Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder

Chapter 49: The Sacred

Maeve

Troy and I walked through the building, surprised by the amount of noise coming from the corridors as we headed down the many, many stairs to the lower-level courtyard.

The buildings are where everyone lives, stacked on top of each other,” Troy said, smiling as a little girl ran past us, chasing after what must have been her older sister.

*This place is ancient, Troy. How old do you think this place is?”

Troy exhaled, looking around as we walked towards the courtyard, reaching up to run his hand along the wall.

“A thousand years, maybe more?”

“More?” I sucked in my breath, unable to process it.

“Well, how many White Queens have there been over time? Count back and that’s likely as old as this place, and even Winter Forest, should

be.”

“Mom said Winter Forest wasn’t the original settlement of the White Queens. There’s a ruin on an island across from the inlet. That’s where the pack used to live, but everyone believes it was taken over by the water hundreds of years ago.”

“See? This is very, very old stuff.”

I nodded, swallowing against the anxiety tightening my chest and throat. This was an old place. A strange place. And I had the oddest “out of body feeling as we walked the halls. We finally turned the corner and passed through the archway leading to the courtyard, stopping short of the entrance as Duck came bounding towards us, followed by Myla and Pete.

“Where’s Robbie?” Troy asked, furrowing his brow.

“He’s out chasin’ tail,Myla said with a laugh. Pete blushed deeply, lowering his gaze to his feet.

“Still?” Troy snorted, shaking his head.

“So, you saw him? And he was alright?” I asked hurriedly. Myla nodded her head, wiggling her eyebrows at me and Troy.

“Oh, he’s more than alright, I’ll say that much. He told me all about it,” Myla said.

“Why?” Troy asked, looking from Myla to Pete, who was looking more and more uncomfortable with the conversation.

“Why not?” Myla said with a soft chuckle, “What else were we supposed to do while we were waiting for you guys to come down? What were you up to, anyway?”

Troy cleared his throat, and I stifled a blush. Myla arched her brow, puffing out her cheeks as she tried not to laugh.

Pete said, annoyed, “Please, can

a little

And I had the opportunity to, you know,

it?” Troy laughed, crossing his

himself for his mate.”

Myla. I think that’s very gallant of you, Pete.” I said, smiling at Pete,

spoke. She was young, very young, likely no more than ten or eleven years old. She turned on her heel, and the group of us followed her through the corridor and out into the square,

the market and across one of the narrow bridges rising up over the river. People were swimming in the slowly moving, shallow water.

into another shallow valley through a thicket of trees. Stepping out of the trees, we stopped, all of us looking out over a massive, turquoise

setting sun.

same red stone as the towers at the city’s entrance. Music was wafting up from the lake, and voices lifted in gaiety and laughter rang

hand as we passed beneath several rows of paper lanterns that were strung through the trees. It was beautiful, and quite romantic, and I felt a sudden urge to find a dark corner and rip Troy’s clothes

throat. Troy looked down at me, squeezing my hand. “What’s

I murmured, feeling a

Keaton were here to see this!” Myla exclaimed, looking up

Troy called out, “Have you been able to mind-link with him since

her lips, shaking her head, “No, I tried but I couldn’t get through. Do you think

bent his head close to mine as we walked, “Something is weird

replied. “But I don’t think these people are going

he said firmly, but his eyes were still hyper focused on

girl led us out onto a wide dock. Flowerpots lined the dock, and sprays of flowers I couldn’t name were in full bloom. The

huge, circular table that was low to the ground, and Una was sitting there, waiting for us,

one of the two men sitting on the cushions. The older man must have been Ismir, Una’s

as did the young girl, who elbowed her brother before taking a seat next to him. “This is my family,”

eyes wide, and

leaning his head close to mine as

gush over Una’s brood. “Myla will have ten children, I’d

expected it. I looked at him, seeing the confusion flash behind

place that is making us act, and think, the way

as he knitted his fingers in mine underneath the table,

creasing with what I can only describe as pure,

something, but the words were lost, hanging on the tip of my tongue,

thought, unable

were brought out over the course of three hours. Hot, spiced tea was poured in a constant stream despite the warmth of

occasions, my eyes met Una’s, who was watching me closely, a look of mingled hope, and maybe even fear, etched

face pink, and his eyes unable to hide the fact

Her eyes were a strange color, however, a shade of gray that reminded me of the color of the inlet back home. Gray like glacier silt, the clay left behind as the glaciers moved across the land over the millennia. Neither