Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder

Chapter 66: The Tomb of Lycaon 

Maeve

Damian was not what I was expecting. He was an older man, tall and lean. He was probably not much older than my own father, but was significantly gray, his eyes framed by wire-rimmed

glasses. He looked more like a kind old schoolteacher than the super-villain of my nightmares, but based on Troy’s body language I realized there was much more to the man than I could gather based on a single glance.

Damian was standing, rocking on heels, and watching us. Pete was lying on the ground nearby. unconscious, and another unfamiliar man of a size that rivaled Robbie was leaning against one of the dead trees, his arms crossed over his chest.

“What are we waiting for?” Damian said in a casual, almost friendly voice.

Troy didn’t move; he was still as a statue, his focus on Damian.

“How are you here?” Troy finally said, his voice edged with fury and confusion. Damian arched his brow, giving Troy an incredulous look.

“I made some new friends,” Damian smiled, shrugging as he took a single step forward, craning his neck to look around Troy to catch a glimpse of me. “Ah, would you look at that? The rumors are true She does look like Ethan.”

“We‘re leaving,”

“And going where exactly, Troy? I owe you; you know. When I first got word about the level of your intimacy with the princess, well, I thought it would cause me nothing but grief. But you’re here now, with her. This will all be over quite soon, and you can have your prize-”

“Prize?” I asked, looking up at Troy.

His shoulders fell a fraction of an inch, but he still stared straight forward, his eye on Damian, unblinking

I knew the original plan and the fact Troy was going to be paid handsomely for breaking Romero out of the castle, but that wasn’t what Damian had been planning all along. Troy was tricked. Surely, Damian didn’t mean to pay him still, if he had been planning to do so at all.

“I did promise you didn’t l?” Damian took another step forward.

“Promise him what?” I snapped, attempting to step out from behind Troy.

Troy blocked me, pulling me back behind him. But Damian had seen me fully, and his eyes widened, then his mouth curled into a malicious smile.

“Well done, Troy.”

“Don’t speak to me, or to her. Leave, now!”

I’d never heard Troy speak in such a tone before, his voice carrying through the clearing in a crisp. commanding way

“I was going to make you my heir, you know. You, the rightful prince-but wait, Romero is dead, isn’t he Troy? My man Horace saw to that, for you.”

“What is he trying to say, Troy?” I whispered into his back.

“Why don’t you tell her for yourself, Troy? Who you really are?”

“I suspect she already knows.” Troy answered, his tone biting.

I had no idea what he meant, honestly. He was Madalynn’s child; I knew that much. He mentioned his father’s name had been Behar. And his grandfather was

“You’re a prince,” I said quietly, the pieces falling into place. I didn’t know why the thought hadn’t crossed my mind before.

“More than that,” Damian folded his hands behind his back and paced, meeting my eye. “He’s the hereditary Alpha of Poldesse.”

I bit my lip to prevent myself from saying my thoughts aloud. Surely, Troy wasn’t planning on acting on that

“It can be all yours, Troy. The Kingdom of the Isles. Valoria is weak, ready for your hand to rule. I paved the way for the dynasty your grandfather always wanted. All you have to do is give me the girl.”

“No,” Troy said firmly without hesitation.

your mother’s

“I didn’t know her,”

been a different man had

will not allow you to lay a

I just need her blood. You can

forward, knocking Damian flat on his back. But before I could act, the large man, Damian’s crony, had

gracefully brushing the dirt from his

swallowed back the fear beginning to well in the center of my stomach. Old Maeve would’ve given this man

was a

Troy bellowed, just as the large man threw

sprawled out on the ground. I caught myself on one of the beams holding up

his fingers tangling in my hair as he yanked me off the beam and dragged me toward the door of the

I screeched, reaching up and pinching his hand

his age, but he wasn’t much taller than me. I thrashed and squirmed against

cursing and trying to twist out of the

Troy was furious, his lips pulled back over his teeth. “If you shift, Troy, I’ll kill her right now, right in front of you.” Damian produced a knife from his pocket, testing the sharpness of the

still and closed my eyes, trying to calm myself by breathing through my

going to be

my hair again, making me

Troy? Spawn of a White Queen,” Damian pulled up the sleeve of my skirt,

hasn’t come into power yet!”

cry. Had it just been me, Damian would be on the

I had the babies to consider. Damian needed me, and if I cooperated, I could likely secure

how to open the tomb?” I exhaled, turning to look Damian square in the

seemed taken aback by my sudden submission, but seemed

you‘re not going to like

me,” I said, my voice

and positioned himself between me and Troy, blocking Troy’s view of my face. I swallowed the fear that tightened my throat and waited for

dead White Queen must be

wrong, Damian.” I mustered all of the courage I had

giving me a look of pure challenge.

open this door for you. I will show you how to access the moonstone’s power. But I want something

his mouth twitching as he contemplated his response. “What makes you think I need you

know what to do with the moonstones

at Troy. Shrugging, he handed me the knife, taking a step

feel in my hands. I could throw it at him, aiming for

worry about after that, the same

ahead, Princess,” Damian said calmly, tilting his head as he watched me while I lifted my hand up, bringing the

the urge to grimace as the blade sliced shallowly into my skin. Damian was grinning broadly, his eyes creasing with pure, unadulterated greed as I squeezed my hand,

step toward me, plucking the knife from my hand as I stole a

do it, Maeve,”

my lip, hoping he could see the desperation in my gaze. Then I turned from him and walked to the entrance of Lycaon’s tomb, my breath catching in my throat as the air seemed to still around me, as though it was holding its own breath as I

What next?

inhaling deeply, then placed it on the symbol

hand tingled, little pricks of electricity racing through my palm and up to the tips of my fingers. It was uncomfortable, but I fought against it, keeping my hand planted firmly

behind me, his voice lifted in excitement as the door began to give way,

pulled backward by Troy, his arms coming around my chest and moving me out of harm’s way as the door splintered

carved into the stone. Damian was already inside of it, looking around, his face twisted in delirium. He looked like a child, really, seeing

for the first

going, we have to get Pete and get back to

Troy. Do you not remember what happened in Dianny?” I whispered,

can’t use it without you,” Troy protested, his voice a