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.

could be connected enough this time for the girl

pause, but the

my vision, surrounding me on all

the

Goddess, I was screwed. “Um… hi… just

afraid of you. Save her

the hall, dragging a screaming Anna with

across from the suit of armor slid out of the way, revealing

at the walls to get out

Anna disappeared into the darkness, and the secret entrance slammed shut

to figure

vain for a way to get to Anna until I

came Lucas's voice from

me back to the ship. Lucas sounded like he

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

say 'Sasha' not 'f**k' when you're

across the room when I'm trying to

I blinked slowly, still coming out of my trance. “You shouldn't have touched it while

bit back any more harsh words and as he came to sit beside me, careful not

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

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

slightly 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

might as well tell me everything," he said,

tell me?" Lucas asked again as it took me a

to be mad at me?" I replied with a

took my hand and threaded his fingers through mine. “No. I'm done being mad at you.

recounted the tale of the girl and the darkness, which

its eyes

think it's part of the orb. It's… something to do with the past. I… I think I was supposed to save that

the past. You could change

knew the second was true as well, but the

at the situation, I guess. I'm definitely mad at whatever force has you tangled

you love me," I reasoned.

me the whole

of? I'm not sure." I looked up at Lucas. “You know, I have

to know," Lucas said,

You're twenty-seven now. You're past

quiet a long time. “I can't be sure until you've had

something, right?"

I do,"

into my own body. “This is really confusing, Lucas. You're kind of all over the place with how you

not that far away, you know," Lucas said,

and crawled into Lucas's lap, snuggling my head under his chin. Much to my delight, he automatically wrapped his arms around me. “How will we table the discussion when we're making