Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder

“…So? What does that have to do with the Persephone and my crew?”

“If we don’t go through the pass and find Lycaon’s Tomb,” i continued, reaching out and grabbing his

hand, folding his pointed finger back into place, All hell is going to break loose.”

Keaton pulled his fist back and swung at me. I reared back, dodging his blow, and then bent my head to

rush him.

But suddenly Robbie was between us, holding us at arm’s length by the collars of our shirts. He slammed

us together, my nose cracking against Keaton’s forehead. “I’m staying,” he said calmly as Keaton and I

staggered backwards. “I’ve been breaking up your fights since we were lads. I’ve done my time. Better

start getting along now.”

I rubbed my nose, glaring at Keaton, who was holding his head in his hands and hissing in pain. I

straightened up, happy to be the first to regain my composure as Keaton continued to try to get a grip on

his own.

“I was hoping you were abandoning this treasure hunt, Troy!” Keaton said, spitting into the sand as he

straightened up.

“Not a bit. It’s even more imperative that we find the tomb now, before someone else does.”

“And what if we don’t? You’ve heard the stories about the Pass. Treading water in the southern channel

is one thing, Troy. Going through is a death sentence. No one ever comes back.”

“We will,” I said quickly, “We don’t have a choice.”

“And you’re really leaving us, Rob? You’re sure?” Keaton turned to Robbie, squinting into the sun to look

up at him. Robbie only nodded.

Keaton sighed deeply, looking at us for a long time. Then he straightened up, planting his hands on his

hips. “The only reason I’m letting any of this continue is because of Myla.”

“Not because we are likely to be blacklisted from doing any type of business in the pack lands for the

foreseeable future?” I said with a smirk.

*And whose fault is that?” Keaton said, his eyes dancing with menace.

“Mutual fault,” Robbie replied before I could even open my mouth, “We should have never gotten into

business with Damian in the first place.

Robbie was right, of course. But I stole a glance at Keaton, who tilted his head, considering.

None of us would’ve met our mates had it not been for Damian. We had to give the man that.

Maeve

“What happens now?” Pete tossed a bag into the boat, looking over his shoulder at the group of

onlookers standing along the edge of the

lake.

*What you’ll miss all the attention?” Myla waved her hand in dismissal, stepping into the boat and sitting

down on one of the benches. She ran her hands along the wooden hull, admiring the craftsmanship.

Pete scowled, picking up the last bag of supplies.

“We’re famous here,” I said sarcastically, reaching up to tie my hair into a bun on the top of my head. It

had been a full day since Troy and Robbie left to go back to camp. Robbie had returned in the morning,

relaying a message from Keaton and Troy that Troy would be waiting for us at the beach instead of

coming to fetch us from Dianny.

Robbie had also told us he would be staying behind, and I could see why. He was standing along the

shore of the lake, his arm around a tiny blonde woman with dainty features. She was the physical

opposite of Robbie, but somehow, the two of them fit like a glove standing side by side. I felt a pang of

regret at the sight. Robbie, Keaton, and Troy had been all they had growing up. They were a family. A

pack.

“In you go, Princess,” said one of Una’s warriors as he extended his hand to help me into the odd

wooden boat. It was incredibly long and sturdy, carved out of a single tree that must have been massive

and ancient, given the size of the boat. The three of us, plus two of Una’s men, fit comfortably inside.

“How long of a trip is it to the camp?” Myla asked as the first warrior climbed into the boat, sitting towards

the back with his pair of oars draped over his lap.

“An hour to cross the lake, another two or three to float down the river to the shore,” he answered.

“And then we row along the coast? That seems dangerous!” Myla said, her shoulders tightening with

nerves.

* That’s what you’re worried about, after everything that happened here?” Pete quipped, sitting down on

the bench beside Myla. I let out my breath, looking out over the crowd of onlookers.

I spotted Una in the crowd, Tasia by her side. They caught my eye, nodding soberly as I gave them a

soft, knowing smile.

How had been caught up in this web of myth and lore? What were once fanciful children’s tales were

coming to life, overwhelming me. Una had called it my destiny, but I wasn’t so sure. Was finding the

missing moonstones truly my life’s path?

Una herself had said she had reservations about the moonstones being brought together, none of us

knowing what would happen when they did eventually combine.

And as I sat in the strange boat looking at Una and Tasia, mother and daughter, I wondered if I had made

the right choice by choosing to find the stones over warning my parents of upcoming danger. But what

had my choices truly been? To try to go back home, risking capture by Damian? No, that wasn’t an

option. I couldn’t return to Winter Forest without the moonstones. They were the only way to save my

mother’s life and prevent the prophecy from taking hold and dismantling the pack lands.

The boat began to move away from the shore, the two warriors pulling us forward with their oars. We

glided soundlessly across the still, turquoise water until Dianny was just a speck in the background, and

the jungle enveloped us once again.

Myla and Pete were talking in hushed voices as we bobbed gently in the clear, depthless water. The

warriors were silent, focused on the task. I felt alone with only my thoughts.

But I wasn’t alone, not really. My hands went instinctively to my stomach as I looked out over the water.

I was pregnant. And Una had told me I was having not one, but two sons.

I swallowed, closing my eyes and imagining them snuggled inside of me, tiny orbs within my womb.

And I hadn’t had a chance to talk to Troy about it before he left for the beach camp. Did he know? Had

Una told him the same thing she had told me?

My life at the castle of Drogomor felt like a lifetime ago, but the day I met Troy in the market was clear

and vivid in my mind. Would I have done things differently if I had known then what I know now?

“No,” I whispered, the word for my ears only.

Troy was more to me now than just a breeder. He had always been more.

And now, he was the father of my children.

I looked up as the water began to move more swiftly, the boat rocking as we entered the river. I looked

back, seeing the red mountains rising in the distance, the outline of the moon still visible in the clear, blue

sky.

Previous Chapter