rushed passed me, yelling something in russian to some of his men who followed him quickly.

"Where the fuck are you going?"

"His breathing has weakened, I'm going to drive him to a hospital."

I followed him when suddenly Aiden's voice stopped me.

"Stay here Lev'" He sounded calm. Way too fucking calm.

I didn't stop. Still rushing behind Nikolai who was holding my son so dearly that it made me want to scream in agony. What the hell was going on? I could feel his desperation. His panic and anxiety. This dude was a lunatic and fucking psychopath but so was his love for my son.

Crazy, obsessive. Unyielding.

"Let him", Aiden's hand on my shoulder stopped me from going.

I rolled my shoulder to shake him off. "My fucking son-"

"It's Astrid", he interrupted me with his cold voice, showing me his phone.

"What?"

"You should talk to her?"

"Why the fuck didn't she call me?"

"It doesn't matter, take it!"

I snatched his phone from his hand, my body aching to follow my son but how could I deny my wife? She wouldn't call unless it was important.

"Princess?"

A gutwrenching sob made me so weak in my knees that I almost toppled down.

"Astrid..", I clenched my jaw so hard I was sure I would lose my teeth. This sound.. this sound was the worst sound I could ever hear.

"L-Levi i-it's becoming true, L-Levi-", she sobbed uncontrollably and I could swear I heard her heart shattering into million pieces. Or was it mine?

"What? What is becoming true princess, talk to me!"

Aiden looked around and shoved me into a room. I didn't realize first that it was a storage room because I was busy deciphering what Astrid was saying. Every sob that reached my ears were like stabs to my heart.

"L-Levi t-the nightmare I-" She completely broke down now. Crying hysterically when I heard a rustle on the other side of the phone, Elsa's voice now reaching me.

"Levi?" Elsa sounded like she was carrying all the burdens of the world on her shoulder. Almost like that time she nearly died in the basement Aiden and her were stuck in.

"Els', please, tell me. What is going on? Why is my princess-?"

"I sent Aiden the message. Please, just.. just read it. You will understand.." I nodded though she couldn't see it and hung up. I gave Aiden his phone back, impatiently waiting for him to open the text message. When he gave it back there was a picture attached.

It was obviously a picture Elsa took from Astrid's phone. 

Unknown:

Choose one.

 

Under it was a picture of all of our children. 

A lump built in my throat as flashbacks filled my mind.

"Princess?", I woke up upon feeling Astrid sit up suddenly in the middle of the night. She was panting heavily, sweat covering her forehead when I realized that she was trembling. My sleep was forgotten immediately when I pulled her into my arms, realizing that she was losing some tears. 

"Hey, what is it?" 

She buried her head into my neck, a low sob shaking her chest.

"N-Nightmare", she croaked. I stroked her hair soothingly which only made her burst into tears, clinging on me for dear life. 

"Princess.. hey, it's okay. It was just a bad dream.." I whispered, pecking her temple.

"No.. something is going on Levi.. I-I know it"

"What do yo mean?" 

She sniffled and after taking three deep breaths to calm her beating heart she pulled back, her tear streaked face paining me to my core. 

"I've seen t-this dream multiple times.." 

"What did you see?" I knew something was off weeks ago. Astrid has been restless and I soon realized that she didn't particularly liked the nighttime. First I thought she was more horny than usual, always trying to keep me awake, to play with her, kiss her and love her more and more. 

Of course I enjoyed it at first but soon saw the dread in her eyes whenever she realized it was over and we needed to sleep.

The rings under her eyes darkened and she swore that she was alright whenever I asked her and no matter how much I pressed on the issue, she just said that she didn't sleep well. 

I even suggested to go down a nodge because I honestly thought it was our night activities that tired her but she only panicked and begged me to not stop loving her. How could I refuse? Especially with the way she seduced me? 

