Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder

Chapter 45 : Stay

*Sasha*

“Your hair is so beautiful," Trina gushed as she brushed through my long, blond locks. Another new friend was doing my nails, as I had done for her.

“I wish I had those tight curls you have," I responded.

Phoebe sipped her mimosa and then raised her glass to us. “Pedicures next!"

“I like the way you think," Trina said.

It was a lovely afternoon, in a series of lovely afternoons. The women of New Dianny had welcomed me with open arms. I'd never been so pampered, nor felt so much like I… belonged. There were more dream dancers in New Dianny that I could exchange experiences with. None of them had my kind of power, but it was still nice to talk to people who “get" it.

“You know," Trina mused, sharing a wink with another girl, “you should stay here, like, permanently. Make New Dianny your home."

I blinked at her, startled. “You… you'd really like me to stay?"

“Of course, silly!" Trina said. “You're the coolest person we've ever met!"

“But I bring… a lot of trouble with me," I replied with a wince.

Trina shrugged. “Our Alpha was an accomplished pirate. I'm sure any trouble you bring will just end up walking the plank."

Laughter bubbled up in me and soon we were all giggling. “Yeah, I got that impression about him," I said.

“There's nothing Alpha Robbie can't handle. Just think about it, okay?" Trina asked.

“Okay," I agreed with a nod. “I'll think about it."

“Oh!" Trina exclaimed. “How excited are you for your birthday?! Luna Alison and Joy have been planning the bash of the century!"

I blushed. “They really shouldn't go to so much trouble."

“Sure they should! It's not every day a dream dancer comes into her wolf," Trina winked.

“Well… I suppose not, though it must happen here more frequently than anywhere since Lycennia," I said.

“Probably. But it's still a big deal." Trina finished my nails and flopped back on her lounger, soaking up the sun. “And you'll find out you're mates with that handsome devil you pal around with."

I pushed my hair behind my ear nervously. “Actually, I'm kind of worried about that. I have feelings for him. But what if he's not my mate?"

“He's your mate," every woman there, including Phoebe, insisted.

“And… you know… there's all the stuff we have going on back home and in the Dark Realm and...." I went on.

“Ugh. Honestly, people in love are SO silly sometimes!" Trina sighed. “If he's your mate, and we all know he is, that stuff isn't going to matter. Really. You'll just want to be together all the time."

“I already want to be with him all the time," I admitted softly.

“Then you should tell him so," Phoebe said. “I mean, what does this mate business even mean? If my true mate walked right in front of me right now, you know what I'd be doing? Racing right back to Brady. It's biological, yeah, but it's also a choice. Why don't you two just decide to stay together regardless?"

I gave that some thought. “Yeah. We could decide to stay together regardless."

It might not be a huge rush of wolfy hormones, but it's something deeper and

You're right," I agreed.

got up and tugged me out

I asked, stumbling

obviously you have to go talk to him

“Now?" I repeated.

now. Get it all ironed out

looked at Phoebe, who was

action, really," Phoebe

now. I took a deep breath and

cheer went up as I went back inside the packhouse from

staring at the orb as

again?" I asked, rapping

you guess?" Lucas responded with a lopsided

you

what the other orb is going to look like, where it is, and what the hell we'll be doing with

next to him. “That's a

so much hanging over our heads, and besides that we're both trying

I twisted a lock of hair behind my ear. “Um…

nestling the orb back in his bag among his

love you,

turned back to look at me, frowning

me?" I asked

this isn't a conversation we should be having until tomorrow

decided to stay together. If… if WE'RE not mates, we could do the same. I can't…

could never deprive you of your true mate. Let's just discuss this tomorrow night,

if we're not mates?"

didn't say that...." Lucas

how calculated he was being about all of this. “Never mind, Lucas. If being true mates is sooo important to you, maybe I shouldn't be depriving

“Sasha...."

protests and stomped toward the door. “Don't

over me when Lucas didn't follow. Sometimes, men were SO

for me. If Lucas was going to be so disappointing today, then maybe I'd have better luck with

and held the orb in my hands, letting my dream

vision swirled and brought me somewhere… else. Only this time it was a place

in my little clearing all by myself, perched on an old stump. I was perhaps… nine years

see what I'd been reading that day, only to freeze when a bunch of boys wandered into my

bookworm, haven't seen you around the playground much these days," one of them snarked, filing into a line across from me.

know you cared," nine-year-old me replied with a shrug, not even looking up from my

stuttered, glancing around at his cohorts to make sure

away," nine-year-old me

bright red. “You trying to tell me what to

dream of it," nine-year-old me

sassing me right now," the boy said while the other boys snickered at his predicament. He must have been twelve or older, yet this little wisp

back a page. “Could

the rich, wet dirt around the roots of