Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder

Chapter 51 : Focus on the Life Ahead

The closet was filled with gorgeous, elaborate dresses. They seemed inappropriate for breakfast, even if I was in a brothel.

I found a dress shoved in the back. It was a soft jade green color with off the shoulder sleeves. It wasn't flashy or shiny and it was nice, form fitting. I slid the dress on and brushed it into place.

Downstairs, I could smell warm, fresh breakfast and my stomach growled. Mouth watering, I hurried into the dining room where Soren and Scarlett were waiting for me.

Scarlett smiled and patted the seat beside her. I sat down next to her and across from Soren.

The table was covered in fresh muffins and coffee cake. There was bacon, eggs, several kinds of juice, champagne for mimosas, and fresh cut fruit.

“Please, help yourself, my dear," Scarlett said.

I grabbed a warm muffin and cut it open, slathering butter inside.

“That is a nice dress. I don't recall it being in that room," Scarlett said, eyeing me suspiciously.

“I had to dig for it. All that you had in that closet were ball gowns," I pointed out, arching an eyebrow.

Soren chuckled. “Scarlett isn't the type to have… casual clothes."

Scarlett glanced sideways at Soren. “No, I'm not. This dress must have been left behind." she pulled at the sleeve of my dress.

“I'm glad it was there," I said, shrugging.

“Well, you certainly are pretty, no matter what you wear. Though, I imagine Soren thinks you're more beautiful when you wear nothing," Scarlett teased.

Soren chuckled and reached for his mimosa.

My cheeks burned and I took a big bite of my buttered muffin to avoid answering.

I liked Scarlett. She was easy to get along with and hard to be mad at. Even when she teased me, she still had a way of making it seem special.

When I finished my muffin, I took a deep breath and wiped my mouth with a napkin.

“Scarlett, have you ever heard of Alpha Kaleb and Luna Jessica?" I asked, broaching the subject.

“Hmm… sounds familiar," Scarlett said, glancing at the ceiling. “Do you have more information about them? I'm not all that great with names."

“They died about 14 years ago," Soren jumped in. “Their pack was attacked and…" he glanced at me.

I smiled weakly and nodded. It was hard to listen to but I needed answers. I needed to know the truth.

“... They were wiped out, completely," he finished.

“Ahh, yes. That does ring a bell. 14, maybe 15 years ago, there was a period of time that was very chaotic. Chaotic for the packs, I mean," Scarlett explained.

She fixed me with a bright-eyed look.

“Chaotic how?" I asked, tilting my head to the side.

“It started with a rumor. Nothing major, just that a lost artifact had been found," Scarlett explained.

“An artifact?" I gasped. My heart thudded in my chest.

Scarlett nodded. “The real uproar began when these rumors said the artifact was rare, powerful, and had a terrifying power. Supposedly, it had been obtained by a powerful, wealthy pack and that was… concerning."

“Do you remember the powerful pack's name?" Soren asked.

I creased my brow, unsure why he wanted to know the pack name. I was more interested in learning about the artifact.

“Hmm… P something… Pom… Oh, that's right, it was called Pomeni." Scarlett snapped her fingers and smiled.

Pomeni. That was the pack's name, my pack's name. I'd never thought of it before. Hearing the name made me miss the pack I couldn't remember.

“Wh-what kind of people w-were they?" I asked, my voice trembling.

I wanted to believe that they were good people but the entire pack had been wiped out. What if Alpha Kaleb wasn't the back guy? It was a thought I'd been avoiding for a while but now I had to face the fact that the answers wouldn't be what I wanted to hear.

Scarlett chuckled and rolled her head on her neck. “Oh… Alpha Kaleb was most delicious. He was one of the greatest warriors of his time. No one wanted to mess with him or cross him. He was well respected by the other Alphas for being such a strong warrior."

I smiled slightly and nodded. “Was he a good leader?"

“He was every pack's dream. Under his leadership, Pomeni's population tripled and their wealth grew even more than that in just five years. He was in his early twenties! We all expected great things from him as he got older and wiser. Not to mention… he was so handsome!" Scarlett chuckled and covered her mouth, her eyes flashing.

I glanced at Soren. He smirked and winked at me. It was so good to hear these things about my father. It helped put my worries to rest.

“I remember when he got married. It broke every woman's heart, especially those that were daughters of Alphas. But Alpha Kaleb had eyes for only one…"

“Jessica?" I asked.

Scarlett smiled and poured me a mimosa. She also dished me up some eggs and bacon. It was a kind, maternal gesture, not one I expected from her.

I got the feeling I wouldn't learn more unless I ate a healthy meal, so I grabbed my fork and dug in.

Scarlett nodded, seemingly satisfied.

“Luna Jessica was very different from Alpha Kaleb. She was more low-key, but she knew how to handle him. Before she married Kaleb, hardly anyone knew of her. She wasn't a high-profile figure," Scarlett continued.

“Huh…"

I wondered how two people like that would end up together. I knew there were things Scarlett couldn't tell me but I couldn't help thinking about them. Had my parents fallen in love at first sight? How did they meet? Did they ever worry about their differences?

“On their wedding day, no one could deny how perfect the two of them were for each other. Jessica was beyond beautiful. It was the joining of a strong alpha and a powerful witch," Scarlett said.

I set my fork down. “And that was… okay?"

“There were no laws against it. I'll tell you this, no one wanted to be the enemies of such a pack," she said.

My mind wandered back to the couple I'd seen in my memory. I envisioned them in their wedding clothes, kissing and smiling at each other. They looked so strong and so in love. Would I ever have that?

My eyes wandered to Soren but I quickly looked back at Scarlett.

She stared at me for a moment like she was looking for something. “A few years later, they had a daughter. She must have been stunningly beautiful with her parents' good genes," she said.

Scarlett sighed and the light left her eyes. She glanced down at the table.

“What is it?" I croaked, my throat dry.

“It is a shame that their happiness didn't last long," Scarlett said.

My heart sank and I looped my arms around myself. So much strength and power but it hadn't been enough to save them. We should have been a happy family but that was taken from me!

I felt Soren's eyes on me but I couldn't look at him. I couldn't get the memory of my pack destroyed out of my head.

“You mentioned an artifact," Soren said, picking up the conversation for me. “Do you have more information about that artifact? Anything… name, size, color, description, powers, use, whatever you know would be helpful."

I knew Soren was asking so that Scarlett wouldn't recount my parents' demise. I'd already seen it and heard about it. I didn't need her to tell us the tragedy all over again.

“I heard it was a dagger of some sort, perhaps," Scarlett said, shrugging.

“A dagger, that's it?" Soren pressed.

“There have been so many rumors about that artifact and what it could do. I heard a story where it gave the wielder unimaginable strength. Another that gave the owner the power to kill with just a thought. It was said to be able to raise the dead, and there were many other speculations," she answered.

Scarlett chuckled and rolled her head on her neck. “Oh… Alpha Kaleb was most delicious. He was one of the greatest warriors of his time. No one wanted to mess with him or cross him. He was well respected by the other Alphas for being such a strong warrior."

“Yes, that's what we heard, too," Soren agreed.

“They are all so wildly different and unlikely, it is hard to know what it could really do," Scarlett added.

I nodded slowly.

“Perhaps," Soren said. “Or, is it possible that there is truth in all the rumors?"