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 we talk

is a little

am not!” Pete was blushing. And I had the

laughed,

saving himself for his mate.” Myla

him alone, Myla. I think that’s very gallant of you, Pete.” I said, smiling at Pete, who gave me a small smile of

still as a rod in the archway, her eyes 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

moving, shallow water.

a few 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

setting sun.

the city’s entrance. Music was wafting up from the lake, and

beneath 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

down at me, squeezing my hand.

murmured, feeling a little

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

out, “Have you been able to

pursed her lips, shaking her head, “No, I tried but I couldn’t

head close to mine as

don’t think these people are

eyes were still hyper focused on the

lined the dock, and sprays of flowers I couldn’t name were in full bloom. The deep floral smell was

was low to the ground, and

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

friends, sit with 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

eight children?” Myla said, her eyes wide, and a look of sheer longing on her

head close

replied, watching Myla gush over Una’s brood. “Myla will have ten children,

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 in public. He hadn’t

that is making us act, and think, the way

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

creasing with what I can only describe

were lost, hanging on the tip of

I thought,

delicious food I had ever tasted were brought out over the course of three hours. Hot, spiced tea was poured in a constant stream despite the

met Una’s, who was watching me closely, a look of mingled hope, and

who had joined the table late, his face pink, and his eyes unable to hide the fact that he was having the best day of his entire

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 of her parents had the same color eyes as