Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder

Chapter 44 : Love Me, Love Me Not

*Lucas*

“... and you brought it here," George said, staring at the pink orb nestled in red silk in the middle of the coffee table

between the four of us.

“We brought it here," I replied with a wince.

“They brought it here!" Robbie boomed, sounding as excited as a kid in a toy store.

“We're sorry about that," Brady added.

“Don't be," George and Robbie said together, though probably for different reasons.

“And apparently there's another one somewhere that we're supposed to find," I sighed.

“Never a dull moment," Brady added.

“Maybe Alison won't miss me for a few weeks," Robbie said whimsically.

George shook his head sharply. “She'll miss you. And you have duties here."

“Aww, but this is life and death, world-saving stuff!" Robbie protested.

“No," George said firmly, then added with a respectful cough, “Alpha."

Robbie sulked, staring at the orb.

“Oliver is taking us to the Winter Forest. Hopefully, my mother will be able to shed more light on the situation," I

said. “It'll be pretty boring, Alpha, I'm sure."

“Liar," Robbie grunted, but he gave up on his thirst for adventure.

I wrapped the orb up just the same so he didn't have to keep sulking at it. “In any case, we haven't quite decided

what needs to be done with it. I mean, aside from some cryptic orders from the Goddess, we really don't know…

what the best course of action is."

“You mean you don't know. Sasha's perfectly happy to keep working with the thing to see if she can't figure it out

herself," Brady said.

I grimaced. “Yes, well, I'm still not sure it shouldn't be thrown in the sea."

“Sounds like that wouldn't help, from what the High Priestess said," George observed.

“Yeah. Kind of why I haven't chucked it out with the tide," I said.

“And, why didn't you take it to the White Queen again?" Robbie asked.

My shoulders slumped. “That was probably a bad move on my part. I was just afraid of someone in her court

finding out and trying to steal the orb or use it. But since we know more about it now...."

“The fact that it was awakened by a dream dancer, for instance," Brady said.

“Yes. Maybe that means only a dream dancer can use it? I touched the thing while it was active and it blasted me

into the wall. Literally," I recalled.

“You need to take it to the White Queen," Robbie boomed. It was nearly an Alpha's order. “But… given you are

already in the Light Realm trying to find out more about the thing, you might as well wait to go back until you've

heard what your mother has to say."

I nodded. “Yes, that's a good plan."

“Of course it is. I came up with it," Robbie said.

“Modesty, thy name is Alpha Robbie," George muttered.

“You know, just because you're married to my daughter doesn't mean I still can't exile you," Robbie grunted.

Brady and I looked at each other, but before we could try to smoothe over the situation, the other two men burst

into hearty guffaws.

“You should have seen your faces," Robbie chuckled.

“Ghost pale," George agreed. “Ghost pale."

“Sorry. We didn't know it was a running joke," I mumbled.

Robbie clapped me on the shoulder, nearly bowling me right out of my chair. “That's what makes it so funny!"

“Anyway," I said, scooping the silk-covered orb back into my bag, “we probably don't need to keep staring at the

thing. I'm glad we talked, though. You're right, Alpha, I should have taken it to the White Queen. And I will after

talking with Mother."

“Good." Robbie rose. “I'm going to go check with Alison and see what we're having for dinner. Though she and Joy

are getting all wrapped up in this birthday thing. I swear, it's going to be bigger than Joy's wedding!"

“I'm glad they're so excited," I replied, trying to feel swept up in the excitement myself. I was too worried about the

mate question, however, and probably looked a bit green around the gills.

Robbie smacked me on the back, and I weaved. “Don't worry, son. She's your mate. A blind man could see that."

“We'll see," I said quietly. “Thank you. I'll see you later."

Brady and I scooted out before Robbie could give me any more reassurances.

“Let's go for a walk," Brady suggested, and I gave in with a shrug.

We ended up down by the beach, shoes off, letting the waves lick our ankles.

Brady stayed silent, though I sensed there was something he wanted to say. “Spill it," I said.

“Fine." Brady stopped and turned. “You're a wreck over this mate thing with Sasha, aren't you?"

“I don't know what you mean," I tried, but when Brady's expression told me that wouldn't fly, I sighed and plopped

myself down right in the sand. “I'd like her to be my mate. If she isn't, then, well, that's that, I suppose."

“Uh-huh." Brady sat down next to me. “You love her to bits and pieces."

I looked down at the impression my hand was making in the sand. “I do."

“She loves you to bits and pieces," Brady continued.

“I… think so, yes," I said.

