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?”

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

“Aaron!”

on the arm rest and put both of his feet on the couch, facing me. “Ernest said he had a vision that his mate and their child would die, so he decided he would

furrowed my brow, trying to gauge whether or

vision, and she was the driving force behind getting your dad to bring

joking!” I felt myself flush, my skin prickling with a chill as

rare if they were real at all. At least, that’s what my parents told me after Aaron’s own mother cursed me, after his accident. My mom’s powers were well known,

promise. And I know how ridiculous it sounds. He said he thought it was just a dream until

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 ridiculously young age, sixteen or seventeen, when his parents decided to leave Valoria and travel west to take up residence in Breles. Ernest had refused to go with them. The

believes it. I tried to talk

I said

He paused, the muscles of his neck

mother

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

power. I was. I told the nurse in the infirmary to

something an angry woman said now determines your future? How do you know your

me intentionally, his eyes lingering on mine. “She believed it. I could see it in her eyes. I know she

exactly is this

at the floor. “That I won’t find my mate. That I won’t come into my powers as a

“Well, when’s your birthday?”

looked up at

worry about it until August.” He stood, holding out his hand to me and shaking

“Where are we going?”

tell Ernest he’s being an

said not to

I changed my

about the day he got hurt in front of me, or

led me back into the hallway, but we were surprised to see Ernest walking quickly down

are you going?” Aaron called

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

go down to the village to escort him to the castle. Give him a little tour.” He sighed

could go,” I said, digging my fingernails into Aaron’s hand. I felt him stiffen beside me and inhale, but his face was calm and firmly fixed on Ernest. Ernest ran his fingers through his hair again, ruffling it beyond repair, then looked

things about this guy. Lance says

I need the fresh air and you need to work things out with—”Aaron stepped backward, his heel crunching my toes. I let out my breath in a hiss, glancing up at him and noticing the abrupt change in his demeanor.

us. I

But why?

her to fetch this guy, how does that sound?” Aaron said, still looking over the top of

really only need to escort him and his entourage from the train station to the road leading to the castle. Lance will meet them there. I’d definitely feel better if you went with her, Aaron. Thank you for