Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder

Chapter 35: No Time to Write Wrongs

Maeve

I went back to my room. Troy’s room, after dinner to find it spotless. The mess I had made was righted, and I noticed as I opened the drawers in the bedside tables that he had placed everything back inside, including the wadded-up papers and random rocks. I smiled to myself as I shut the drawers, looking around before thinking better of going to bed right away, and decided to visit the infirmary instead.

Cleo wasn’t there, but I found Myla still sprawled out in the bed in the center of the room, her eyes shut and mouth slightly open as she lingered in a deep, ceaseless sleep. I touched her face, then her hair, murmuring a silent prayer over her as she slumbered.

“She’ll wake up from it,” said Keaton.

I nearly jumped out of my skin, turning to find him leaning against the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest. “You scared me,” ! said, blood hammering in my ears.

“Sorry, I didn’t think anyone would be down here. Cleo’s found a friend in Meran, I’m afraid. Both talkers, those two.”

“I didn’t realize you were on a first-name basis with Cleo-”

“Well, she’s my mate’s mother. I suppose that allows for some kind of intimacy.”

The blood drained from my face as I looked up at him, then back down at Myla. “What did you just say?”

“My mate,” he said matter-of-factly, taking a single step into the room and looking down at Myla.

“No, she-”

*Why don’t we step outside for a minute, Maeve? I think the two of us have some things to talk about.” He turned on his heel and walked out of the infirmary with me close behind him, my mind reeling at his revelation.

Myla’s mate? Him? A pirate?

I suddenly remembered the strange look on his face when Myla was brought aboard the ship, how he had gone to her immediately. struggling to maintain his composure as she laid limp in the stretcher.

Crazier things have happened, I thought dismally, thinking of how shocked I had been when I found out Gemma and Ernest were mates.

Oh, Gemma. I wished she was here. She would be thrilled for Myla. And she would definitely have scolded me for being anything but happy for her.

I buried my grief, following Keaton up the many staircases until we reached the main deck.

“You’re too hard on him, you know.” Keaton was leaning on the rail, looking out over the water. His shirt was billowing in the soft breeze as the waves beat against the sides of the boat, the sails overhead pulling us further into the open water.

“He must have explained what he did to me,” I said shortly, leaning on the rail in a similar fashion, my hair still knotted in a bun on the top of my head. I was thankful for it; I didn’t like the wind whipping my hair into a tangled frenzy.

“He did. You have to realize, though, that he was expecting to find you there in Drogomor.”

“Wasn’t that the whole point? Pretending to be my breeder to gain access to the castle?”

Keaton looked at me for a long moment, then looked away, sighing. “He said you wouldn’t understand.”

but he

Troy for a very long time, Maeve. If he had known what was

means nothing to

can see why Troy likes you.” Keaton smirked, his eyes a deep greenish-gold

doesn’t know me, not anymore.

13:46

Chapter

Time to

ominous.” He pushed

really. He lied to me.

anything other than himself, I assure you.” He chuckled then shaking his head.

אווה ווה או הוריזונה

What do you mean?”

Aaron was one-hundred percent Troy. I’ve met Aaron, the little prick. He’s worthless. Had he been the one with you in Valeria, well, you’d have been

a wuss when we met as children. Perhaps Keaton was right and I would’ve been trying to run the real Aaron out of

long have

tell me anything of substance about his friend. He

Your band?”

in the Isles. No pack to claim them, no homes to go back to. Troy didn’t say a word to any of us for an entire year after we picked him up. He just followed us

totally shocked and suddenly heartbroken for Troy. I remembered the portrait of the woman in his journal, the woman

you what he told me. He doesn’t remember his mother, he thinks she may have died around the time he was born. His father, or at least the man he called dad, left him on Avondale when he was four or

at how I had been treating Troy all

like to talk about it. Don’t tell

I won’t, I promise.”

beautiful, with those weird eyes of his and his thick hair. We used him as bait, with permission of course, to lore old ladies away from their purses at those fancy beach-front restaurants under the guise of not being able to find

when the piracy began?” Something about this felt vaguely

us off Avondale. More opportunities

I don’t follow —

of those runs was how we found the Persephone. She was beached on an island south of Suntra, rotting in the sun for Goddess knows how long We worked like dogs until we had enough coin to have her towed to Suntra and

my head around the idea of three little boys growing up

wanted nothing more than to stand

I asked, trying not to laugh as he gazed at me,

*The pretty face, obviously”

are too good. Every band of pirates

why you’re the captain,

“Someone’s gotta do it

No Time

in silence for a moment, looking out over

young?”