Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder

Chapter 48: The Daughters of Artemis

Maeve

I followed the group of women down into a steep, rocky valley. Myla and Pete flanked me on either side, still in their wolf forms. They were beginning to tire, their breathing heavy as we made it to the base of the valley, the sun beginning to set over the mountains to the west.

We approached a wall of vines growing up the side of a rock wall. The trail we had been walking on ended abruptly at the wall, and I looked around, confused.

But then the women walked into the vines, one by one. I followed them, holding back the vines and entering a long, lightless tunnel.

“What?” I murmured, apprehension tingling across my skin. Light began to trickle in, the tunnel opening up to a valley of green, rolling hills and towering cliff faces. I gasped as I stepped out into the light, seeing the buildings carved into the rocky mountain behind me and the waterfall flowing into a wide creek in which several bridges weaved over the water.

“Welcome to the city of Dianny,” the woman said, her dark eyes creasing into a smile. She hadn’t yet told me her name, but based on the fact that her pack mates were coming up to her, bowing their heads in greeting, I assumed she was their leader, or at least their Luna.

The city was ancient, the buildings built into the mountains were totally carved out of stone and towered high above our heads. All of the facades had carvings on them, symbols etched into red stone. The lower levels were painted in colorful, sweeping murals, telling some story I didn’t understand.

I heard a yelp behind me and turned, watching as Myla and Pete were surrounded and led away.

“Hey!” I called after them, but I lost them in the crowd.

“Don’t worry,” the woman said kindly, “They’re not in danger. We will give them clothes and food, and reunite you when they’re rested.”

“Who are you?” | asked, my tone brass and slightly bitter. I was nervous.

“My name is Una. I’m the Alpha of the Daughters of Artemis.”

“The Alpha?” I looked around at the crowd of people that had begun to gather, ripples of hushed conversation surrounding us.

“Yes,” she laughed, waving her hand in dismissal, “Much like the White Queens, we are led by a female line. Come, I will take you to your mate.”

“He’s not,” I shut my mouth, biting my lip to stop myself from saying anything further.

The crowd parted for us as we walked across the soft grass of what looked to be a market square, and soon we passed under the entrance of one of the tall buildings built into the side of the mountain.

It was cool inside the building. It was lined with archways leading back outside, a cool breeze wafting through the open space and as we turned down a hallway, several children ran past us, squealing in delight as they tossed a ball back and forth.

So many people, I thought, how did I not know about this place?

Una motioned me to follow her as she turned a corner. I walked beneath a large, ornately decorated archway into a courtyard bursting with fruit trees and tropical flowers.

“Troy?”

He looked up from the book on his lap, his eyes blinking as he straightened up, looking at me as though he’d seen a ghost.

running to me but stopping short of Una, his eyes narrowing suspiciously on

were right in saying she would come,” Una smiled

bent his mouth to my

I replied, looking at Una. She

Troy said, looking Una

do you mean?”

voice lifted

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14:21 11

The Daughters

and Troy opened his mouth to reply but Una

I must say that you are not

I opened my mouth to speak, to say we would be taking our leave now, “It would be wise for you to stay, at least long enough for us to

and took a step forward, standing protectively in front of me as

archway and back into the

led us to

home during your stay, and whenever you decide

dubious, but I unlocked the door, pushing it open to reveal the most beautiful room I had ever seen

against the polished, pale wood furniture. Troy’s mouth dropped open as he looked up at the half-dome ceiling, a mural

is the White Queen’s apartment,” Una said, her hand on the doorknob. “Dinner is

the door, leaving Troy and I alone in the

hills and great waterfall that was so

hands over the giant bathtub that had been carved out

touch. I pulled off my clothes before Troy could even reply, letting a long, flowy dress fall over my shoulders. “Oh, that’s better,” I sighed, running my hands down

out of the

you here too-” | pulled a long, simple white shirt off of a hanger and held it up to him, noticing the strange clothes he was already wearing for the first time. “How long

shirt over his head. It fit him in a strange way, so different compared to the usual garb he wore on a daily basis, but the people I had seen in

happened to

of men when they awoke, the leader of

bathe. They gave me some kind of tea to help the pain in my arm,” he lifted his arm, rotating it, and clenching

a sudden burst of jealousy rippling over my skin.

edge of the

the fable of

“Of course, everyone has.”

not a fable. These are his

sat next to him, laying down and propping myself up on my elbow

least, that’s what I’ve gathered in the

“How is that possible?”

White Queens possible? Aren’t you all

“Yes…”