Two nights prior I witnessed her waking up from a nightmare and when I asked her what it was she said she just had a bad dream and turned away from me, avoiding any eye contact. She pulled me close, making me hug her from behind and though I felt that there was definetly more, I didn't want her to lose any more sleep than she already had. So that night I had just kissed the back of her head and waited for her to fall asleep. 

I wiped the tears off her face now when she slowly opened her mouth, answering me with a weak voice. 

"I have this constant nightmare.. it changes only in details but it is always about our children. They are all in danger, dying Levi-", a hiccup interrupted her and when I tried to pull her against my chest, she refused, trying to collect herself. 

"I'm only able to save one.. only have the chance to save one and because I can't choose, they all..they all just-" She stopped, another fit of tears drowning her and finally she let me engulf her into my arms. 

"Shh baby, it's okay. It's just.. it's just a dream" But there was this fear in my chest that expanded upon hearing her words.

Something about it was eary.. scary and for some reason.. so real. It didn't feel like a dream, the way she talked, the way the nightmare was it sounded like a prophecy.

So maybe, maybe I was comforting myself too with these words. Trying to make myself believe that it was indeed, just a bad.. horrible dream.

I bit down on my teeth, my burning eyes meeting Aiden's who looked as unattached and collected as ever but his body language was stiff and cold.

"Brandon", I breathed and he nodded.

"He is d-"

"Don't you fucking dare say it", I snapped, refusing to believe that my son was on the verge of death. It was obvious now that he wasn't injured normaly. It was more serious than external wounds.

"Poison" Aiden stated, like he could hear my train of thoughts. I didn't nod. He didn't need me to agree.

A rack of towels were all stacked to my side and in a sudden outburst I grabbed the shelve and threw it down, screaming. I kicked and trashed everything I saw until Aiden locked my arms from behind. "LET ME GO"

"This won't change shit, Levi! Concentrate!", he spoke into my ear, now emotion seaping through.

"How the fuck am I supposed to concentrate with my kids slipping through my hands."

"Destroying the hotel will do less" 

I growled, shaking him off me and turning back to him. I opened my mouth to say something when a voice echoed from outside.

"Uncle?"

It was Remington.

Aiden gave me a last look before stepping outside, me follwing him.

Remington stood in front of us with two men behind him. 

One of the men held up a folder and gave it wordlessly to him. These were our men, not from the mafia. What did he asked them to do?

He grabbed the folder instantly and went through the documents. I looked over his shoulder, scanning the papers. It was the plan and construction of the hotel as well as the opening history.

Something tugged in me, a feeling of anticipation and anxiety when I remembered what he had first commented when we had arrived to this hell hole.

"The hotel has opened two years ago"

I knew what he was looking at but before I could find the spot he already pointed at it. The parking house underneath.

The strange wall he had seen was not on the plan.

"Call all the man and get some fucking hammers and drills and anything you can fucking find to break a wall. We don't have much time!", Aiden barked, the men immediately listening and rushing out when Remington looked at me confused.

My heart started pounding heavily in my chest, hope blooming in me. There was a 50/50 chance that this was my little girl. She and Ava were the only once missing now.. alive as far as we knew.

We rushed back into the hotel room, everyone who was there now gathering around us as they saw the look on our faces.

Before we could say anything Ronan came from the room with the Carson boy and.. Jeremy.

"Where are they?", he snapped, looking past us as to see if someone would follow us.

"Who?"

"Cecily and Xander?"

Aiden and me looked at each other, clearly not having the slightest clue.

Killian's malicious voice filled the room. "I told you"

"That can't BE", Jeremy barked, screaming at the last word when he punched into the door next to him, the wood cracking as well as the skin on his hand.

He was smeared with blood and it was obvious that he barely made it out of whatever he was in.

"What the hell is going?", I asked, adrenalin now rushing through my veins making me almost dizzy. 

Crazy.

I didn't want to be here, discuss anything that would distract me from possibly finding my daughter but how the fuck was everything against us. We were losing the one's we found and now even our friend was involved.

"Xander and Cecily were in Ilya's car. When they got attacked after finding Annika, Jeremy ordered him to drive them to safety."

