Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder

Chapter 114: Lineage of the Queens

Troy

Maeve and Ethan needed to talk; that was obvious.

Things had been tense between them since we had arrived in Winter Forest several weeks ago and had only escalated from there. The situation with Tasia and the moonstones was out of our control and only made things worse, but that was over now.

I had been trying to find a way to put Maeve in Ethan’s path, knowing the two were too bullheaded to actually find a time to hash things out on their own, but so far had been unsuccessful.

The days following our battle with Tasia had been shockingly chaotic and full, with everyone preparing to go their separate ways and start new lives.

I had seen more of Ethan and Rowan than anyone as it was, spending most of my time in the Alpha’s office in the castle pouring over maps and whatever records of Poldesse Ethan had managed to get his hands on.

Rowan was always there, doing much the same for his new pack, slightly pale as he prepared to take over the role of Alpha of Drogomor on his own once Ethan returned with Rosalie to Winter Forest.

But I got a lucky break on Saturday, just a few days before Rowan and Hanna were meant to be officially wed. Rosalie

had pulled me aside shortly after breakfast, asking if I’d be willing to go to Winter Forest with her to pack up Rowan and Maeve’s belongings.

I didn’t even wonder why Rosalie would ask me something like that. I knew she could have Gretchen do it and have warriors send their belongings to not only Mirage, but to Avondale.

Rosalie wanted a break from the turmoil the rift between Maeve and Ethan was causing, and I could tell she knew I was looking for an escape as well.

We landed in Winter Forest in the early morning on Sunday, meaning to be back in the air the following morning. It was meant to be a quick, calculated trip-no frills. But when we reached the port of Winter Forest, I could tell Rosalie had something else on her mind.

“I still don’t know how you managed to convince Maeve that I could come with you,” I said, reaching up to take her hand as I helped her out of the seaplane and onto the dock.

“It was easier than I expected, honestly. Maeve doesn’t want to be carting the boys around right before you all make the long journey to the Isles. Plus, I know for a fact the last thing she wanted to do was go through all of her things. She always hated doing things like that, organizing and getting rid of things.”

“Yeah, I’ve noticed Maeve tends to thrive in chaos,” I laughed, and from there on the conversation took an easy turn into less meaningful ramblings as we walked up to the house.

“It can’t be easy on you… packing up their things like this,” I said softly, my footsteps crunching in the snow. It had

snowed quite a bit since we left Winter Forest, and there had been a lot of snow then. Now it clung to the top of the wall that surrounded the house.

“I knew this was coming, in one way or another. It goes by fast, you know. One day they’re little, and the next day… well, I honestly didn’t expect Maeve to find her mate so quickly. And Troy, I am glad it’s you. I hope you know that.”

I swallowed against the lump in my throat as we entered the house. It couldn’t have been easy for Rosalie to say such a thing to me. I was the son of her worst enemy, a woman who caused immense grief to Rosalie.

And now I was not only her daughter’s mate and husband, but the father of her grandchildren. Grandchildren that shared my, and my mother’s, blood.

Rosalie said nothing further as we shed our coats and boots, as we were quickly greeted by Gretchen, who was trembling with anticipation to hear the news of everything that had happened in Mirage over the past several weeks.

She ushered Rosalie through the house and into the kitchen, where their conversation faded to a low murmur. I was left alone in the foyer, unsure of whether or not to follow.

I decided to go upstairs, grabbing an armful of cardboard boxes that Gretchen had rested against the stairs.

We only had a day to prepare Rowan and Maeve for their new lives, after all.

bedspread, a thick quilt made of varying

of three hours looking through her things. I took down the pictures hanging on the walls; pictures of a younger Maeve and her friends, her parents, even a few of her

begrudgingly saying nothing would fit her anymore, so I

I opened one of the drawers, suddenly remembering the

in every drawer and cabinet. She had pulled the drawers of the bedside table out

check on her a few hours later, I found her curled around the

was convinced at that moment that I had lost her

the edge of her bed and looked down at the journal in my hands.

ran my fingers over the cover where she had carved her name in

journal of mine, she would, without a doubt, have opened it and read it. But I chose to put it into the last of the boxes I needed to pack and then taped

Rosalie said from the doorway, gingerly stepping inside with two mugs

furniture. She nodded, taking a deep breath as she looked around. She handed me

to rule alongside Ernest, I… I don’t know. It didn’t feel final. I always thought Ethan would

to send Maeve to Mirage, exactly? || never really understood

exhaled deeply, then sighed as she looked around the room once more. “We‘d been able to rule over Valoria with relative ease for two decades, even with

the subject of passing on his title to Ernest, it caused a bit of a rift between Ethan and the High Elder Council. They weren’t too keen on a seventeen-year-old

the arrangement became an issue.”

of Valoria were worried about something like that happening to the Drogomor

anyway. Why not just send Rowan to Mirage to

let Rowan go. Sending Rowan to Mirage to be Alpha of Drogomor was the expected choice. He was Ethan’s heir, the rightful Alpha by birthright, and he was several years older than Ernest as well. But Ethan just wouldn’ t do it. And when it came down to it,

was… much worse, if I’m being

wanted it more than anything. Maeve would be White Queen one day; she would come

Mirage. And Ethan wasn’t ready for that. That’s all it came down to. He let one of

archaic, Rosalie,” I said, unable to hide the bitter

we live in. Heirs, lines, lineages… politics. We can’t escape it as

have many years,”

my tea, looking around the room. Rosalie did the same. After a moment of somber silence, I spoke again, asking the question that had

Hanna tell you about her visions of the

nodded, her eyes widening. “Can

Hanna believes her to be is

have something to show you,” Rosalie said as she rose to her feet. “Come with me. Gretchen is making dinner, and I have some loose ends to tie up this evening

short walk to the castle grounds. The castle was quiet, like usual, no more than the occasional footsteps

title of Alpha and the old Lycennian woman

library took on a new air of peace and tranquilty with it just being Rosalie and I inside

the ceiling height bookshelves.

cold quite like that before, so dry

I didn’t think of this before,” she murmured, pulling a large, leather bound book from the shelf. She walked over to me,

hearth, motioning for me to sit as she opened it, fanning through what looked like thousands of

one with the names of the previous White Queens etched into the granite, I thought that knowledge had been lost-oh, here

but only 2:00 in the afternoon, and the speckles of dust seemed to

at the page,

wow. This

my great grandmother’s