Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder

Chapter 42 : Let’s Get this Done

The garden had sprung to life since the curse was lifted. There were flowers in bloom and butterflies fluttering around. All the plants seemed to be reaching for the sun, soaking up the rays. Everything was so vibrant and colorful.

The floral scent almost swept me off my feet and I leaned heavily against Soren.

There was a small table for two in the center of the garden patio and I realized we had the whole garden to ourselves. Food had already been laid out and a waiter poured champagne into glasses.

Soren held my chair out for me and I sat down. I'd never been treated like this before. He sat down across from me and musicians came out and started to play some slow, romantic music.

I reached for the champagne and Soren quickly raised his glass.

“A toast," he said, smiling warmly at me.

Giggling, I raised my glass too.

“What are we toasting?" I asked.

“You, Mila. A toast to your bravery and determination. If not for you, this village would still be trapped in darkness and I… I would still be living a boring life," he said. He winked at the last statement.

The rest was really sweet.

We clinked our glasses and I took a sip. The bubbling drink tickled me all the way to my stomach.

I was so impressed with the presentation of food on the table. Soren had put a lot of planning into this. He even picked out a meal that he somehow knew I would like.

We ate and sipped champagne until we were completely full.

Sighing, I leaned back and rubbed my belly.

Soren stood up and held a hand out to me.

I arched an eyebrow.

“Time to work off that meal," he said, bouncing his eyebrows.

Slowly, I took his hand. He pulled me up and held me in a close embrace, guiding me in the steps of a slow dance.

I smiled and rested my head on his chest, listening to the heavy thump of his heart. It was racing, just like mine.

Glancing up at him, I saw that he was looking down at me.

I blushed but held his gaze.

“This is an awful lot of trouble you went through, just to have lunch with me," I said, nodding to the romantic setting around us.

Soren smirked. “It was no trouble at all. Besides, this way, you get to see the impact of lifting the curse."

“I know but… you could have just asked. It didn't have to be so fancy," I clarified.

“Ahh…" Soren released my hand for a moment.

He touched my face, his fingertips warm on my cheek, then he took my hand again and twirled me away from him. He pulled me back and held me even closer.

“After everything we've dealt with, I thought we both deserved a quiet, peaceful meal. And you… Well, you're worth it," he said sweetly.

I shook my head and tried to pull away. I wasn't worth all this! After helping my foster mother kill witches and running away when I was a child. I was lucky to have broken the curse. It wasn't talent.

Soren held me firmly and pressed me against him. He gave me a deep, meaningful look that I felt straight into my soul.

My heart melted and I sighed, resting my head against him again.

Maybe… maybe he was right?

“Boss?"

Payne's voice cut into our moment.

Soren released me and I quickly stepped back. Whatever I had felt in his embrace faded quickly.

Soren waved Payne over.

“We're ready," Payne said, nodding.

I noticed he didn't look at me.

“Ready for what?" I asked.

Soren nodded to Payne. He turned to me and took my hands in his. My hands disappeared inside his strong palms and fingers.

“Mila, I'll be away for a few days on business. I want you to go back to the rogue zone with the rest of the group. I'll meet you there in a week, okay?" he said calmly.

I nodded and gripped his hands in mine. I didn't want him to leave. Whatever he had to do was probably important, and might even have to do with helping me get revenge, but I would have rather gone with him.

“Good girl," he said, chucking my chin.

Without another word, he left me in the gardens with the musicians playing a romantic tune and Payne.

I watched as Soren walked away. We hadn't known each other that long but somehow, I had allowed myself to get attached to him. I was so used to him being there to protect me, steady me, and guide me that seeing him leave made me feel… empty and hollow.

I felt like as he walked further away, he was taking a piece of me with him.

“Mila, are you ready? We should get on the road while it is still early," Payne said.

I looked at him and noticed that he still wouldn't meet my eyes. He didn't seem unfriendly or like he was mad at me. More like he was trying to hide something from me. I knew how to read people well.

Whatever he wanted to hide, I'd figure it out now that I knew he was hiding something.

“Can I go get my things?" I asked. “I'll meet you in the lobby in ten minutes."

“Sure, we'll be waiting," he said with a nod. He glanced at me quickly and then left the garden.

Well, whatever was going on with Payne could wait.

I went back to my room and collected the box. There was a fireplace in the room so I tossed some crumpled paper in it and lit a fire. As soon as the flames licked up, I tossed the box and my mother's letter into the fire.

