Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder

Chapter 108: Last Words of the White Queen

Maeve

Hayden paced around the room for a long while, lingering in meditative silence as I watched him. Occasionally, he turned to glance at me but made no further moves to touch me, or Troy.

| was kneeling next to Troy, trying desperately to wake him up. He was struggling to keep his eyes open for more than a few seconds at a time, the effects of the wolfsbane still gripping his body.

I looked around for anything sharp, anything I could cut myself with to give Troy some of my blood, and finally resort ed to bringing my hand to my mouth, preparing to bite into the flesh beneath my thumb.

“Uh, no. Don’t do that.” Hayden was at my side in an in stant, knotting his fingers in my hair and pulling sharply. I screeched, which seemed to rouse Troy from his stupor enough to bare his teeth and grimace, his fingers twitching.

“Ah, see? All you had to do was scream to wake him up. Let’s try again.” He pulled my hair so hard, some of it came clean out of my scalp. I grimaced, shaking as I held in the scream threatening to erupt from my mouth.

“Scream!” he demanded, twisting my hair violently until 1 could help but whimper. Troy moaned, rolling onto his side. “It’s useless. This is no fun.” He tossed me onto the ground, shaking his head as he walked away and began to pace again.

“What do you want?” | winced as I rubbed my head. My hair was already falling out in droves after having the boys, but now I was sure I had a bald spot.

“I’m nothing more than a babysitter right now, I’m afraid. Until it’s your turn.”

“My turn for what?”

“Well, once Tasia finishes up with Hanna, then you’re next. I think she wants to kill you in front of Troy, at least that’s what I hope. And then your parents, of course. I’m sure she’ll have the White Queen watch-”

“My parents?” I stammered. “Are they here?”

“Last I heard, the rogues were battling with some Drogo mor warriors in the forest, so they know you’re nearby. Gosh, Tasia is just so happy she was able to take care of this now, in stead of waiting for the solstice.”

Llicked my lips, glancing at Troy before meeting Hayden’s eyes again.

“What was she planning to do on the solstice?”

“Well, that is when the stones are at their most powerful. She was going to bleed the two of you dry, you and your mother, that is, and activate the stones to heighten her power enough to bring the entirety of the packlands to the ground.”

I wondered if Hayden was supposed to be telling me any of this. He didn’t seem like the sharpest tool in the shed, that was for sure.

“She doesn’t mean to combine them?” I asked.

“Well, no. She doesn’t want the Moon Goddess to come down and smite her, I guess. I’m not sure how that all works-” he waved his hand in dismissal.

“Smite her?” I couldn’t help but laugh. Having already talked to Tasia, I knew her end goal was to kill us all, take over the pack lands, and end the rule of the White Queens forever, paving the way for those of the Lycaon bloodline to rule.

But she wanted something else from Hanna. That’s why she had her alone.

“What does Hanna have to do with all of this?” I asked, squeezing Troy’s arm. He was starting to stir now, trembling as the effects of the wolfsbane left his system.

“Well, from what I understand, Hanna is either going to give birth to the next White Queen, who has some prophecy about her as well, but I don’t know the specifics, or she’s go ing to try to turn Hanna to our side. Hanna is very powerful, as you know. More powerful than Tasia from what Carl has said. Carl wants Hanna for himself, so it’s likely he will force Tasia to keep her alive-”

“Shut him up, Maeve. I can’t take one more second-” Troy groaned, a little green around the gills.

“Goodmorning sunshine,” Hayden said mockingly, crouch ing only a few feet away from us and tilting his head as he peered at Troy.

“Get away from me. From her-”

“I’m on strict orders to keep an eye on you both.” Hayden exhaled, standing. He glanced at me, his mouth pulling into a wide, delirious smile before he kicked Troy right in the center

AiVoucher

of the stomach.

I jumped up and lunged at him, swinging blindly, missing his jaw by a fraction of an inch.

surprise me, Troy. I always thought

For the love of the

time landing a punch right in

Let’s talk

on Troy, although he was not nearly as strong. Hayden swayed and staggered at each of my blows, and soon I had him cowering along the wall, his fists covering

“That’s enough-”

him before taking three long strides across the floor and grabbing me by

grip on me as he pulled me out of the room by my hair, tossing me into the

| bit out as the red – eyed Rogue

to Tasia. She’s ready for you

along a narrow passageway full

“it’s entirely too easy

to you,” I quipped, my

“Did

chased Lycaon out of what is now Winter Forest? Yes

happen. But did you hear what she did, exactly? How she used her

holding a lantern up as we walked into the pitch black of the tunnel, which

massive volcanic explosion, so leg end goes. Lycaon had no choice but to leave

mate and had children for another woman. That is where the people of Dianny came from, from what ! was told. He sounds

flicked me sharply on the

Many years had gone by, by the time that hap pened. The family he

cave systems created by the eruption. The same caves we stand

possible? The eastern mountains are hundreds

prayed to her mother, who had already left them, for guidance and help. Lycaon’s betrayal angered the Goddess herself, you see. Morrighan had

when has a White Queen ever used her powers to their fullest? It’s a once in a lifetime occurrence, from what I’m told. Your mother’s life was spared when her true mate took on her burden of death, and he was only

been tending to that plant for hundreds of years and it was sacred to us. But your grandmother used her gift to heal her pack during a sickness, I believe? How boring.

because White Queens

what Tasia said. She said

sad. Watch your step,

along a decline. He held the lantern up over my head, illuminating a massive cave, the light reflecting off huge

1 B

all around us.

ouchert

she does that, and kills both you and your mother, the Moon Goddess will have no physical tie to our world. We’ll be free of her, and Lycaon’s descendants can

into saying the powers

wasn’t a lie, not for the average wolf. Any power out side of being able to shift is infallible to them, you know. We needed their help to access you, Maeve. All I had do was offer Damian riches, and the possibility of

the ball, that no one else could know about the moonstones. He, and Carl, were right in that regard. Greed was rampant. And what did everyone want, even

Power.

for a moment longer, swallowed by the vastness of the great cave. How often I had explored the for est outside of the castle grounds whenever we visited Mirage when I was a child, never knowing such a place existed be

light nearby, reflecting off the stalactites as we covered more ground. The strange, crystalline

a large

saw my

| stammered, unable to hide

51

my deep concern. “How did you get

don’t say anything,” she warned, turning her gaze back to an

seen, and beneath the fire, no embers burned. I

stepped into view as Carl pulled

hood fall back, revealing Grace, the

She only smiled,

dust from her pants as she stalked toward me, taking me forcibly by the elbow and leading me over to where Mom was standing. I could now see the rest of the space, my view no longer

face bruised and bloodied, as she sat next to Rowan, who was kneeling, his wrists bound behind his back, looking just as

| started, but Mom reached out to me, taking my hand

over fo Hanna as she directed her words at Mom.