Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder

 Chapter 17: Ernest’s Mate

Maeve

“Don’t say your name? Why?”

*Just in that context. I don’t… we can’t-”

“I know,” I said hurriedly, feeling foolish. It couldn’t be personal. That had to be what he meant. I fidgeted, looking past him toward the door. He followed my gaze, then snapped his head back around, giving me a serious look.

“Leave them alone, Maeve. I know what you’re thinking.”

“I just really need to talk to Ernest—”

“No, you don’t.”

“You don’t understand, Aaron. Gemma is in a bit of a crisis right now,”

“Because they’re mates? That doesn’t sound like a crisis to me.” He stood there, staring at me blankly as my jaw dropped open.

“How the hell did you know that?”

“Uh, he told me? Is it supposed to be a secret-”

I turned from him, pacing over to a set of couches that had been pushed up against the wall so that the maid could polish and wax the floor. I felt a little guilty as I looked down at the very obvious footprints left in the fresh wax, but the room was rarely used. It was my first time spending more than a few minutes here myself. “Well, if you know about it then it’s not a secret, is it?”

He shrugged, reaching up to crack open the window. “What do you need to talk to him about that’s so pressing you’d interrupt them?”

“I wasn’t going to interrupt them,” I lied, pursing my lips as he cast me an incredulous look. “I just wanted to talk to him privately.”

“About why he won’t marry and have children?”

Igaped at him again, my jaw nearly hitting the floor. “You know about that? You know why?”

“Yeah, he told me all about it.” Aaron’s tone was so casual that I laughed, unable to stop myself. He peered at me, tilting his head as I sat down on one of the dusty couches. “Do you seriously not know? How could you not know? Your whole reason for being here is to produce the heir he refuses,”

“Refuses? No, he can’t have children.”

“Oh, he’s perfectly capable of having children.”

“1-How?”

the arm rest with his legs splayed open. I could see the outline of his cock in the comically tiny shorts he was wearing, and he made no move to hide it, either. He caught my gaze and I blushed, which was actually the reaction he had wanted. His mouth twitched into a

“Aaron!”

couch, facing me. “Ernest said he had a vision that his mate and their child would die, so

my brow, trying to gauge whether or

he told me his own mother had the same vision, and she was the driving

myself flush, my skin prickling with a chill as his

own mother cursed me, after his accident. My mom’s powers were well known, but we descended from the Moon Goddess herself as White Queens. Aunt Georgia and my dad were

right now, I promise. And I know how ridiculous it sounds. He said he thought it was just a dream until his mom said something about it. This all happened shortly before they left, I guess, his parents,

laugh, despite the painful tightening in my chest at his words. My Uncle Talon and Aunt Georgia had ruled over Drogomor in my father’s place. Dad wanted to be in Winter Forest with us, not thousands of miles away in Valoria. I didn’t know the details of the exchange of power, but I do know Ernest became Alpha at a

well, Ernest believes it. I tried to talk

I

shaking his head. “You’re kidding, right? It’s fanciful at best-” He paused, the muscles of his neck contracting in the dim light as he swallowed. “You’re not cursed, Maeve.

mother

have. It’s not real, just like Ernest’s vision was

in the infirmary to save some of my blood for healing and she only… she

your future? How do you know your blood doesn’t have healing powers, or whatever it

I breathed, looking over at him. He was watching me intentionally, his eyes lingering on mine. “She believed it. I could

exactly is this

leaning forward over my knees to look down at the floor. “That I won’t find my mate. That I won’t

“Well, when’s your birthday?”

up at

August.” He stood, holding out his hand to me and shaking it when I

“Where are we going?”

Ernest he’s

thought you said

I changed

suspicious beyond measure. Aaron was a master of deflection. He obviously didn’t want to talk about the day he got hurt in front of me, or his mother, or my possible

back into the hallway, but we were surprised to see Ernest walking quickly down the corridor away from us, his back turned and his shoulders rigid with

you

hand free from his grasp, but he squeezed my hand, tucking it behind his back, and we all came to

Alpha of Greenbriar was arriving for a conference today. I have to go down to the village to escort him to the castle. Give him a little tour.” He

said, digging my fingernails into Aaron’s hand. I felt him stiffen beside me and inhale, but his face was calm

heard great things about this guy. Lance says

in a hiss, glancing up at him and noticing the abrupt change

the shadows, his owlish eyes watching the three of us. I swallowed, exhaling as

But why?

said, still looking over the top of Ernest’s head at the figure lurking in the shadows.

from the train station to the road leading to the castle. Lance will meet them there. I’d definitely feel better if