"Maybe something happened on the way? Don't the cars have GPS-"

"The GPS got taken out. I don't think something happened. They weren't attacked .. not from the outside at least."

I furrowed my eyebrows and from the corner of my eyes I could see Aiden mimicking me.

"What the hell are you saying, boy? Speak up!", I hissed now impatiently.

"I overheard Remington talk to Ariella", he nodded towards Astor's son next to me. 

"He asked her what she remembered and she talked that she remembered being in the car and that at some point they stopped and they changed the cars.

Like it happened the Cecily."

Jeremy was breathing hard, threading his hair with his fingers in desperation and tugging them.

"She said that she had heard how the men were talking about the "King Princess'", his voice tightened at the end.

He looked at us with his cold blue eyes, the blue zapping in his irises like electric, waiting for us to understand some shit. 

"So?"

"So, Cecily talked about "King Girl", what if it was actually "the King's girl?"

"What difference does it make, fucker?"

"A huge one", he sounded sure. "Nikolai told me how Brandon said that the men called him "King's faggot son" I felt my mouth filling with acid, ready to spurt it on anyone who insulted my son like that. They all were fucking dead. And I would personally pray for hell in order to make their lives more miserable for the rest of my eternity.

"It doesn't fit with the time line as well. They were carrying the girls somewhere, all in different spots. Ariella was supposed to be here. Annika wasn't able to talk much but she said that all she remembered was darkness, so she was tugged away as well.

Cecily was obviously used to lure them out and exchange her with someone who is related to you", he nodded towards me and Aiden.

"So the King's girl is-"

"-is Mia"

My eyes widened and somewhere in the back I saw faintly Cole entering the room with Eli.

"Then where the FUCK is my Cecily?", Jeremy now yelled, ripping down a picture frame and tossing it across the room. No one flinched.

"She heard too much. If she had talked to Ariella she probably would've connected the dots that the timeline didn't make sense and that she maybe misheard something."

Killian was cold, calculating, not even the slightest bit scared of Jeremy's devil that was now coming out.

"What does it have to do with Ilya-?"

"He was the one with the men that went downstairs to get the room. You know it the best yourself, Ilya wouldn't make a mistake to not check the room first. When you were on your way to Annika he would've never let anyone shoot at you, let alone lift a gun. He protected you from much worse."

"What reason would've he had to betray him like that?", Cole now asked, his voice calm, like the calm before a storm. I looked at him as this was the first time he talked with us since we were here. His forest eyes looking wilder than ever.

"If he had been loyal all this time-"

"Maya"

"What?", Jeremy panted, looking at him now questioning, his chest heaving up and down like he was about to have a panic attack.

Or a maniac episode.

"I saw them once. Back home. He is in love with Maya and I think he was loyal up until he found out that she was kidnapped"

Jeremy roared, now clutching Killian's collar's, shaking him agressively. "What the fuck are you talking about? How are you so sure?"

"Your men are controlled by you and when you are not here, by Ilya. Do you think they would've let Mia escape that easily if he didn't let her? Mia and Maya have a strong bond. They are twins for fucks sake" He didn't even bother to shake Jeremy off.

His cold voice kept talking and it was like the coldness of every word he said really made the temperature drop in the room.

"Mia rushed out after receiving a message. They probably blackmailed her which makes sense. She would otherwise never leave the safety of this room when it wasn't her sister.

They wanted to have her in exchange for Maya."

"Ilya knew", Aiden concluded. "So he played along"

"Why didn't you ever tell me?", Jeremy barked, punching Killian right into his left cheek, the others head flying to the side. Ronan got in between them, when Eli and Remington now pulled Jeremy back. Killian didn't even bother attacking back. Slowly he turned his head, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, spitting some on the floor.

"I wasn't sure. Now I am."

"He is dead"

We all turned to see my son Landon standing at the doorway, his eyes spitting fire as it was obvious that he had sneaked inside and heard every word Killian had said.

"I'm going to fucking burn him alive."

