Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder

Chapter 40 : Little Girl Lost

*Sasha*

Lucas was clever, but not clever enough, in hiding the orb under the floorboards of the stateroom. He must have

forgotten the pitch and roll of the ship.

The thing had rolled around like a penny in a hurricane collection jar, and it had taken mere minutes of him being

locked out for me to pry up the right board and have the orb in my hands.

I felt a bit bad working with the orb behind his back, but since he wouldn't let me do it in front of him, I felt I had

little choice. For the two days, I kept Lucas away, I used my dream dancer powers to watch the people who had the

orb in ancient times.

They kept preparing to go through some portal. There were also whispers of using the orb to keep Lycaon from

ever leaving the Light Realm and spreading like dark fire across the Dark Realm.

Since Lycaon had definitely spread across the Dark Realm, I was getting the impression the orb hadn't worked as

hoped. That and the many bodies that were found at the northern library convinced me something had gone

terribly, terribly wrong.

In between sessions with the orb, I poked my head out the door and found a tray for every meal. I also heard the

padding of paws and whuffling under the door at night. I might have sent Lucas away, but that didn't mean he was

staying away.

When I went to work with the orb the morning of the third day, I was surprised to find it brought my vision back in

time again, but not very far. I didn't recognize the location. I could tell I was in a mansion. The decor seemed dated

in recent history.

A young girl with pigtail braids was skipping down a hallway that seemed vaguely familiar to me. She was

completely carefree.

I followed behind her, curious as to why the orb had brought me here to see a child.

“Anna!" someone was calling.

The girl giggled and hid behind a, yes, honest-to-Goddess suit of armor.

“Where are you?" a portly woman asked, huffing and puffing as she looked here and there, ladle in hand. “I swear,

when I find you this time, I'm gonna bean you good!"

Anna stifled another giggle with her hands.

Luckily for Anna, the portly woman didn't hear her and waddled off to a new location, calling her name.

Anna pumped a fist in the air in victory, then began dancing around the suit of armor, hanging off its parts as

though it were a jungle gym.

“Anna," came a different voice, masculine this time.

A chill ran down my spine. I knew it was ironic coming from someone in the middle of a vision, but the voice

sounded disembodied, not a real person's voice at all.

“Anna."

The girl looked up, then down the hall where we both knew the voice was coming from. She stopped playing with

the suit of armor and began heading down the hall.

“Anna."

I wondered if Lucas thought I was as completely stupid using the orb as I was thinking Anna was following this voice.

Damn fool girl… I had to do something. There was something truly sinister behind that voice, and Anna needed

protecting. Where was that mean old portly woman, anyway?

“Come here, Anna. Come to me...."

I wanted to bang my head against the wall when Anna did, skipping down the hall toward the darkness.

“Don't do it, Anna!" I called, wondering if I could be connected enough this time for the girl to hear me.

Anna didn't pause, but the voice did.

Then a roll of darkness filled my vision, surrounding me on all sides.

“Dream dancer," the shadow hissed.

Oh Goddess, I was screwed. “Um… hi… just visiting...."

The darkness cackled. “I'm not afraid of you. Save her if you can, you weak thing."

Then the darkness sucked itself back down the hall, dragging a screaming Anna with it.

A panel in the wall across from the suit of armor slid out of the way, revealing a secret passage.

Anna clawed at the walls to get out of the grip of the… something.

I ran forward, but it was too late. Anna disappeared into the darkness, and the secret entrance slammed shut

behind her.

“Anna!" I called, feeling around the entrance, trying to figure out how to get in there myself.

I searched in vain for a way to get to Anna until I heard Lucas's voice.

“f**k!" came Lucas's voice from a distance.

I decided to use my dream dancer powers to take me back to the ship. Lucas sounded like he was in pain.

When my eyes focused, I saw Lucas laying on the floor by the door, rubbing his head. A few quick questions later,

and I knew something else about the orb, or at least the darkness. It didn't like Lucas.

“You know, usually you say 'Sasha' not 'f**k' when you're trying to call me back," I said slowly.

“The orb doesn't usually throw me across the room when I'm trying to call you back," he grunted, standing and

dusting himself off.

“Oh." I blinked slowly, still coming out of my trance. “You shouldn't have touched it while it was active."

“No s**t," he said, but I could tell he bit back any more harsh words and as he came to sit beside me, careful not to

touch the orb again.

“Are you mad at me?" I asked cautiously, clutching the orb closer to my chest.

I sighed and kissed her temple. “No, princess, I'm not. I'm just scared for you."

I relaxed slightly and set the orb aside, wrapping it back in the silk. Then I leaned my head against his shoulder and

looked up at him with hesitation about what I should say.

“You might as well tell me everything," he said, reaching up and stroking my hair.