Brady snorted. “She loves you to bits and pieces, trust me. If she's going to let you do THAT, she has to love you a

good great deal."

My head snapped up. “How did you know about that?"

“Phoebe. Sasha wanted some advice before you did it," Brady said offhandedly.

I knew my face was flaming red. “I don't know if I should be more embarrassed that Phoebe knows or that you

know."

“Hey. I get some of that, too. Nothing to be embarrassed about," Brady grinned. “Phoebe is a wildcat. And that's all

I'll say about it."

“Enough said," I agreed.

Brady made holes in the sand with his fingers, which he swept away with his palm, only to do it again. “Sasha's

coming into her wolf."

“I'm excited for her to meet her," I replied with a slight smile. “Best day of my life."

“If she comes into her wolf, and she realizes you are mates?" Brady prodded.

I leaned back on my elbows and stared up at the sky. “Then I'll have a new best day of my life."

“Will you mark her?" Brady asked.

I gave that some thought, then shook my head. “Not right away. We've got a lot going on with this orb, and back

home with my job and her finishing school… I want her to have plenty of time–quiet time–to think it through. And I'd

like us to spend time together when, you know, there isn't a crisis. And… call me sentimental… but I would like to

set it up so it's something really special."

“Wine. Roses," Brady said.

“Kind of like that, yeah," I replied.

“You really are a romantic, Lucas Black," Brady chuckled.

I raised an eyebrow at him. “I suppose you wooed Phoebe with an old gym shoe?"

It was Brady's turn to get awkward. “... no, not an old gym shoe."

“Wine. Roses?" I teased.

“Kind of like that, yeah," Brady copied me and laughed.

I looked back up at the sky. “You… ever worry about Phoebe's true mate popping up out of the woodwork?"

Brady turned his head, staring at the side of mine until I met his gaze. “I don't worry about that for one second."

“How can you not?" I asked.

“Because Phoebe loves me, and I love her, absolutely and completely. The mate bond is a powerful thing, sure. But

love is stronger." Brady held up a finger to stop me from saying anything. “I want you to remember that… if she

isn't your true mate."

“Because… you think I should deprive her of her true mate and selfishly–" I realized what I was saying and who I

was saying it to. “I didn't mean that."

Brady sighed. “You did. You think I'm depriving Phoebe of her true mate?"

“I don't think any man will treat her as well as you do, mate bond or no mate bond," I replied honestly. “And that

matters."

“So turn that logic around on yourself. You can't have rules you apply to yourself that are different from rules you

apply to the rest of the world. That's hypocritical, and it's not fair to you or to Sasha. I mean, what if you're not

mates, but she wants to choose you anyway? Are you going to stop her?" Brady asked.

I squeezed my eyes shut and groaned. “I don't think I'd have the strength."

“There you go. And like you said. You have a lot going on with the orb, and a lot going on back home with your

careers. No snap decisions need to be made at midnight on her birthday. This isn't Cinderella," Brady said. “You're

not going to turn into a pumpkin if you don't have the answers right away."

I chuckled sadly. “When did you get so wise?"

“Phoebe brings it out in me," Brady grinned. “Though, I mean it. Don't make any decisions either way just because

she's suddenly twenty-one. I mean, she's getting her wolf, too. That's already overwhelming enough, I'm sure. I

mean, I've never gotten a wolf before, so I can't say from experience, but having a whole new voice in your head

and new instincts and suddenly being able to turn into something else...."

“I get the point," I said. “And yeah, it is overwhelming." I winked at him. “But I don't think you can say you've never

gotten a wolf anymore...."

Brady tossed sand at me. “Careful what you say about my woman!"

“I didn't say anything," I responded innocently, tossing sand back at him.

Brady sent another handful my way. “Then be careful what you imply about my woman."

I grabbed a larger handful and dumped it over his head, getting his dark, carefully-styled hair full of sand. “I wasn't

implying anything."

As Brady scooped two handfuls of sand, I got up and took off at a run.

“You'd better run!" Brady called, right on my heels. I'd forgotten how freaky fast vampires were.

“Remember, you're a doctor!" I laughed, jumping over a piece of driftwood.

“Means I'll be able to take care of the damage without anyone finding out!" Brady said.

As we chased each other around the beach, my stomach became less and less tight. But I had to admit, as Sasha's

birthday drew closer, I was more and more anxious.

What if she wasn't my mate?

The very idea made me sick to my stomach. I couldn't imagine a world where Sasha was someone else's mate. I'd

probably tear the arms right off the bastard for touching her, mate bond or no mate bond.

But the other question came with its own set of complicated problems.

What if she was?