Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder

Chapter 40 : Little Girl Lost

*Sasha*

Lucas was clever, but not clever enough, in hiding the orb under the floorboards of the stateroom. He must have forgotten the pitch and roll of the ship.

The thing had rolled around like a penny in a hurricane collection jar, and it had taken mere minutes of him being locked out for me to pry up the right board and have the orb in my hands.

I felt a bit bad working with the orb behind his back, but since he wouldn't let me do it in front of him, I felt I had little choice. For the two days, I kept Lucas away, I used my dream dancer powers to watch the people who had the orb in ancient times.

They kept preparing to go through some portal. There were also whispers of using the orb to keep Lycaon from ever leaving the Light Realm and spreading like dark fire across the Dark Realm.

Since Lycaon had definitely spread across the Dark Realm, I was getting the impression the orb hadn't worked as hoped. That and the many bodies that were found at the northern library convinced me something had gone terribly, terribly wrong.

In between sessions with the orb, I poked my head out the door and found a tray for every meal. I also heard the padding of paws and whuffling under the door at night. I might have sent Lucas away, but that didn't mean he was staying away.

When I went to work with the orb the morning of the third day, I was surprised to find it brought my vision back in time again, but not very far. I didn't recognize the location. I could tell I was in a mansion. The decor seemed dated in recent history.

A young girl with pigtail braids was skipping down a hallway that seemed vaguely familiar to me. She was completely carefree.

I followed behind her, curious as to why the orb had brought me here to see a child.

“Anna!" someone was calling.

The girl giggled and hid behind a, yes, honest-to-Goddess suit of armor.

“Where are you?" a portly woman asked, huffing and puffing as she looked here and there, ladle in hand. “I swear, when I find you this time, I'm gonna bean you good!"

Anna stifled another giggle with her hands.

Luckily for Anna, the portly woman didn't hear her and waddled off to a new location, calling her name.

Anna pumped a fist in the air in victory, then began dancing around the suit of armor, hanging off its parts as though it were a jungle gym.

“Anna," came a different voice, masculine this time.

A chill ran down my spine. I knew it was ironic coming from someone in the middle of a vision, but the voice sounded disembodied, not a real person's voice at all.

“Anna."

The girl looked up, then down the hall where we both knew the voice was coming from. She stopped playing with the suit of armor and began heading down the hall.

“Anna."

I wondered if Lucas thought I was as completely stupid using the orb as I was thinking Anna was following this voice.

Damn fool girl… I had to do something. There was something truly sinister behind that voice, and Anna needed protecting. Where was that mean old portly woman, anyway?

“Come here, Anna. Come to me...."

I wanted to bang my head against the wall when Anna did, skipping down the hall toward the darkness.

Anna!" I called, wondering if I could be connected enough this

pause, but the voice

filled my

dancer," the shadow

was screwed. “Um… hi… just

darkness cackled. “I'm not afraid of you. Save her if

itself back down the hall, dragging

wall across from the suit of armor slid out of

walls to get out of the grip

it was too late. Anna disappeared into the darkness, and the secret

I called, feeling around the entrance, trying to figure out how to

way to get

voice from

to use my dream dancer powers to take me back to the ship. Lucas

focused, I saw Lucas laying on the floor by the door, rubbing his head. A few quick questions later, and I knew something else about the orb, or at least the darkness. It didn't like

'f**k' when you're trying to call

usually throw me across the room when I'm trying to

my trance. “You shouldn't have touched it while it

more harsh words and

at me?" I asked cautiously, clutching the orb closer

kissed her temple. “No, princess, I'm not. I'm just scared

and set the orb aside, wrapping it back in the silk. Then I leaned my head against his shoulder and looked up at him with hesitation about what

tell me everything," he said, reaching up and stroking

asked again as it took me a moment

going to be mad at me?"

fingers through mine. “No. I'm done being mad at you. I'm afraid

relaxed. “Oh. Good." I recounted the tale of the girl and the darkness, which made Lucas

that orb has its eyes on you now?" Lucas

or was always going to. And I don't think it's part of the orb. It's… something to do with the past.

you can't go around meddling in the past. You could change the whole course of

I wasn't sure how I knew the second

his tone measured. “I'm mad… at the situation, I guess. I'm definitely mad at whatever force has you tangled up in

me," I reasoned.

you hear me the

not sure." I looked up at Lucas. “You know, I have feelings for

Lucas said, breathing

don't know if we're mates. Do you know if we're mates? You're twenty-seven

a long time. “I can't be

you feel something, right?" I

know I do,"

You're kind of all over

the topic until your birthday. It's not that far away, you know,"

my head under his chin. Much to my delight, he automatically wrapped his arms around