Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder

Chapter 1 : Saved by the King

Season4 Mates of the Shadow and Light

♦Lena* “I heard Cressida Mayfaire got an invitation," Abigail said with a twinkle of mirth in her emerald eyes as she bit down on the straw of her iced coffee.

"Cressida?" Viviene leaned over the table, arching her brow. "She's lying!"

Abigail shook her head, her red curls bouncing on her shoulders. 'She told Heather that she received an invitation from Prince Charlie himself, can you believe that? Heather seemed convinced, but I have my doubts-'

"Who cares?” I yawned, stretching my arms over my head. I blinked into the sun beaming through the ceiling height windows of the campus coffee shop that covered our table with golden light, reflecting off the glossy pages of my textbook. We should have been studying for finals. That was the plan, at least. But lately, all my roommates wanted to do was gossip.

"I care! Cressida is the absolute worst, Lena. I'd kill for an invitation to that wedding!" Abigail leaned back in her chair, crossing her legs and giving me a smug look. I knew she was serious. She, like every other girl who attended the Morhan College of Environmental Sciences, a satellite campus of the University of Breles, was obsessed with the three princes of Poldesse. When news broke last year about Prince William's engagement, the campus went wild. People were crying, literally crying, over losing their chance with him.

"They're just royals," I said with annoyance, flipping a page of my textbook.

"Can you imagine being a princess?” Viviene said dreamily, sighing deeply as she swirled her coffee. "All the finery, the dresses-"

"One lucky lady gets to be Luna of Poldesse, too, eventually. The Alpha and Luna haven’t declared which prince inherits the title yet. I bet it's Charlie. He just has the look about him. He's a captain, too, you know. I feel like you kinda have to be a ship captain to be Alpha of Poldesse. Did you know the Alpha was once a pirate?" Abigail rattled on and on about the princes as I did my best to focus on my studies, but it was nearly impossible.

"You're awfully quiet today," Viviene said as she turned to me, ruffling the pages of my textbook.

I sighed, surrendering to the fact that this study session was a failure, and I would be up all night, once again.

"I have one more final before my field study," I breathed, reaching for my now tepid cup of tea.

"Do you know where you're going yet?” Abigail asked, looking somewhat vexed about Viviene changing the subject away from the royal wedding.

"No idea. Professor Adams said somewhere to the north based on my course of study. I'm hoping for the rural camp that's studying the redwoods near Red Lakes, but that placement is so competitive!" I was frantic about it but stifled the urgency in my voice. I was studying botany and was in my final semester of school. I wanted nothing more than to spend my life in the wilderness, alone, plucking leaves and flowers and pressing them between the pages of books. I'd done so all my life, and I’d had to fight tooth and nail to get my parents to allow me to move to Finadli to pursue my studies. Researching the neverending, untamed, and unexplored forest in north-western Finaldi was my dream.

But it felt unreachable at the moment.

"I bet you get it-” Viviene began, but she was interrupted by Abigail leaning forward and reaching over the table to peer closely at me.

got your hair done

up to touch the golden blonde locks that were spilling

chance with the princes, it's Lena. Cressida is blonde. Megan, that fiancee of Prince William's, is blonde.

as she twirled a lock of her dark brown hair around

the conversation

other roommate and my closest friend, burst through the door of the cafe, her black hair

she exclaimed, dropping her textbooks on the table with a thud as she took a seat next to me. "You'll never

Heather! Did you run here from the

in the effects of botanical materials on specific groups of animals. Her field was large animal medicine, and she was one of the few students who had been accepted into the program. Morhan was a prestigious college, and she, unlike

of her coffee. Heather accepted, mouthing her thanks as she reached up to wipe sweat from her brow. “I was just minding my own business, you know, right after our study group disbanded for the day and... you guys.

around the table, unable to hide my smile as my friends leaned closer

Heather whispered. Abigail and Viviene gasped, but I leaned back in my chair, crossing my arms over

royalty; Xander Smith was the closest you could get, at

the University of Mirage, apparently. He was one of those tall, dark, and handsome types that drove everyone absolutely nuts. But he was brooding, and standoffish, which for some people

over the semester. He wasn't in any of my classes, and our paths never crossed. I had never even thought about him unless he was

excited murmurs of surprise coming from Abigail and Viviene. “He asked

"Me?" I choked.

vigorously, taking a deep

about my blonde friend, with the blue eyes, who stands about this tall-" she motioned with her hand to accurately describe my five-foot-two-inch stature. 'I said, who, Lena? And Goddess, Lena, he growled

called a hunter. A hunter was someone old enough to feel the mate bond but had no

he was asking about

I reached into my backpack for the claw clip I always carried around. I wound my waist length hair into a tight coil, pinning it in place

hell did Xander

study group, and I said no, because she studies botany and not zoology,

back in her chair. She shifted her gaze from Heather to me, shrugging one shoulder. "Good for

out by Vivene's questions as Heather continued to chatter about her run-in with Xander, and his desire to know

but her voice faded as I thought of the last date I had been on. My

I had exactly seventeen minutes to scurry across campus to my afternoon class if I wanted to avoid the consequences of that date and the aftermath that had

textbook into my backpack. I ignored the exclaims of protest from my friends as I walked away, glancing

Sixteen minutes.