Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder

Rosalie

I watched them come up the drive, their fingers intertwined as Randy, one of our warriors, dragged two trunks behind him. Georgia was pointing up to the house, leaning into Talon as she talked, her dark hair falling long across her shoulders. For a moment, she looked like Maeve, although much smaller and darker, but her facial expressions were so similar to that of Ethan and our daughter.

Strong genes, I thought with a little laugh, crossing my arms over my chest as I turned to walk back into the house from my perch on the deck.

I heard Randy in the lower stairway leading up from the large garage. He was asking if he could take their things up to the White Queen’s castle, which was now used mostly for community events and housed the secondary school for the older children of Winter Forest, the old school too small for the sudden boom in population.

CD

“No, I want to stay here! Talon, how cute is this place? It’s cuter every time I see it. See, this is what we should have built-“Georgia’s voice was drifting up the stairs as I walked out of the living room and into the front hallway.

“Rosalie!” Georgia cried, throwing her arms around me as she walked around the corner of the stairwell.

“Hey!” I said, squeezing her. Talon came up behind her, nodding his typical, hands-off hello.

I was expecting them, knowing full well Georgia would want to stay at our house other than the more immaculate rooms at the White Queen’s castle just up the bluff. She always stayed in the house, even if that meant sleeping on the couch with Talon on the floor beside her. The guest room upstairs was already taken up by Kacidra and Hanna, so Gretchen, our housekeeper, and I had made up Maeve’s room for them upstairs.

I had seen them a few months ago when Ethan and I traveled to Mirage to drop Maeve off. They had been making their yearly trip to Mirage at the time, planning it so we could all be together for an entire week, enjoying the company of family before we went our separate ways again.

lill

Our reunions had always been met with joy.

But this time was different.

Georgia’s initial elation faded within moments of their arrival, and with good reason. I was hiding my panic at the fact that the seaplane had returned without Ethan and Rowan, deciding to not mention it when their journey was inevitably brought up. Ethan had gone to find Maeve and Ernest, after all. Now all four of them were missing.

I left Georgia and Talon to settle in, touching Gretchen lightly on the shoulder as she passed me in the hallway with a tray of cookies and lemonade for our guests.

“I’m going to go get some fresh air,” I said quietly, my eyes telling Gretchen I needed a moment to think, to panic, to let myself be totally overwhelmed. She nodded sweetly like she always did.

‘The girls went for a walk. Miss Hanna wasn’t feeling well, I’m afraid.”

‘Where did they go?” | asked, trying to keep my voice level. Was Hanna having another one of her visions?

“Miss Kacidra said they were going to do a loop around the castle grounds but would be back in time for supper.”

I gave her a quick smile and nod in reply, trying not to run down the hallway toward the backdoor that led out into the slightly overgrown back lawn.

The gate, situated right behind Rowan and Maeve’s old wooden playset, was open when I approached, leading out into the trail systems that wove through the woods to the grounds of the castle. I closed the gate behind me as I left our yard, breaking into a run as I was swallowed by the towering spruce trees and spindly birch that covered the grounds.

was quiet now. School wasn’t in session, and it was the weekend, so none of the warriors were running drills on the open field with a dirt track around it. I spotted the girls right away, Kacidra’s blonde hair falling over her face as she held Hanna’s

was lying flat on her back in the field, her clothes wet and hanging from

wrong this time!” Kacidra cried, her face stained with tears

my knees beside them, taking

sweetheart!” I begged, gently patting

to side under her eyelids, her chest heaving with effort, lifting her back

Kacidra cried, grabbing

minutes, the ground around us growing damp and the grass glistening with water,

water spilling from her

to the side. She was fighting me, the muscles of her neck

the door, sweetheart,” I said loudly, bending

nightgown soaked on one side and clinging to her skin where the water had traveled to her side of the bed. Hanna didn’t talk much, but I was able to get her alone long enough to have her explain her dreams. All she

like much more than a

“S-S,” she sputtered.

looking

“I don’t know-”

“Soren?”

Her right arm straightened, lifting into the

and reassuring. Then

Chapter 59 The Rings

knitted in concern as Hanna began to wake up, spitting water as she rolled

said firmly. “Do

a lock of hair from her face. I sucked in my lower lip, biting it as I watched the sisters. All I could do was wait for

***

and I passed her cotton dress back and forth, taking turns twisting up the fabric and wringing out the water. Hanna shivered, her teeth chattering as we worked, but the sun was drying her skin and her hair, the black strands beginning to curl along her back as they dried. “I saw two rings. But one of them was in the water. Someone was

out the half-dried dress and laying it

it over her shoulders. She

away. The water was cold, and then it was warm. And then I was

but I kept my lips closed, waiting for her to

choice. I gave her the ring. The

wore jewelry. She had never shown interest in it, never once asking to rummage through my jewelry

long ago, one with a clear, brilliant stone set on a dainty gold band and another large ring with a red stone, a dense stone, something that looked like it had been carved

on the beach at low tide. She had been desperate to find it, running along the surf as the tide came in. Ethan had to pick

him? Soren?” I asked, kneeling in front

looked at me quizzically.

myself from wringing my hands together. We hadn’t