In that moment I saw mine and Aiden's demons combined in one person. I couldn't help the goosebumps on my body as I saw the ruthless side of my son in front of me.

This all made sense. The Carson boy was right.

Especially with the message my wife received, it was always about destroying my children. And therefor they were more interested in their weaknesses than keeping anyone else.

If Landon would find out that Mia was dead, he would implode from the inside out. I knew my child to fucking well to know that he wouldn't last long. In that moment I realized one of my children was already on his path to death and I couldn't stop it..

I've never felt more helpless in my entire life.

The door opened again and we saw our men standing at the door, all of them with tools in their hands like Aiden had ordered them.

"We possibly found Glyndon", I said when everyone looked at us for an answer. From the corner of my eye I could see how Killian now came to my side, rushing with me outside as the others followed.

I didn't have to look back to know that some men stayed as well as Remington and Ronan. Eli and Cole followed close by too, running with us down the stairs as no one had the patience to wait for the elevators.

Possibly meant that there was a chance it might be Ava too and I know we had different hopes.

I couldn't wish for Ava because everyone was thinking about their own loved one's and I discovered a new hate in my guts as I internally cursed those fuckers who did this, for pitting us against each other.

We soon reached the parking lot, Aiden and Landon yelling at every guest and tourist to leave the area, no gentleness in their voice.

Everyone that wasn't with us screamed in fear, recognizing the danger as they hurried outside, some even leaving their cars open without having parked them correctly.

I grabbed a drill from one of the men and instantly started attacking the wall, Killian to my right doing the same with a hammer, as Eli and Cole went to work on my other side.

It was all a blur and my adrenaline narrowed my vision so all I could see was the wall and how it broke not nearly fast enough. I heard cussing and yelling but didn't know if it was me or the others. Probably both.

I felt like the wall was endless, not giving in nearly fast enough when Cole yelled, having opened a hole on the other side. We rushed to him and I pushed the others aside as we both dismantled the wall like it was a fucking card house.

Light started to shine into the secret room and when we both saw a body lying on the floor as our pace quickened, each of us yelling for their daughter, trying to scream louder than the other as if to win an argument of who's daughter was really there.

A honking noise behind us reached our ears but we couldn't bother to look back. At some point I felt myself being pulled aside and before I could punch the fucker who dared to stop me from coming closer to my daughter I saw the car standing behind us.

Killian and Eli were inside a big truck, the roaring of the gas indicating their impatience.

When everyone moved aside, Eli stepped on the gas, letting go of the brake and crashed into the opening we made. The wall crumbled as they almost flew through the window.

We coughed as dust surrounded us but I ignored the tears in my eyes, climbing on the car to jump through the now bigger hole to craddle ..

"Glyndon, oh fuck Glyndon"

..to craddle my baby girl in my arms.

"GLYNDON", I screamed, euphoria mixing with relief and unshed tears as I pressed her against my chest. I felt her heart beating against my chest, slow breathing against my neck. Killian and Landon rushed inside, checking her for any visible wounds.

"Please, PLEASE" Killian choked, begging me to hold her. I didn't have to know him his entire life to know that he never begged. Never pleaded for anything before.

I didn't want to. I wanted to hold her forever because she was always the safest in my arms but one look into his eyes, seeing the unshed tears in his normally cold irises in the dim light made me empathize for a second.

I carefully put her in his arms like I was giving him a newborn and he let out a breath like he was drowning the whole time before. Like he was breathing for the first time again.

Landon leaned down, kissing his sisters forehead, his jaw clenched with fury but his eyes gave a hint of relief.

I stood up, rushing out so Killian could reach her over to me.

My eyes crossed with Cole's when I stood there, receiving Glyndon and I felt a pang in my chest for a second by the way his shoulders slumped down, Eli pressing his lips tightly together still in the car. I couldn't blame them. Would never.

And because I didn't know what to say and because I didn't feel any remorse or guilt towards any of them I looked back at my girl in my chest now.

