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?”

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

“Aaron!”

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

trying to gauge whether or not Aaron was messing

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

felt myself flush, my skin prickling with a chill as his words settled. Aunt Georgia never

all. At least, that’s what my parents told me after Aaron’s own mother cursed me, after his accident. My mom’s

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

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

tried to talk

true,” I said with

eyes at me, shaking his head. “You’re kidding, right? It’s fanciful at best-” He paused, the muscles of his neck contracting in the dim

own mother

It’s not real, just

I was. I told the nurse in the infirmary to save some of my blood for healing and she only… she only smiled. She smiled

woman said now determines your future? How do you know your

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

exactly is

look down at the floor. “That I won’t

“Well, when’s your birthday?”

at

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

“Where are we going?”

he’s being

said

changed

obviously didn’t want to talk about the day he got hurt in front of me, or his mother, or my possible curse. But, I was thankful for the break in conversation. I didn’t want to think about

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

are you going?” Aaron

free from his grasp, but he squeezed my hand, tucking

turned, looking flustered. “I forgot the 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

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 me up and

about this guy. Lance says he’s kind of

out my breath in a hiss, glancing up at him and noticing the abrupt change in his demeanor. He was looking forward, his gaze traveling well past Ernest and into a darkened corner of the corridor where it

watching the three of us. I swallowed, exhaling as Aaron removed his heel

But why?

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

road leading to the castle. Lance will meet them there. I’d definitely feel