Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder

Chapter 16: Don’t Say My Name

Maeve

“He just left? Just got up and left?” Gemma picked at her fingernails, looking over at me from perch on the couch. We were in the atrium, a towering four-story high addition to the backside of the castle where the windows stretched to the ceiling and almost microscopic hoses ran along the beams, showering hundreds of plants in a steady flow of mist. It was what I imagined a jungle would look and feel like.

I fingered one of the leaves of a massive Monstera vine, marveling at the size of a leaf before turning to Gemma and taking a seat at on a wicker lounge chair across from her, folding my hands in my lap. “I don’t think he even, uh, finished?”

Seriously?” She sat up a little straighter, her eyes wide.

“I mean, I don’t know…”

“Did he say anything to you?”

“No! Nothing. He just left. I haven’t even seen him since last night. Maybe it wasn’t… good? Good enough for him?”

Gemma rolled her eyes, “Maeve, come on. Ask any man what constitutes good sex and they will say sex in general!”

I blushed, pressing my hands between my thighs. “I must have done something wrong.”

I definitely felt like I had done something wrong. I knew I had been difficult; he had made that very clear. We had ended up in a tangle of sheets on the floor, and not in a sexy way. Oh, yeah, it was my fault. He was expecting me to be submissive, unyielding. I had failed.

“It’s not your fault,” Gemma said gently, her eyes piercing mine as she willed me to believe her. “Something’s up with that guy.”

“What do you mean?”

“He is not what I thought he’d be. Nothing like the Aaron I met when his family visited Winter Forest.”

“Come on, Gem! I told you it’s been ten years since-”

“He looks nothing like he should, Maeve! He was a blond! Kind of a weakling!”

“Who says hair color can’t change? Rowan’s hair was nearly as light as mine until he reached his twenties. Now it’s as dark as Dad’s!”

“His eyes, Maeve? Don’t you think we both would’ve remembered those eyes? How often do you meet someone with eyes of two different colors, hmm?”

“Well, do you remember what his eyes looked like, Gemma? I don’t! He told me they got more pronounced as he got older-”

“Oh please, how is that even possible?”

paused, biting my lip.

“It’s not possible!”

“What are you saying, Gemma? Do you think he’s not that he’s not Aaron? Who else could he be?”

“I don’t know! I’m only saying he rubs me the wrong way, okay? Like he’s hiding something.”

“I think you’re the one hiding something!” I exclaimed, narrowing my eyes at her.

She arched her brow, leaning forward in her chair. I was being defensive, trying to cover my own shame and suspicion by bringing up the one thing I currently had against her. It was a dance we’d done since my childhood, really. Gemma would try to talk some sense into me, and I would clam up, my only option being to accept defeat or throw it back at her. I never accepted defeat.

“Why are you defending Aaron when he—”

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Chapter 16: Don’t Say My Name

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“Why was your sweater in Ernest’s office?”

She blanched, the color draining from her cheeks as she abruptly looked away from me, her throat bobbing as she swallowed. “What did he say about it?”

“He looked guilty and embarrassed,” I said, trying to remain heated, but my mouth was twitching into a smile, a laugh choking me.

same look of embarrassment lingering behind

I shouldn’t have brought

guess Aaron is your business too, huh?

“I’m sorry, too.”

each other for a

me what’s really going on between you and Aaron,” she said, her

tightening at the challenge of putting my feelings into words. Gemma was the only person I could talk to about this who

you want me

at the ground. She came to a stop, rounding on me, her eyes glossy

“Gemma?”

“He’s my mate, Maeve.”

“Who? Ernest?!”

her face pinking again, a slight smile touching her

are a thing,

“No. No, we’re not.”

You’ve been waiting to feel the mate

feel

second I laid eyes on him, the very second I walked through the doors of the castle. But thinks— I’ve been flirting with him, trying to

what did he

it. He wanted

anticipation was killing me. Gemma was the queen of dragging things

mates. He didn’t say anything. He

anything to say? Ernest,

sound like him

me it’s not safe to be around him. I couldn’t believe

kind

to the social and … I tried as hard as I could to keep him off my mind, but the pull-oh, Goddess, the mate bond is so strong. I couldn’t even dance

“So, you’re sure?”

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16: Don’t Say

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looked me in the eyes, deadly serious. She was sure. I could tell by the look behind her eyes that she

out what his deal is,”

you can’t. It doesn’t

think it

breeder to give Ernest an heir? Don’t

said, my hands shaking slightly. “A mate bond overrides

know that’s

Oh, my Goddess. Gemma and Ernest. If Gemma was Ernest’s mate, then they could have the heir. There’d be no need for me to be here. I would have no need of a breeder.

tried to push past her, her fingernails digging into my skin as I tried to pull

“What problems with Aaron?”

let my shoulders slump and bit the inside of my lower lip to stop it from trembling and giving my true feelings away. She opened her mouth to speak, but we were suddenly interrupted by the glass door of the atrium sliding open, humid air rushing out into the corridor in a burst of mist as Ernest himself stepped into the

said, crossing my arms over my chest as they

“Did we… summon them?”

which instantly evaporated and was replaced with his teasing arched brow when he saw

Ernest asked, gripping the back of one of the wicker chairs. He glanced over at Gemma, a soft smile on his lips, and she blushed, her eyes slowly leaving her

out of the atrium and into his office to demand an explanation from him as to why he didn’t feel a mate bond with Gemma when she clearly felt

stepped in front of me, grabbing me by the forearm as he leaned down to whisper in my ear. “I need to

chance to do that before you ran out of my room last

was seated, Gemma sitting on the couch across from him, the two of them leaning into the empty space between them as they

“I don’t think he wants to talk to you,

sliding glass door, fumbling against the weight of it. Aaron was right behind me, of course, and he put his hands on the glass to help me ease the sticky door open, his breath tickling the back of my neck.

walk toward the stairwell, taking long strides despite the fact that Aaron could keep up with me

by the collar of my T-shirt and damn near tossing me into

with the sharp scent of floor polish. The door had been left ajar, likely to air

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16: Don’t

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