How long has she been in this hell? Alone?

Glyndon hated the dark, she always did.

When she was younger she used to sneak into our room to sleep between me and her mother and when she overheard her mother saying to me, that we needed to train her to stay in her bed, she skipped us to go to her brothers' room.

Killian instantly stepped next to me, impatiently grabbing for Glyndon but I ignored him this time and rushed upstairs.

"I can check her", he said next to me, his voice now sounding alive.

I brought her inside, Ronan only taking a moment to mutter a 'thank fuck' upon seeing my daughter and then made space to let her inside next to Ariella.

"Oh my God, Glyndon", she sobbed, covering her mouth to surpress her crying. Remington appeared next to her quickly to gather her in his arms.

Killian was above my princess in a second, ripping her shirt open, leaving her in her undergarment. In a normal occasion I would've beaten him up but I saw what he was doing.

He was checking for external damages, any blemishes that could indicate anything severe.

Taking his phone out he flashed into her eyes, opening her mouth to check anything visible he could see. Pressing points all around her body, checking reactions and similar things I didn't fucking understand, he muttered to himself.

His head turned slightly towards me, eyes never leaving her though when he spoke in a rushed voice.

"Call the doctor. There was no door, no window in that room. She was probably starving. She needs nutritions."

Landon sat down at the end of the bed, his eyes fixed on his sister though I could tell that other thoughts were also clouding his mind.

I nodded at Killian and went outside to tell a man to find the doctor.

Cole and Eli weren't in the room but Aiden was, talking on the phone.

It was Elsa and he was telling her that we had found Glyndon.

I heard my wife screaming and crying even though he didn't have speakers on and as if it untied a knot I felt my head going dizzy, the adrenaline leaving my body and the exhaustion of working through the wall made itself noticeable.

Sitting down on the couch I let my head hang for a moment, tangling my fingers in my hair.

Faintly I heard Creighton opening the door, asking his father aboout the happenings but I didn't listen to them.

Glyndon was safe.

We found my baby girl and I should allow myself to feel hopeful but I couldn't. This shit wasn't done and I still had my sons to save.

"Nikolai called" I jumped up upon hearing Nikolais name, now stepping next to Creighton.

He was standing in the door, shuting the door only so much so he fit into the frame because he obviously didn't want to leave Annika, not even for a second.

"What did he say?"

"He-"

"Spill it son", I barked impatiently.

"Brandon is.. poisoned. They said his wound was inflicted with a venom they couldn't decipher."

"What the fuck do you mean they couldn't decipher? What are these fucking doctors doing then?"

"Uncle", Creighton tried to be calm but I knew he was shaken by the fact that he couldn't do anything. "It's not a known poison. They need to find out what it is before they can make an antivenom"

And then it was gone. The tiny bit of relief I felt after saving my daughter subsided to the feeling of fear and frustration.

"How long..?"

Creighton pressed his lips together, refusing to answer. I grabbed him by the front of his shirt, yelling right at his face.

"HOW LONG, CREIGHTON"

"Three days. They said he had three days left if they couldn't find out what it was.."

I let out a scream, pushing Creighton back to scream even more.

Aiden watched me lash out, destroying the already fucked up room even more. This time he didn't stop me until I stopped, panting as I leaned against the wall, surpressing a sob.

"We will save him, Lev'"

"HOW?", I snapped, turning to him. "Tell me how, Aiden?! Do you know a way I don't know because all I can see now is that I'm losing my children."

"We will save him!", he repeated, making it sound like a promise.

"And then..? ", I now said, my voice trembling, quiting down to a whisper. "What about Landon? How am I supposed to save him?"

I pressed two fingers onto the bridge of my nose, a painful headache spreading in my skull.

"When he finds out that Mia died he-"

"What?"

My head snapped to the direction the voice came from.

Landon was standing at the door, his eyes wide, mouth hanging open.

"Dad. What did you just say?"

Fuck.

"Landon-"

"WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU JUST SAY?"

And just like that, I lost my first child..