Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder

Chapter 73 : Winter Forest Will Fall 

Maeve

I spent the next two days being moved between Damian’s tent, where I was allowed to eat, and a tree just above the shoreline, where I was tied up, my hands occasionally bound together above my head if Damian felt like being extra cruel.

He had continued his ceaseless interrogations, asking over and over if I knew where to find the moonstone. He seemed less interested in how to use it, however, and was growing more nervous with each passing hour.

I was beginning to think this wasn’t his plan. That, or he was in way over his head doing someone else’s bidding.

I just couldn’t bring myself to believe that person was Tasia.

I had spent nearly three days in contemplation, racking my mind for any hints of malicious, secretive behavior on Tasia’s end during my time in Dianny. Our stay in Dianny had been an incredibly strange, confusing time, however, and even if she had said something, or done something, that would’ve given me a clue about her true motives I could have easily missed it.

Troy had said she could move air, I remember that much. Then I

thought about the strange storm that had rocked the Persephone while we traveled through the pass and wondered briefly if Tasia had been behind it. Wind creates weather, right? Or was it something else?

“I should have listened when you were talking to me about meteorology…” I sighed, thinking of Troy and wishing I could tuck the loose curl that had been tickling my nose for hours behind my ear. My wrists ached where they had been restrained, the skin raw and dappled with blisters where the coarse rope met and rubbed against my skin whenever I moved.

I felt a strange sensation in my belly, however, momentarily distracting me from my precarious situation. One of the babies was moving, rolling, his feet gliding over my belly button.

“Ooph, that feels weird,” I smiled, then grimaced as the other one, at least I thought it was the other one, kicked me sharply in the side. “You guys are getting big.”

It was well past dark now, the stars simmering over the calm surf rolling up the beach in the shelter of the narrow cove. Damian’s empty boat was still rocking in open water roughly a half mile from the shore, its white body reflecting on the water in the light of the moon.

“I gotta get out of here,” I whispered, wondering if anyone was going to come to release me from my bondage so I could lay down and go to sleep on one of Damian’s couches like I had the last two nights in a row, never out of the watchful eye of Rex.

T heard a low hum as I continued to watch the water, so low it was nearly inaudible. I tilted my head to the side, wondering if I had somehow gotten sand in my ear and it was messing with my hearing, but the hum was getting louder, growing closer.

I saw the skiff as it inched out from behind the rocky bluff sticking out of the water at the edge of the cove, the nose of the small boat lit by moonlight. I squinted, wondering if what I was seeing was real and not a figment of my pained and dehydrated imagination.

One of Damian’s warriors was sitting on the beach, his head slumped forward as he slept. He was supposed to be on guard while the rest of the warriors slept in a second tent nearby. He hadn’t heard the skiff.

over me as the humming started up again, a handful of darkened figures coming into view

breath as I turned my gaze upon the sleeping warrior, a second skiff

were sneaking

a doubt it was the crew of the

cried, but instead, I very quietly attempted

tree for support as I

roar as the engine was pushed to its max, the boat flying into the cove

warrior woke with a start,

it was too

warrior. The warriors’ tent flashed with light as someone turned on a lantern, shouts of alarm ringing

hell

scrambling out of their clothes and shifting as the crew of the Persephone stormed the shore. I could hear Damian screaming harsh commands as he emerged from his tent, his voice lifted in surprise as Keaton jumped out of the skiff, a long spear in his hand. Myla

as I watched the fight take place. The entire crew of the Persephone was on the beach now, outnumbering

his disposal

expecting this. He had

turned his head toward me, nodding once before using his spear to block a wolf from lunging at him, smashing the creature down onto the sand with all of

else, Damian, who had been standing dumbfounded

me, pulling a knife

him to the ground, holding him down by his neck. She looked at me as

I nodded.

You kill me-you think that will solve this, that it will bring peace… I was never the one you needed to

utter despair. She was running toward us, frantic,

Opaline had a death grip on. I wondered why she hadn’t shifted

in front of me, standing between me and Damian’s body. Opaline stopped short of us, holding the dagger up as though she were going to strike

tears. “It’s over now, all of it. Damian was the only one she would listen to. He was the only one who could reason with her. She’ll do it, Maeve. She’ll take over the pack lands and leave nothing but destruction

No, she won’t. She can’t. She doesn’t

you see?” Opaline was desperate, her voice carrying over the

stepped forward, but she had let her arm fall, her knife at rest along the side of her thigh. “Tasia is the only one who can defeat your mother. If she makes it to Lycenna … it will be over, Maeve. Winter Forest will fall. Damian was trying to prevent that from happening. He wanted the crown, of course.

chaos, a land the Moon Goddess would

this magic!”