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.

“Please, can we talk about

is a little jealous-” Myla

not!” Pete was blushing. And I had the opportunity to, you

didn’t you take it?” Troy laughed, crossing

here is saving himself for

gallant of you, Pete.” I said,

wide with nerves as she 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

the river. People were swimming in the slowly moving, shallow water. It looked like a refreshing activity in this unforgiving

minutes of walking, we entered a narrow gravel pathway leading downhill into another shallow valley through a thicket of trees. Stepping out of the trees, we stopped, all of us looking out

setting sun.

entrance. Music was wafting up from the

my breath, inadvertently taking Troy’s 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

deeply, clearing my throat. Troy looked down at me,

feeling a

to see this!” Myla exclaimed, looking up at the sea of paper lanterns above

Myla!” Troy called out, “Have you been

“No, I tried but

his head, sighing deeply. He bent his head close to mine as we walked, “Something is weird

I don’t think these people

eyes were still hyper focused

a wide dock. Flowerpots lined the dock, and sprays of flowers I

circular table that was low to the ground,

one of the two men sitting on the cushions. The older man must have been Ismir, Una’s husband. The younger one couldn’t have been

us!” Una said, excitement evident behind her eyes. We sat around the table, as did the young girl, who elbowed her brother before taking a seat next to him. “This is my family,” Una said, beaming with delight, “My

have eight children?” Myla said, her eyes wide, and a

leaning his head close to mine as

brood. “Myla

his voice low and filled with yearning. I hadn’t expected it. I looked at him, seeing the confusion flash behind his eyes, his tanned face blushing deeply the same way mine had when I imagined ravaging him

is it about this place that is making us act, and think, the way we

answered, looking directly into his eyes, my heart quickening as he knitted his fingers

He laughed, his eyes creasing with what I can

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

I thought, unable to

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

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 that he was having the best day of his entire

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 of her parents had the same color eyes