Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder

Chapter 94 : 1 Kissed Her

Rowan

“It wasn’t easy,” said the metalsmith as he wiped his grimy hands on a rag. He spun around in his car, plopping a small, smooth ring in the palm of my hand. “You were right about the stone; it was jade-a sizable, practically flawless hunk of it. Say, where did you find it?”

“On the beach,” I said softly, turning the ring over in my hand.

The entire thing was made of jade, carved right out of the stone Hanna had found on our walk on the beach several weeks before the snow had begun to fall. That was months ago, I thought, wrapping my fingers around the ring. Things had some how felt easier then.

“There’s enough of the mother-stone left for a second ring, at least partially. Half would need to be metal of some kind, I rec ommend platinum. It’s what I used to give the first ring support, you see.”

“It’s… it’s fine. It’s just a gift.”

IL11

A parting gift.

Something I had planned on giving to Hanna under very dif ferent circumstances. I had carried that damn rock around in my jacket since the day she found it, marveling at the pale sea – green band of jade running through it whenever I had a moment of solitude to fish it out of its resting place.

I had imagined making a ring with it, one of pure jade, think ing the color would look perfect against the paleness of her skin. I

had imagined slipping it onto her finger and taking her hand in mine, as my wife.

I swallowed back the pain and paid the metalsmith, thanking him for his time. The ring felt heavy in my hand as I walked through the center of the village, crossing the road leading up to my house and through the woods toward Hanna’s cabin.

It had been a week since Maeve and my parents left for Mi rage. Two days ago, a pilot from Mirage had arrived in a Cessna 210, large enough to fit six passengers. He had come bearing news of Maeve, but we didn’t have much time to grieve her expe rience. She was fine, as were my three nephews, but the large seaplane that had been carting my family back and forth to Mi rage for decades had crash-landed and needed repairs.

We had all been summoned to Mirage. And I knew in my ab sence, Hanna would likely go back to Red Lakes as planned.

I wanted to ask her to come with me. I was ready to beg. But I knew it would be fruitless.

Any future I had with her seemed to evaporate the second she told Maeve and me what she had seen in her vision of Maeve’ s future. Maeve and Troy had been discussing what sounded like a succession of sorts, facilitated by my dad. My interpretation of the dream was that one of their sons was ascending a throne, which couldn’t have been Troy’s soon-to-be – title of Alpha of Poldesse. That left only two options: Alpha King of Valoria, or Al pha of Drogomor.

Which were the titles I was meant to inherit.

Which could only mean that I would have no children to pass them on to.

that Hanna had been Wrong about only

what did it matter? Hanna was leaving. There was nothing I could

the hunk of

how far I had walked, lost in thought, until i

had i put my foot on the first step did she open the door, her black hair hanging loose over her shoulder and a plush bathrobe covering her

inky purple dappled with stars. I needed to be at the

was it. This was

again, but 1-” | started, motioning toward the three or so inches of fresh snow blanketing

eyes shining in the porch light. “It’s okay, Rowan. Pete can

toss it to her without a word and run then try to continue to stifle the

you’re leaving

am. Now, actually. I have to… I wanted to

before I went. In case you weren’t… weren’t here when I re turned.” I climbed a single step, unsure if my feet would let me go any further. The truth was, I likely wouldn’t be returning to Winter Forest for a long time. Dad had called a major conference in Mi rage, and all

made Alpha of Drogomor, officially. And I would set up

at Hanna, holding out my hand. I placed

I want you to have it, despite everything. I couldn’t leave without knowing you had it. I don’t expect you to wear it. I don’t expect… I don’t expect anything. I respect you, Hanna. I respect you as much as I love you… and Goddess, I love you. I just needed you

for a split sec ond before I turned and walked away, letting the dark

snug cabin of my Cessna 180, which looked like a toy compared to the glossy two-prop Cessna 210 that was idling only ten yards away on the ice-covered river. He handed George to Gemma, who immediately started fussing over the white snowsuit George was wearing, which made him look like a

hat Gretchen had knit for him, and he was staring forward

have his blanket?” Gemma asked, her voice distorted by the sound of

her the fluffy blanket in question, then stepped into the plane to drape a heavy wool blanket over

over Gemma’s hat, securing the

to Gemma, then grabbed the front passenger seat, which had been folded forward to allow Gemma to climb into her seat, and put it back into position. He climbed in next to me, closing the

to fly this thing?” he joked with a wide smile, securing his own

on his mic, and his laugh

said sternly, looking a little pale

steely glare from Gemma. “We’re just waiting on the other plane to taxi. Shouldn’t

and Dad had allowed me to take actual lessons from someone in Winter Forest when I turned eighteen. I turned my gaze to the other plane, watching as Georgia and

pilot

fly the

own tiny vessel. It had only two rows of seats, big enough to carry four adults at the most. It also didn’t have heat, so we were all bundled up in parkas and heavy gloves. George

thing?” Gemma’s voice cut through my headset, and I turned to look at her, adjusting

trip short.” And that was the truth. The seaplane could fit our entire family in comfort but needed to be landed at the port or the lake, which were both far from Mirage. Small Cessnas could land on the practically forgotten airstrips with relative ease, but it was a less

you crash!” Gemma glared forward and swallowed hard, obviously