“You going to tell me?" Lucas asked again as it took me a moment to mull over my vision.

“You going to be mad at me?" I replied with a wince.

Lucas took my hand and threaded his fingers through mine. “No. I'm done being mad at you. I'm afraid for you, but

I won't try to stop you anymore."

I relaxed. “Oh. Good." I recounted the tale of the girl and the darkness, which made Lucas pale.

“Something evil in that orb has its eyes on you now?" Lucas wheezed.

“I think it always did, or was always going to. And I don't think it's part of the orb. It's… something to do with the

past. I… I think I was supposed to save that girl," I said.

“Save the… Sasha, you can't go around meddling in the past. You could change the whole course of history!" Lucas

warned me.

“We were saying something about not being mad? And maybe not being an overbearing brute?" I asked sweetly. I

wasn't sure how I knew the second was true as well, but the way Lucas's cheeks flamed told me I was right and he

had made such a commitment.

“I'm not mad at you," Lucas replied, his tone measured. “I'm mad… at the situation, I guess. I'm definitely mad at

whatever force has you tangled up in all of this."

“Because you love me," I reasoned. Or rather… remembered?

“Could you hear me the whole time?" Lucas gaped.

“Maybe. Sort of? I'm not sure." I looked up at Lucas. “You know, I have feelings for you, too."

“Well, that's good to know," Lucas said, breathing out a long breath.

“I just don't know if we're mates. Do you know if we're mates? You're twenty-seven now. You're past where you'd be

able to sense it," I said.

Lucas was quiet a long time. “I can't be sure until you've had your twenty-first birthday."

“But you feel something, right?" I asked.

“You know I do," Lucas rumbled.

I felt the vibration through his chest and into my own body. “This is really confusing, Lucas. You're kind of all over

the place with how you treat me. I don't know… I don't know what to think, yet."

“Fair enough. Maybe we should just table the topic until your birthday. It's not that far away, you know," Lucas said,

sounding both excited and trepidatious at the same time.

I tossed my leg over his thighs and crawled into Lucas's lap, snuggling my head under his chin. Much to my delight,

he automatically wrapped his arms around me. “How will we table the discussion when we're making love all the

time?"

Lucas groaned. “Don't tease me."

“I'm not teasing. I wouldn't tease about that." I reached between us and pushed my hand into his pants, stroking his

d**k until he was fully erect.

“Goddess, it's been DAYS, Sasha," Lucas sighed. “All I've been able to think about is you." He rubbed his erection

against my palm and groaned.

“I missed you, too. I missed this. I missed us," I whispered, holding up my arms so he could take off my shirt. “Well, I

missed the us we are when we're not fighting. Actually, no, that's not true. I missed the other us, too."

Lucas laughed and opened his pants. “Hips up a little, Sasha baby. Ah, f**k it." He ripped my jeans and underwear

clean through.

“You know there aren't any department stores on this ship, right?" I complained.

“Sue me." While we were both still mostly clothed, Lucas lowered me down onto his hard c**k.

I was more than ready for him. I'd been ready for days.

“Lucas," I whispered against his lips.

“Hmm?" Lucas groaned, moving me up and down on his shaft, building a fire in both of us.

“I think I'd like to be your mate," I confessed.

Lucas shivered, and then I was bouncing on his lap as he took me hard and fast.

I clung to his shoulders for dear life, sparks of pleasure zinging all through my body.

We came at the same time, moaning our satisfaction into each other's mouths.

Then Lucas laid me back on the bed and shredded the rest of my clothes off of me. His own clothes received similar

treatment.

I was getting the sense we might walk into New Dianny naked.

“Lucas?" I whispered when he paused, just looking at me.

“Hush," he murmured, his hands beginning to move reverently over my skin.

“Lucas, what happens now?" I asked, gasping as his fingers found my entrance.

“Now, we make love again," Lucas chuckled around my n****e.

I spread my legs wide so he could ease himself inside me again. Tears gathered at the corners of my eyes. “No, I

mean… us."

Lucas sighed, thrusting slowly as he mulled over an answer. “We're either mates or we're not, Sasha."

I shook my head, cupping his face in my hands. “That's not good enough. Even if we're not mates, I… I just… I can't

imagine my life without you."

Lucas was silent. He turned and kissed my hand, then pushed my hair behind my ear as he pushed in and out of

me. “I can't make you any promises, Sasha. I won't. I won't do that to you. If someone else is your mate… I won't

deprive you of them."

I wrapped my legs possessively around Lucas's waist. “Don't deprive me of you." I kissed him softly on the lips. “We

can figure this out… together."

Lucas gave a long, drawn out breath. “Okay," he said, kissing me slowly, thoroughly. “Okay, let's figure it all out

together."

I smiled and arched my back, taking him deeper inside me.

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