While it burned, I packed the spell book and my other belongings back in my pack.

It didn't take long for the fire to burn down. I poked around with a fire poker to make sure that the box and the letter were nothing but ashes.

I was a little sad to see the letter and the box go. The letter had been written by my mother, in her handwriting. It was safer to burn it, though. I didn't want anyone to find out that she'd dismembered and hidden the artifact pieces.

With a sigh, I grabbed my bag and headed down to the lobby. As grateful as I was that the curse was broken, I was looking forward to moving on. I'd spent days in Miltern. Normally, I didn't hang around anywhere that long. At least, not since I'd run away from Saboreef.

Payne, Ashley, Dr. Lee, and several of Soren's followers were waiting for me in the lobby.

They didn't say much as we headed out of the hotel and followed the main road out of town.

I was happy to remain silent and watch Miltern blossoming with new life. Silently, I prayed to the Moon Goddess to protect them and shield them from future harm. They'd suffered enough and deserved a chance at happiness.

Outside of town, there were a few vehicles waiting to take us away from Miltern. Dr. Lee and Ashley got in one and I joined Payne in another. The rest of the followers filled up the remaining vehicles.

On four wheels, we sped out of Miltern pack land.

I kept my head down and remained silent.

Payne didn't try to strike up a conversation and I was grateful for that. He seemed just as content to keep quiet. His hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles white. The way he stared out the windshield, it was like he wasn't really seeing anything, just completely zoned out.

I worried he might crash but he didn't seem to have a problem driving.

Something was seriously bothering him. I always thought Payne was better at hiding his emotions. Either he wanted me to know that something was bothering him or he wasn't trying to hide it around me.

We drove until the sunset ond then Poyne stopped to moke comp.

We'd mode it bock to the desert ond o shorp wind indicoted o sondstorm wos brewing.

“Everyone, set up the emergency shelters ASAP," Poyne ordered. “I wont them up before this storm hits."

Immediotely, the others got to work pulling geor from the vehicles ond setting up tents.

Poyne didn't give me onything to do so I wondered through the little comp ond kept on eye on the sky os clouds rolled in ond the winds picked up.

The first time I met Soren hod been during o sondstorm. I got to his inn ond sought shelter from the little bullet-like groins.

My heort oched ond I closped my honds over it. Why wos I missing him so much? I couldn't figure it out. I'd never missed or longed for onyone like this. My thoughts drifted to Soren ond where he might hove gone.

I kicked the toe of my shoe into the sond os I considered the possibilities.

Hod he run off to collect the ortifoct ports so soon ofter I osked for his help?

I knew he wos doing it to help me get my revenge but with how quickly he took off, I couldn't help but wonder if his eogerness wos more obout getting his honds on the ortifoct rother thon helping me.

Less thon twenty-four hours ofter he leorned the secret inside the box, he'd obondoned me.

My heort sonk with disoppointment.

Poyne wos helping with one of the shelters ond I sountered over to him. If onyone knew where Soren hod reolly gone, it would be him.

“Where did Soren hove to run off to so quickly?" I osked conversotionolly.

Poyne glonced ot me quickly ond looked owoy just os fost.

“If Soren wonted you to know where he went, he would hove told you. Since he didn't, you'll hove to osk him when he gets bock."

He wosn't horsh or rude, just professionol.

Sighing, I turned owoy from him ond found myself foce to foce with Ashely. She hod her orms crossed ond wos gloring ot me.

“Why do you need to know where Soren went?" she osked snippily.

“Thot's between me ond Soren," I replied, shoking my heod.

“Whotever you think is between you ond Soren–"

“Ashley, help me with this tent," Poyne interrupted her with on exosperoted sigh.

Ashley glored ot me. She pushed by me to help her brother.

It didn't seem like onyone in the comp reolly wonted me there, so I wolked owoy from the shelters into the desert.

The sun wos setting fost ond soon it would be completely dork.

It wos nice to be olone ond hove some quiet, especiolly ofter oll the driving. I didn't know why Ashley hod it in for me. It could hove something to do with Soren but he olwoys blew thot off when I brought it up.

Why hod he token off ond left me with these people?

Crossing my orms, I scoffed ot myself ond tilted my heod bock.

Why did it motter? Even if he wos going ofter the ortifoct, it would help me get revenge. Thot's whot I wonted! As long os he helps, the ortifoct is his. It hod only ever brought my fomily misery ond I didn't wont onything to do with it.